Obie winner Alfie Fuller, Tony nominee Stephen Bogardus, and Octet's Margo Seibert will appear on stage in Poughkeepsie this summer at the Vassar & New York Stage and Film upcoming season. The announcement is the latest wave in Powerhouse casting, following the news that Jelani Alladin, Vanessa Hudgens, and Hailey Kilgore will perform in reading of the new The Notebook musical.
The annual summer season, which will run June 20–July 28 at Vassar, will feature two mainstage productions—Harrison David Rivers' Relentless Award-winning play, the bandaged place, directed by David Mendizábal (June 27–July 7); followed by Pulitzer Prize winner Henley's Lightning (or The Unbuttoning), directed by Mark Brokaw (July 18–28)—as well as workshop presentations and other works in progress for theatre, film, and television.
The cast of Lightning will be made up of Alex Breaux (The Real Thing, Red Speedo), Stephanie DiMaggio (A Free Man of Color), and Fuller (Is God Is, BLKS).
Annie Salem: An American Tale, the first musical workshop presentation of the 2019 Powerhouse Season (July 5-7), adapted from the novel by Mac Wellman, with a book by Tony winner Rachel Chavkin, music by Heather Christian, lyrics by Christian and Chavkin, direction by Chavkin, and movement by Raja Feather Kelly (Fairview), will feature David Abeles (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Tattiana Aqeel (Grown), Bogardus (Girl From The North Country), Lucille Lortel Award nominee Clifton Duncan (Carmen Jones), Danaya Esperanza (Men On Boats), Brian Flores (Head Over Heels), Ari Groover (Alice By Heart), Christopher Sears (Gently Down the Stream), Drama Desk Award nominee Seibert(Rocky, Octet), and Obie Award winner Ching Valdes-Aran (A Man’s A Man).
The Elementary Spacetime Show, the second musical workshop presentation of the season (July 12-14), with music and lyrics by César Alvarez, a book by Alvarez and Emily Orling, and direction by Sarah Benson, will feature Jay Adana (The Woodsman), Lucille Lortel Award winner Andrew R. Butler (Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future), Cosmo Castaldi, Joshua Dominque, Sofia Dobrushin (High Maintenance), Jari Jones (Tales of the City), Mason Alexander Park (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), MiMi Scardulla (We Are the Tigers), and Terran Scott.
Martyna Majok's Sanctuary City, the third reading of the season (July 13), directed by Rebecca Frecknall, will feature Sharlene Cruz (Mac Beth), Gil Perez-Abraham (Pose), and Austin Smith (Hamilton, Socrates).
This season's artists also include playwrights Jocelyn Bioh, Emily Feldman, and Antoinette Nwandu; composers Tom Kitt and Michael Thurber; and directors Saheem Ali, Kate Whoriskey, Daniel Aukin, and Michael Mayer.
Visit Powerhouse.Vassar.edu for more information.