Dear Friend,
We’ve got some news that we hope will put your mind at ease. Out of an abundance of caution and a commitment to the safety and health of you, our artists, and our staff, we’re delaying the start of the 2021-2022 season. Instead of beginning performances in October, we will open the season on December 3. Rest assured; we will perform our full schedule of five plays.
Bill and Sue Ellen addressed the change. “With the COVID-19 Delta variant taking its toll in Florida, it seems obvious that the most prudent thing we can do is push back the start of the season. As eager and ready as we all are to return to the theatre, we also recognize that people have become uneasy about participating in an indoor, communal experience at this moment in time. We want everyone to feel completely safe when they walk into the theatre and judging by the scientific data available, it just makes sense to start the season later. For even greater protection, we will be following CDC guidelines and requiring that masks be worn at all times everywhere in the building. This is something we will revisit during the course of the season, but as of now, masks will be mandatory. We also want to remind you that our new HVAC and air filtration systems are state-of-the-art and comply with all the latest safety regulations.”
The postponement has necessitated several changes to the schedule. In order to mount all five plays in a compressed period of time, the runs of each production will be shorter than usual. The order of the first two plays has been switched: PBD will open the season with the world premiere of Michael McKeever’s The People Downstairs on December 3, followed on January 14 by John Cariani’s Almost, Maine. Up next on February 18 is the world premiere of Bruce Graham’s The Duration, followed by Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel on April 1, and William Luce’s The Belle of Amherst on May 20.
The more compact schedule also means a change of dates and venue for the New Year/New Plays Festival. It will be held from February 2-6, online only. With less turnaround time between productions, the staff and crew will be overburdened, and moving the festival online again will give them additional time to work in the theatre. We know that most of you would prefer to be viewing the festival together in the theatre. So would we. And we’ll be back in the theatre in 2023. But for now, we’re concerned about the well-being of our staff and crew, so a virtual festival is the best solution.
The starting date for single ticket sales has been pushed back to November 1, in order to give the box office time to complete the challenging task of reticketing all subscribers. You will receive a letter containing the details about the change to your subscriptions by October 15, and we’re urging everyone to refrain from calling the box office prior to that date: not only will the staff be extremely busy, but it’s unlikely they will be able to answer questions until all the reticketing is finished.
Thank you for your continued support.
PALM BEACH DRAMAWORKS’ REVISED 2021-2022 SCHEDULE
THE PEOPLE DOWNSTAIRS
By Michael McKeever
December 3 – December 19
For two years and one month, Anne Frank and seven others hid in four small rooms concealed behind a bookcase in the building where her father worked. Her diary revealed their ordeal to the world. But what of the people who hid them, got them food, and kept them informed? This play explores the complex challenges faced by these brave individuals on their journey of rebellious morality during the horrors of the Holocaust.
ALMOST, MAINE
By John Cariani
January 14 – January 30
Love – old and new, heart-stopping and weak-kneed, unexpected and unrequited, lost and found – is in the air in the fictional, remote town of Almost, Maine. This wildly popular play takes place on a Friday night in winter, and is made up of nine mostly joyful yet poignant vignettes connected by time and place, the beauty of the aurora borealis, a touch of magic, and a spirit of hope.
THE DURATION
By Bruce Graham
February 18 – March 6
Audrey Batten has left the building. And the city. And quite possibly, according to her daughter Emma, her senses. Can two strong women with very different coping strategies on the journey from grief to release meet each other somewhere in the middle – out in the middle of nowhere? A moving, absorbing play about family, loss, love . . . and cats.
INTIMATE APPAREL
By Lynn Nottage
April 1 – April 17
In this heartfelt and heartbreaking work set at the turn of the 20th century, Esther is a 35-year-old African-American seamstress of exquisite intimate apparel who aches to love and be loved. An unlikely opportunity arises when she enters into a correspondence with a man she’s never met. The play is a lyrical exploration of loneliness and longing, sweet dreams and bitter truths, determination, and resiliency.
THE BELLE OF AMHERST
By William Luce
May 20 – May 29
Based on the life of Emily Dickinson, this one-woman show tells the story of the independent, enigmatic, reclusive, witty poet through her letters, verse, and the playwright’s rich imagination, interweaving the voices of friends, family, and acquaintances to create a vivid portrait of the artist.
NEW YEAR/NEW PLAYS FESTIVAL
Online
February 2 – 6
Hosted by The Dramaworkshop, our lab for developing new plays, the fourth annual festival features five of the most fascinating plays to come out of the Drama(in the)works series this past year.
