CHESTER — Co-producing artistic directors James Barry and Tara Franklin have announced the plays included in the 35th anniversary season of the Chester Theatre Company.
The productions kick off with a thriller written by Lucas Hnath, directed by Gabrielle Farrah and starring Franklin; and the return of last year’s workshop production of “Unreconciled,” co-written and performed by Jay Sefton of Easthampton, for its world premiere.
This year’s plays also include a mid-season special solo event with Bill Bowers, who starred in last year’s “The Making of a Great Moment” that transferred to Off-Broadway after its run in Chester; the world premiere of the comedy “Will Sacrifice,” written by Julie McKee and directed by Keira Naughton; and “Big Big Sky,” written by Tom Wells, directed by James Warwick and starring Barry.
“The Thin Place,” which will run June 20 to 30, refers to the fragile boundary between this world and the other one.
“Everyone who ever died is still here, just in a different part of here. Linda can communicate with them,” according to the description of the play which “transforms the theater into an intimate séance.”
“It’s been a while since Chester has produced a thriller or ghost story. We’re so pleased to produce ‘The Thin Place’— a chilling and thoroughly engrossing theatrical experience that’s sure to enchant our audiences,” said Barry.
In “Unreconciled,” Sefton and co-writer Mark Basquill tell the true story of an adolescent actor cast as Jesus in a play directed by a pedophile priest and the survivor’s journey that follows, with Sefton, whose personal story it is, performing each role. The world premiere of “Unreconciled” will run July 4-14.
“I’m honored to continue my collaboration with Jay Sefton on this extraordinary play. His unflinching performance is a tour de force, brimming with heart, humor, compassion and bravery,” said Barry.
Sefton said for this production, the structure of the play will remain similar to the powerful workshop production of last season.
“We have made some tweaks during the workshopping process and there will be a new design team at Chester that I am very excited about,” he said. “I am so thrilled and grateful that Tara, James, and Chester Theatre Company, who have been supporting ‘Unreconciled’ from the beginning, will be giving the play its world premiere.”
The company compares this year’s mid-season special event, “It Goes Without Saying,” written and performed by Bill Bowers on July 14-15, to the work of David Sedaris, Claudia Shear and Augustin Burroughs. Also autobiographical, in it Bowers shares “unbelievable” true stories from his career as an actor and mime, and his “life-long exploration of the role silence plays in all our lives.”
According to the description for the world premiere in Chester of the comedy “Will Sacrifice,” which runs from July 25 to Aug. 4, “Bridget’s fraught marriage to Nigel, a cramped NYC apartment and her stagnant career convince her to search for a country escape in the post 9/11 real estate gold rush up in the Lower Catskill Mountains. Armed with a limited budget and plenty of nervous enthusiasm, she enlists the aid of Mr. Sunshine to help her realize her dream.”
“We’re so excited to welcome our dear friend Keira Naughton back to direct this hysterical and intricately crafted new play, her fourth Chester Theatre Company production,” said Franklin.
“Big Big Sky,” directed by James Warwick, which runs Aug. 8-18, takes place in Kilnsea, East Yorkshire, England.
“Angie and Lauren are closing up the café for another winter; the birds have gone south and taken the tourists with them,” the theater’s description shares. “The last visitor is Lauren’s dad Dennis, stopping by for his pasty and beans. But there’s another arrival — one that’s unforeseen and life-changing for them all. ‘Big Big Sky’ is a beautifully tender play by Tom Wells, who was originally from Kilnsea. The play explores nature’s influence on love, friendship and family — the belief that anyone who’s lost can be found, even in the remotest of places.”
“We’ve been working with the wonderful James Warwick since the ’90s, when he directed us in productions at UConn [Connecticut Repertory Theater]. We’re so pleased to have him back at Chester Theatre Company to direct this life-affirming love story,” said Barry, who also stars in the production.
All performances take place in the historical Town Hall at 15 Middlefield Rd., Chester.
Showtimes for each play are 2 p.m. for matinees, and 7:30 p.m. for evening performances. Talkbacks follow Thursday and Friday matinees. Cast conversations follow the second Friday evening performance. Panel discussions featuring outside experts take place after the first Sunday matinee of each play.
Complete casting and additional production information will be announced at a later date.
Tickets go on public sale at noon Monday, April 1, at chestertheatre.org. Box office phone sales begin on Monday, April 22, at 413-354-7771 on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Beginning May 28, the box office will be open for phone sales Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Individual tickets are $55. Chester residents, members of the military and their families, ConnectorCare enrollees and those holding EBT and SNAP cards may purchase discounted tickets at the door or by calling the box office. Student rush $10 tickets are available day of show. Single tickets, season subscriptions, and flex passes may be purchased online at chestertheatre.org, or at 413-354-7771. Special rates for groups of 10 or more are available.
The Chester Theatre Company is a professional theater company known for presenting high-quality productions with top-notch actors, directors, and designers from across the country since 1990. Co-founded by the former artistic director of Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, Vincent Dowling, the Chester Theatre Company is now in its 35th season. For more information, call 413-354-7770 or visit www.chestertheatre.org.
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