By Debbie Gardner
debbieg@thereminder.com
After a year’s hiatus, New Century Theatre is returning this summer with two classic plays at two new venues. The 28-year-old theater company will mount Edward Albee’s American classic, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” at Gateway City Arts June 14 -16 and 21-23, and the 1980s cold-war comedy/drama, “A Walk in the Woods,” by Lee Blessing in the West End at Easthampton’s Eastworks July 26-28 and Aug. 2-4.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances of each production will take place at 7:30 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sundays.
Keith Langsdale will direct “Virginia Woolf” with company co-founder Sam Rush as George and his wife, Cate Damon, as Martha. Rush will in turn direct the second production, “A Walk in the Woods.”
New venues and approach
Rush shared with Prime that after the year break – something New Century’s Board of Directors referred to as “Saturn Returns” in their fundraising campaign – the company is coming back with what he feels is a strong card of plays, though with limited engagements.
“Each of the shows run for eight performances,” Rush said. “Both Gateway and Eastworks were able to work with us and give us dates so we could do two different productions.”
He said in past seasons each of the company’s productions would run for two full weeks, but many of the venues they approached this year were reluctant to rent out for that large a block of time. Gateway and Eastworks however, seemed a good fit not just for the types of smaller productions New Century is mounting this season, but for the enhanced experience it can offer audiences. Not only are the venues more intimate – approximately 99 seats each –both of the new locations also offer superb dining experiences either as part of their facility or within steps of the theater entrance.
“One of the nice things at Gateway City Arts is that they are really expanding their bistro menu, which gives our audience a place to go and have a meal before the show,” Rush said. “Easthampton is just chock-a-block full of dining options.”
Timely choices for new season
As for the choice of plays, Rush said both the name recognition and the smaller production requirements of the two titles were a good fit for a rebuilding season.
Of his choice of Albee’s “Virginia Wolf” for the first productions Rush said, “It’s a really good title – something people know. It has really good recognition coming off of a hiatus, so I felt this is a good show to produce.”
Of his decision to play George opposite his own wife’s Martha, Rush remarked, “We came to the realization we have come to the age of the ‘George’ and ‘Martha’ characters,” and that doing this show together is “a bucket list kind of thing.
“If we’re going to do it, this is the time,” he added.
His choice of “A Walk in the Woods” for the second production was as much about current politics as it was about show logistics.
“A Walk in the Woods” is a two-character play about an American diplomat and a Russian diplomat trying to negotiate an arms deal,” Rush explained. “It was written in the early ‘80s during the Reagan administration and it was very timely when the U.S. and Russia were trying to work things out during the Star Wars era.
“What drew me to the play [now] – we’re kind-of in a new tense phase between the U. S. and Russia and it felt timely again,” Rush continued. “It has to do with two diplomats trying to come to an agreement, but it is also about friendship and the grey area between politics and coming to terms and finding common ground.”
A “Saturn Returns” season
Referring to the “Saturn Returns” label that has become part of the fundraising for this rebuilding season, Rush said he sees parallels between the common astrological phenomenon and what is happening at New Century this summer.
“It was explained to me that, there is this [astrological] cycle and after 28 years there is a kind of reexamination and renewal,” Rush said. “And given that we were going into our 28th year … it felt fitting that we call it that.”
For more information about New Century Theatre’s 2019 summer season productions, venues, and to purchase tickets for any performance, visit the theatre group’s website at newcenturytheatre.org.
