Dorset Theater Festival opens the world premiere of THIRST directed by Theresa Rebeck

The 45th season of professional summer theater at the Dorset Theater Festival will culminate with the world premiere of Thirst, written by Irish-American playwright Ronán Noone, directed by Festival resident playwright Theresa Rebeck.

Set during Eugene O’Neill’s classic Long Day’s Journey Into Night, failure, denial and passion collide as two Irish servants and an American chauffeur spend the day in the kitchen of the Tyrone family residence in 1912. head, a search for love and belonging becomes the search for “home”.

“I’ve read a lot of new pieces, and this one immediately spoke to me,” said Dorset artistic director Dina Janis. “The language, humor and depth of sentiment absolutely blew me away, and it’s an honor to premiere. What a great way to wrap up our return to the Playhouse main stage season,” Janis said. .

The cast includes Meg Hennessy as Cathleen, who has been seen Off-Broadway in five shows with the Irish Repertory Theatre, including Plow and The Stars and Shadow of a Gunman. His television debut in the Archive 81 series was released on Netflix. David Mason plays Jack, and his previous Dorset credits include Table Manners (2016) and the world premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s Dig (2019). Her Off-Broadway credits include Seared by Theresa Rebeck directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel (MCC) and Trick or Treat (59E59). Kathy McCafferty plays Bridget and has been seen on the Broadway tour of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and Off-Broadway at Lincoln Center Theater and 59E59.

Playwright Ronán Noone’s plays have been produced at the Huntington Theater Company, the Williamstown Theater Festival and internationally in the UK (London and Edinburgh), Spain, Canada, the Philippines and Ireland. The Smuggler won Best Playwright at the 1st Irish Festival in New York in January 2019. The Second Girl (Thirst) was the first recipient of the Association for Theater in Higher Education (ATHE) Excellence in Playwriting Award. ) (2015) and an Edgerton Laureate in 2014. In New York, his play The Atheist was co-produced by The Culture Project and Ted Mann’s Circle in the Square productions in New York, receiving Drama Desk and Drama nominations. League for his acting role.

Director Theresa Rebeck is a widely produced writer for stage, film, television and fiction, whose work can be seen and read in the United States and around the world. With four plays produced on Broadway, Rebeck is the most produced Broadway playwright of our time.

The twice Emmy-nominated writer returns to Dorset after co-writing spy thriller, The 355, with Jessica Chastain. As the Festival’s playwright in residence, Rebeck has developed over seven productions at the Dorset Theater Festival which have appeared on other stages across the country, including Downstairs in 2017 with Tim and Tyne Daly. This season, she returns to directing after directing the Festival’s award-winning 2019 world premiere of her play, Dig, and the 2016 world premiere of her play Way of the World with Kristine Nielsen.

Rebeck’s Broadway credits include Bernhardt/Hamlet with Janet McTeer, Dead Accounts with Katie Holmes, Seminar with Alan Rickman, and Mauritius with F. Murray Abraham. Other notable plays include Poor Behavior, What We’re Up Against, and Omnium Gatherum (co-written), which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2013. His latest play, Mad House, is currently playing an acclaimed world premiere. review in London. West End with David Harbor and Bill Pullman.

Rebeck made her New York directorial debut with Rob Ackerman’s play Dropping Gumballs about Luke Wilson at the Working Theatre, and her new podcast play, Nightwatch with Norbert Leo Butz and Krysta Rodriguez, produced by Dorset Theater Festival, is now available on The Broadway Podcast Network.

Rebeck is joined by set designers Christopher and Justin Swader, costume designer Fabian Fidel Aguilar, lighting designer Mary Ellen Stebbins, sound designer Fitz Patton, casting director Judy Bowman, CSA, and stage manager Avery Trunko.

Thirst, which lasts approximately 2 hours with a 15-minute intermission, begins performances Thursday, August 18 and continues through Saturday, September 3. More information is available on the Dorset website www.dorsettheatrefestival.org. Tickets and subscriptions for the 2022 season are on sale now. Based on current conditions and health and safety guidelines, all attendees will be required to wear a mask during performances at The Playhouse; however, this is subject to change.