I'm not sure what level of giving gets you an invitation to Geva's season preview party, but whatever it is, it's worth it! This evening, a crowd of us gathered in the Wilson Main Stage, along with local press, to hear the announcement of next year's productions. In his introduction, Mark Cuddy, Artistic Director, joked that the question he's most frequently asked: "how do you choose the plays?" usually implies a subtext: "why did you choose that play?" The process of selecting shows starts in September, with an assessment of events around the world, then around the nation, then around New York, and finally around Rochester. In addition, the artistic team assimilates feedback from the current season at the same time that they're reading dozens of potential plays. They are looking for a balance between the familiar and the new, between the safe and the risky, between comedy and drama ("something for everyone").
After Mark announced the season, the audience took a sustenance break while the press did interviews and photos. Then we reconvened in the theatre for a private presentation of readings from a few of the shows, moderated by local film critic Jack Garner. The actors from Informed Consent, along with Skip Greer and Brigitt Markusfeld, gave us peeks in to several of the shows, and whet our appetites for the new season. Nora Cole also read from her play, a world premiere, and a local student sang one of the signature songs from Little Shop of Horrors, after Sean Daniels, who will direct the production, told us he has always loved this show and wanted to do it (do it again - he played Mr. Mushnik in 9th grade!).It will certainly be an interesting and varied season (for the full lineup, visit: http://www.gevatheatre.org/2014-2015-season/). Mark's introduction to the selection of Wait Until Dark as the opening show on the Main Stage included a nod to Rochester's love of suspense and the movies. Geva will be the second theatre in the country to produce this new adaptation (and then it will travel to stages in Arizona). Another show, Good People, will also travel after we get a chance to see it - to Indiana. There isn't one show on the Main Stage that I'm not looking forward to seeing, so for the first time, I'm going to get a full season subscription.
The Next Stage, which is used to "expand Rochester's theatrical boundaries" will again participate in the First Niagara Fringe Festival, and there will be another Festival of New Theatre - presentations of works in progress (a sort of theatre "R&D"), with the opportunity for the audience to meet the playwrights. Mark Cuddy's adaptation of A Christmas Carol will once again star Guy Paul, and there will be a free evening for vets and active duty soldiers. The summer production will be a "conservatory show" - college students as well as professionals performing together. The show? The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. I saw it twice on Broadway, but I already know I'll see it at least one more time this summer!
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