Playwright Tony Kushner
Both Parts of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America Will Open in August.
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As is has been the custom for many years, on the eve of the Humana Festival of New American Plays, Artistic Director Les Waters and Managing Director Kevin E. Moore announced Actors Theatre of Louisville’s 2017 – 2018 Season, and it shapes up to be one of the most ambitious line-ups in recent memory. It features an epic two-part Tony Award-winning drama, a delightfully wacky comedy spun from a classic children’s song, a moving portrait of a community of workers in a Detroit auto plant, the addition of a modern Christmas classic, and the return of the two of the most popular holiday shows in the region.
“I am very proud that we bring American theatre’s most compelling voices to Louisville,” says Les Waters. “Our 2017-2018 Season affirms Actors Theatre’s commitment to sharing stories that not only entertain, but also encourage us to explore and redefine the world we live in now. These extraordinary plays offer our diverse audience of theatregoers moments of insight, beauty, humor, and imagination.”
Kevin E. Moore adds, “This is one of our most ambitious seasons yet, and one that should be experienced by all the communities Actors Theatre serves. Through our commitment to accessible performances, enrichment and educational programming, and highly flexible season packages and ticket options, we open our doors wide to ensure that everyone in Kentucky, Southern Indiana, and beyond can have access to the best theatre in the region.”
Actors Theatre kicks off the Brown-Forman Series with Tony Kushner’s two-part theatrical masterpiece, Angels in America. Part One: Millennium Approaches and Part Two: Perestroika will run in rotating repertory from August 29—October 15, 2017, and both will be directed by Actors Theatre’s Associate Artistic Director, Meredith McDonough. These celebrated plays, considered a landmark achievement in American playwriting, take place in the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Following a band of characters and their intersecting personal, political, and spiritual crises, Kushner examines how the forces of history impact individual lives during a time of intense social change.
Actors Theatre will present Anne Washburn’s Little Bunny Foo Foo from January 9 – February 4, 2018. Directed by Actors Theatre Artistic Director Les Waters, this playful reimagining of the classic children’s song, with original music by Dave Malloy (currently represented on Broadway with the hit musical Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812), is goofy fun for anyone who is still (or has ever been) a kid.
Playwright Dominique Morisseau
A powerful and timely production of Skeleton Crew by Dominique Morisseau will take the stage January 24—February 11, 2018. The final play of a cycle known as “the Detroit Projects,” this beautifully written drama traces the shifting bonds and power dynamics within a makeshift family of workers in the heart of Detroit’s struggling auto industry during the 2008 recession.
A special production, yet to be announced, will take the stage in November 2017, rounding out Actors Theatre’s Brown-Forman Series.
Actors Theatre will once again celebrate the holidays with Dracula, September 6—November 2, 2017, and A Christmas Carol, November 21—December 23, 2017. Fifth Third Bank. Added to the holiday offerings this year, Joe Mantello’s adaptation of David Sedaris’s hilarious and irreverent Christmas adventure, The Santaland Diaries, directed by our Associate Artistic Director Meredith McDonough, will be produced in the Victor Jory Theatre December 1 —December 23, 2017.
As always, the 2017-2018 Season will culminate with the 42nd Humana Festival of New American Plays, February 28 – April 8, 2018. The Festival is one of the country’s leading opportunities to see groundbreaking, brand-new work by American theatre’s most talented writers. The 42nd Humana Festival lineup will be announced in November 2017.
The 2017-2018 Season is generously supported by Brown-Forman, the official season sponsor, with additional support from Fund for the Arts, the Kentucky Arts Council and Yum! Brands, which supports the student matinee series.
2017-2018 Season Ticket Packages are on sale now, with 7-Play Brown-Forman Series Season Ticket Packages starting at just $140. Brown-Forman Season Ticket Holders receive a host of benefits, including pre-sale access to all tickets prior to the general public, flexible ticket exchanges, bridge toll reimbursement for Southern Indiana residents, parking discounts and invitations to special behind-the-scenes events. Discounted packages are also available for seniors, students, educators and individuals 35 years of age and under. Single tickets for Dracula and A Christmas Carol as well as The Santaland Diaries will go on sale on Tuesday, May 9 in conjunction with Louisville’s Hometown Tourist Celebration, and the entire 2017-2018 Season will go on sale on June 15, 2017. Actors Theatre’s Box Office is located at 316 West Main Street, Louisville, KY, 40202, and can be reached by calling 502.584.1205.
Actors Theatre is committed to making the theatergoing experience accessible to everyone, and offers open caption and audio-described performances throughout the season. Large print programs and assistive listening devices are also available at every performance.
For a full performance schedule and more information about Actors Theatre’s access services, visit https://actorstheatre.org/your-visit/seat-charts-and-accessibility/.
