Period of Adjustment
by Tennessee Williams
COMEDY
A "serious comedy," this light-hearted Christmastime play strikes a charming balance between loss and hope, and suggests that even after years of inner troubles, the gift of wistful optimism is still within reach.
directed by Michael Unger
WELLFLEET HARBOR ACTORS THEATER
Wellfleet, MA
"Mr. Williams' characters are shrewdly observed... His latest play is shot through with felicitous moments."
— Howard Taubman, The New York Times
About The Play
This two-act comedy by Williams, which came to Broadway in November 1960, could be said to be lost in plain sight.
Two couples come together on Christmas Eve to celebrate a friendship born of wartime. George, who shakes from post-traumatic stress, has just gotten married to his nurse, Isabel. The newlyweds have come to visit Ralph and his wife Dorothy, who squabble in a suburban housing development built over a widening crack in the earth.
Williams plays along with the formulaic stylings of Broadway comedies in order to sabotage them. The 'period of adjustment' refers to the play's honeymoon and marriage, but also to the impending changes in Williams' subsequent writing.
About The Production
The production, based on the critically acclaimed 2006 adaptation from London's Almeida Theatre, comes to the Festival from neighboring Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater (WHAT) and is directed by Michael Unger.
In the Cape Cod Times review of the show, Deebie Forman writes that "Unger's direction is sharp... insightfully drawing on Williams' universal references to marital misunderstanding."
(read the full review here)
In the Barnstable Patriot review, Bethany Gibbons calls it "a flawless production of a curious, captivating show... excellent entertainment."
(read the full review here)
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About The Cast
Alyssa H. Chase (Dorothea), a native of Mattapoisett, MA, is thrilled to be back on the Cape joining WHAT in their 30th Season! Credits include Don't Dress for Dinner (The Theater Barn in New Lebanon, NY), The Greenhouse (Gallery Players), All in the Timing (ReniGraef Prods), Muffin Man (NY Fringe Fest) and many films, TV and commercials (including the feature Whispers in the Dark at Lincoln Center's NY Film Fest). Alyssa will be featured later this year on the final season of Boardwalk Empire. Smith College and AMDA graduate. www.alyssahchase.com
Ali Ewoldt (Isabelle) is thrilled to be part of this production of Period of Adjustment! Credits include: 1st Broadway Revival of Les Miserables (Cosette), The Fantasticks (Off-Broadway; Luisa), West Side Story (Broadway 1st National Tour, International Tour, PCLO, The MUNY, Music Theater Wichita; Maria), A Christmas Carol at The McCarter Theatre (directed by Michael Unger; Fan), Baayork Lee's tour of The King and I (Tuptim) and Aladdin at Disney's California Adventure (Jasmine). She was featured on The Michael J. Fox Show and in the short film Yield with Leviathan Lab. She has a BA in Psychology from Yale University and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity. www.aliewoldt.com
James Ludwig (Ralph) is thrilled to make his debut at WHAT with this lovely company! Recent credits include: BROADWAY: Spamalot (original cast), Little Shop of Horrors. OFF-BROADWAY: Two Point Oh, Blue Man Group, Bubbly Black Girl... (Playwrights Horizons), De La Guarda, john & jen (original cast). TOURS: Spamalot (Las Vegas), 101 Dalmatians (1st Nat’l). REGIONAL: Raisin Cycle (Baltimore CenterStage); God of Carnage, Ctrl+Alt+Delete (George Street); A Man's a Man (Arena Stage); A Christmas Carol (McCarter Theatre); Birthday Boy (Berkshire Theatre); The Full Monty, Same Time Next Year (Theatre Aspen). FILM/TV: News to Me, Lipstick Jungle, Chappelle’s Show, Ghost Town, Law & Order. James is the Owner of Back40 Films, which produces the wildly popular show The Happy Hour Guys (thehappyhourguys.com). EDUCATION: B.A., University of Michigan (Go Blue!); MFA, University of Washington. Proud Actors' Equity Member & National Councilor. Best gig ever: Husband to KB.
Jefferson McDonald (George) is thrilled to be making his first appearance on the Julie Harris Stage at WHAT! He is a graduate of Ithaca College and recently received an MFA from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training in Sarasota, FL where he was seen this past year alone as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Spike in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (for which he was featured in a NY Times article), Joe in Philadelphia, Here I Come! and Al Joad in The Grapes of Wrath. Thanks to our director for leading us through this extraordinary play. Thanks to my huge and awesome family, and my agency, Charles Kerin Associates.www.jeffersonmcdonald.com
Michael Unger (Director) is Artistic Director of the 12.14 Foundation in Newtown, CT, which is building a performing arts center as a living remembrance of 12/14/12. This past summer, Michael directed 200 Newtown area kids in two premiere musical adaptations, which we wrote: A ROCKIN' Midsummer Night's Dream and The 101 Dalmatians Musical, and last year he produced and directed Seussical. Prior to that, Michael directed From Broadway With Love: A Benefit Concert for Sandy Hook, which amassed a corps of 600 volunteers, 300 Newtown students, and many Broadway luminaries. Other directing credits include: A Christmas Carol (McCarter Theatre – since 1998), Kander & Ebb’s The Happy Time (Signature Theatre, VA), The Rink (Cape Playhouse), My Sister in This House (Deaf West - Ovation Recommended), Grease, Crimes of the Heart, and Pippin. World premieres include: Two Point Oh (59E59) Caligula (NYMF), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Barrington Stage) and Retribution (Off-Broadway). Opera directing credits include Of Mice and Men, Susannah, The Duchess of Chicago (in Russia), A View From the Bridge, The Consul, HMS Pinafore, The Crucible, La Rondine and Die Fledermaus. He is married to actress Janet Metz. Favorite production: Twins, Phoebe and Nathaniel. www.ungerdirect.com