Williamstown Theatre

he Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF) is a summertime tradition, with performances at the '62 Center on the Williams College campus. Continuing its 57-year history, Williamstown Theatre Festival hosts award-winning actors, directors and playwrights who join forces to entertain and delight the Berkshire community of year-round and seasonal patrons. The Main Stage will light up with its share of blockbuster attractions this year. "The 2011 Main Stage Season consists of the kinds of shows I've loved doing and seeing at WTF — a big screwball comedy, a Restoration gem, and a new romantic musical with some of my favorite songs," said Artistic Director Jenny Gersten. "Each is challenging in its own way, and I believe they'll show the best of what Williamstown can do on our main stage. To that end, we have added additional performances for the first and final shows to allow them to be seen by as many folks as possible in the Berkshires and beyond." The Nikos Stage season begins with a revival of Tennessee Williams' incendiary drama, "A Streetcar Named Desire" on June 22. Other plays there include "Three Hotels," a dark tale of corporate misdeeds and personal tragedy. "These selections represent an ambitious experiment for the 173-seat Nikos Stage", Gersten said. "While new plays continue to be the focus of this venue, the inclusion of innovative revivals of classics gives our audience a fresh and more intimate relationship with these works." Comedian and playwright Lewis Black comes to WTF, starting July 6, with a modern day farce called "A Slight Hitch" that mocks the all-too-human desire to shape our own destiny. The story: It's Courtney's wedding day, and her mom, Delia, is making sure that everything is perfect. The groom is perfect, the dress is perfect, and the decorations (assuming they arrive) will be perfect. Then, like in any good farce the doorbell rings. And all hell breaks loose. So much for perfect. Black will also be performing an evening of stand-up comedy at the WTF starting at 7:30 p.m. on July 18. It's a one-night-only benefit performance in which he will "expound on his love (and hate) of everything from the Berkshires to the Weather Channel." Tickets for that performance range in price from $40 in the second balcony to $100 each for a Prime Orchestra seat and post-show reception. These shows join the previously announced Main Stage productions, which include the riotous Restoration comedy "She Stoops to Conquer," and the American Premiere of John Doyle's new musical "Ten Cents a Dance." The Main Stage Season begins July 1 and runs through Aug. 28. Single tickets for the 2011 Williamstown Theatre Festival season go on sale June 1, and can be purchased online at www.wtfestival.org, by phone at (413) 597-3400 or in person at the '62 Center for Theatre and Dance in Williamstown. For more schedule details, visit www.wtfestival.org.