The holiday season is upon us. And for better or worse, that means family. Our five regional theater picks for November explore how that word can empower or destroy you. The joys of reunion, the collaborations that can spark a revolution, and the conflicts that unfurl when multiple generations gather under one roof all take to the stage.
This month’s lineup includes two Pulitzer Prize winners, explorations of teacher-student dynamics, and a 50th anniversary production of the musical that turned a generation into curly-haired theater kids.
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‘Heroes of the Fourth Turning,’ Chicago, IL
A Red Orchid Theatre (co-founded by Michael Shannon) brings Heroes of the Fourth Turning, Will Arbery’s tale of academia, chosen family, and faith to the Windy City. Four former students of a small Catholic college in Wyoming reunite after their mentor is appointed president. As the night goes on, however, casual discourse deepens into conflict: spirituality is challenged, politics debated, and everyone just wants to be understood. In an increasingly feuding society, can friendship prevail?
Performances through December 6
‘Purpose,’ Los Angeles, CA
Miss this Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning play in Chicago and New York? Journey to the Geffen Playhouse for a holiday-season reprise of the Broadway/Steppenwolfe Theatre Company production, directed by Phylicia Rashad. Brought to life by the original Broadway cast, playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Purpose chronicles the Jaspers, a Black political dynasty where family comes first, and public image is paramount. When the youngest son returns home, betrayals are revealed, identities questioned, and morality brought to the forefront.
Performances through December 20
‘Annie,’ East Haddam, CT
The sun’ll come out tomorrow… Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Annie, this classic musical at Goodspeed Musicals—where it all began. At the height of the Great Depression, plucky redheaded orphan Annie (with scrappy dog Sandy in tow) is chosen to spend Christmas at the estate of grouchy billionaire Oliver Warbucks, and wins his heart. But when orphanage matron Miss Hannigan and her con-artist brother, Rooster, cook up a scheme to bilk Warbucks, will Annie’s eternal optimism prevail?
Performances through December 27
‘All the World’s a Stage,’ Arlington, VA
Tony Kushner’s Angels in America rocked theater in the early 90s with its epic, frank and often funny take on the effects of the AIDS crisis on the gay community, their loved ones and their antagonists (sometimes one and the same). In 1996, a closeted math teacher agrees to coach an ambitious student for an upcoming drama competition—and their exploration of Angels will upend their small town’s rigid ideas of who is allowed to survive and thrive. Adam Gwon’s one-act musical All the World’s a Stage makes its regional premiere at Signature Theatre and pays tribute to the educators and art form that have saved many lives.
Performances through December 20
‘Liberation,’ Berkeley, CA
Is a woman ever truly free? In 1970s Ohio, Lizzie is determined to answer “yes” as she assembles an all-female group at a recreation center for a night that she hopes will change everything. (Consciousness-raising, they call it, and the men are not invited.) Years later, Lizzie’s daughter attempts to excavate what happened that fateful evening, the complicated truths of second-wave feminism, and the challenges women still face. Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Bess Wohl’s crackling script is directed by two-time Tony nominee Whitney White (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding).
Performances through November 29
