Weston Playhouse Theatre Company announces a return to live performance with the first production of its 2021 season: An Iliad, running July 14 through Aug. 6 under the Tent at Walker Farm, 703 Main St.
The eternal, enchanting power of storytelling comes to life in Denis O'Hare and Lisa Peterson's acclaimed adaptation of Homer's classic.
In this retelling, directed by Meredith McDonough, heroes clash in a quest for glory. A chorus of ancient muses perform original compositions by Jenny Giering (a Jonathan Larson Grant winner) as a solitary storyteller throws us into the midst of conflict.
David Bonanno stars as the Poet, an ancient teller of tales destined to share the story of war until the day human nature changes, until the day our love of rage comes to an end.
Bonanno was last seen in Weston's 2019 production of The Fantasticks, and has been featured in many other Weston performances over the past 34 years.
“David Bonanno is an utterly captivating storyteller who brings this story to life in a way that is relevant and surprisingly contemporary,” Executive Artistic Director Susanna Gellert said in a news release.
“I can think of no better way for us all to gather again at the theater than in the sharing of this pure, moving drama about how hope and joy survive against all odds,” she continued. “And Jenny Giering's hauntingly beautiful compositions, written expressly for this production, create a whole new layer connecting the present and the past.”
Upcoming Weston productions include some storybook fun with “all the thinks you can think” with Seussical; a ride on the rails into the backwoods of Tennessee with Ring of Fire; and an exploration of the playful and moving legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with The Mountaintop.