Geva Theatre Center Announces Changes to 19-20 Season and Unveils 20-21 Season
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Mar. 23, 2020
In the midst of our necessary response to state and national mandates preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus by suspending all public gatherings, Geva Theatre Center announces that all remaining productions of the 2019-2020 Season will be postponed or cancelled. Geva's productions of Once and Cry It Out, that were running when attendance restrictions were put in place, will be available to view soon on the streaming channel BroadwayHD. The world premiere production of Looks Like Pretty, which was in rehearsal until March 14, has been suspended. The theatre hopes to present this production in July. Where Did We Sit on the Bus?, the final scheduled production of the Fielding Studio Series, will be rescheduled for another time next season. The production of Vietgone that was to close out the season cannot be rescheduled at this time, and the theatre has had to cancel it outright. Events such as the Regional Writers Showcase, the Young Writers Showcase and the final play of the Hornets' Nest series have likewise been cancelled.
Geva Theatre Center's Artistic Director, Mark Cuddy, and Executive Director, Christopher Mannelli, want our region to know that brighter days are ahead. They have announced the ten major productions and two festivals of the much anticipated 2020-2021 Season, the non-profit theatre's 48th year of making exceptional professional theatre in Rochester. Since Geva's 2014-2015 Season, ESL Federal Credit Union has sponsored the Wilson Stage Series, and continues its commitment as the Sponsor for the Geva Theatre Center 2020-2021 Season. Dr. Dawn Lipson will serve as Honorary Season Producer. The Wilson Stage will feature a celebration of air-guitar competition, a fresh take on a classic tale of horror, a new comedy about scandal and selling enlightenment, a Tony Award-winning musical with Caribbean flair, a thriller set in 2013 Kabul, and a musical celebration of country legend Johnny Cash. Geva also announces the return of the theatre's magical production of Dickens' classic tale of redemption, the KeyBank production of A Christmas Carol, Rochester's favorite holiday tradition.2020-2021 Season Wilson Stage Series
AIRNESS
By Chelsea Marcantel
By Lloyd Suh
Directed by A production of the Kitchen Theatre, Ithaca October 28 - November 15, 2020 "It is human nature to be curious. Curiosity is evolution. You want to look at me. You want to understand more about the world." In 1834, a young Chinese girl is brought to the United States from Beijing, put on display for the American public and billed as "The Chinese Lady." For over 45 years, she is toured around the US as a side-show act, accompanied by the man who knew her best. In this piercing, poetic tale, based on the true story of Afong Moy, playwright Lloyd Suh examines the impacts of the white gaze and explores the mystery surrounding Moy's later years. Wilson Stage Series YOGA PLAYBy Dipika Guha
Directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh A Co-production with Pittsburgh Public Theater January 19 - February 14, 2021 "Here at Jojomon, when we share our goals we improve ourselves." Corporate yoga giant Jojomon is at the pinnacle of its game when a scandal sends the company into freefall. Joan, the newly hired CEO, risks everything on a wild plan to recover the company's earnings and reputation. Yoga Play is a provocative new comedy about confronting cultural appropriation and searching for authenticity in a world determined to sell enlightenment. Fielding Studio Series THE REAL JAMES BOND...WAS DOMINICANA story about the real James Bond - Porfirio Rubirosa
Created by Christopher Rivas Directed by Daniel Banks January 27 - February 14, 2021 "A medium dry Vodka Martini, with a slice of lemon peel ... Shake it, do not stir it." A charming true story - but not one you've seen - about Porfirio Rubirosa, international playboy, man of mystery, and the inspiration behind Ian Fleming's iconic James Bond character. Eight-year-old Christopher Rivas, a Dominican boy from Queens, is obsessed with James Bond. When he finds out the inspiration behind his hero was also Dominican, his world is rocked to the core. Written and performed by Christopher Rivas, The Real James Bond ... is an enthralling and highly personal story of one young man's guide to love, success, and re-claiming your identity. Wilson Stage Series ONCE ON THIS ISLANDBook and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Music by Stephen Flaherty Directed by Steve H. Broadnax III A Co-production with Syracuse Stage February 23 - March 28, 2021 "Once on this island, the Gods sent a storm. But out of that terrible storm, came a story ..." This rousing, timeless story of love tells the tale of Ti Moune, a gutsy peasant girl searching for her purpose in the world. After a chance encounter with a wealthy boy, Daniel, Ti Moune becomes certain that he is her destiny. Encouraged by the mighty island gods, Ti Moune must overcome the dangers of the island as she sets out to break down the walls that separate her from love. Filled with vibrant song and dance, Once on This Island earned eight Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Book and Score for its original 1990 production, and won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 2018. Wilson Stage Series SELLING KABULBy Sylvia Khoury
April 6 - May 2, 2021 "My stupid brother. If you step outside that door, you murder your child. You murder your wife. You murder my husband. You murder me." In this thriller set in 2013, we meet Taroon, who once served as an interpreter for the American military in exchange for a promise of safety. Now, he spends his days hiding in his sister's Kabul apartment, targeted by the Taliban. As he anxiously awaits news from the hospital on the eve of his first child's birth, his family works to protect him from the dangers lurking just outside their apartment walls. Fielding Studio Series WE SWIM, WE TALK, WE GO TO WARBy Mona Monsour
Directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh April 21 - May 9, 2021 In the choppy waters of the Pacific Ocean, an Arab-American woman and her nephew navigate what it means to love your family, even when your politics and priorities threaten to get in the way. At once playful and thought-provoking, We Swim ... is an exhilarating theatrical exploration of identity and storytelling. Wilson Stage Series RING OF FIREThe Music of Johnny Cash
Created by Richard Maltby, Jr. Conceived by William Meade Directed by May 12 - June 13, 2021 "I fell in to a burning ring of fire I went down, down, down And the flames went higher" Take a crowd-pleasing ride through Johnny Cash's gritty life story with this rowdy jukebox musical. A multi-talented cast pays homage to the legendary Man in Black with more than two-dozen Cash classics, including "I Walk the Line," "Folsom Prison Blues," "I've Been Everywhere," and, of course, "Ring of Fire." Special Productions and EventsKEYBANK ROCHESTER FRINGE FESTIVAL
In the Fielding Stage September 15-26, 2020 The Fielding Stage will once again be a venue for the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival, hosting a wide variety of performances.
FESTIVAL OF NEW THEATRE
In the Fielding Stage October 2020 A two-week showcase of new plays and projects that are currently in Geva's developmental process. More than 330 full-length or short works have received readings and/or workshops as part of Geva's new play development programs, and more than 65 have had subsequent productions around the country and the globe. Rochester's Holiday Tradition The KeyBank production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Mark CuddyMusic and Lyrics by Gregg Coffin
Directed by Mark Cuddy In the Wilson Stage November 25 - December 27, 2020 On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by a series of ghosts who remind him who he was and what he might yet become. He learns the true meaning of the season and that it's never too late to make a new start. The famous tale of redemption for the most despised man in London will awaken your heart and rekindle your spirit in this critically acclaimed adaptation. Recommended for the entire family! (Please remember that children under five are not permitted in the theatre.) *Note: Not a part of the ESL Wilson Stage subscription series. For more information: GevaTheatre.orgVideos
