Nestled in the greenery of Massachusetts, Williamstown Theatre Festival is a bit off the grid鈥攂ut that鈥檚 exactly the point. 鈥淲hen artists are here working鈥攑laywrights, directors, actors, designers鈥攖hey鈥檙e not working on anything else,鈥� says artistic director Mandy Greenfield. From its peaceful, isolated setting to its demand for quality art (鈥淲e have this catchphrase we use a lot around here: Serious work and serious fun,鈥� says Greenfield), Williamstown is a nucleus of serious excellence.
Throughout its 65-year history, the regional theatre has launched productions that have gone on to Tony-winning Broadway runs and buzzed about Off-Broadway mountings, from Jason Robert Brown鈥檚 The Bridges of Madison County to Bradley Cooper鈥檚 revival of The Elephant Man to Anna Ziegler鈥檚 Actually, and fostered creativity of such artists as Michael Friedman, Marsha Norman, and more.
鈥淚 definitely sort of tack toward the new,鈥� says Greenfield of her own taste in programming a season. 鈥淚 respond to plays that are engaged with the moment we are alive in and excavating the human experience. If there鈥檚 one thing we can attribute the wonderful stature of artists coming to work here to, it is the fact that I think they鈥檙e hungry for that, as well.鈥�
A theatrical epicenter, Williamstown grows theatre that populates New York鈥檚 greatest stages and become familiar titles and pillar works, but Greenfield also feels pride that Williamstown is not solely a pipeline. 鈥淭he flip side is not every end point is Broadway,鈥� she says. 鈥淧art of being the Williamstown Theatre Festival is also saying the end goal is to feed the American theatrical landscape at every level. It鈥檚 about making.鈥�
鈥淲e are making work that is relevant, we are forming careers that are relevant,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e are a hotbed for the greatest theatrical talent on both ends of the spectrum, completely new and completely luminary.鈥�
Here, Greenfield names five of her favorite 鈥渢hings鈥� to come out of Williamstown Theatre Festival.
The Cost of Living by Martyna Majok
Having won the top prize in theatre, Greenfield feels 鈥渟he can鈥檛 not say鈥� this play, but her pride emanates from more than Majok鈥檚 honor. 鈥淢artyna Majok鈥檚 The Cost of Living, which we premiered here and which transferred fully鈥攐ur production鈥攖o the Manhattan Theater Club and, of course, went on to win the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one I鈥檓 incredibly proud of,鈥� Greenfield says, 鈥渁s much for its insane accomplishment, which is laudable in and of itself, as I am for the degree to which I think it鈥檚 opened up space for the representation of artists living with disabilities in the American theatre and the way it has contributed to and enlarged that conversation. I feel so super proud.鈥�
Jessica Hecht, actor
Tony nominee for A View From the Bridge
鈥淭here鈥檚 another way to come at this, which is the body of work [of an artist],鈥� says Greenfield. 鈥淛essica Hecht is on our stage right now in Doug Carter Beane鈥檚 The Closet. This is her 11th production at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. When I look at who comes out of Williamstown [they are] actors who feel they must get back to this place and make art. That connects us. That legacy of actors needing this place, feeling that this place gives them something in their artistic life that they can鈥檛 find elsewhere, that connects us as a legacy directly back to Nikos Psacharopoulos. There are multiple examples, but Jessica is a very powerful one.
Halley Feiffer, actor and playwright
Winner National Young Playwrights鈥� Contest, Lotos Foundation Award for Playwriting
鈥淗alley Feiffer is someone who worked at the Williamstown Theatre Festival as an actor both before me and during my tenure. She was here in Daniel Goldfarb鈥檚 Legacy the first season I programmed in 2015, but that year I launched a commissioning program. She was among the first commissionees to accept a commission from Williamstown. She wrote Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow, which premiered that season [here] and which MCC Theater will be doing as their inaugural season at their new [Midtown] theatre.鈥�
See What I Wanna See by Michael John LaChiusa
鈥淢ichael John LaChiusa鈥檚 R Shomon, which became See What I Wanna See. It was a piece that I saw here initially with Audra McDonald in it and it transferred to the Public, by which point Idina Menzel was in it. I just remember seeing it here鈥攊n an early part of my career as a theatre professional鈥攁nd feeling like I had seen something explosive and magical and really bold and beautiful and it was made with such care and such dignity. And, obviously, having a leading lady of Audra McDonald鈥檚 stature hand off to a leading lady of Idina Menzel鈥檚 stature. There is something about that narrative, for me, that was seminal.鈥�
George C. Wolfe, director, writer, conceptionist, former artistic director of the Public Theater
Tony winner for Angels in America (1993), Bring in 鈥楧a Noise, Bring in 鈥楧a Funk (1996)
鈥淕eorge Wolfe is one of the greatest directors living on the spinning planet. The phenomenon of these legendary mythological people in our theatrical industry whose mythology begins here. They have roots here. This phenomenon of this place being a launching pad for a career like that feels very important to me and something to cherish and something to foster and something to make noise about.鈥�
