Barksdale Theatre
Encyclopedia
Barksdale Theatre in Richmond, Virginia
, United States
is Central Virginia’s first nonprofit professional performing arts organization, founded in 1953 at the historic Hanover Tavern
by Tom Carlin, Stewart Falconer, David 'Pete' Kilgore, Priscilla Kilgore, Muriel McAuley and Pat Sharp. Today, Barksdale presents season at two home locations: Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern and Barksdale Theatre at The Shops at Willow Lawn
.
Barksdale is recognized as Central Virginia's leading professional theatre. It is currently run under the leadership of Artistic Director Bruce Miller and Managing Director Phil Whiteway.
. They lived upstairs, performed downstairs, and served hearty meals in the historic rooms that fell in between.
During the first six years, four of the original founders moved on, leaving Pete Kilgore, Muriel McAuley and newcomer (and newly-wed) Nancy Kilgore firmly in charge. In the seasons that followed, Pete, Muriel and Nancy produced Greater Richmond’s first professional productions of plays by Tennessee Williams
, Arthur Miller
, Eugene O’Neill, George Bernard Shaw
, Noel Coward
, Thornton Wilder
, William Inge
and Edward Albee
.
They also became dynamic civic leaders. In defiance of Jim Crow laws
., Barksdale was Virginia’s first performing arts organization to open its doors to integrated audiences. Barksdale launched Greater Richmond’s first “studio season,” converting an old country store into an experimental theatre. Barksdale conducted Virginia’s first professional theatre classes for children. In 1973, Barksdale produced Virginia’s first professional play based on African American experience, Lorraine Hansberry
’s To Be Young, Gifted and Black
.
In support of their theatrical mission, Pete, Muriel and Nancy continued the endless task of restoring the Tavern. In 1990, the Tavern was sold to the Hanover Tavern Foundation. In 1993, Pete, Muriel and Nancy retired after 40 years of exemplary service. John Glenn was named Artistic Director. In 1996, to accommodate a full restoration of its beloved home, Barksdale left the Tavern for new facilities at Willow Lawn. In 1997, John Glenn left to pursue other opportunities, and Randy Strawderman was hired to replace him.
In 2001, leadership was transferred to Bruce Miller and Phil Whiteway, Artistic Director and Managing Director, respectively. Under their leadership, the company’s reputation for artistic excellence has continued to grow. Subscriptions have increased by 700%, and after a ten-year separation, Barksdale returned theatrical programming to Hanover Tavern in January 2006, initiating a four-play Country Playhouse Season designed to complement its five-play Signature Season at Willow Lawn.
Bruce and Phil, Barksdale's current leaders, have also held the positions of Founding Artistic Director and Founding Managing Director at Theatre IV since 1975. Since the leadership of Barksdale was transferred to them in 2001, Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV have shared common staff. Each summer since 2008, Barksdale has presented its summer musical at the historic Empire Theatre, home to Theatre IV. The Empire has provided a larger venue for some of Barksdale's grander spectacles.
"Barksdale Theatre in Central Virginia presents national caliber productions of the great dramas, comedies and musicals-past, present and future-with a special emphasis on establishing and maintaining close community connections."
2010-2011 Signature Season
Shipwrecked!, by Donald Margulies (September 17 - October 24, 2010)
White Christmas
, music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, book by David Ives and Paul Blake (November 19 - January 9, 2011) - presented at the Empire Theatre
Legacy of Light, by Karen Zacarias (February 4 - March 13, 2011)
Circle Mirror Transformation, by Annie Baker (April 15 - May 22, 2011)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
, music & lyrics by David Yazbek, book by Jeffrey Lane (June 17 - August 7, 2011) - presented at the Empire Theatre
2009-2010 Signature Season
Boleros for the Disenchanted, by Jose Rivera (September 18 – October 25, 2009)
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
, by Rachel Sheinkin and William Finn (November 20 – January 17, 2010)
The Grapes of Wrath
, by Frank Galati (February 12 – March 21, 2010)
Is He Dead?
, by Mark Twain (April 16 – May 23, 2010)
The Sound of Music
, music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse (June 4 – July 4, 2010) - presented at the Empire Theatre
2008-2009 Signature Season
The Clean House
, by Sarah Ruhl (September 26 – November 2, 2008)
The Wonderful Life, by Steve Murray, conceived by Mark Setlock (November 28 – January 11, 2009)
Children of a Lesser God
, by Mark Medoff (February 6 – March 22, 2009)
Well
, by Lisa Kron (April 17 – May 24, 2009)
Thoroughly Modern Millie
, book by Richard Henry Morris, music by Jeanine Tesori, new lyrics by Dick Scanlan (June 19 – August 2, 2009) - presented at the Empire Theatre
2007-2008 Signature Season
The Member of the Wedding
, by Carson McCullers (September 21 – October 28, 2007)
Moonlight and Magnolias, by Ron Hutchinson (November 23 – January 20, 2008)
Doubt
, by John Patrick Shanley (February 15 – March 16, 2008)
The Little Dog Laughed, by Douglas Carter Beane (April 11 – May 18, 2008)
Guys and Dolls
, by Frank Loesser (June 13 – August 17, 2008) - presented at the Empire Theatre
2006-2007 Signature Season
The Constant Wife
, by Somerset Maugham (September 22 – October 29, 2006)
Mame
, book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman (November 17 – January 28, 2007)
Brooklyn Boy
, by Donald Margulies (February 16 – March 25, 2007)
Intimate Apparel
, by Lynn Nottage (April 13 – May 20, 2007)
Into the Woods
, book by James Lapine, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim (June 15 – August 12, 2007)
2005-2006 Signature Season
The Drawer Boy
, by Michael Healey (September 23 – November 6, 2005)
Scapino!, adapted by Frank Dunlop and Jim Dale (November 25 - January 22, 2006)
The Lark, by Jean Anouilh, adapted by Lillian Hellman (February 10 – April 2, 2006)
The Syringa Tree
, by Pamela Gein (April 21 – Mary 21, 2006)
The Full Monty
, book by Terrance McNally, music and lyrics by David Yazbek (June 9 – August 13, 2006)
Since the Hanover Tavern re-opened in 2006, Barksdale has also offered a series of shows presented at the Hanover Tavern, in addition to its Signature Season. These seasons include:
2011 Hanover Season
A Thousand Clowns
by Herb Gardner
Boeing, Boing, by Marc Camoletti, translated by Beverley Cross
Becky's New Car, by Steven Dietz
Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas, (world premiere) by Bruce Craig Miller, musical arrangements by H. Drew Perkins
2010 Hanover Season
First Baptist of Ivy Gap by Ron Osborne
Butterflies are Free
, by Leonard Gershe
On Golden Pond
, by Ernest Thompson
Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming, by Connie Ray, conceived by Alan Bailey, musical arrangements by Mike Craver
Nunsense
, book, music and lyrics Dan Goggin
2009 Hanover Season
Mona’s Arrangements (world premiere), book by Bo Wilson, music by Steve Liebman, lyrics by Steve Liebman and Bo Wilson (February 27 – April 19, 2009)
I Ought To Be In Pictures
, by Neil Simon (May 15 – June 28, 2009)
Fully Committed, by Becky Mode (July 24 – August 30, 2009)
Souvenir
, by Stephen Temperley (September 25 – November 1, 2009)
Bus Stop
, by William Inge (November 27 – January 10, 2010)
2008 Hanover Season
Greater Tuna
, by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard (March 28 – June 15, 2008)
Shirley Valentine
, by Willy Russell (July 11 – August 24, 2008)
Driving Miss Daisy
, by Alfred Uhry (September 19 – October 26, 2008)
Sanders Family Christmas, book by Connie Ray, conceived by Alan Bailey, musical Arrangements by John Foley and Gary Fagin (November 21 – March 1, 2009)
2007 Hanover Season
Smoke on the Mountain
, by Connie Ray (February 23 – April 25, 2007)
The Odd Couple
, by Neil Simon (June 29 – August 12, 2007)
Deathtrap
, by Ira Levin (September 14 – October 21, 2007)
Swingtime Canteen, by Linda Thorsen Bond, William Repicci and Charles Busch (November 16 – January 6, 2008)
2006 Hanover Season
Barefoot in the Park
, by Neil Simon (January 27 - March 12, 2006)
No Sex Please, We're British
, by Anthony Marriott and Alistair Foot (April 28 - June 18, 2006)
The Mousetrap
, by Agatha Christie (Septermber 8 - October 29, 2006)
Over the River and Through the Woods
, by Joe DiPietro (November 16, 2006 - January 7, 2007)
Presented at Willow Lawn and the Empire Theatre
Lend Me a Tenor
, by Ken Ludwig (September 9 - October 16, 2011)
My Fair Lady
, music by Frederick Loewe, lyrics & book by Alan Jay Lerner (November 25, 2011 - January 8, 2012) - presented at the historic Empire Theatre in celebration of its 100th Anniversary
God of Carnage
, by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton (February 3 - March 11, 2012)
Scorched Earth
, by David Robbins, WORLD PREMIERE (April 13 - May 20, 2012)
Spring Awakening
, book & lyrics by Steven Sater, music by Duncan Sheik (June 15 - July 22, 2012) - presented at the Empire Theatre
2011-2012 Hanover Tavern Season
Becky's New Car, by Steven Dietz (September 23 - November 6, 2011)
Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas, by Bruce Craig Miller, musical arrangements by H. Drew Perkins, WORLD PREMIERE (November 25, 2011 - January 8, 2012)
Always...Patsy Cline, written and originally directed by Ted Swindley, based on a true story (January 20 - March 25, 2012)
Relatively Speaking
, by Alan Ayckbourn (July 13 - August 12, 2012)
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is Central Virginia’s first nonprofit professional performing arts organization, founded in 1953 at the historic Hanover Tavern
Hanover Tavern
The Hanover Tavern in Hanover Courthouse, Virginia and Hanover County, Virginia, is one of the oldest taverns in the United States. The first tavern was licensed at the site beginning in 1733....
by Tom Carlin, Stewart Falconer, David 'Pete' Kilgore, Priscilla Kilgore, Muriel McAuley and Pat Sharp. Today, Barksdale presents season at two home locations: Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern and Barksdale Theatre at The Shops at Willow Lawn
The Shops at Willow Lawn
The Shops at Willow Lawn is a shopping center located in Richmond, Virginia, USA. It is the first shopping center in the Richmond area. Currently, the center is mostly a strip mall, although a portion of it is enclosed. The center features over 60 stores and several restaurants...
.
Barksdale is recognized as Central Virginia's leading professional theatre. It is currently run under the leadership of Artistic Director Bruce Miller and Managing Director Phil Whiteway.
History
On August 1, 1953, six actors, two children, a dog and two pigs moved into a historic ruin called Hanover Tavern. The transplanted New Yorkers founded Central Virginia’s first professional theatre, and named the company in memory of a deceased college friend, Barbara Barksdale. When they learned that their new neighbors looked forward to eating on evenings out, they combined favorite recipes and created the nation’s first dinner theaterDinner theater
Dinner theater is a form of entertainment that combines a restaurant meal with a staged play or musical. Sometimes the play is incidental entertainment, secondary to the meal, in the style of a sophisticated night club, or the play may be a major production with dinner less important, or in some...
. They lived upstairs, performed downstairs, and served hearty meals in the historic rooms that fell in between.
During the first six years, four of the original founders moved on, leaving Pete Kilgore, Muriel McAuley and newcomer (and newly-wed) Nancy Kilgore firmly in charge. In the seasons that followed, Pete, Muriel and Nancy produced Greater Richmond’s first professional productions of plays by Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams
Thomas Lanier "Tennessee" Williams III was an American writer who worked principally as a playwright in the American theater. He also wrote short stories, novels, poetry, essays, screenplays and a volume of memoirs...
, Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
, Eugene O’Neill, George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
, Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
, Thornton Wilder
Thornton Wilder
Thornton Niven Wilder was an American playwright and novelist. He received three Pulitzer Prizes, one for his novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey and two for his plays Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth, and a National Book Award for his novel The Eighth Day.-Early years:Wilder was born in Madison,...
, William Inge
William Inge
William Motter Inge was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s, he had a string of memorable Broadway productions, and one of these, Picnic, earned him a Pulitzer Prize...
and Edward Albee
Edward Albee
Edward Franklin Albee III is an American playwright who is best known for The Zoo Story , The Sandbox , Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , and a rewrite of the screenplay for the unsuccessful musical version of Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's . His works are considered well-crafted, often...
.
They also became dynamic civic leaders. In defiance of Jim Crow laws
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
., Barksdale was Virginia’s first performing arts organization to open its doors to integrated audiences. Barksdale launched Greater Richmond’s first “studio season,” converting an old country store into an experimental theatre. Barksdale conducted Virginia’s first professional theatre classes for children. In 1973, Barksdale produced Virginia’s first professional play based on African American experience, Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Hansberry was an African American playwright and author of political speeches, letters, and essays...
’s To Be Young, Gifted and Black
To Be Young, Gifted and Black
"To Be Young, Gifted and Black" is a song by Nina Simone with lyrics by Weldon Irvine. It was written in memory of Simone's late friend Lorraine Hansberry, author of the play Raisin in the Sun. The song was originally recorded by Simone for her 1970 album Black Gold; released as a single, it became...
.
In support of their theatrical mission, Pete, Muriel and Nancy continued the endless task of restoring the Tavern. In 1990, the Tavern was sold to the Hanover Tavern Foundation. In 1993, Pete, Muriel and Nancy retired after 40 years of exemplary service. John Glenn was named Artistic Director. In 1996, to accommodate a full restoration of its beloved home, Barksdale left the Tavern for new facilities at Willow Lawn. In 1997, John Glenn left to pursue other opportunities, and Randy Strawderman was hired to replace him.
In 2001, leadership was transferred to Bruce Miller and Phil Whiteway, Artistic Director and Managing Director, respectively. Under their leadership, the company’s reputation for artistic excellence has continued to grow. Subscriptions have increased by 700%, and after a ten-year separation, Barksdale returned theatrical programming to Hanover Tavern in January 2006, initiating a four-play Country Playhouse Season designed to complement its five-play Signature Season at Willow Lawn.
Bruce and Phil, Barksdale's current leaders, have also held the positions of Founding Artistic Director and Founding Managing Director at Theatre IV since 1975. Since the leadership of Barksdale was transferred to them in 2001, Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV have shared common staff. Each summer since 2008, Barksdale has presented its summer musical at the historic Empire Theatre, home to Theatre IV. The Empire has provided a larger venue for some of Barksdale's grander spectacles.
Mission
Barksdale's executive summary of its mission statement is as follows:"Barksdale Theatre in Central Virginia presents national caliber productions of the great dramas, comedies and musicals-past, present and future-with a special emphasis on establishing and maintaining close community connections."
Past Productions
Over the past six years, Barksdale's Signature Season has included the following:2010-2011 Signature Season
Shipwrecked!, by Donald Margulies (September 17 - October 24, 2010)
White Christmas
White Christmas
A white Christmas refers to the presence of snow on Christmas Day. This phenomenon is most common in the northern countries of the Northern Hemisphere...
, music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, book by David Ives and Paul Blake (November 19 - January 9, 2011) - presented at the Empire Theatre
Legacy of Light, by Karen Zacarias (February 4 - March 13, 2011)
Circle Mirror Transformation, by Annie Baker (April 15 - May 22, 2011)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels may refer to:*Dirty Rotten Scoundrels , 1988 film starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine*Dirty Rotten Scoundrels , Broadway musical based on the 1988 film...
, music & lyrics by David Yazbek, book by Jeffrey Lane (June 17 - August 7, 2011) - presented at the Empire Theatre
2009-2010 Signature Season
Boleros for the Disenchanted, by Jose Rivera (September 18 – October 25, 2009)
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a one act musical comedy conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley...
, by Rachel Sheinkin and William Finn (November 20 – January 17, 2010)
The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath is a novel published in 1939 and written by John Steinbeck, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962....
, by Frank Galati (February 12 – March 21, 2010)
Is He Dead?
Is He Dead?
Is He Dead? is a play by Mark Twain. It was first published in print in 2003, after Mark Twain scholar Shelley Fisher Fishkin read the manuscript in the archives of the Mark Twain Papers at the University of California at Berkeley. The play was long known to scholars but never attracted much...
, by Mark Twain (April 16 – May 23, 2010)
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
, music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse (June 4 – July 4, 2010) - presented at the Empire Theatre
2008-2009 Signature Season
The Clean House
The Clean House
The Clean House is a play by Sarah Ruhl, which premiered in 2004 at Yale Repertory Theatre and has since been produced in many American cities. The play is a whimsical romantic comedy centered on Matilde, a Brazilian cleaning woman who would rather be a comedian.-Plot summary:The play opens with...
, by Sarah Ruhl (September 26 – November 2, 2008)
The Wonderful Life, by Steve Murray, conceived by Mark Setlock (November 28 – January 11, 2009)
Children of a Lesser God
Children of a Lesser God
Children of a Lesser God is a 1986 American romantic drama film directed by Randa Haines and written by Hesper Anderson and Mark Medoff. An adaptation of Medoff's Tony Award-winning stage play of the same name, the film stars William Hurt and Marlee Matlin as two employees at a school for the deaf:...
, by Mark Medoff (February 6 – March 22, 2009)
Well
Well (play)
Well is a play about illness written by and starring Lisa Kron. Well made its world premier at the Joseph Papp Public Theater in New York City in 2004. The play was directed by Leigh Silverman and also starred Jayne Houdyshell as Lisa's mother, Ann Kron. The Public Theater production garnered...
, by Lisa Kron (April 17 – May 24, 2009)
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Thoroughly Modern Millie is a 1967 American musical film directed by George Roy Hill and starring Julie Andrews. The screenplay by Richard Morris focuses on a naive young woman who finds herself in the midst of a series of madcap adventures when she sets her sights on marrying her wealthy boss.The...
, book by Richard Henry Morris, music by Jeanine Tesori, new lyrics by Dick Scanlan (June 19 – August 2, 2009) - presented at the Empire Theatre
2007-2008 Signature Season
The Member of the Wedding
The Member of the Wedding
The Member of the Wedding is a 1946 novel by Southern writer Carson McCullers. It took McCullers five years to complete—though she interrupted the work for a few months to write the short novel The Ballad of the Sad Cafe....
, by Carson McCullers (September 21 – October 28, 2007)
Moonlight and Magnolias, by Ron Hutchinson (November 23 – January 20, 2008)
Doubt
Doubt
Doubt, a status between belief and disbelief, involves uncertainty or distrust or lack of sureness of an alleged fact, an action, a motive, or a decision. Doubt brings into question some notion of a perceived "reality", and may involve delaying or rejecting relevant action out of concerns for...
, by John Patrick Shanley (February 15 – March 16, 2008)
The Little Dog Laughed, by Douglas Carter Beane (April 11 – May 18, 2008)
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
, by Frank Loesser (June 13 – August 17, 2008) - presented at the Empire Theatre
2006-2007 Signature Season
The Constant Wife
The Constant Wife
The Constant Wife, a comedy of manners, was written by W. Somerset Maugham in 1926 and later published for general sales in April 1927.- Plot :...
, by Somerset Maugham (September 22 – October 29, 2006)
Mame
Mame
Mame is a musical with the book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. Originally titled My Best Girl, it is based on the 1955 novel Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis and a 1956 Broadway play, by Lawrence and Lee, that had starred Rosalind Russell...
, book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman (November 17 – January 28, 2007)
Brooklyn Boy
Brooklyn Boy
Brooklyn Boy is a play by American playwright Donald Margulies.Novelist Eric Weiss, critically celebrated but unsuccessful, "arrives" when his new, autobiographical novel becomes a best-seller. An outsider all his life, he is suddenly on the inside of everything: town cars, television studios, the...
, by Donald Margulies (February 16 – March 25, 2007)
Intimate Apparel
Intimate Apparel
Intimate Apparel is a play written by Lynn Nottage. The play is a co-production and co-commission between Center Stage, Baltimore, Maryland, and South Coast Repertory, Costa Mesa, California....
, by Lynn Nottage (April 13 – May 20, 2007)
Into the Woods
Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
, book by James Lapine, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim (June 15 – August 12, 2007)
2005-2006 Signature Season
The Drawer Boy
The Drawer Boy
The Drawer Boy is a play by Michael Healey. It is a two-act play set in 1972 on a farm near Clinton, Ontario. There are only three characters: the farm's two owners, Morgan and Angus, and Miles Potter, a young actor from Toronto doing research for a collectively created theatre piece about...
, by Michael Healey (September 23 – November 6, 2005)
Scapino!, adapted by Frank Dunlop and Jim Dale (November 25 - January 22, 2006)
The Lark, by Jean Anouilh, adapted by Lillian Hellman (February 10 – April 2, 2006)
The Syringa Tree
The Syringa Tree
The Syringa Tree is a deeply personal memory play of a childhood under apartheid. Written and often performed by Pamela Gien it has received excellent reviews in New York and across the USA as well as in London...
, by Pamela Gein (April 21 – Mary 21, 2006)
The Full Monty
The Full Monty
The Full Monty is a 1997 British comedy film directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber, and Hugo Speer. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy...
, book by Terrance McNally, music and lyrics by David Yazbek (June 9 – August 13, 2006)
Since the Hanover Tavern re-opened in 2006, Barksdale has also offered a series of shows presented at the Hanover Tavern, in addition to its Signature Season. These seasons include:
2011 Hanover Season
A Thousand Clowns
A Thousand Clowns
A Thousand Clowns is a 1962 American play by Herb Gardner, which tells the story of a young boy who lives with his eccentric uncle Murray, who is forced to conform to society in order to keep custody of the boy. A 1965 movie version was adapted from the play by Gardner and directed by Fred Coe.-...
by Herb Gardner
Boeing, Boing, by Marc Camoletti, translated by Beverley Cross
Becky's New Car, by Steven Dietz
Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas, (world premiere) by Bruce Craig Miller, musical arrangements by H. Drew Perkins
2010 Hanover Season
First Baptist of Ivy Gap by Ron Osborne
Butterflies are Free
Butterflies Are Free
Butterflies Are Free is a 1972 film based on a play by Leonard Gershe. The 1972 film was produced by M.J. Frankovich, released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Milton Katselas and adapted for the screen by Gershe. It was released on 6 July, 1972 in the USA.Goldie Hawn and Edward Albert starred...
, by Leonard Gershe
On Golden Pond
On Golden Pond
On Golden Pond is a 1979 play by Ernest Thompson. The plot focuses on aging couple Ethel and Norman Thayer, who spend each summer at their home on a lake called Golden Pond. During the year the story takes place, they are visited by daughter Chelsea with her fiancé and his son in tow...
, by Ernest Thompson
Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming, by Connie Ray, conceived by Alan Bailey, musical arrangements by Mike Craver
Nunsense
Nunsense
Nunsense is a musical comedy with a book, music, and lyrics by Dan Goggin. Originating as a line of greeting cards, Goggin expanded the concept into a cabaret that ran for 38 weeks, and eventually into a full-length musical...
, book, music and lyrics Dan Goggin
2009 Hanover Season
Mona’s Arrangements (world premiere), book by Bo Wilson, music by Steve Liebman, lyrics by Steve Liebman and Bo Wilson (February 27 – April 19, 2009)
I Ought To Be In Pictures
I Ought to Be in Pictures
I Ought to Be in Pictures is a play by Neil Simon.The three-character comedy-drama focuses on Herbert Tucker, a struggling, writer's-blocked screenwriter who abandoned his New York family 16 years earlier...
, by Neil Simon (May 15 – June 28, 2009)
Fully Committed, by Becky Mode (July 24 – August 30, 2009)
Souvenir
Souvenir (play)
Souvenir is a two-character play, with incidental music, by Stephen Temperley.Set in a Greenwich Village supper club in 1964, it flashes back to the musical career of Florence Foster Jenkins, a wealthy socialite with a famously uncertain sense of pitch and key. In 1932, she met mediocre pianist...
, by Stephen Temperley (September 25 – November 1, 2009)
Bus Stop
Bus Stop (play)
Bus Stop is a 1955 play by William Inge. The 1956 film is only loosely based upon it.-Characters:Bus Stop is a drama, with romantic and some comedic elements. It is set in a diner in rural Kansas, about 20 miles west of Kansas City, Missouri during a snowstorm from which bus passengers must take...
, by William Inge (November 27 – January 10, 2010)
2008 Hanover Season
Greater Tuna
Greater Tuna
Greater Tuna is the first in a series of 4 comedic plays , each set in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas, the "third-smallest" town in the state. The series was written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard...
, by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard (March 28 – June 15, 2008)
Shirley Valentine
Shirley Valentine
Shirley Valentine is a one-character play by Willy Russell. Taking the form of a monologue by a middle-aged, working class Liverpool housewife, it focuses on her life before and after a transforming holiday abroad.-Plot:...
, by Willy Russell (July 11 – August 24, 2008)
Driving Miss Daisy
Driving Miss Daisy
Driving Miss Daisy is a 1989 American comedy-drama film adapted from the Alfred Uhry play of the same name. The film was directed by Bruce Beresford, with Morgan Freeman reprising his role as Hoke Colburn and Jessica Tandy playing Miss Daisy...
, by Alfred Uhry (September 19 – October 26, 2008)
Sanders Family Christmas, book by Connie Ray, conceived by Alan Bailey, musical Arrangements by John Foley and Gary Fagin (November 21 – March 1, 2009)
2007 Hanover Season
Smoke on the Mountain
Smoke On The Mountain
Smoke on the Mountain is an Off-Broadway musical that was written by Alan Bailey and Connie Ray. It was originally workshopped at the McCarter Theatre in 1988, given a full staging at the McCarter in 1990, and was subsequently moved by the McCarter to Lamb's Theatre in New York City, New York in...
, by Connie Ray (February 23 – April 25, 2007)
The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing and...
, by Neil Simon (June 29 – August 12, 2007)
Deathtrap
Deathtrap
Deathtrap may refer to:*Deathtrap , a 1978 play by Ira Levin which received a Tony Award nomination for Best Play*Deathtrap , a 1982 film based on the Levin play*Deathtrap , a plot device in fiction and drama...
, by Ira Levin (September 14 – October 21, 2007)
Swingtime Canteen, by Linda Thorsen Bond, William Repicci and Charles Busch (November 16 – January 6, 2008)
2006 Hanover Season
Barefoot in the Park
Barefoot in the Park
This article is about the Broadway production. For the film adaptation see Barefoot in the Park .Barefoot in the Park is a romantic comedy by Neil Simon. The original Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, opened October 23, 1963, with the four lead roles taken by actors Elizabeth Ashley ,...
, by Neil Simon (January 27 - March 12, 2006)
No Sex Please, We're British
No Sex Please, We're British
No Sex Please, We're British is a British comedic play written by Alistair Foot and Anthony Marriott, first staged in London's West End in 1971. It was unanimously panned by critics, but still ran for nearly a decade to packed audiences...
, by Anthony Marriott and Alistair Foot (April 28 - June 18, 2006)
The Mousetrap
The Mousetrap
The Mousetrap is a murder mystery play by Agatha Christie. The Mousetrap opened in the West End of London in 1952, and has been running continuously since then. It has the longest initial run of any play in history, with over 24,500 performances so far. It is the longest running show of the modern...
, by Agatha Christie (Septermber 8 - October 29, 2006)
Over the River and Through the Woods
Over the River and through the Woods
"Over the River and through the Woods" is a Thanksgiving song by Lydia Maria Child. Written originally as a poem, it appeared in her Flowers for Children, Volume 2, in 1844. The title of the poem is, "A Boy's Thanksgiving Day". It celebrates her childhood memories of visiting her Grandfather's House...
, by Joe DiPietro (November 16, 2006 - January 7, 2007)
Upcoming Season
2011-2012 Signature SeasonPresented at Willow Lawn and the Empire Theatre
Lend Me a Tenor
Lend Me a Tenor
Lend Me a Tenor is a comedy by Ken Ludwig. The play was produced on both the West End and Broadway . Although it received seven Tony Award nominations, it won only one, for Best Actor. A Broadway revival opened in 2010. Lend Me a Tenor has been translated into sixteen languages and produced in...
, by Ken Ludwig (September 9 - October 16, 2011)
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
, music by Frederick Loewe, lyrics & book by Alan Jay Lerner (November 25, 2011 - January 8, 2012) - presented at the historic Empire Theatre in celebration of its 100th Anniversary
God of Carnage
God of Carnage
God of Carnage is a play by Yasmina Reza. It is about two pairs of parents, one of whose child has hurt the other at a public park, who meet to discuss the matter in a civilized manner. However, as the evening goes on, the parents become increasingly childish, resulting in the evening devolving...
, by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton (February 3 - March 11, 2012)
Scorched Earth
Scorched earth
A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area...
, by David Robbins, WORLD PREMIERE (April 13 - May 20, 2012)
Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening is a rock musical adaptation of the controversial 1892 German play of the same title by Frank Wedekind. It features music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Set in late-19th century Germany, it concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of...
, book & lyrics by Steven Sater, music by Duncan Sheik (June 15 - July 22, 2012) - presented at the Empire Theatre
2011-2012 Hanover Tavern Season
Becky's New Car, by Steven Dietz (September 23 - November 6, 2011)
Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas, by Bruce Craig Miller, musical arrangements by H. Drew Perkins, WORLD PREMIERE (November 25, 2011 - January 8, 2012)
Always...Patsy Cline, written and originally directed by Ted Swindley, based on a true story (January 20 - March 25, 2012)
Relatively Speaking
Relatively Speaking
Relatively Speaking was a game show that aired in syndication from September 5, 1988 to June 23, 1989. The series was hosted by comedian John Byner, with John Harlan announcing....
, by Alan Ayckbourn (July 13 - August 12, 2012)