Writers Theatre's new season includes 'Next to Normal,' world premiere
A world premiere, a Pulitzer Prize-winning musical and the 1920s chapter from August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle are on tap for Writers Theatre's 2018-2019 season, which marks the return of Chicago area favorite son David Cromer.
The season begins Aug. 15 in the Nichols Theatre with Qui Nguyen's "Vietgone," about Vietnamese refugees who meet in an American refugee camp in 1975 and discover they may be soul mates.
The world premiere of Jen Silverman's "Witch" follows in the Gillian Theatre from Sept. 26 to Dec. 16. Libertyville native Marti Lyons directs the modern fable set in a sleepy British burg and inspired by the 17th century drama "The Witch of Edmonton." The story centers on a local man and a newcomer who rely on the devil to accomplish their goals until an outcast intervenes.
Artistic director Michael Halberstam helms "Twelfth Night" (Nov. 7-Dec. 16 in the Nichols), William Shakespeare's romantic comedy about a shipwrecked woman who disguises herself as a boy then promptly falls in love with the local duke.
Resident director Ron OJ Parson returns to Glencoe to direct "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" (Feb. 6-March 17, 2019, in the Nichols). August Wilson's tale unfolds in a Chicago studio during the 1920s where a blues band led by diva Ma Rainey struggles through an increasingly tense recording session.
Next up is Caryl Churchill's future-set suspense drama "A Number" (March 20-June 9, 2019, in the Gillian). It's about visits between an estranged father and son that gradually reveal "a horrifying truth about their shared past."
The season concludes with "Next to Normal" (May 8-June 16, 2019 in the Nichols), Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey's 2009 musical about the impact mental illness and grief have on an average suburban family. Cromer directs and Andra Velis Simon serves as music director.
Performances take place at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. Six-play subscription packages range from $249 to $389. Four-play flex packages start at $239. They're available by phone (847) 242-6000, at the box office or online at writerstheatre.org.