LITTLE ROCK, ARK.: Arkansas Repertory Theatre has announced its 2015–16 season, its 40th. Among other shows, the company, which is the state’s largest nonprofit professional theatre, will present a world premiere play directed by Jason Alexander.
Opening the season will be Shakespeare’s Macbeth (Sept. 11–27, 2015) directed by Rep artistic director Robert Hupp. Then it is time for some head-to-head spelling competition in the Tony-winning show The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Oct. 16–Nov. 8, 2015). Arkansas Rep director of education Nicole Capri directs.
Next, everyone’s favorite red-haired mermaid swims onstage just in time for Christmas in Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Dec. 4–Jan. 3, 2016). And audiences will be taken to a new version of Neverland in Peter and the Starcatcher (Jan. 15-Feb. 7, 2016), Rick Elice’s adaptation of the Peter Pan prequel novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.
A short-lived fan favorite of the 2014 Broadway season, The Bridges of Madison County (April 8-May 1, 2016), follows. With music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown (who won a 2014 Tony for the show’s score), and a book by Marsha Norman, the musical tells the story of a wife and mother swept off of her feet when a young photographer arrives at her door.
Closing out the season will be the world premiere of a new play, Windfall (June 10–26, 2016) by Scooter Pietsch, to be directed by TV and theatre veteran (and Tony winner) Alexander. In this workplace comedy, four coworkers try to get out of their office jobs via the lottery, but conflict ensue when they try to figure out how to divvy up the winnings. “Within this play is what many would consider an American Dream, and it becomes an American nightmare,” said Alexander in a statement. “To be able to make our world premiere in this beautiful theatre and for this appreciative audience is a real gift.”
Founded in 1976, Arkansas Repertory Theatre has produced more than 280 productions, including 40 world premieres.
