Weston Playhouse re-opens with ‘Mountain Top,’ ‘Ring of Fire,’ ‘Seussical’
The Chester Telegraph | Apr 06, 2021 | Comments 0
It was just a year ago that the playhouse announced that it was canceling the 2020 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of offerings has been shortened and the theater is undertaking a series of steps to bring patrons back into its theaters safely.
The 2021 season includes The Mountaintop, a heartfelt reimagining of the legendary final night of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life; Ring of Fire, the electrifying musical celebrating the life and music of Johnny Cash; and An Iliad, a gripping adaptation of Homer’s classic that catapults the ancient tale into an intimate, urgent and spellbinding story for today.
In addition, the Weston Playhouse Theatre’s Young Company presents Seussical, the family-friendly musical inspired by the colorful, zany world of Dr. Seuss.
Kicking off the season the weekend of June 26 and recurring throughout the summer, Weston presents the Celebration Series: a festival that captures Weston’s history and future in a series featuring Walker Farm Music concerts, performances, and other outdoor events under the tent on the grounds at Walker Farm.
Next is Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare’s An Iliad, a gripping adaptation of Homer’s classic. The Trojan War and the present day are set side by side as the excitement of an ancient tale is catapulted into an intimate, urgent, and spellbinding story for today. Performances run July 14 – Aug. 7.
Weston Playhouse Theatre’s Young Company is bringing a production of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens’s Seussical to outdoor venues across the state of Vermont. Follow Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat, and more of your favorite characters into the colorful, zany world of Dr. Seuss! Performances run July 22 – Aug. 7.
Next is Ring of Fire, created by Richard Maltby, Jr., conceived by William Meade, and featuring the music of Johnny Cash. Ring of Fire brings the music of Johnny Cash to life with an exhilarating story of struggle and success, recklessness and redemption, love and family. With more than two dozen classic Cash hits, including “I Walk the Line,” “A Boy Named Sue,” and “A Thing Called Love,” a multi-talented cast of actor-musicians creates a unique portrait about an American legend. Performances run Aug. 11 – Sept. 5.
Closing out the season is Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop, a gripping fantasy about America’s shared history that imagines the final night in the life of civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 3, 1968. After delivering a powerful speech to the sanitation workers of Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. King retires to his room at the Lorraine Motel. As a storm grows outside, a mysterious hotel maid brings him a cup of coffee and a conversation that prompts him to confront his past, his legacy, and the plight and future of his people. Performances run Sept. 29 – Oct. 24.
Subscriptions go on sale starting in April and single ticket sales will be available online and by calling the Weston Box Office at 802-824-5288 beginning June 1st. Gift cards for the Weston 2021 season can be purchased online at westonplayhouse.org. Season subscriptions (2 and 3 shows) are available for $106.00 – $235.32 and offer incredible savings, exclusive benefits, and personalized customer service. Child and Student tickets are available for $25 and a limited quantity of Vermonter tickets are available for $25 with a Vermont ID.
Weston is committed to protecting the health and safety of patrons, volunteers, staff, and artists as much as possible and is continuing to closely monitor local, state, and federal guidance to inform and implement a plan to welcome the community back to the theater safely this summer. Recommendations to protect against Covid-19 are modified frequently, so to ensure accuracy, details about these changes will be made available to patrons at the end of May and updated throughout the summer.
Filed Under: Community and Arts Life • In the Arts
