Westport, N.Y. — The Depot Theatre in Westport, NY is pleased to announce a return to live performances in 2021, with three main stage productions originally planned for 2020, featuring iconic figures and everyday heroes.
The only professional Equity theatre in the Adirondacks, the Depot will adhere to both government and Actors’ Equity health and safety guidelines, which will require a number of protocol changes that include limited audience capacity, required face coverings, and ticket sales conducted entirely by phone.
“We are committed to our mission to ‘entertain, enrich, and educate through professional theatrical arts,’ and the Depot staff is prepared to optimize the experience while meeting this year’s strict protocols,” said Kim Rielly, Depot Theatre Executive Director. “Though the audience capacity will look dramatically different this summer, the professional performances on stage will be the high quality experience that our patrons have come to expect!”
The season will open with THE MOUNTAINTOP, a reflective, often funny, touching, and gripping reimagining of the night before the assassination of the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in which he examines his achievements, his failures, and his unfinished dreams. In 2011, this poignant play’s Broadway run starred Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett. THE MOUNTAINTOP will run from July 1 through July 18.
Next up on the main stage is WORKING: A MUSICAL beginning July 22 through August 8, 2021. Nominated for six Tony Awards, WORKING: A MUSICAL features vibrant portrayals of 26 real-life American workers – including a schoolteacher, trucker, housewife, fireman, and millworker – played by 6 actors. The show conveys how people’s relationships to their work reveal key aspects of their humanity. The musical includes songs by Tony Award-winning Lin-Manuel Miranda, and favorite numbers by Stephen Schwartz, Craig Carnelia, and James Taylor.
The season closes on a big note with LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR & GRILL from August 12-29. This “play with music” recounts the heartbreaking, beautiful, and haunting story of Billie Holiday’s life through the songs that made her one of the most famous icons of the era, including “What A Little Moonlight Can Do,” “God Bless The Child,” and “Strange Fruit.”
“We’re excited to be able to produce live theatre again on our intimate stage, especially this particular lineup, which exemplifies our vision statement that promises to promote diversity in all that we do,” said Kenney Green, the Depot’s Producing Artistic Director. “These productions represent a range of experiences that will resonate with our audiences, from thought-provoking storytelling that illustrates how some decades-old struggles are still relevant today to pure entertainment.”
Among the changes in protocol this year, ticket sales will be conducted entirely by phone. Tickets will go on sale on June 2, and can be purchased by calling the box office at 518.962.4449. 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.
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DEPOT THEATRE 2021 MAIN STAGE SEASON
The Depot Theatre 2021 Main Stage Season is generously sponsored by Casella.
THE MOUNTAINTOP
July 2-18, 2021
$25 preview on July 1
By: Katori Hall
RATED: PG-13 (Includes some adult language.)
PRODUCTION SPONSOR: The Galley Restaurant and Bar at Westport Marina
WORKING: A MUSICAL
July 23- August 8, 2021
$25 preview on July 22
From the book by Studs Terkel
Adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso with additional contributions by Gordon Greenberg
Songs by Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Rodgers and Susan Birkenhead, Stephen Schwartz, and James Taylor
Orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire
RATED: PG
PRODUCTION SPONSOR: Chazy Westport Communications/Westelcom
LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR & GRILL
August 13-29, 2021
$25 preview on August 12
BY: Lanie Robertson
RATED: PG-13 (Content includes adult themes and language, including issues of race, substance abuse, and abusive relationships.)
PRODUCTION SPONSOR: Mountain Lake PBS
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 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 2021 Season is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by the Essex County Arts Council.
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of The Depot Theatre is to entertain, enrich, and educate through professional theatrical arts and related programs based in a historic train station.
VISION STATEMENT
The Depot Theatre will have a robust, regional, and year-round presence by creating the highest of quality programs, building strong partnerships, and enhancing community engagement while promoting diversity in all that we do.