MTC 2007-08 Season

[whatever2]

Posted: 4/21/07 at 3:53pm

just got my subscription renewal info from MTC, and it includes descriptions of three of their seven 2007-08 productions:

*Mauritius, by Theresa Rebeck, at the Biltmore

*Top Girls, by Caryl Churchill, directed by James MacDonald, also at the Biltmore

*The Receptionist, by Adam Bock, directed by Joe Mantello, with Jayne Houdyshell, at NYCC

dont know much about any of these. rebeck wrote "omnium gatherum", which was brilliant, and well reviewed, i believe. but these three plays themselves are unfamiliar to me.

i also wonder if anyone's heard anything about the rest of MTC's season ... they have a tough act to follow after this year!

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 4/21/07 at 4:01pm

"*Top Girls, by Caryl Churchill, directed by James MacDonald, also at the Biltmore "

TOTALLY ready for this! Any dates posted yet?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/21/07 at 4:09pm

Rebeck is very prolific and also wrote THE SCENE that played at Second Stage a few months ago w/ Tony Shaloub and Patricia Heaton and WATER'S EDGE that had an off-Broadway run a few months before that. MAURITIUS is a more recent play of hers that I seem to recall had a well-received production at Huntington last year.

TOP GIRLS is one of the great Caryl Churchill's best works from the early 80s with an all female cast. Next year will be a big year for her in NY (she's a Brit) -- the Public is also producing her latest play DRUNK ENOUGH TO SAY I LOVE YOU, which is a fascinating-sounding avant garde piece (typical of her) in which Tony Blair and George W Bush are imagined to be in a quasi-sado-masochistic relationship.

Adam Bock is a very promising young up-and-coming playwright who's THE THUGS last year was critically acclaimed (it made a half dozen critics top ten lists for the year) and who's SWIMMING IN THE SHALLOWS was well-received the year before.

To my mind, those three choices alone seem at least as interesting as anything from MTC's current seasn.

Updated On: 4/21/07 at 04:09 PM

[whatever2]

Posted: 4/21/07 at 4:31pm

margo: thanks ... helpful as always. swimming in the shallows sounds vaguely familiar -- where did it play?

also, i thot this season at MTC was unusually strong -- did you not? American Pilot was a powerful sleeper, i thot ... Blackbird was stunning ... Translations was very well received ... and, im very much looking forward to LoveMusik. Some Men was eh and Our Leading Lady was idiosyncratic (i liked it, but i can appreciate that it wouldnt be everyone's cup of tea). But that's at least 5 for 7, no?

BSoBW2: i cant see where it gives specific dates for Top Girls, or indicates whether it's Biltmore 1, Biltmore 2, or Biltmore 3. It's listed second in the brochure, so I'd guess that makes it Biltmore 2? in any case, the dates listed are:

Biltmore 1: 9/18 - 11/18
Biltmore 2: 1/8 - 3/9
Biltmore 3: 4/15 - 6/22

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/21/07 at 5:34pm

SWIMMING IN THE SHALLOWS played at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre starring Logan Marshall-Green and Michael Arden.

[jbdc]

Posted: 4/21/07 at 5:44pm

Rebeck also wrote a great play called "Family of Mann" about her experiences in the world of television writing. I feel like Chandra Wilson was in it as Clara. But I might have made that last part up.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/21/07 at 5:46pm

Wow, sounds good.

[whatever2]

Posted: 4/21/07 at 11:37pm

oh, yea -- swimming in the shallows! the TV boy was a shark! that was great!