LOUISVILLE: Actors Theatre of Louisville has announced its 2018-19 season, the final season curated by artistic director Les Waters, who will leave the company in the summer of 2018.
“In the coming season, we examine identity and ask, Who are we and how did we get here?” said Waters in a statement. “We are delighted to welcome back Lucas Hnath with his witty and electrifying A Doll’s House, Part 2, and Dominique Morisseau with Pipeline, her incisive and heartfelt look at education and the responsibilities of being a parent. We are proud to produce the Broadway hit The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, both a thrilling ‘whodunit’ and ‘who am I?.’ In the acclaimed Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, Mr. Felder examines the life of immigrant and American legend Irving Berlin through song and story. It’s 2018, and together we’ll ask, Who are you and how did you become who you are now?”
The season will start with the annual tradition of Fifth Bank’s Dracula (Sept. 7-Oct. 31), adapted by William McNulty from John L. Balderston and Hamilton Deane’s dramatization of Bram Stoker’s novel.
Next will be The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Sept. 18-Oct. 10), adapted by Simon Stephens from the novel by Mark Haddon, about a 15-year-old math prodigy who is autistic, and his quest to solve the mysterious death of his neighbor’s dog. Associate artistic director Meredith McDonough will direct.
Next up will be Lucas Hnath’s A Doll’s House, Part 2 (Oct. 2-Nov. 4), which imagines Nora Helmer’s return 15 years after the conclusion of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Pirronne Yousefzadeh will direct.
Following will be the return of The Santaland Diaries (Nov. 15-Dec. 23), adapted by Joe Mantello from David Sedaris, about a man’s experience working as an elf at Macy’s during the holiday season. McDonough will direct.
Just in time for the holidays will be the return of Fifth Third Bank’s A Christmas Carol (Nov. 20-Dec.23), adapted by Barbara Field from Charles Dickens. Drew Fracher will direct.
The season will continue with Dominique Morisseau’s Pipeline (Jan. 8-Feb. 2, 2019), about a mother and son wrestling with the American education system’s “school-to-prison pipeline” for men of color.
Following will be Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin (Jan. 29-Feb. 17, 2019), a love letter to Berlin’s life and career featuring the music and lyrics of Irving Berlin. Hershey Felder will star, and Trevor Hay will direct.
The season will conclude with the 43rd annual Humana Festival of New American Plays (March 1-April 7, 2019), which will feature new works by American playwrights.
Actors Theatre of Louisville, founded in 1964, presents both classic and contemporary works, and mounts a new-play festival each spring.
