Company of Fools announced its upcoming theater season at the Liberty Theatre in Hailey on Friday, April 1, to more than 150 people, who came as far away as Twin Falls to hear the news.
"The response was lovely," said Company of Fools core company artist Denise Simone. "It was a good cross-section of the community who came."
The 2011-12 season will include "Circle Mirror Transformation" by Annie Baker, winner of the 2010 Obie Award for Best New American Play. The oddball comedy centers around four lost New Englanders who enroll in a six-week drama class testing each other's emotions. The Fools will present "Circle Mirror Transformation" from June 28-July 23.
"Velveteen Rabbit" will be staged Oct.18-30. Actors and puppets will tell the story of the classic tale of a small boy's adventure with a toy rabbit. The Fools' adaptation will feature music by R.L. Rowsey and puppets by master puppeteer Terry Snyder from Richmond, Va.
Simone called Snyder "a magnificent puppet master."
"We are excited about going into an art form we have not done much of before," she said.
Back for another season, "It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" will take place Dec. 14-30. Set in station WCOF on Christmas Eve 1949, the show features several radio players in the roles of all the characters of "It's a Wonderful Life."
"It takes us a year-plus to create a season," Simone said. "We are always looking at projects and have a running list."
Simone said Company of Fools wants to tell stories to the community that will be well received.
"We have to answer all of our logistical questions, make sure we reach the community, and the community will embrace the work," she said. "It's not just one story for one group, it's lots of stories for many people."
The 2009 Tony Award-winning play "God of Carnage" will be staged by Company of Fools from Feb. 15 to March 2. John Glenn, Keith Moore, Simone and Patsy Wygle will play two sets of parents who come together to discuss the bad behavior of their children.
This year the Fools added more to their lineup of theater happenings. On May 21, the company will present "An Evening With John Patrick Shanley." Shanley is the award-winning writer of "Doubt" and "Moonstruck." In addition, the Fools will have another event, "Heart and Music," on July 28-30 with R.L. Rowsey and friends.
A new work, "Commencement" by Clay McLeod Chapman, was commissioned by the company and will be presented Nov. 4-5.
"We're finally getting to share this commissioned piece," she said. "It's received some great press and has had readings and is being published."
For details, visit www.companyoffools.org.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
Company of Fools announced its new season on Friday, April 1, for an April Fool’s Day celebration.
Photo by Kirsten Shultz
