The decade of the 2020s started with ACT being dark for the entire 2020 mainstage season. While closed
for the pandemic, there was a change in leadership as Anita Shah moved in as Managing Director. The
first play after the pandemic closure was Hotter Than Egypt, written by Core Company member Yussef el Guindi
- a world premiere.
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1983
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The Dresser (1983)
The year is 1942. The Blitz is raging over a small town in the provinces. Inside a slightly run-down theatre, a traveling theatre troupe prepares the umpteenth performance of King Lear. 'Sir' is clearly in no shape to appear before an audience. Will the devoted dresser keep the aging star on source for another triumph. This loving look at back stage life was highly acclaimed in both London and New York
The Dining Room (1983)
The dining room of an old New England home serves as a meeting place, occasionally as a civilized battleground, for three generations of an upper middle-class family. This thoughtful series of vignettes casts a fascinating and gentle light on White Anglo Saxon Protestant Americans. An Off-Broadway comedy hit.
Crimes of the Heart (1983)
Humanity and wayward humor animate the lives of three sisters – a spinster; a sex pot; and a screwball – trapped in the crosscurrents of accelerating misfortune. This infectiously high spirited comedy is the playwright’s first play and winner of innumerable honors, including the New York Drama Critic’s Circle Award and the 1981 Pulitzer Prize. It has enjoyed a hugely successful stay on Broadway. ACT is one of the few professional theatres in America to win full production rights to CRIMES OF THE HEART.
Educating Rita (1983)
A young hair dresser enrolls in a University extension class to learn about literature and live. Her sometimes cynical professor finds her both hilarious and refreshing. This comedy, written especially for the Royal Shakespeare Company, went on to become the longest running play at the Piccadilly Theatre in 20 years. Winner of three major awards, including Comedy of the Year and Best New Play in the West End 1980.
A Soldier's Play (1983)
Cloud 9 (1983)
ACT’s 19th mainstage season will close with Caryl Churchill’s sometimes shocking, often hilarious Cloud 9. September 22nd through October 13th. DramaLogue magazine called Cloud 9 “one of the most innovative and daring pieces of playwriting ever perpetrated.” While it is indeed a brilliant new look at sexuality, sexual politics and experiences, it is difficult to explain its fascinating “confusion” of character, time, gender, and nearly everything else.