2023 SEASON
Mainstage PerformancesHello and Welcome Back!
Introduction from newly appointed Artistic Director Rebecca Bradshaw
I am ecstatic to be at the helm of this charming, witty, and heartfelt season ahead of us! We are starting out on a classy note with Noël Coward’s Private Lives! Who doesn’t love a timeless comedy?
Then, be invited into Zora Howard’s kitchen in her Pulitzer Prize Finalist play: Stew. The women in this family will keep you rolling in laughter as they bicker and banter while slowly layering in what truly bonds them together.
Speaking of invitations, in the next play, we will introduce you to two people you definitely don’t want to find on your doorstep in The Ding Dongs. Brenda Withers’ dark comedic thriller will be a roller coaster of verbal gymnastics. After seeing this one, I’d love to know what you think are in the boxes!
And finally, we will wrap the season in celebration of Gloucester’s 400+ by staging some of the myths and legends of years past – sea serpents, witches, and magic silver buttons?! Local playwright, John Minigan, will take you on a ride through Gloucester’s rich folklore. I look forward to seeing and getting to know you at the theatre this summer!
JUNE 2 – 25
PRIVATE LIVES
by Noël Coward
Directed by Diego Arciniegas
This fresh take on Noël Coward‘s (Blithe Spirit) iconic 1930 play, PRIVATE LIVES will run from June 2 to 25. Directed by award-winning director, educator and actor, Diego Arciniegas, this uproarious timeless romantic comedy, set in a sophisticated world of cocktails, glamour, and sparkling repartee follows the ups, downs, and all-arounds of passion and betrayal.
JULY 7 – 23
STEW
Regional Premiere by Zora Howard
Directed by Rosalind Bevan
Zora Howard’s (TV’s Premature) award-winning play STEW makes its regional premiere at Gloucester Stage July 7 to 23, directed by Rosalind Bevan making her GSC directing debut. The 2021 Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Drama is a hilarious and haunting drama that explores the unbreakable bond between three generations of Black women and reveals the power that loss holds over our lives when we refuse to share it with others.
AUGUST 11 – 27
THE DING DONGS
by Brenda Withers
Directed by Rebecca Bradshawº
THE DING DONGS, a comedic thriller by Cape Cod playwright Brenda Withers (The Office, Matt & Ben, Cyrano) runs from August 11 to 27. Directed by incoming Artistic Director, Rebecca Bradshaw, this witty comedy is a lesson in how power evolves and intimidation works as strangers at the door turn out to be not only strange, but dangerous.
SEPTEMBER 1 – 24
TALL TALES FROM BLACKBURN TAVERN
World Premiere by John Minigan
Directed by Bryn Boice
In celebration of Gloucester’s 400+ Celebration, Gloucester Stage has commissioned local playwright John Minigan (Sleepy Hollow, Queen of Sad Mischance, Noir Hamlet) to write TALL TALES FROM BLACKBURN TAVERN, based on folklore from Gloucester’s 400-year history. Directed by award-winning director, educator, actor, and producer Bryn Boice, this production runs from September 1 – 24.