Pasadena, California's A Noise Within has announced their 2017–2018 season. “Entertaining Courage” is the theme behind their 26th season; all the offerings contain characters that embark on a challenge and take strong stances to make a change.
Co-Artistic Director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott said of the season, “In addition to being very entertaining theatrical works, our plays examine courage from a variety of points of view, intimate and global, low-stakes and high-stakes—whether it’s just about carrying on and going onstage while the set falls apart around them (Noises Off) or if it’s for the ecological future of a Parisian neighborhood (The Madwoman of Chaillot).”
Co-Artistic Director Geoff Elliott said, “This is a season that asks tough, if fascinating, questions about the nature of courage, and there are no easy answers. Spending time with these fascinating characters allows us to think about our lives, reflect and even be inspired by them.”
Tony Award nominee Mike Poulton’s (Wolf Hall) adaptation of Charles Dicken’s A Tale Of Two Citites starts the season off from September 3–November 19, 2017. Directed by Elliott andRodriguez-Elliott, this production will mark the play's U.S. premiere.
Starting on September 17 and running through November 11 is Jean Giraudoux’s The Madwoman of Chaillot. Directed by Stephanie Shroyer, this two-act play is one of the most notable French farces. The Madwoman, Countess Aurelia, and her eccentric circle of friends live in Paris and struggle against the authority figures who want to drill for oil in the city and destroy it.
George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession runs from October 8–November 18; Michael Michetti will direct. It follows a former prostitute who has elevated herself and is now a madam. Her daughter, Vivie, sees herself as an open-minded and progressive thinking person. But when faced with something so close to home, there is more judgment than acceptance.
A Noise Within’s holiday tradition continues with Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, adapted for the stage by Geoff Elliot. Directed by both Elliot and Rodriguez-Elliot, the production runs from December 1–23.
The 2018 half of the season starts with William Shakespeare’s Henry V which runs from February 4–April 6 and is directed by Elliott and Rodriguez-Elliott. The Battle of Agincourt comes to life in Shakespeare’s final part of the coming of age depiction of King Henry. From a wild and unmanageable youth named Prince Henry, to Falstaff’s drinking partner Hal, all the way to King. The final part tells the tale of the major English victory in the 100 years war on St. Crispin’s day.
February 25 through April 8 is Lorraine Hensberry’s A Raisin in the Run, directed by Gregg Daniels. For the Younger family living in a small South Side Chicago apartment, the passing of their father suddenly gives them prospects for a better life with the money from his life insurance policy. However, everyone has a different idea of where best to apply the money. The tension threatens to tear the family apart.
Back by popular demand is Michael Frayn’s Noises off. This production, directed by Rodriguez-Elliott, marks the fourth time A Noise Within has produced the backstage farce. The staging will run April 21 through May 20. The curtain is pulled back and audiences are invited backstage to catch a glimpse of the over-worked and severely under-rehearsed cast and crew as they adhere to the theatrical motto, “The show must go on.”
A Noise Within is located at 3352 East Foothill Boulevard in Pasadena. For information about their current season’s offerings as well as net season, visit ANoiseWithin.org.
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