A.C.T. has revealed five of the six plays that will comprise the forthcoming season. The company will produce the works in the 434-seat in-the-round Allen Theatre, as well as in the 409-seat thrust Falls Theatre.
The new season at A.C.T. gets underway with Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll. The drama, which has become a regional favorite following its West End and Broadway engagements, will run April 10-May 10, 2009, under the direction of A.C.T. artistic director Kurt Beattie.
Press notes for Rock 'n' Roll read: "In August 1968, while Russian tanks roll into Prague, an aging British professor's old style Marxism collides head on with the anti-communist sentiments of a new generation. His most promising young Czech student, his flower-child daughter, and the rock bands that fuel the movement known as the Velvet Revolution explode into the political status quo with feverish idealism and desperate consequences."
Marc Bamuthi Joseph's the break/s, which is currently playing New York's Hip-Hop Theatre Festival, will arrive at A.C.T. June 18-July 12, 2009. Michael John Garces directs the engagement, which has choreography by Stacy Printz, set and video design by David Szlasa, lighting design by James Clotfelter and original music by Ajayi Lumumba.
"With two turntables, a video jockey and Joseph's virtuosity, the break/s is an enthralling piece of performance magic. Drawing on interviews and documentary footage, this collaboration between performer, score and projected image explodes the boundaries of theatre, dance and film and explores the conflicts between public identity and private identity in our globalized, multi-everything era." Das Barbecü, the western-set satire of Wagner's Ring Cycle, featuring book and lyrics by Jim Luigs and music by Scott Warrender, will run Aug. 6-Sept. 6, 2009.
Stephen Terrell directs the production that includes "mismatched lovers, feuding families, a magic ring of power, construction-worker giants, rope tricks, a synchronized swim team of Rhine maidens, and a serenade to guacamole."
Bo Eason's biographical solo show, Runt of the Litter, is set to follow, playing Sept. 18-Oct. 11, 2009. Larry Moss, who directed the Off-Broadway engagements of the work, returns for the A.C.T. production.
Press notes for Runt read: "Fact and fiction overlap to gripping effect in pro-football player and actor Bo Eason's fiercely personal look at his life and career as a ruthless defensive back for the Houston Oilers. Through the fictional alter-ego of Jack Henry, told by his parents that he's too small for football while his older brother is destined for sports stardom, Eason gives us an insider's vivid and sometimes brutally honest look at the cult and culture of pro sports – what it takes to succeed and at what price."
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson by Jeffrey Hatcher, is the final offering of the A.C.T. season. Artistic director Kurt Beattie will direct the production, which runs Oct. 9-Nov. 8, 2009.
"Respected Dr. Henry Jekyll has begun to display alarmingly erratic behavior while at the same time a fearsome figure haunts the foggy streets after dark, committing unspeakable crimes. Against the chilly, menacing backdrop of Victorian London, Jekyll’s friends try to unravel his tortured connection to the monstrous Mr. Hyde, and solve the mystery of what happened on the night Jekyll died," read press notes for the classic.
A.C.T. will also announce an additional production for the May 22-June 21, 2009 slot. In addition, Gregory A. Falls' adaptation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol will run Nov. 29-Dec. 27, 2009.
For season ticket subscriptions, phone (206) 292-7676 or visit ACT. Single tickets will begin sale in Feb. of 2009.
ACT is located at 700 Union Street in Seattle, WA.
