Williamstown Theatre Festival Summer 2024: new David Ives play + solo pieces and an art installation

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 5:16pm

The 2024 Williamstown Theatre Festival summer season has revealed its lineup. The season will include:

• “WTF IS NEXT”, an expansive four-day prototype of a new vision for the Tony Award-recognized Festival
• Sara Porkalob’s Dragon Mama, Part II of The Dragon Cycle
• the world premiere of David Ives’ new play Pamela Palmer in the CenterStage at Williams College’s ‘62 Center for Theatre & Dance, directed by Walter Bobbie
• Rachel Bloom’s musical comedy Death, Let Me Do My Show in the MainStage
• the WTF Cabaret’s return to the Festival Stage
• The Plastic Bag Store, an immersive art experience by Robin Frohardt being presented with MASS MoCA.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Work-by-Rachel-Bloom-Sara-Porkalob-More-Set-for-2024-Williamstown-Theatre-Festival-Summer-Season-20240306

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/6/24 at 5:20pm

Can't say this season is particularly exciting to me (perhaps it's generous to call it a season), especially with no new full-scale musicals. But if new funders haven't stepped up in a major way to cover the new costs of not exploiting labor and running staff into the ground, then I guess this is to be expected. It's just surprising that the changes have taken so long to implement at what was once one of the country's great summer theaters. 

Updated On: 3/6/24 at 05:20 PM

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 3/7/24 at 8:53am

Completely agree. WTF announcements used to be blockbuster, this is hardly an announcement at all.  I head to the Berkshires a few of time a year during the summer, this will definitely limit my time there this year. 

Thankfully, Tanglewood and Barrington Stage have some good offerings this season! 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 3/7/24 at 11:53am

I wonder if Sara Porklob will give more than 60% for this show?

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 3/7/24 at 12:35pm

JSquared2 you beat me to it - I was going to say something like, "I heard all tickets for the Sara Porkalob show are 25% off, since she will be giving only 75%."

[NJGUY]

Posted: 3/7/24 at 6:09pm

What a pitiful lineup at WTF. I am going to pay money to see "a show" about plastic and recycling? They are going through a change in artistic directors, yet what a fall from grace considering the sort of legacy productions they produced.  All I can say is WTF?  Can hope for some Friday afternoon readings which are always a delight, with top actors and a low cost.

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 3/7/24 at 8:10pm

^ This. And The Pillowman reading last “season” was very impressive. 

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 3/7/24 at 8:19pm

Zzzzzzzzzz. 

[George in DC]

Posted: 3/7/24 at 10:57pm

How sad. Truly the best summer theatre festival has now been reduced to this

Updated On: 3/8/24 at 10:57 PM

[MsPiety&Rectitude]

Posted: 3/9/24 at 3:28pm

RIP WTF

[Melissa25]

Posted: 7/31/24 at 9:38pm

Sara Bareilles’ concert on 7/28 was just divine. Just her at the piano is the best way to hear her.  She is extremely funny too.  I hope we get to see her back on the boards sooner rather than later.

I am not really sure what Pamela Palmer is about but it was a feast to be able to listen to Ives’ language for 85 minutes.  Pamela Palmer (Tina Benko) is an attractive lean blonde that you think you may have seen before but you’re not really sure where. She believes she has done something wrong but doesn’t know what it is and hires a detective (Clark Gregg) to help figure it out.  There is a noirish chemistry to the whole affair that lays the foundation for some of the humor.  Some of the themes explored include cynicism, atonement, guilt, love, infidelity, grace and time.  The detective espouses a philosophy he abbreviates EGGS, everything good gets spoiled.  There is an ever present feeling of Déjà vu that permeates as well.  It is very much a head scratcher but I enjoyed it and thought that the performances were excellent.  I was kind of reminded again (as I was in Here We Are) that we get to start over.  

Swift direction by Walter Bobbie. Cast also includes Max Gordon Moore and Becky Ann Baker. 85 minutes, no intermission.