Actors Theatre Announces 2018-2019 Season Lineup

Photo: Actors Theatre of Louisville

Actors Theatre of Louisville is proud to announce the 2018—2019 Season, beginning in September. Artistic Director Les Waters introduces the lineup, “In the coming season, we examine identity and ask ‘Who are we and how did we get here?’ We are delighted to welcome back Lucas Hnath with his witty and electrifying A Doll’s House, Part 2 and Dominique Morisseau with Pipeline, her incisive and heartfelt look at education and the responsibilities of being a parent. We are proud to produce the Broadway hit The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, both a thrilling ‘whodunnit’ and ‘who am I?.’ In the acclaimed Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, Mr. Felder examines the life of immigrant and American legend Irving Berlin through song and story. It’s 2018, and together we’ll ask ‘who are you and how did you become who you are now?’”

Managing Director Kevin E. Moore adds, “The strength of this lineup speaks to the dedication and passion Les has for this organization and this community. Since Les announced his departure in October, he’s worked closely with the theatre’s artistic team to program the upcoming season. We are honored to work alongside him through this year’s Humana Festival of New American Plays and will look forward to welcoming him back to Louisville as a guest artist in the future.”

Actors Theatre kicks off the Brown-Forman Series with The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, beginning September 18, 2018, directed by Associate Artistic Director Meredith McDonough. The Tony Award-winning play, based on the popular novel by Mark Haddon, is a masterful portrait of fifteen-year-old Christopher, a mathematics prodigy who is autistic. Simon Stephens’ script is as much a mystery as it is an evocative coming-of-age story.

Obie Award-winning playwright and Humana Festival alumnus Lucas Hnath’s work takes the stage in Louisville once again with A Doll’s House, Part 2, which imagines protagonist Nora’s return 15 years after the final, iconic moments of Henrik Ibsen’s seminal masterpiece A Doll’s House. In what The New Yorker called Hnath’s “strongest yet,” Nora and the Helmer family grapple with “the compromises we all make for comfort, and the faith required to make a change” (TheaterMania). Pirronne Yousefzadeh will direct in the intimate Victor Jory Theatre, with performances beginning October 2, 2018.

Dominique Morisseau’s Pipeline thrusts audiences into the classroom in this wrenching portrayal of a mother and son wrestling with the American education system’s “school-to-prison pipeline” for men of color. The New York Times calls Morisseau “a playwright of piercing eloquence,” as Louisville audiences discovered during last year’s production of Skeleton Crew. Pipeline will begin performances beginning January 8, 2019 in the Bingham Theatre.

In the Pamela Brown Auditorium, consummate showman Hershey Felder takes the stage as Irving Berlin. Featuring beloved standards like “God Bless America,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and “White Christmas,” Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin melds song and story in a love letter to the man whose work continues to define the great American songbook. The production, directed by Trevor Hay, begins January 29, 2019.

Actors Theatre will celebrate the holidays with Louisville’s favorite traditions: Fifth Third Bank’s Dracula, adapted by William McNulty, September 7—October 31, 2018, and Fifth Third Bank’s A Christmas Carol, adapted by Barbara Field, November 20—December 23, 2018. Last year’s sold-out production of Joe Mantello’s adaptation of David Sedaris’s hilarious The Santaland Diaries is back by popular demand. Associate Artistic Director Meredith McDonough will once again direct the irreverent audience favorite in the Victor Jory Theatre, November 15—December 23, 2018.

The 2018-2019 Season will culminate in the 43rd Humana Festival of New American Plays, March 1—April 7, 2019. The Festival is a world-renowned event, and an opportunity to see groundbreaking, brand-new work by American theatre’s most talented playwrights. The Festival is underwritten by the Humana Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Humana, Inc. The 43rd Humana Festival lineup will be announced in November, 2018.

The 2018-2019 Season is generously supported by Brown-Forman, the official season sponsor, with additional support from Fund for the Arts, the Kentucky Arts Council and Yum! Brands, which supports the student matinee series.

2018-2019 Season Ticket Packages are on sale now, with 6- and 8-Play Brown-Forman Series Season Ticket Packages starting at just $130. Brown-Forman Season Ticket Holders receive a host of benefits including free admission to exciting Actors Theatre events, 30% off additional ticket purchases and discounted parking. Packages are also available for seniors, educators and individuals 35 years of age and under. Single tickets for Fifth Third Bank’s Dracula and A Christmas Carol as well as The Santaland Diaries will go on sale on Tuesday, July 10, 2018, and the entire 2018-2019 Season will go on sale on Wednesday, August 1, 2018. Actors Theatre’s Box Office is located at 316 West Main Street, Louisville, KY, 40202, and can be reached by calling 502.584.1205.

Actors Theatre is committed to making the theatre going experience accessible to everyone and offers open caption and audio-described performances throughout the season. Large print programs and assistive listening devices are also available at every performance. For a full performance schedule and more information about Actors Theatre’s access services, visit ActorsTheatre.org/your-visit/accessibility.