For Immediate Release: November 29, 2012

Contact: Kati Mitchell 617-495-2668

kati_mitchell@harvard.edu

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A.R.T. receives NEA grant to support The Glass Menagerie

One of 832 Art Works grants totaling $23.3 million in funding nationwide

Cambridge, MA — The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is pleased to announce that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awarded $25,000 to support the A.R.T. production of The Glass Menagerie.  The A.R.T. is one of 832 non-profit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant.  

The Glass Menagerie is Tennessee Williams’ poetic masterpiece, anchored by the ageing southern belle Amanda Wingfield, who hopes for her son Tom to fulfill her dreams of finding the perfect “gentleman caller” for her shy and damaged daughter Laura. This production marks the A.R.T.’s first foray into the world of Tennessee Williams. Directed by Tony Award-winning director John Tiffany, the cast includes multiple Tony and Emmy Award winner Cherry Jones as Amanda Wingfield, Zachary Quinto as Tom, Celia Keenan-Bolger as Laura, and Brian J. Smith as the Gentleman Caller.  The Tony Award-winning design team includes set and costumes by Bob Crowley, lighting by Natasha Katz, and sound by Clive Goodwin. Movement is by longtime Tiffany collaborator Steven Hoggett.  The production begins performances on February 2 at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, and runs through Sunday, March 17, 2013.

"I'm proud to announce these 832 grants to the American public including The Glass Menagerie at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts," said Chairman Rocco Landesman. "These projects offer extraordinary examples of creativity in our country, including the creation of new work, innovative ways of engaging audiences, and exemplary education programs."

In March 2012, the NEA received 1,509 eligible applications for Art Works requesting more than $74 million in funding. The 832 recommended NEA grants totaling $22.3 million, spanning 13 artistic disciplines and fields, and focusing primarily on the creation of work and presentation of both new and existing works for the benefit of American audiences. Applications were reviewed by panels of outside experts convened by NEA staff, and each project was judged on its artistic excellence and artistic merit.

For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA website at arts.gov.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University is dedicated to expanding the boundaries of theater. Winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival for its production of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, the A.R.T. is a leading force in the American theater, producing groundbreaking work in Cambridge and beyond. The A.R.T. was founded in 1980 by Robert Brustein, who served as Artistic Director until 2002, when he was succeeded by Robert Woodruff. In 2008, Diane Paulus became the A.R.T.'s Artistic Director. The A.R.T. is the recipient of numerous other awards including the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater, the Pulitzer Prize, and many Elliot Norton and I.R.N.E. Awards. Its recent premiere production of Death and The Powers: The Robots’ Opera was a 2012 Pulitzer Prize finalist.

During its 32-year history, the A.R.T. has welcomed many major American and international theater artists, presenting a diverse repertoire that includes premieres of American plays, bold reinterpretations of classical texts and provocative new music theater productions. The A.R.T. has performed throughout the U.S. and worldwide in 21 cities in 16 countries on four continents.  The A.R.T. is also a training ground for young artists. The Theater’s artistic staff teaches undergraduate classes in acting, directing, dramatic literature, dramaturgy, voice, and design at Harvard University. In 1987, the A.R.T. founded the Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University. A two-year, five-semester M.F.A. graduate program that operates in conjunction with the Moscow Art Theater School, the Institute provides world-class professional training in acting, dramaturgy and voice.

Since becoming Artistic Director, Diane Paulus has enhanced the A.R.T.’s core mission to expand the boundaries of theater by continuing to transform the ways in which work is developed, programmed, produced and contextualized, always including the audience as a partner. Productions such as Sleep No More, The Donkey Show, Gatz, The Blue Flower, Prometheus Bound, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, and Wild Swans have engaged audiences in unique theatrical experiences. The A.R.T.’s club theater, OBERON, which Paulus calls a second stage for the 21st century, has become an incubator for local and emerging artists, and has also attracted national attention for its innovative programming model.

For further information call 617-547-8300 or visit www.americanrepertorytheater.org