ART/WNY announces 2024-25 season

American Repertory Theater of WNY will celebrate the company’s 17th season as a leader in producing new work with the world premieres of four plays written by Western New York playwrights.

The season opener is a production of “Break Song” by multiple Artie Award-winning playwright Mark Humphrey, scheduled to run October 10-26, 2024. Below is an adaptation of “The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare entitled “Shylock” written by Lara. Haberberger is scheduled to run from November 21 to December 14, 2024. In 2025, Bella Poynton’s “The Mighty Massie” will begin production on February 6 and continue through February 22. Wrapping up the 2024-25 season, another adaptation written by Artie Award-winning playwright Matthew LaChiusa, titled “The Informer,” is based on the 1920 novel of the same name written by Liam O’Flaherty.

Regarding the company’s history and future, Executive/Artistic Director Matthew LaChiusa reflected on the vision for ART/WNY: “From the very first season to the most recent, ART/WNY has been a forum for the 716 writers. The 2024-25 season is a continuation of the artistic vision of the company.”

Over the past 17 seasons, ART/WNY has produced more than 35 full-length and one-act plays, including a work featuring poets, written by regional playwrights. Of these works, 11 were nominated for theatrical excellence and 5 won awards. Yet winning awards is not the goal of ART/WNY, the artistic vision is to create a forum for unproven and unknown talent to show their worth. “All we’re about at The Rep is creating art and developing our craft as a performing artist. » LaChiusa explained. “Theatre is a profession, not a popularity contest. And all our energy is devoted to shaping all aspects of theater, from actors to writers, from directors to designers, and building a strong creative forum.

As the company enters its 17th season of presenting 716 playwrights, LaChiusa is both confident and aware of this artistic commitment. “We have always been committed to this artistic vision since the very first piece presented at Rust Belt Books. Despite what some think is that producing local playwrights is a financial disaster, and that any theater producer who does so is crazy, the Rep continues to prove that a theater company can produce local writers and still manage to survive.

WNY’s American Repertory Theater is one of the few theaters in Buffalo that must pay monthly rent for its space, but LaChiusa doubles down on the idea that the company can’t survive by simply performing local plays. “Our company continues to grow its audience season after season. Could it be better, hell yeah, audience attendance could be better for all theater companies, but we manage it despite the excessive operational cost of rent and the stigma of local playwrights’ work being below average” .

Although local playwrights have been relatively absent from the main stage of Buffalo theaters, LaChiusa sees an increase in the number of local playwrights produced outside of ART/WNY, but sees a caveat in local theaters boasting to produce new works. “There have been some pioneers in my 20 years of producing theater in Buffalo who have produced local writers in showcases or full productions. But I really put an asterisk next to emerging theaters that pride themselves on producing new work,” LaChiusa said. “It’s great that new work is coming to Buffalo stages, but it’s also being imported from writers without local connections. This cheapens the message a bit, but hey, whatever works is their moxie. It’s not ART’s.

2024-25 season tickets go on sale July 4, along with the company’s “Buy a Comfortable Seat” season ticket program. Performance days and times will be Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m. / Saturday at 5 p.m. All performances will take place at 545 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo NY. Single ticket prices will range between $20 and $35.

For more information on the upcoming season, please visit www.artofwny.org or join the company’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

comments

To post a comment, you must register And to log in.