Pearl Cleage, Tovah Feldshuh, Second City, et al. Set for Alliance Theatre’s 2011-2012 Season

The Tony Award-winning Alliance Theatre, in Atlanta, has announced fall and winter offerings for its 2011-2012 season for the Alliance Stage, Hertz Stage and Theatre for Youth and Families series. In addition, Alliance has announced that playwright Pearl Cleage will be its first “Alliance Artist in Dialogue,” and will be in residence for two years with the theatre as an advocate and ambassador for arts-centric community dialogue and engagement.

The season will open with the Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine musical Into the Woods, to open September 9. It will be presented in collaboration with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the Atlanta Federation of Musicians, young musicians from The ASO’s Youth Orchestra and Talent Development Programs.The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales with the haunting question of what happens next when you get what you wish for

Tovah Feldshuh will reprise her starring role as Golda Meir in William Gibson’s Golda’s Balcony, directed by Scott Schwartz. The play follows the life of Meir — from Russian immigrant to American schoolteacher to the epicenter of international politics as the fourth Prime Minister of Israel — and focuses on the tumultuous period surrounding the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Israel was attacked by Egypt and Syria.

Alliance will present the world premiere of Janece Shaffer’s biting new comedy Broke, in which a high powered corporate marketing executive discovers that even the indispensable in corporate America become dispensable.

The Second City troupe will return to Alliance with Decidedly Underground: Sex and The Second City, featuring Second City’s trademark improvisation and audience interaction and a virtual appearance by Fred Willard as the sex therapist of your dreams.

Conceived and directed by Rosemary Newcott, The Real Tweenagers of Atlanta is a world premiere musical described as “an improvisational survival guide for tweenagers.” Newcott will also be directing the classic musical, The Wizard of Oz, featuring iconic songs like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “Follow the Yellow Brick Road.” Alliance will also present A Christmas Carol in a special holiday engagement. Newcott will also direct this musical.

The remainder of the 2011-2012 season, as well as exact dates for individual productions, will be announced shortly.

For season tickets or more information, call 404-733-4600 or click here.