Theater News

Kaufman, Kron, Kiki & Herb to Headline Arena’s 2007-2008 Season

Moisés Kaufman
Moisés Kaufman

Daniel Aukin, Tina Fabrique, Moisés Kaufman, Lisa Kron, Brad Oscar, and the musical duo Kiki & Herb (a.k.a. Justin Bond and Kenny Mellman) are among those announced to participate in Arena Stage’s 57th season. The Washington D.C.-based theater will continue its focus on American voices and emerging talent with a lineup that includes three world premieres, two regional premieres, and a celebration of playwright Arthur Miller.

The season will kick off in the Kreeger space with the world premiere of 33 Variations (August 24-September 30). Written and directed by Kaufman, the piece concerns one woman’s artistic exploration of Beethoven’s inexplicable obsession with a simple waltz by Anton Diabelli. The Fichandler Stage lineup will begin with Kron’s Well, September 14-October 14. This “solo play with other actors,” which earned Kron a Tony nomination for Best Actress, focuses on a mother and daughter and their hilarious attempts to tell the truth.

The second production in the Kreeger will be the world premiere of the musical The Women of Brewster Place (October 19-December 9), directed by Molly Smith. Based on Gloria Naylor’s acclaimed novel, Tim Acito’s musical adaptation delves into the personal relationships, hopes, and desires of a group of African-American women who persevere in the face of life’s disappointments. The third world premiere follows in the Fichandler: Christmas Carol 1941 (November 16-December 30), also directed by Smith. Adapted by James Magruder, this fresh take on the Dickens classic transposes the story from Victorian London to Washington, D.C. on the heels of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Tony Award-nominee Fabrique will star in Ella (December 28-February 24), a musical about the life, times and music of the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald. The season’s final two Fichandler productions will be the major events of the theater’s Arthur Miller Festival. Running in repertory and featuring the same acting company will be A View from the Bridge and Death of a Salesman (March 14-May 18); Aukin is set to direct the former, while the latter will be helmed by Timothy Bond. The festival will also feature Monday evening readings, screenings, and lectures exploring the playwright’s other works.

The season will officially end with Charles Ludlam’s gothic comedy The Mystery of Irma Vep (May 2-June 8 ), co-starring Brad Oscar and J. Fred Shiffman and directed by Rebecca Bayla Taichman. However, the theater’s new “Arena Presents” series will offer two bonus productions: Daniel Beaty’s one-man show Emergence-SEE! (July 5-22) and Kiki & Herb: Alive on Broadway (March 7-April 13), co-created and performed by Bond and Mellman.

For more information, visit www.ArenaStage.org.