TheatreWorks unveils its new season TheatreWorks unveils its new season (February 13, 2004)

Playhouse boasts many West Coast premieres

By Julie O'Shea

From "Living Out" -- the tale of a Salvadoran nanny -- to "Shakespeare in Hollywood" -- a "Midsummer Night's Dream" meets Tinseltown comedy-farce -- TheatreWorks' lineup for the 2004-2005 season upholds its devotion to bringing little stories to the big stage.

And in its tradition for turning the spotlight on new works, the playhouse has secured a battery of California and West Coast premieres, including "Enchanted April," the tale of four unlikely friends in search of a Tuscan adventure, "Striking 12," a rewired, musical version of "The Little Match Girl," and "Crowns," a celebration of faith, heritage and hats.

Also on the roster are two old favorites: Chay Yew's "Red," a riveting mystery about the circumstances surrounding the interrogation of a Chinese opera star, and Tom Stoppard's "Arcadia," which intertwines the lives of modern-day historians and 19th-century estate dwellers.

TheatreWorks is promising at least one world premiere -- yet to be announced. However, if "Memphis," the crowd-pleaser currently playing at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, is any indication of what's in store for this Peninsula-based theater, TheatreWorks will no doubt have up-and-coming playwrights queuing up for miles for a spot on next year's season.

"Memphis," the story chronicling the birth of rock 'n' roll, has became such a hit that producers have extended its run to include a final performance on Feb. 15 at 7 p.m.

"Making sure we have great theater is part of my job," said artistic director and playhouse founder Robert Kelley. "TheatreWorks is the largest arts theater on the Peninsula. Our basic, fundamental commitment is to show the diversity of our community on stage."

Kelley, on a break from overseeing the production of Arthur Miller's "All My Sons," set to open at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto next month, can hardly contain his excitement for TheatreWorks' new season, when he plans to direct at least three shows.

Gushing about "Enchanted April," which will open the season on June 16, Kelley explained how he saw it on Broadway during a visit to New York and thought, "I'd do almost anything to have it at TheatreWorks.

"The night I saw it," Kelley continued, "the audience was completely captivated and so was I."

Of "Arcadia," Kelley marvels: "I thought it was the best play written, and I've read a lot of plays."

Indeed, the director says he continuously reads scripts year-round, looking for new stage gems to bring to Silicon Valley.

Something that's gotten Kelley particularly excited about the new season is the return of Francis Jue, a TheatreWorks veteran now performing in Broadway's "Thoroughly Modern Millie."

Jue had agreed to play Hua Wai Mun, the male lead, in "Red," a show to be directed by Kelley.

"It's a fascinating play," Jue said, speaking by phone from New York on Monday. "It's funny and brutal and really real."

But Jue said he never considered himself for the role of Mun. It's a demanding role, spanning 30 years of a man's life from his 30s to mid-60s, and Jue, at 40, was told he looked too young to play such a part. It was a director in Philadelphia who gave him a chance and cast him in the role of the aging father who is confronted about the past by his beloved daughter.

Jue said he can't wait to fly back to California to revive the part for TheatreWorks, his hometown playhouse.

Kelley said he's eager, too, already envisioning how he plans to bring the piece to life.

"There are far too many great plays that come across here," Kelley said, sitting back comfortably in the plush chair in his homey Menlo Park office. "I read them and image them onstage," adding after a pause, "I can't help but do that now."

E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

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