Geva Theatre Center on Wednesday
announced its 2016-17 season, which will include 12 major productions and events,
kicking off with the Stephen Sondheim musical “A Funny Thing Happened on the
Way to the Forum.”
The season’s lineup, the theater’s 44th, will include six
Wilson main stage productions — including A.R. Gurney’s “Sylvia” and Todd Kreidler’s
adaptation of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” — three works in the Fielding
Studio Series, which focuses on more challenging, contemporary plays, and the
return of “A Christmas Carol,” the Festival of New Theatre, and Maripat Donavan’s popular character, Sister.
Geva will also unveil during the
2016-17 season its renovated lobby and cafรฉ areas, which will include nearly
2000-square-feet of entertaining suites and wheelchair access to the balcony. Due to the work on the lobby this summer, Geva will not be part of the 2016 Rochester Fringe Festival, and has pushed back its season opening from September to October. The changes are part of an ongoing renovation project that included roof
replacement in 2012, the installation of a new HVAC system in 2013 and 2014,
and upgrades to rehearsal, education, dressing rooms, and administrative offices
last year.
For a third year in a row, ESL will sponsor the Wilson Stage
Series.
The 2016-17 Wilson
Stage Series will consist of:
“A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to the Forum” (October 4 through November 6)
“Sylvia” (January
10 through February 5)
“Guess Who’s Coming
to Dinner” (February 14 through March 12)
“Private Lives” (March 21 through April 16)
“Other than Honorable” (April 25 through May 21)
“Million Dollar
Quartet” (May 30 through June 25)
The 2016-17 Fielding
Studio Series will include:
“Mother (and me)” (November 3 through November 20)
“The Lake Effect” (February 2 through February 19)
“Sex with Strangers” (April 13 through April 30)
Other shows and events
announced:
Festival of New
Theatre (October 12 through October 23)
“A Christmas Carol” (November 23 through December 24)
“Sister’s Back to
School Catechism: The Holy Ghost and Other Terrifying Tales” (March 7
through April 2)
This article appears in Mar 16-22, 2016.
