BOSTON: ArtsEmerson will mount 14 varied productions in its 2015-16 season, including Shakespeare, Beckett, opera and children’s theatre.
“We are proud of this lineup and excited for our audiences to dive into these different cultures, languages and new forms,” said artistic director David Dower in a statement.
The season begins with Joe DiPietro’s Ernest Shackleton Loves Me (Sept. 20–Oct. 4), a high-tech musical adventure about a time-traveling love affair. Valerie Vigoda and Wade McCollum will star.
Next is Daniel Beaty’s Mr. Joy (Sept. 22–Oct. 18), about a Harlem community’s transformation from pain to power following an attack on a Chinese-American resident. Tangela Large will star and David Dower will direct.
Following will be Emma Rice’s adaptation of An Audience with Meow Meow (Oct. 8–24), a theatrical cabaret experience starring comic Meow Meow. Rice will direct.
Next will be Chopin Without Piano (Nov. 11–14), a virtuosic reclamation of Poland’s famous composer, with the piano in two of Chopin’s concertos replaced with a monologue about his life and his radical approach to music. The production will feature Boston Conservatory’s full student orchestra and will be performed by Barbara Wyscoka. Michal Zadara will direct.
Following is uCarmen and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Nov. 10–22), a reimagining of these two classics, performed by the South African opera company Isango Ensemble. The concert-style staging will take place at the Cutler Majestic Theatre.
Next is a fresh take on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (Jan. 20–30, 2016) from London’s Filter Theatre.
Following will be Branden Jacobs-Jenkins An Octoroon (Jan. 29–Feb. 27, 2016), a deconstruction of a 19th-century melodrama by Dion Boucicault. Company One will perform and Summer L. Williams will direct.
Next, Ma-Yi Theater Company will present Lloyd Suh’s The Wong Kids in the Secret of the Space Chupacabra Go! (Feb. 19–March 6, 2016), about the intergalactic escapades of modern-day superheroes. Ralph B. Peña will direct.
Following will be Maly Drama Theatre of St. Petersburg’s rendition of Chekhov’s Three Sisters (March 2–6). Lev Dodin will direct.
Next will be a trilogy of Samuel Beckett’s Not I/Footfalls/Rockaby (March 16–20, 2016), performed as a one-woman show featuring Lisa Dwan. Walter Asmus will direct.
Following will be Historia de Amor (April 21– 24, 2016), described as a twisted and violent tale based on the novel by Régis Jauffret, adapted and performed Chilean company Teatrocinema. Juan Carlos Zagal will direct.
Next up is Daughter of a Cuban Revolutionary (April 27–May 1, 2016), about the forgotten stories of the Cuban revolution, written and performed by Marissa Chibas. Mira Kingsley will direct.
The season will close with Evelina Fernandez’s Premeditation (May 4–15, 2016), a comedic maze of marriage, murder and mayhem from the Latino Theater Company. José Luis Valenzuela will direct.
