A political “masterpiece” and debuts of two works based on classic novels are among the five plays that will be staged as part of the Yale Repertory Theatre’s 2017-2018 season.
The season opens with “An Enemy of the People,” by Henrik Ibsen, newly translated from the Norwegian by Paul Walsh, directed by James Bundy. It will be followed by “Native Son,” adapted from Richard Wright’s iconic novel, directed by Seret Scott; “Field Guide,” created by Rude Mechs and commissioned by the Yale Rep; “Father Comes Home from the Wars, Parts 1, 2 & 3,” by Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Liz Diamond, and co-produced with the American Conservatory Theater; and “Kiss,” by Guillermo Calderón, directed by Evan Yionoulis.
“I am delighted that we can look forward to a season of such scope and complexity, bringing internationally acclaimed artists and field leaders to New Haven, and offering Yale Rep audiences opportunities to witness vital perspectives on the world, particularly its literature, history, and politics,” says James Bundy, artistic director of the Yale Rep.
The events for Yale Rep’s annual No Boundaries performance series will be announced at a later date.
The schedule for next season’s plays, with a brief synopsis of each provided by the Yale Rep, follows.
Oct. 6-28 — “An Enemy of the People,” University Theatre, 222 York St. A small Norwegian town is banking on its medicinal baths to bring prosperity. But its economic growth and moral health are threatened when Dr. Thomas Stockmann uncovers a toxic secret that pits him against his brother, Mayor Peter Stockmann. In Ibsen’s political masterpiece, a family in power struggles over its obligations to each other and to society: Who is the enemy of the people, and who is their benefactor?
Nov. 24-Dec. 16 — “Native Son,” Yale Repertory Theatre 1120 Chapel St. In Chicago’s South Side in the 1930s, Bigger Thomas struggles to find a place for himself in a world whose prejudice has shut him out. After taking a job in a wealthy white man’s house, he unwittingly unleashes a series of events that violently and irrevocably seal his fate. “Native Son” is an captures the power of Wright’s novel about oppression, freedom, and justice.
Jan. 26-Feb. 17 — Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St. With breakneck speed and endless invention, “Field Guide” skates through one of the greatest — and longest! — novels ever written: “The Brothers Karamazov.” Mechs literally (well, not literally) rips pages out of Dostoevsky’s powerful meditation on faith, meaning, and morality and mischievously replaces them with standup comedy, pop music dance numbers, a cardboard bear, and a talking bird.
March 16–April 7 — “Father Comes Home from the Wars, Parts 1, 2 & 3,” University Theatre, 222 York St. In the first installment of Pulitzer Prize-winner Parks’ new American Odyssey, set over the course of the Civil War, Hero is offered his freedom from slavery in exchange for joining his master in the ranks of the Confederacy. “Father Comes Home from the Wars, Parts 1, 2 & 3” is an epic new work filled with music, wit, and lyricism. This play is the second of Yale Rep’s two 2017-18 WILL POWER! productions. The run includes 10:15 a.m. performances on April 3 and 5, available only to high school groups. For information on WILL POWER!, contact Roger-Paul Snell at roger-paul.snell@yale.edu.
April 27–May 19 — “Kiss,” Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St. A standing double date in Damascus quickly escalates into farce as four friends unburden their hearts and reveal their secret passions. But as civil war wages outside, nothing is really what it seems to be. “Kiss” is a politically charged and emotionally resonant exploration of what gets lost in translation: the human toll of a nation in chaos.
Yale Repertory Theatre offers a variety of subscription packages, starting at less than $35 per ticket for the general public and $10 for students. Subscriptions are available online at yalerep.org, by phone at 203-432-1234, and in person at the Yale Rep Box Office, 1120 Chapel St. Individual and group tickets for the entire season will go on sale on Aug. 28.
