FAMILY REUNION:
A NUMBER by Caryl Churchill
A KIND OF ALASKA by Harold Pinter
with
Jane Beller
Denise Bessette
Michael Bryan French
Eric Sheffer Stevens
Scenery by David L. Arsenault
Lighting by Andrew Gmoser
Costumes by Charlotte Palmer-Lane
Original Music by Anthony Mattana
Casting by Cindi Rush Casting
Stage Managed by Jason Weixelman
Production Manager Doug Ballard
Executive producer Olivia Sklar
Directed by Dan Foster

“Ms. Bessette paints the part with fine shadings and bold strokes. Ms. Beller is spot on as the dry, tart-tongued sister, who long ago married Dr. Hornby, administered by a nicely understated Mr. French. Mr. Stevens’s hat trick of limning each of Salter’s handiwork with a unique gestalt – accented by British intonations that vary just enough to be serviceable – is the kind of high-stakes, fancy footwork on stage that, like gymnastics, is tightly disciplined and fun to watch.

What helps make Hudson Stage a rare theatrical gem in these parts is that, in its choice of titles and talent, producers Denise Bessette, Olivia Sklar and Dan Foster – who directed Family Reunion with his usual elan and eye for theatrical grace notes — Hudson Stage knows its audience, and treats it with respect and intellectual integrity.”
—Bruce Apar, Town Link

“Pairing the two dramas was ingenious and Dan Foster’s incisive direction highlights their enduring qualities. Bessette beautifully conveys the predicament of a hormonal teen-ager trapped in a middle-aged woman’s body – a disoriented, childlike creature obsessed with romance. It’s a lovely performance. Scenic designer David Arsenault repurposes the walls of Deborah’s tidy domain to create Salter’s parlor. Hanging on four angled walls are four abstract artworks each with a slightly different linear pattern suggestive of DNA. Such concise, well-conceived craftsmanship is what makes “Family Reunion” a stimulating theatrical event.”
—The Journal News

“Mr. Stevens, whose previous Hudson Stage appearance, in the Michael McKeever comedy “37 Postcards,” was 13 years ago, plays three highly distinct characters. Bernard 1, Bernard 2 and Michael are identical physically but enormously different psychologically. Mr. Stevens, ably directed by Dan Foster, attacks each character with real ferocity, helping charge every encounter in this play with a vibrant, sometimes violent energy. In the final scene, Mr. French is called on to provide the electricity, and he does well, convincingly conveying an overwhelming sense of frustration.”
—The New York Times

Dates
May 2-17, 2014

Location
Woodward Hall Theatre