World-Premiere Musical

Hands on a Hardbody

April 27 - June 17, 2012

Mandell Weiss Theatre

Book by Doug Wright
Lyrics by Amanda Green
Music by Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green
Based on the film "Hands on a Hard Body" by S. R. Bindler
Choreography by Benjamin Millepied
Directed by Neil Pepe

When an auto dealership in Longview, TX launches an endurance contest, ten economically-strapped strangers embark on a journey that puts their hearts, minds and bodies to the test. The contestant that keeps at least one hand on a brand-new hardbody truck the longest gets to drive it off the lot. Only one can win, but for all involved, that truck holds the key to their own private American dream. Featuring a brilliant rock, folk and country score from Amanda Green (Bring It On: The Musical) and Trey Anastasio (leader of the improvisational jam band Phish), extraordinary dance numbers from Benjamin Millepied (Black Swan) and a masterful story from Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, Grey Gardens), this world premiere musical is bound to become an American classic.

A Re-Imagined Classic

An Iliad

August 11 - September 9, 2012

By Denis O’Hare and Lisa Peterson
Based on Homer’s The Iliad, translated by Robert Fagles
Directed by Lisa Peterson

On a bare stage, a storyteller emerges from the back of the theatre to re-tell The Iliad, one of the oldest stories in Western civilization. The elements are familiar -- the 10-year siege of Troy, the Greeks and Trojans locked in a brutal combat, the heroic and final battle between Achilles and Hector. But this storyteller points at something more in the epic text. In this eye-opening version, we are on the front lines of every major war in history, reliving a futile struggle that has replayed itself over thousands of years. An Iliad transports us through time to feel the glory and honor of war -- as well as the loneliness and pain it leaves in its wake.

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Play Directed by Christopher Ashley

Glengarry Glen Ross

September 18 - October 14, 2012

By David Mamet
Directed by Christopher Ashley

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama, Glengarry Glen Ross is David Mamet’s scorching play about a group of desperate salesmen in a Chicago real estate office. When a contest pits the men against each other, they resort to manipulation, bribery and even theft to keep their jobs. The Darwinian struggle that ensues is a stinging indictment of a culture that rewards the strong, punishes the weak and values success above all else. One of the most influential plays of the 20th century, Glengarry Glen Ross shows Mamet at the height of his literary and dramatic powers. Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley directs this modern masterpiece with a keen eye for the remarkable dialogue and personal defeat at the heart of this story.