Happy New Year!

I'm in the office, watching it snow, and I'm in absolutely no mood to get any work done.

The cast for All My Sons is onstage for a spacing rehearsal, the costume shop is abuzz with the usual frenzy of getting ready for dress rehearsals next week, and there a couple of staff working on personal projects in the shop. There are a handful of folks getting some work done in our very quiet admin offices, and a few box officers will be manning the phones until 6PM.

After celebrating the New Year tonight we will slowly wind ourselves back into the post holiday real world; on Friday the company will continue rehearsals, on Saturday the lights will be focused onstage while there is a final run through in the rehearsal hall, and on Sunday we begin our 6 day tech period, culminating in a preview performance a week from tomorrow on Friday, Jan 8th.

But right now - it's pretty quiet.

Things at Arena Stage are not quite so calm. Our friends in Washington DC have been hard at work over the holidays (and snowstorms) building and rehearsing Stick Fly, which we'll bring to the Wimberly in February. They have their final dress tonight, and first preview tomorrow, and will open on Thursday the 7th (just as we have our final dress).

Arena has a lot of great info on their blog which I'll bring to you in a few weeks after All My Sons opens. We wish them well - and in honor of the final Stick Fly dress and first preview - here is director Kenny Leon talking about the play:



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The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Stick Fly by Lydia Diamond is playing February 19 through March 28, 2010 at our second space, the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St Boston MA 02116. Online tickets and information available 24/7 or call our Box Office (click for hours this week) at 617 266-0800.

What play changed your life?

What play changed your life? It's a great question - and one that I don't mind stealing. I ran across it yesterday in the NY Times Arts Beat Blog  - they lifted it "from the new book “The Play That Changed My Life,” in which Christopher Durang, Sarah Ruhl, John Patrick Shanley and other playwrights write about that elusive encounter every theatergoer lives for: a play that inspires, moves and forever changes you."(1). And I am lifting it from them.

It's the time of year when the top ten lists of the year come out (some media are even doing biggest Arts stories of the decade) so I thought it would be interesting to ask Huntington artists, staff, and patrons to reflect on a (slightly) longer period of their life in the theatre.

So here goes: What play changed your life? Or - How did Theatre change your life?

Click here to share your story




(1) NY Times Arts Beat Blog

Podcast Audio Series

Our podcast series is really coming together with more content than ever before.

There were five entries in the series for A Civil War Christmas and I would recommend that you take a listen to the conversation at our latest Humanities Forum with Pulitzer Prize winners playwright Paula Vogel and Presidential Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.

And last week we started rehearsals for All My Sons. You can listen to director David Esbjornson address the staff at Meet and Greet here

If you don't want to miss out you can subscribe to our series on itunes or you can visit the "Watch and Listen" tab for each show on our website.

Enjoy!

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The Huntington Theatre Company's production of All My Sons by Arthur Miller is playing January 8 through February 7, 2010 at our Mainstage, the Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave Boston MA 02115. Online tickets and information available 24/7 or call our Box Office (click for hours this week) at 617 266-0800

The Greatest Gift of All

Jeffrey is a member of A Civil War Christmas children's ensemble - he left this charming note for the company on the callboard at closing night Sunday. Jeffrey has, as children often do,  profoundly illustrated to us how simple it is to give the gift of our hearts.

Happy Holidays all!

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Civil War Christmas - Choirs this week

The Huntington is welcoming over 30 choirs to the Boston University Theatre to perform before each performance of A Civil War Christmas. In case you missed it - there was a nice write up in the Globe a few weeks ago. Click here to read more...

Here's the roster of choirs performing today through Dec 13.  If you would like to see the entire roster click here.

• December 8 at 7:30pm — St. Angela's Choir
• December 9 at 2:00pm — Truthful Gospel Choir
  
• December 9 at 7:30pm — Boston Children's Chorus
• December 10 at 7:30pm — Hudson High School Symphonic Choir
• December 11 at 8pm — ABRHS Madrigal Singers
• December 12 at 2pm — Share the Music
• December 12 at 8pm — Lyricora
• December 13 at 2pm — Sharing a New Song

Each Choir will perform starting one half hour prior to the curtain times listed above so show up early to listen in!

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A Civil War Christmas - An American Musical Celebration by Paula Vogel. Music supervised, arranged, and orchestrated by Daryl Waters. Directed by Jessica Thebus. At the Huntington Theatre Company's main stage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA, 02115. Runs November 13 through December 13, 2009. Box Office 617 266-0800 or buy online at HuntingtonTheatre.org 

Student Performances - SOLD OUT

Greetings! Meg Wieder, Education Dept. Manager here!

Part of my job here is to facilitate our Student Matinee Series.  I’m writing with an incredible update on our 2009-2010 Season.

We, in the Department of Education and Community Programs, have been extremely proud of this program since its inception, and it remains the cornerstone of our work.


This year, before we’d even reached the Thanksgiving Holiday, we had SOLD OUT 4 student matinee performances, added 2 more, and offered deeply discounted price of $12 per student to schools for any performance, in our attempt to have as many schools as possible visit us this season.

Fences was quite the production to begin with.  As an August Wilson Pulitzer Prize winning play, it is included in many class curriculums throughout the Commonwealth.  The October 1st matinee sold out long before Schools were open for the year, and the added October 9th matinee sold out as soon as I called all the schools on our wait-list.

By the time Fences closed on October 11, more than 40 schools, and over 2,00 students came to see the play.  Knowing that we were able to expose so many students to such a rich, important piece of theatre at a very affordable rate is what our work is all about.

I’m even more excited to tell you that we SOLD OUT today’s student performance of Paula Vogel’s A Civil War Christmas, AND our January 28th performance of Miller’s All My Sons.  Schools have already reserved seats in other performances of A Civil War Christmas, and we have added an additional student matinee for All My Sons on January 15, 2010.

What makes this news so exciting for me, personally, is the knowledge that schools are choosing to spend their hard-earned field trip funding to come visit the Huntington Theatre Company time and time again.  Many of our schools come to every student matinee of the season, every year.

As budgets are being slashed, and teachers have to become more and more imaginative in how to advance their students’ creative and artistic development, it is thrilling to see new schools choosing to visit us.

I look forward to sharing more updates with you as this incredible season progresses!  If you would like information on our Student Matinee Series, or our other programming in the Department of Education and Community Programs, please let me know!  You can call me at 617.273.1558
or email me at MWieder@huntingtontheatre.bu.edu.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Meg

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Paula Vogel and Doris Kearns Goodwin at the Huntington

The Huntington is more than great performances. Where else can you take part in a conversation about the Civil War with two Pulitzer prize winning authors? It's just one of our regularly scheduled programs and events. Coming this weekend:

HUMANITIES FORUM
A conversation with Pulitzer Prize winners Paula Vogel (A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration and Doris Kearns Goodwin (Team of Rivals). Following the 2pm performance on Sunday, December 6. Free with a ticket.

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A Civil War Christmas - An American Musical Celebration by Paula Vogel. Music supervised, arranged, and orchestrated by Daryl Waters. Directed by Jessica Thebus. At the Huntington Theatre Company's main stage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA, 02115. Runs November 13 through December 13, 2009. Box Office 617 266-0800 or buy online at HuntingtonTheatre.org

The Huntington helps light Boston's Christmas Tree

BOSTON'S OFFICIAL TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY
Members of the cast of A Civil War Christmas will perform at the Mayor's Tree Lighting on Boston Common (6pm-8pm) on Thursday, December 3. Can't attend? Tune into WCVB-TV - channel 5 at 7pm to watch!

WCVB’s Mary Richardson and Anthony Everett will host Channel 5’s live broadcast of the event beginning at 7 p.m. The celebration will feature “American Idol” Season 6 third-place finalist Melinda Doolittle, R&B singing sensation Brian McKnight, Scottish singer-songwriter Maureen McMullan, the Boston Arts Academy Dance Troupe, the Huntington Theatre Company, the Masquerade cabaret troupe, and MAGIC 106.7’s Nancy Quill and Mike Addams.

Uzo Aduba (Hannah) and Alanna T. Logan (Jessa) in the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of Paula Vogel’s A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration playing now through December 13 at the B.U. Theatre. 

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A Civil War Christmas - An American Musical Celebration by Paula Vogel. Music supervised, arranged, and orchestrated by Daryl Waters. Directed by Jessica Thebus. At the Huntington Theatre Company's main stage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA, 02115. Runs November 13 through December 13, 2009. Box Office 617 266-0800 or buy online at HuntingtonTheatre.org

A Civil War Christmas - Choirs thru Dec 6th

The Huntington is welcoming over 30 choirs to the Boston University Theatre to perform before each performance of A Civil War Christmas. In case you missed it - there was a nice write up in the Globe just last week. Click here to read more...

Boston Choral Ensemble

Here's the roster of choirs performing today through Dec 6th . I'll post the next round at the end of the week. If you would like to see the entire roster click here.

• November 27 at 8pm — Choir of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford
• November 28 at 2pm — Liberty Belle Chorus
• November 28 at 8pm — Hudson High Camerata
• November 29 at 2pm — The Choir of Old Cambridge
• December 1 at 7:30pm — Island Grove Chorus
• December 2 at 7:30pm — Boston Choral Ensemble
• December 3 at 10pam — Boston College High School
• December 3 at 7:30pm — Noteworthy at Emerson College
• December 4 at 8pm — Anthology
• December 5 at 2pm — Follow Hymn Interfaith Choir
• December 5 at 8pm — Newton Choral Society
• December 6 at 2pm — Golden Tones

Each Choir will perform starting one half hour prior to the curtain times listed above so show up early to listen in!

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A Civil War Christmas - An American Musical Celebration by Paula Vogel. Music supervised, arranged, and orchestrated by Daryl Waters. Directed by Jessica Thebus. At the Huntington Theatre Company's main stage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA, 02115. Runs November 13 through December 13, 2009. Box Office 617 266-0800 or buy online at HuntingtonTheatre.org

A Civil War Christmas - Audience Comments

Paula Vogel gives us plenty to think about in A Civil War Christmas. What were you thinking about on the way home after you saw the play? Did you attend a post show discussion? What comments surprised you? What elements of the play struck you as most profound or interesting? Race issues, the history, or the style of the production, the music, the design? We would love to hear your thoughts and reactions to other comments. Please join the conversation and share your ideas - click here to comment.

Uzo Aduba (Hannah) and Alanna T. Logan (Jessa) in the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of Paula Vogel’s A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration playing now through December 13 at the B.U. Theatre. 

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A Civil War Christmas - An American Musical Celebration by Paula Vogel. Music supervised, arranged, and orchestrated by Daryl Waters. Directed by Jessica Thebus. At the Huntington Theatre Company's main stage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA, 02115. Runs November 13 through December 13, 2009. Box Office 617 266-0800 or buy online at HuntingtonTheatre.org

Paula Vogel: A Civil War Christmas

Pulitzer-winning playwright Paula Vogel’s newest play, A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration set in and around Washington, D.C., on Christmas Eve 1864, brings together the Lincolns, soldiers, runaway slaves, and others in a celebration of hope amidst devastation. Here, in a September 2008 interview with Long Wharf Theatre’s dramaturg April Donahower, Vogel discusses joy and tragedy, the public and private, and why it’s imperative that we acknowledge our history.

      AD: This play is a departure of sorts for you [in that it’s written for a family audience]. What has led you in this direction?

      PV: I am always trying to get to a point where I’m sharing something with the community . . . something painful. And the reason I do that isn’t to hurt people or to dwell in the hurt; it’s to get past it. It’s to resolve it. It’s to change it.

      The alchemy of an audience, with issues that hurt us . . . there’s an alchemy that happens and I think we can turn it to gold. And if that gold is hope, if that goal is action, if that goal is leaving the theatre and feeling as if the person sitting next to me in seat D4 is actually now a neighbor, that’s a huge step forward for me.

      The word “family values” has been used so often, but I don’t see why we’re not saying “community values” because it seems to me every family is the community. Out of that — which I think has been in other plays — this thing came to me.

      In the past 20 years, I’ve had children (some of them now are wonderful grown men) say to me, “Aunt Paula,” or “Godmother, when do I get to see one of your plays?” Usually this is a conversation that’s taking place over Christmastime. And I say, “When you’re 30 years old and you can go and talk to a therapist or talk to me afterwards, but you can’t come see my plays until you’ve reached the age of adulthood.” And it’s always been kind of a family joke.

      But if I’m talking about family values, I should write something that I can say to my family, “Guys, I wanted to give this to you when you were five and I know now you’re 27,” or “Rebecca, you know, you’re six years old, and, you know, I just want you to know this and talk about it with you.” So I wrote [A Civil War Christmas] for my family. This is my Christmas gift. My Hanukah/Christmas — we’re very diverse — Kwanzaa gift to the family.

click here to read the rest:

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A Civil War Christmas - An American Musical Celebration by Paula Vogel. Music supervised, arranged, and orchestrated by Daryl Waters. Directed by Jessica Thebus. At the Huntington Theatre Company's main stage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA, 02115. Runs November 13 through December 13, 2009. Box Office 617 266-0800 or buy online at HuntingtonTheatre.org

A Civil War Christmas Beard Contest

We had a pretty good number of contestants in our little Civil Beard War. View the beard contestants in the slideshow, and then register your vote in the poll below. Voting will run through Thanksgiving.

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A Civil War Christmas - An American Musical Celebration by Paula Vogel. Music supervised, arranged, and orchestrated by Daryl Waters. Directed by Jessica Thebus. At the Huntington Theatre Company's main stage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA, 02115. Runs November 13 through December 13, 2009. Box Office 617 266-0800 or buy online at HuntingtonTheatre.org

Civil War Christmas - Thanksgiving week performance Schedule

Our performance schedule is a little different than usual around the Holiday next week, so I thought I would post it here. Do you have family coming to visit? Bring them to town for the show, and maybe get some shopping done nearby!

Performances:

Friday      11/20  8PM

Saturday  11/21  2PM, 8PM

Sunday    11/22  2PM, 7PM

Monday   11/23 7:30PM

Tuesday   11/24 7:30PM

Weds       11/25 no performances

Thursday  11/26 no performances (Thanksgiving)

Friday      11/27 2PM, 8PM

Saturday  11/28 2PM, 8PM

Sunday    11/29 2PM

(Choirs start 1/2 prior to the scheduled performance)

A Civil War Christmas - An American Musical Celebration by Paula Vogel. Music supervised, arranged, and orchestrated by Daryl Waters. Directed by Jessica Thebus. At the Huntington Theatre Company's main stage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA, 02115. Runs November 13 through December 13, 2009. Box Office 617 266-0800 or buy online at HuntingtonTheatre.org  Photo by T. Charles Erickson

A Civil War Christmas - Jessica Thebus

Jessica Thebus, the director of A Civil War Christmas, spoke to the company on the first day of rehearsal - now a month past. It is interesting to read this again within the frame of the work we have done over the last few weeks. Here is the text of Jessica's greeting:

"I usually read something that I write on the first day. I like to do it for a few reasons. One is to share some of my thoughts in the time I have been living with the play, what I see as our map of where we are going, and to give as at least a starting place for our work together."

"Another, more important reason is to celebrate the gathering together of people in a room and launch a new journey, because one is never exactly like another. We are starting a journey, following a star, in celebration of our own, multi-denominational nativity."

"The story of the nativity—why, I wonder, do we as human beings love to hear the same story told over and over? With all our natural love of plot and suspense, we gather in homes and places of worship, and theaters, to hear again and again of the nutcracker, or of Scrooge and the spirits, or the birth of a child in a stable." Read the rest here...

or listen here

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A Civil War Christmas - An American Musical Celebration by Paula Vogel. Music supervised, arranged, and orchestrated by Daryl Waters. Directed by Jessica Thebus. At the Huntington Theatre Company's main stage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA, 02115. Runs November 13 through December 13, 2009. Box Office 617 266-0800 or buy online at HuntingtonTheatre.org

A Civil War Christmas - Choirs thru 11/22

The Huntington is welcoming over 30 choirs to the Boston University Theatre to perform before each performance of A Civil War Christmas. In case you missed it - there was a nice write up in the Globe just last week. Click here to read more...

Here's the roster of choirs performing tonight through Thanksgiving. I'll post the next round at the end of the week. If you would like to see the entire roster click here.

• November 17 at 7:30pm — Stambandet
• November 18 at 7pm — Revels
• November 19 at 7:30pm — Apollo Club of Boston
• November 20 at 8pm — In Achord
• November 21 at 2pm — Master Singers of Lexington
• November 21 at 8pm — Wellesley Choral Society
• November 22 at 2pm — Lexington Pops Chorus
• November 22 at 7pm — Newton Community Choir
• November 23 at 7:30pm — Archdiosese of Boston Black Choir
• November 24 at 7:30pm — North Quincy High School Select Choir

Each Choir will perform a half hour prior to the curtain times listed above (so, for instance, if you want to see Boston University a capella group In Achord get your tickets and be in your seat by 7:30pm).


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A Civil War Christmas - An American Musical Celebration by Paula Vogel. Music supervised, arranged, and orchestrated by Daryl Waters. Directed by Jessica Thebus. At the Huntington Theatre Company's main stage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA, 02115. Runs November 13 through December 13, 2009. Box Office 617 266-0800 or buy online at HuntingtonTheatre.org

A Civil War Christmas - Video

A Civil War Christmas - An American Musical Celebration by Paula Vogel. Music supervised, arranged, and orchestrated by Daryl Waters. Directed by Jessica Thebus. At the Huntington Theatre Company's main stage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA, 02115. Runs November 13 through December 13, 2009. Box Office 617 266-0800 or buy online at HuntingtonTheatre.org

Inbox: Civil Beard War for "Christmas" Opening

On occasion I'll forward something straight from my inbox that doesn't need much explanation. Last week our Scene shop foreman, Brian Sears, wrote the following:

In the scene shop we have decided to get into the spirit of A Civil War Christmas with some good old fashion facial hair. I encourage all in the company that is capable of growing some facial hair to join us in our adventure. Two weeks from today is opening night and we are hoping for a nice showing, after that it can be over and you can shave off your new look. So please stop shaving today and join us.

Here is photo of approved scene shop facial hair styles

 There are plenty of beards sprouting here on Huntington Ave  - the contest has taken root (sorry) across the company. I should mention that a fair  percentage of the staff is female and many were eager to participate. Come back in a few weeks for photos!  Audience members coming to Opening night are also encouraged to participate.

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A Civil War Christmas - An American Musical Celebration by Paula Vogel. Music supervised, arranged, and orchestrated by Daryl Waters. Directed by Jessica Thebus. At the Huntington Theatre Company's main stage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston MA, 02115. Runs November 13 through December 13, 2009. Box Office 617 266-0800 or buy online at HuntingtonTheatre.org

August Wilson's Neighborhood

One of the more interesting things we heard at our post show discussions for Fences was that many people really thought they had seen the play here before, even though we had never done it. The world of this play was a very familiar place for our patrons, as we have now staged 9 out of the 10 plays.

Several weeks ago I received the following comment:

lgalen said...

"I've been watching August Wilson's neighborhood evolve at the Hungtington since Joe Turner in the mid 80's. I've been fascinated by the scenic design. Am I imagining it, or is there an attempt to reconstruct or reconfigure some of the past Huntington Wilson sets, in the more recent plays? IIRC, Radio Golf's set seemed to be a recreation of Jitney's. Fence's backyard seemed reminiscent, maybe of Seven Guitars, or maybe another of the plays? Is my mind playing tricks? Is it just a function of the plays occuring in a specific neighborhood, or is this (as I believe) a conscious device?"

I wrote lgalen back to let him know that, over the years, we've had many different designers and several different directors and yet the plays certainly all had a feeling of the same place. We did not share any past designs or photos with the current team and we don't save our sets. So there was certainly no conscious device on our part to place elements of previous productions into the newer ones. You're giving us a lot of credit - I wish we had thought of it! There certainly might have been a few of the same props - we've been building our stock for 27 years now. And each design team did extensive research on the Hill District.

I thought I would post a few photos from our past August Wilson productions. We don't have too many that show a lot of set - but I found what I could. Do they seem like reconfigurations of each other? What elements do they share.Can you name the productions? I'll give a free pair of tickets to A Civil War Christmas to the first person who emails me with the play titles in the right order (my email address is on the comment form, click below). Scroll to the end for a few hints.

Photo 1

photo 2

photo 3

photo 4

photo 5

 

photo 6

photo 7

photo 8

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Hints: 

Photo 1: Hassan El-Amin and James A. Williams

Photo 2: 1990-1991 season. Bonus tickets if you can name all three actors in this photo
Photo 3: Reuben Santiago-Hudson and LisaGay Hamilton

Photo 4: Eugene Lee and John Beasley

Photo 5: Tony Todd and Russell Andrews

Photo 6: Charles Dutton and Rocky Carroll

Photo 7: August Wilson and Lloyd Richards

Photo 8: Not Radio Golf - and Bonus tickets if you can name both actors in this photo.

Which shows are missing?

Finding the Calderwood Pavilion - A Long and Winding Road

I just HAD to share this great story left by one of our patrons who came and saw A Long and Winding Road recently:

abbygirl said...

"My husband and I literally traversed "A Long and Winding Road" to reach your theater to enjoy the show - which we did, immensely, by the way. We don't get into Boston frequently, and the traffic and patterns of same are confusing to say the least. Armed with two different sets of directions, we amazingly actually found the theater and began searching for a parking spot. With many one-way streets, we went around in circles several times. Finally, apparently, we did not STOP, when we were supposed to as we were looking at signage, etc. and one of Boston's finest just happened to be right in front of us. He got out of his car and approached our vehicle, saying we did not STOP."

"My husband just started to relay our problem - that we were were lost looking for the Huntington Theatre, etc. I tried to intervene and tell him we were looking for a parking spot and had found the theater, but no one heard me. The policeman was so very helpful and said he would guide us and to follow him. We followed him in, around, and through Boston at a mighty clip - I might add - ending up at the OTHER Huntington Theater [the Boston University Theatre] on Huntington Ave. OH my God - we were going to be late. I had to tell him it was the wrong theater."

"He then offered to guide us again - back to the Calderwood Pavilion and showed us where to park. We really had a grand tour of Boston - and did not get a traffic ticket. We made it to the show, very stressed - but just in time. As soon as Maureen McGovern started to sing, we relaxed, enjoyed her perfomance, laughed and reminisced. Well, we know where you are now and where to park. Hopefully, that will never occur again."

"Boston has great officers - maybe it was our gray hair that had an effect on him. He probably was cursing "senior citizens"."

Thank you for sharing your experience, Abbygirl

The Huntington Theatre Company performs at two venues - The Boston University Theatre, and our second stage (The Virginia Wimberly Theatre) in Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA.

Patrons should check the venue information for the show that you are coming to see... we would hate to hear that you arrived at the wrong theatre and missed the show. If you buy your tickets online - the venue info is on your order confirmation. It's also on your tickets, and on our main website.

We continue to refine our venue information, directions and parking, and dining data on our websites even as we continue to hear stories about people ending up in the wrong place after five years of becoming bi-venue.. We're about to launch a new "plan your visit" section on our website too - which should help us all - I'll let you know when that is up and running. If you have any ideas for us - please let us know.

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A Long and Winding Road: Reviews

The word is in - and people are really enjoying Maureen McGovern in A Long and Winding Road.


The Boston Globe says "Maureen McGovern's voice remains powerful, supple, and expressive. She knows how to navigate a song's emotional peaks and valleys and how to woo and win an audience. When you hear her deliver these songs, it's a reminder of how much they deserve to live on." click here to read more.

We love a good review in the Boston Globe - but we like it even more when we get to hear what you have to say. Join the conversation by adding your comments here.

You are also invited to join the conversation when you come to the theatre. Check out our humanities forum with Steve Morse, host of "Morse on Music" and former staff rock critic for The Boston Globe. Following the 2pm performance on Sunday, October 25. Free with a ticket to the show.

If you can't make it that night we are holding audience discussions following most weeknight and matinee performance, as we did with Fences. Check out the full schedule of performances and discussions here.

Join the conversation - add your comments here

Maureen McGovern in A Long and Winding Road at the Huntington Theatre Company's second stage - The Virginia Wimberly Theatre at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. 527 Tremont St, Boston MA 02116.  Buy tickets online or call our box office at 617 266-0800. Box Office locations and hours click here.

Maureen McGovern; A Long and Winding Road - Video & Bios

Maureen McGovern’s* (Performer, Co-writer) nearly 40-year career includes Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Traditional Pop Vocal, a Grammy Award for Best Musical Recording for Children (for her participation in Songs from the Neighborhood: The Music of Mr. Rodgers), and the Academy Award winning gold records “The Morning After” (Billboard No. 1) and “We May Never Love Like This Again.” Her current PS Classics release, A Long and Winding Road, was praised by The New York Times as “a captivating musical scrapbook from the 1960s to the early ’70s, Ms. McGovern is blessed with a vocal technique second to none.” Other critically acclaimed musical tributes include her Gershwin, Arlen, Rodgers, and Marilyn and Alan Berman CDs, and more. On Broadway, she appeared in Little Women: The Musical, creating the role of Marmee, for which she was nominated for a 2005 Drama Desk Award; The Pirates of Penzance; Nine; 3 Penny Opera; and the recent first national tours of Little Women: The Musical and The King and I. Off-Broadway, she appeared in Brownstone, originating the role of Mary. Regionally, she has performed in Maureen McGovern: A Long and Winding Road (Arena Stage, in cooperation with the Huntington), Elegies, Dear World, Letters From ’Nam (originating the role of Eleanor Bridges at the North Shore Music Theatre), The Lion in Winter, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Of Thee I Sing, Let ’Em Eat Cake, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Guys and Dolls, I Do! I Do!, and The Bengal Tiger’s Ball (for which she composed, co-created, and starred). On screen, she appeared in The Towering Inferno, as the guitar-strumming nun in the film Airplane!, and as the voice of Rachel in the DreamWorks animated feature Joseph: King of Dreams. She is the founder of the McGovern “Works of Heart Foundation". Visit maureenmcgovern.com.

Philip Himberg (Co-writer, Director) is the producing artistic director of Sundance Institute Theatre Program where he has created and overseen the developmental theatre laboratories since 1997. Under Mr. Himberg’s aegis, this nationally recognized program has successfully developed over 150 new works for the stage, including the Tony Award-winning The Light in the Piazza, Grey Gardens, 33 Variations, Passing Strange, Spring Awakening, and I Am My Own Wife, among many others. Mr. Himberg’s directing credits includethe world premiere concert of William Finn’s Songs of Innocence and Experience at Williams College and Merkin Hall in New York. He directed the world premiere of Terrence McNally’s Some Men at Philadelphia Theatre Company, and most recently, Reprise/LA’s revival of Flora, The Red Menace starring Eden Espinosa. For Sundance Summer Theatre, he directed Fiddler on the Roof, Funny Girl, and Dear World. He is also an author; his essay “Family Albums” appears in the Dutton anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys. He is a trustee of Theatre Communications Group.

Jeffrey Harris (Music Director) is equally at home as a pianist, composer, arranger, conductor, and lyricist. He has worked with such diverse performers as Maureen McGovern, Chaka Khan, Barbara Cook, Jack Jones, Audra McDonald, and Cleo Laine. His longest association has been with Ms. McGovern, playing and arranging six of her CDs, writing many songs for her (she has recorded 16), and appearing with her frequently on TV and in concert. Mr. Harris has worked extensively on Broadway as both pianist and conductor, most recently as associate musical director for Gypsy (starring Patti LuPone, directed by Arthur Laurents). Other Broadway credits include On the Town (directed by George C. Wolfe), Chicago, Fosse, Beauty and the Beast, and Crazy for You. He is a frequent guest pianist and conductor with many leading orchestras (including the Boston, St. Louis, Dallas, Detroit, and National symphony orchestras) and a regular member of the New York Pops. As a composer for the theatre, he most recently penned Pinocchio (book and lyrics by Susan DiLallo), produced at South Coast Repertory and Omaha Theater Company.

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Maureen McGovern in A Long and Winding Road at the Huntington Theatre Company's second stage - The Virginia Wimberly Theatre at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. 527 Tremont St, Boston MA 02116.  Buy tickets online or call our box office at 617 266-0800. Box Office locations and hours click here.

A Long and Winding Road - Designers

The design team for A Long and Winding Road is;

Cristina Todesco (Scenic Designer) previously designed The Atheist for the Huntington Theatre Company. Her design credits include The Atheist (Culture Project at the Barrow Street Theater and Williamstown Theatre Festival), Sonia Flew (Summer Play Festival), and A Passion for Justice: An Encounter with Clarence Darrow (Olney Theater Center). Local design credits include Grey Gardens (Lyric Stage Company of Boston), Picasso at Lapin Agile, A House With No Walls (New Repertory Theatre), The Pain and the Itch and The Bluest Eye (Company One), The New Century (SpeakEasy Stage Company), and Look Back in Anger (Orfeo Group). Ms. Todesco is the recipient of an Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Scenic Design for New Repertory Theatre’s production of The Clean House. She received her M.F.A. in scenic design from Boston University’s School for Theatre Arts, where she currently teaches.

Chip Schoonmaker (Costume Designer) has designed The Einstein Project and Faith Healer (Berkshire Theatre Festival) regionally. His Boston credits include The Light in the Piazza and The Wrestling Patient (SpeakEasy Stage Company), Grey Gardens (The Lyric Stage Company of Boston), Dear Miss Garland (Stoneham Theatre), The Clean House (New Repertory Theatre), and King John (Actors' Shakespeare Project). Other credits include Love Song and Blackbird (Chester Theatre Company), Chicago and La Cage Aux Folles (Riverside Theatre), and The Greeks (Southern Methodist University). His designs for dance include projects at The Juilliard School, Boston Conservatory, The Nashville Ballet, The Richmond Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, and seven seasons as resident costume designer at Jacob’s Pillow. Mr. Schoonmaker has designed for “Another World,” “All My Children,” and “As the World Turns,” for which he has earned four Daytime Emmy Awards. He received his M.F.A. from New York University and is on the faculty at Brandeis University.

David Lander (Lighting Designer) received a 2009 Tony Award nomination for his lighting design for 33 Variations (also at La Jolla Playhouse and Arena Stage). His other Broadway credits include A Man for all Seasons, I Am My Own Wife, Dirty Blonde, and Golden Child. He previously designed Séance on a Wet Afternoon (Opera Santa Barbara), Aftermath and Beast (New York Theatre Workshop), Restoration (La Jolla Playhouse), Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Kirk Douglas Theatre), Edward Albee’s Occupant (Signature Theatre Company), and Othello (Alley Theatre). Mr. Lander also designed the theatrical lighting for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.

Maya Ciarrochi (Projection Designer) is a New York City-based projection designer and installation artist. Her theatre and dance credits include Elvis People (Henry Wishcamper, New World Stages); Relativity (Talvin Wilks, Ensemble Studio Theatre); Fire Throws (Rachel Dickstein, 3LD Art & Technoloogy Center); The Diary of Anne Frank (Timothy Bond, Syracuse Stage); Tales from the Salt City (dir. Ping Chong, Syracuse Stage); Morph: Live Remix (Wally Cardona, Danspace Project); Event (Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Joyce Theater); Necessary Beauty and Landing/Place, for which she won a 2006 Bessie Award, (Bebe Miller Company, Wexner Center); and Approaching Green (Donna Uchizono, Danspace Project). Her video installations have been exhibited nationally and abroad. Upcoming projects nclude Ping Chong’s The Devil & Daniel Webster (La Mama) and Throne of Blood (Oregon Shakespeare Festival and BAM Next Wave Festival). Ms. Ciarrocchi has B.F.A. in dance from SUNY Purchase and an M.F.A. in computer art from the School of Visual Arts. www.mayaciarrocchi.com.

Ben Emerson’s (Sound Designer) design credits for the Huntington include Fences, The Miracle at Naples, What the Butler Saw, Cookin’ at the Cookery, Gross Indecency, Cabaret Verboten, and The Glass Menagerie. Additional regional credits include Mrs. Sedgwick’s Head (Trinity Repertory Company), and Woman in Black, Quartet, The Pavilion, and Short Haired Grace (Merrimack Repertory Theatre). Mr. Emerson’s local designs include Where Elephants Weep (Cambodian Living Arts), Wind in the Willows (Gloucester Stage Company), The Order of Things (Centastage), Freedom of the City (The Súgán Theatre Company), and others. Mr. Emerson received an IRNE Award for Best Sound Design for his design of The Seafarer for SpeakEasy Stage Company, for whom he also designed The Wrestling Patient. In addition to his design work, Mr. Emerson has been the audio supervisor at the Huntington Theatre Company for the last ten years. He teaches sound design at Boston University’s School of Theatre.

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Maureen McGovern in A Long and Winding Road at the Huntington Theatre Company's second stage - The Virginia Wimberly Theatre at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. 527 Tremont St, Boston MA 02116.  Buy tickets online or call our box office at 617 266-0800. Box Office locations and hours click here.

Maureen McGovern - A Long and Winding Road

This week has been all about rehearsals for Maureen McGovern in A Long and Winding Road.  Director Phillip Himberg and Maureen began rehearsals in Boston on Tuesday. They had spent the previous week rehearsing in NY, culminating with a run thru last Sunday, and arrived in the South End with a fresh script chock full of adjustments. They were running the show again by Thursday. Today we started rehearsing in the theatre adding lights, sound and projections to the mix. Previews begin in just 5 days.

I caught a rehearsal on Friday afternoon.

The show caught me off guard, much like it did back when we workshop'd it here last March. This is the music of my youth, yet I never really considered it MY music. I thought I was too young to consider myself a baby boomer - but I looked it up just to be sure. Turns out I'm not that far off. Boomers, they say, were born between 1946 and 1964. I was born in 1965.

My mom played this music as I grew up -  on the record player and on her guitars; Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Peter Paul & Mary, and Carole King. It IS my music, and though there are a few decades between me and Maureen McGovern, there is much we share in this Long and Winding Road.

I bet you'll discover some of your life and music, too, in this uniquely American story. See you in the theatre!

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Maureen McGovern in A Long and Winding Road at the Huntington Theatre Company's second stage - The Virginia Wimberly Theatre at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. 527 Tremont St, Boston MA 02116.  Buy tickets online or call our box office at 617 266-0800. Box Office locations and hours click here.

Ronan Noone's Little Black Dress

I saw Ronan Noone at the Fences opening a couple of weeks ago. We talked about the rehearsals for a production of his new play Little Black Dress at Boston Playwrights' Theatre and he was very excited about it... he says he has the BEST cast ever!

Here's what the BPT website has to say about it:

"Following his sold-out Huntington Theatre Company production of Brendan, where he recounts an Irish immigrant’s voyage to US citizenship, and his off-Broadway smash hit starring Campbell Scott as the Midwestern journalist August Early in The Atheist, Elliot Norton Award-winner Ronan Noone continues his exploration of the American psyche in Little Black Dress. Turning the Midwestern rustic stereotype on its ear, Noone’s visceral game of risk conceals twisted dreams lurking behind the video arcade. Featuring Elliot Norton Award-winners Jeremiah Kissel* and Marianna Bassham*, along with newcomers Karl Baker Olson and Alex Pollock, Noone culls all the dark humor and pathos from the Kansas prairie where every girl wants to be Grace Kelly."

"What would you do for a string of pearls?"

BU Today has a slideshow/interview here and the Boston Globe has a preview article here. Enjoy.

Ronan is a Huntington Playwrighting Fellow, and also teaches at Boston University. I'm looking forward to heading over to campus and seeing the show after A Long and Winding Road opens. I hope I can still get in.

Tonight is opening night! Break a leg...

PS: Ronan also said he loved the changes I'd made to the blog. I think he's the only one who noticed! Thanks dude.
PPS: Click the links and read about our productions of The Atheist and Brendan from our blog archives.


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Huntington shakes up Playwriting Fellows Program

From Lisa Timmel:

The Huntington Theatre Company is accepting applications for its Huntington Playwriting Fellows program.  Go here for more information.




Here’s the short version why:

Literary Department Goals, 2009-2010:
1. Create a more transparent process for becoming a fellow
2. Streamline submission process
3. Create a more sustainable community of HPF writers

Here’s the long version why:

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

My first real job was at Playwrights Horizons, a theater that accepts unsolicited manuscripts.   At the time, the literary office was the size of a very small walk-in closet.  It housed then literary manager, Tim Sanford, me, one pc, an electric typewriter, about ten years of archives looming on shelves that reached the ceiling, an index card filing system, and at any given time, 800 manuscripts vying for 3 to 5 production slots.  The math is dispiriting, no?

The first two lessons I had to learn were how to be open to a diverse range of voices and the innate value of getting to know a writer by simply reading their work.  Then I learned that the supply of good plays far exceeds the demand. And finally, that good writing alone is usually not enough to get a production.  Producing a new play based only on the script is a little like giving someone a 5-carat engagement ring after the first date. 

The Huntington accepts unsolicited manuscripts from local writers because we are committed to being a well-rounded company that produces the best work of international, national and local artists.  But even in the much smaller market of Boston, the supply of good plays by local writers far exceeds our capacity. When I got here, I set about trying to figure out what it takes for a local writer to get produced by the Huntington.  It didn’t take much analysis: all our produced local writers have been Huntington Playwriting Fellows.

Applying what I learned all those years ago on 42nd street, that there needs to be a real, working relationship between a writer and a theatre before committing to a production, I realized that local writers need to be encouraged to become Fellows rather than encouraged to submit for production. Traditionally, Fellows were chosen at the discretion of the literary manager.  This wasn’t going to work for me since my knowledge of the local scene is, at this point, pretty thin and, as a process, it lacks transparency.  How was I to know who even wanted to be a Fellow? So, an application process was born.

This process forced me to spend time thinking about what I care about and what kind of theatre I want the Huntington to be, at least the 30 square feet of it that I control.  I am not, temperamentally, a fan of big arts institutions.  They can be remote from the community that they are trying to serve.  What I love about working at the Huntington is the many ways we are trying to chip away at that distance between the institution and the people.  An artist needs a platform, and a platform needs steps.  You do your best work, and we’ll do our best to find room on the step for you.

Apply for the Huntington Playwriting Fellow Program (local playwrights only).


Script submission for non-local playwrights

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Fences - Audience Comments

Join the conversation  - tell us what theatre means to you and add your thoughts about our production of Fences. 

How does this story - set in the 1950's - resonate today? Why do you think Rose wanted the fence? Did you attend a discussion before or after the performance and how did that add to your experience?

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 John Beasley (Troy Maxson) in the Huntington Theatre Company production of August Wilson’s “Fences.” Playing now through October 11 at the Boston University Theatre. Photo: Eric Antoniou

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[Opening Night Addendum]

I had to add to the post this morning, after an incredible opening last night. It was a great performance, with a packed house full of staff, friends and family, board and subscribers, including Doris Kearns Goodwin, Phylicia Rashad, and Keith David. The after party was hosted by our friends at Legal Seafoods. Here is a small sample of what I found on Facebook (and my email) this morning:

"Congratulations to the entire Huntington Family -- tonight's Opening of "Fences" was truly magical. Phylicia Rashad, Keith David, and an even more star-studded audience, along with an amazing cast and an incredibly talented Director provided one of the best nights of theatre...I can't wait to see it again and feel blessed to be a part of the family." Meg Wieder

"What a fantastic show! Congrats, Huntington cast, crew, and staff and thank you for such a wonderful night at the theatre." Erica Spyres

"...what a fantastic season opening last night! 'Fences' was brilliant..." Justin Seward

"WOW. All personal bias aside, @Huntington's production of 'Fences' is absolutely breathtaking. Do yourself a favor and see it." Thom Dunn

"loved August Wilson's Fences at the Huntington..." Dina Croce

"cried through the entire second act. held my breath, clenched my fists, frozen." Penney Pinnette

"It was the most amazing performance... I've seen the show twice before including on Broadway with James Earl Jones and I enjoyed this performance more - it came across as more human and multi-dimensional than in a Broadway theater.  Kudos to the cast for their honest, committed performances." David Miller

""You have to take the crookeds with the straights." Tired as hell, but had a great dinner/night at the theatre" Amanda Rota Pyne

Lisa McColgan "got a big hug from Doris Kearns Goodwin, helped Phylicia Rashad through the Opening Night throng to the box office, and is full of delicious cupcakes. She'll stick with nonprofit theatre, thanks."

Please tell us about your night at Fences: Click here to comment


Fences by August Wilson, directed by Kenny Leon, at the Huntington Theatre Company's mainstage - Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115. Buy tickets online or call our box office at 617 266-0800. Box Office locations and hours click here.

Fall Arts Preview

Our production of Fences is featured in the Boston Globe's Fall Arts Preview:



Which Huntington show are you looking forward to seeing most this season? Join the conversation - tell us which one(s) and why. Comment here

Fences by August Wilson, directed by Kenny Leon, at the Huntington Theatre Company's mainstage - Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115. Buy tickets online or call our box office at 617 266-0800. Box Office locations and hours click here.

Join the Conversation

Last night, at our first preview for Fences, we started something new.

I'm going to introduce Literary Associate Charles Haugland to tell you all about it:

Most nights this season at the Huntington you may hear a new announcement about an experiment we're trying: "After tonight's performance, there will be a post-show discussion".

Are you curious? Here's what we're thinking:

The Huntington makes theatre. People who know their Greek will tell you that the word that theatre came from meant place for seeing. Is that how this theatre works? Sure. When I buy a ticket, I am a spectator. We call those people onstage actors. Theatre's that thing that happens when we watch them.

But, when the staff talks around the office, Peter DuBois sometimes slips in this sentence: Theatre is a conversation. He says it pretty often, and it's a simple remark, so it can fly in one ear and out the other. But, the sentence sticks with me. How is theatre a conversation?

For me, it means at least two things. First, Peter is saying that watching is really active. Attention is palpable, and actors fight to get it and keep it. Are they focusing differently because I just coughed? When I laugh in a new place, does it change their rhythm? What if I react differently than they are expecting? One spectator changes a whole performance.

But more deeply, I think he's saying that people put stories onstage because they want to talk to the people that are offstage. He programs a play because he is compelled to share that story, to invite others to hear it, to talk with others about it. So when the idea was floated last spring to do discussions with the audience after the show, I said to Peter, We have to do this! Its exactly what you talk about! Theatre is a conversation.

We'll be doing six discussions a week during the run of FENCES, and the format will evolve all year long. Sometimes it will be Peter leading the discussion, sometimes its Lisa Timmel (who is the Director of New Work), sometimes it's me, sometimes it's one of the other theatre geeks who work for the Huntington. But, were not hosting the discussions so that we can tell you things -- what were most interested in is what you'll say to us and what you'll say to each other.

Conversation is not nearly as old a word as theatre - conversation only goes back about six hundred years - but it surprised me to learn today that it didn't originate from the idea of two people talking. The root actually comes from a word that means to live with. So, join us after a show, and live with the play the ideas it brings about, the feelings it brings up, the way it works on you for fifteen or twenty minutes longer.

See you there.

Charles Haugland

Last night about 70 patrons stayed afterwards and chatted with Lisa Timmel. Tonight is Charles' turn. The discussions will not take place after Saturday and Sunday evening shows, and when there are other regularly scheduled discussions scheduled (such as Sneak Previews, Humanities Forums, Actors Forum, Playwrights Forum, and Out and About Club).

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