Weston Playhouse Theatre Company Announces 85th Season

Susanna Gellert, Executive Artistic Director of Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, has announced the 85th anniversary season of Vermont’s oldest award-winning professional theatre.

Says Gellert, “Over the past many months, we’ve been hard at work, preparing with attention and care for the day when we can welcome you back. We have planned a season full of warmth that reminds us of the joy and inspiration of performance. The stories we’ll share center on all that we have in common and on the way that theatre brings us together, helping us to overcome our differences. Ever present is love, hope, and the healing power of art.”

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 eternal, enchanting power of storytelling comes to life through a solitary bard on a bare stage who throws us right into the midst of conflict where heroes and countries clash in a quest for power and glory. 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 – August 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! An afternoon of storybook fun and “all the thinks you can think” for the whole family, presented by an all-star group of actor/singer/dancers from undergraduate training programs across the country. Performances run July 22 – August 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 August 11 – September 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 September 29 – October 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 theatre 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.