Hub Theatre, which has been drawing appreciative audiences to the John Swazye Theatre of the New School in Fairfax, Virginia, announces that next season it will be bringing one of its original productions to DC, and will produce a world premiere and two other intriguing DC area premieres in its resident theatre.
The season begins in Fairfax with the world premiere of Marc Acito’s (Birds of a Feather) one actor play based on Acito’s award winning novel “How I Paid for College.” The play, How I Paid for College tells the story of “seventeen-year-old Edward Zanni, a feckless Ferris Bueller type, Glee-fully Peter-Panning his way through life with his screwball theater friends. When his businessman father remarries and pulls the plug on Edward’s dreams, the aspiring thespian turns to a life of disorganized crime to fulfill his musical theatre dreams.” Hub Artistic Director Helen Pafumi will direct. Performs December 7 – 30, 2012
Lauren Yee’s time-bending A Man His Wife and His Hat seems a natural choice for Hub, which has become the place to see offbeat plays that touch the heart. “Hetchman loves his hat. Oh, and his wife, too. But when both go missing, the retired hatmaker vows to stop at nothing to find them. That is, if he can muster the strength and energy to leave the comfort of his armchair. But a fantastical series of events threatens to derail his endeavor. There’s also a golem – a curious beast made of muck – and a talking wall. This is a klezmer-inspired love triangle between a man, his wife … and his hat.” Directed by Shirley Serotsky. Performs April 5 – 28, 2013
Gender-bending is the theme of Hub’s summer selection, Jordan Harrison’s play about a man who performs in female drag, Act a Lady. “The men of a small Prohibition-era town decide to stage a play. As the play within this play comes together, gender lines blur, eyebrows raise, identities explode, and life and art are forever entangled. Act A Lady is a thoughtful and exuberant Midwestern fable about the woman in every man, the man in every woman, and the power of theater to uncover both.” Directed by Faction of Fools Artistic Director, Matthew R. Wilson. Performs July 12 – August 4, 2013.
For the holidays, Hub Theatre is partnering with Theater Alliance to bring last year’s Hub Theatre hit, the Helen Hayes nominated original play Wonderful Life to H Street Playhouse in Washington, DC. Once again, Jason Lott steps in to play all roles of this new holiday play, based on Frank Kapra’s “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Written by Lott and Helen Parfumi, and again directed by Gregg Henry, Wonderful Life will be the last play to take the stage at H Street Playhouse. Performs November 30 – December 30, 2012.
Click here for subscriptions to the 4 play season ($85 – $110) or call 800-494-8497.
More information at Hub Theatre
While I “call ’em like I see ’em” with regard to individual productions, I firmly believe that Hub Theatre is one of the region’s best kept theatrical secrets. They make some very interesting and intelligent choices in selecting their productions. I am particularly looking forward to the last production of this season, “Big Love” (no, it’s not based upon the HBO series, but instead a modern retelling of a classice Greek play). Details are below:
http://thehubtheatre.org/performance_big.html
Steven McKnight