Westport, N.Y. — The Depot Theatre will ease into live theatre’s “new normal” with a decidedly abnormal (and eclectic) three-show lineup for the 2022 main stage season, which features a tribute to Sondheim, a riveting drama, and a spookily hilarious musical.
The only professional Equity theatre in the Adirondacks, the Depot will continue to adhere to government and Actors’ Equity health and safety guidelines. “Just as we creatively manage the on-stage reaction to trains that interrupt our performances, we are prepared for whatever protocols we’ll need to implement to protect our cast and patrons,” said Kim Rielly, Depot Theatre Executive Director. “As in 2021, we appreciate everyone’s support and flexibility in making it possible to experience live theatre yet again!”
The season opens with the humorous, poignant, and sophisticated musical review, PUTTING IT TOGETHER. This show is a celebration of the stage and screen work of multiple Tony Award-winner Stephen Sondheim, the foremost theatrical composer/lyricist of our time. Sondheim passed away in 2021 at the age of 91.
The show weaves a lyrical story around the emotions and relationships of five guests attending a Manhattan cocktail party, and it features material from a number of Sondheim’s works, including ANYONE CAN WHISTLE, COMPANY, FOLLIES, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, SWEENEY TODD, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, and INTO THE WOODS. The show will run from June 30 through July 17.
Next up for the season, beginning July 21 through August 7, is RED by John Logan. Raw and provocative, RED is a moving and compelling account of abstract expressionist Mark Rothko, one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, whose struggle to accept his growing riches and praise became his ultimate undoing.
Based on the real-life commission Rothko received in 1958 to create a series of murals for the Four Seasons restaurant in New York, RED is a searing portrait of an artist’s ambition and vulnerability as he tries to create a definitive work for an extraordinary setting. Viewed through the lens of his youthful new assistant Ken, they challenge each other to ask big questions about art as they paint: what it takes to create it and what its role should be in the world.
The season ends in the kooky, upside-down world of THE ADDAMS FAMILY – A NEW MUSICAL. In this comical feast set to music, dark, macabre, beloved daughter Wednesday is now an eighteen-year-old young woman who has fallen in love with a sweet, smart boy from a “normal” family, and to make matters worse, she has invited his parents to the Addams’ home for dinner. THE ADDAMS FAMILY performances will be August 11-28.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY also provides an opportunity for local thespians. “As an Actors’ Equity-associated theatre, we are required to cast a certain ratio of Equity members compared to non-Equity members for our collective season,” said Kenney Green, the Depot’s Producing Artistic Director. “This year, we are excited to have negotiated an opportunity to offer several roles for locals in the final show.”
Video audition submissions are being accepted through March 21. For more information about required materials, visit depottheatre.org/auditions.
Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the box office at 518.962.4449 beginning June 1. As policies evolve, updates will be posted online and at the Depot. More details, additional events, and news updates can be found online at DepotTheatre.org.
Depot Theatre’s Outdoor Box Office.
ABOUT THE DEPOT THEATRE
The Depot Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre located in a historic, functioning 1876 train station in Westport, N.Y., and it is the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. In addition to its volunteer board of trustees, the theatre depends on the support and generosity of its loyal donors, volunteers and community members. Committed to promoting and providing exposure to the performing arts in the Adirondacks, the Depot Theatre invites all to “Take a journey without leaving the station.” The Depot Theatre’s 2022 programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by the Adirondack Foundation – Generous Acts Fund and the Essex County Arts Council.
The Depot Theatre Academy is a robust educational experience for area youth and a pathway for those interested in pursuing a profession in theatre—whether that’s backstage or on stage.
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PUTTING IT TOGETHER
July 1-July 17, 2022
$25 preview on June 30
Words and Music by STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Devised by Stephen Sondheim and Julia McKenzie
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
RATED: PG
PRODUCTION SPONSOR: The Galley Restaurant and Bar at Westport Marina
RED
July 22 – August 7, 2022
$25 preview on July 21
By John Logan
RATED: PG-13 (Some strong language and reference to violence.)
PRODUCTION SPONSOR: Mountain Lake PBS
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
A NEW MUSICAL
August 12-28, 2022
$25 Preview August 11
Book by MARSHALL BRICKMAN and RICK ELICE
Music and Lyrics by ANDREW LIPPA
Based on Characters Created by Charles Addams
Originally produced on Broadway by Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt, Five Cent Productions, Stephen Schuler, Decca Theatricals, Scott M. Delman, Stuart Ditsky, Terry Allen Kramer, Stephanie P. McClelland, James L. Nederlander, Eva Price, Jam Theatricals/Mary LuRoffe, Pittsburgh CLO/Gutterman-Swinsky, Vivek Tiwary/Gary Kaplan, The Weinstein Company/Clarence, LLC, Adam Zotovich/Tribe Theatricals; By Special Arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical
RATED: G
PRODUCTION SPONSOR: Chazy Westport Communications/Westelcom