MAIN SEASON To view the PDF version of our brochure, click here. (715KB) (You must have Adobe Acrobat to view this document. Download a free Adobe Acrobat reader.) OUR TOWN by Thornton Wilder / directed by Jonathan Moscone / September 9–October 23, 2005 “It’s a little play with all the big subjects in it,” Thornton Wilder wrote to his friend, Gertrude Stein—and that little play proved him right by forever changing American theatre. Opening in the first years of a new century, Our Town still speaks to us about the beauty and transience of life through its bittersweet portrait of a small American town. Like life, the story moves from the carefree to the profound: characters grow up, fall in love, get married, bear children and—in the heart-rending final act—encounter untimely death. The Pulitzer Prize-winning script from one of Berkeley High’s most illustrious graduates has become so familiar that we forget how its debut revolutionized theatre. Under the direction of Jonathan Moscone, who brought Ghosts to Berkeley Rep in 2004, our production cleaves to this revolutionary spirit. “Across the nation,” writes Berkeley Rep Artistic Director Tony Taccone, “we are engaged in a debate about what it means to be an American. Issues that had become dormant, rights that we had taken for granted are being argued in a public forum and polarizing our country. What better time to revisit the play that has come to symbolize the ideal of how we live among each other? And what a perfect combination of irony and logic: this script that has become an ode to patriotism was written by a Berkeley radical attempting to shake things up.” COMEDY ON THE BRIDGE / BRUNDIBAR libretto by Tony Kushner adapted from Adolf Hoffmeister and Václav Kliment Klicpera / music by Hans Krása and Bohuslav Martinu / production design by Maurice Sendak with Kris Stone / directed by Tony Taccone / featuring members of the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra / November 11–December 28, 2005 Berkeley Rep is proud to present Brundibar, a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between two artistic giants: Tony Kushner and Maurice Sendak. Not only is Kushner the acclaimed author of Angels in America and Homebody/Kabul, he wrote the brilliant libretto for Caroline, or Change—now he’s penned a new libretto for this remarkable musical fable. Sendak’s singular style is famous from books such as Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen—don’t miss his spectacular designs for this production. An allegory of innocence triumphing over evil, the opera Brundibar was originally composed in the ominous years leading up to World War II and was performed by children imprisoned at Terezín, the Nazi’s notorious “model ghetto.” In 2003, Kushner and Sendak published a picture-book version of this classic tale; now audiences can enjoy it live! Brundibar will be presented alongside the pair’s adaptation of Comedy on the Bridge, an absurdist commentary on war also written in Czechoslovakia in the thirties. According to Kushner, “Both shows are a testament to the creative power of human beings, even in dark times, to turn ugliness into music.” They will be directed by his longtime collaborator, Artistic Director Tony Taccone, and performed by a multigenerational cast that includes a chorus of 29 local school children. 9 PARTS OF DESIRE written by Heather Raffo / directed by Joanna Settle / January 20–March 5, 2006 A portrait of the extraordinary—and ordinary—lives of a cross-section of Iraqi women, 9 Parts of Desire lifts the veil on women in the war zone. “The voices are a study in contrasts: vivid and subdued, sophisticated and naïve, seductive and standoffish. But they cohere to form a powerful collective portrait of suffering and endurance.” So begins the New York Times’ radiant review of this remarkable solo performance, coming to Berkeley after its highly acclaimed and often extended off-Broadway run. It’s a work so compassionate that it reveals our shared humanity in a way that CNN never can. “A triumph,” raves the New Yorker, “an example of how art can remake the world.” THE GLASS MENAGERIE written by Tennessee Williams / directed by Les Waters / April 7–July 2, 2006 The incomparable Rita Moreno returns to Berkeley Rep for a role as iconic as she is: Amanda in The Glass Menagerie. If you missed her in 2004’s Master Class, this is your chance to witness an extraordinary performance from one of the few artists to win the Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy! For Amanda, memory is a refuge; for her son, it’s a prison. And for you, Tennessee Williams’ beloved “memory play” is an invitation to see one of the great actresses of our time in the intimate, 400-seat Thrust Stage. Ms. Moreno is joined by a supremely talented cast and directed by Berkeley Rep’s OBIE Award-winning associate artistic director, Les Waters. THE MISER written by Molière / adapted by David Ball / directed by Dominique Serrand / May 12–June 25, 2006 This savagely funny comedy about a love affair between a man and his money gets a dazzling new production at Berkeley Rep. Greed is good—if you’re Harpagon, who has beggared his family to safeguard his hefty stash of cash. His frustrated children think differently, however—and now they must outsmart the old man to get the money they need to marry the mates they want. Can Harpagon hold onto his hoard (and get himself a hot young bride in the bargain), or will his offspring loosen his stranglehold on the family fortune? The Boston Globe says this production, from the Tony Award-winning Theatre de la Jeune Lune, has “such grace and wit that it’s churlish to be miserly with one’s praise.” So make an investment in The Miser—you’ll earn laughter with interest. LIMITED SEASON FINN IN THE UNDERWORLD written by Jordan Harrison / directed by Les Waters / October 6–November 6, 2005 WORLD PREMIERE OBIE Award-winning director Les Waters, who staged last season’s soulful Eurydice and magnificent Yellowman, brings us the world premiere of a scintillating new play from one of America’s most gifted young writers. The mystery begins when Gwen and Rhoda must clean out their dead father’s house. Little remains, other than the grandfather clock, until they literally bring the house’s ghosts to life. That’s when Gwen’s son, Finn, encounters Carver, a neighbor who holds the key to the family’s secrets. Playwright Jordan Harrison’s sparse, poignant writing is in perfect harmony with this haunting tale of heredity. As they pack up the house and unpack its secrets, his characters discover that the memories we never talk about grow larger…and the rooms we create to keep our families safe are the very places we must avoid. Finn in the Underworld is intended for mature audiences only. This play contains graphic sexual behavior and language. ZORRO IN HELL written and performed by Culture Clash / March 17–April 16, 2006 WORLD PREMIERE Riding out of the pages of pulp fiction, it’s Zorro—like you’ve never seen him before. Following their 2002 hit Culture Clash in AmeriCCa, the missionaries of mayhem called Culture Clash return to Berkeley Rep with the world premiere of their Zorro in Hell. The trio takes on Zorro’s legend to explore homeland security in the Wild West—when Anglo-Americans struggled with Mexican immigration, Indian gambling and a governor born on foreign soil. At long last, it’s a look behind the mask of a mainstream icon invented by an Irish American…Culture Clash style. Watch as “the fox” battles the Hollywood image machine and challenges barriers of class, race and ethnicity to become a hero for the oppressed in every land. Todos somos Zorro! SUBSCRIBE TO THE 2005/06 SEASON AND SAVE UP TO 30% OFF OUR REGULAR PRICES. SUBSCRIBE TO THE FULL SEASON, THE MAIN SEASON OF FIVE PLAYS OR A THREE-PLAY LIMITED SEASON. CALL 510.647.2949 OR TOLL FREE AT 1.888.4BRTTix (1.888.427.8849) TUESDAY–SUNDAY, NOON–7PM! SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGES & DISCOUNTS SUBSCRIBE NOW—ORDER FORM Berkeley Rep proudly welcomes Wells Fargo as an official sponsor of the 2005/06 Season, along with returning Season Sponsor BART.            We reserve the right to change programming to bring you great plays. BACK TO TOP