The horrors of war and the breakdown of the family unit; comedies about a successful playwright trying to come up with another hit and a Southern belle accused of killing with rat poison; a fantasy about a prince who trades places with his manservant as he goes in search of true love; a musicals about Cleopatra and one described as "a combination Indiana Jones and When Harry Met Sally"; and revivals of Alan Ayckbourn's "Intimate Exchanges," Chekhov one-acts and the Broadway comedy "A Shot in the Dark". All these and more will be the subjects of the Ninth Annual Midtown International Theatre Festival, which has something for everybody.
Beginning Monday, July 14th and running through Sunday, August 3rd, MITF9 will be holding court at seven different venues, all within walking distance of each other. The participating MITF sites this year include The WorkShop Theater's MainStage Space, The Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex's June Havoc and Dorothy Strelsin venues and the Barrow Group Theatre (all located at 312 West 36th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues, on the 1st, 4th and 3rd floors, respectively); The Where Eagles Dare Theatre and Where Eagles Dare Studio Theatre, located at 347 West 36th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues) on the ground and 13th floors of that building; and Stage Left Studio, located at 438 West 37th Street, 5th Floor, between 9th & 10th Avenues. NOTE: Shows in the Barrow Group Theatre continue through August 10th.
"This has been a tremendous year of growth for the Festival," MITF founder and executive producer John Chatterton noted. "After last year's overwhelming response at the box office, we realized it was time to expand. So while we're keeping our base of operations at the venues where we were last year, we're also returning to the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex, our home in 2003, as well as using the Barrow Group Theatre for our Commercial Division, which features shows with a specific eye to moving to the next level once they've finished their MITF run."
The MITF continues to present the varied and eclectic styles of work it has become famous for. Productions this year include a new musical about life, love and a Greek island; a drama about a successful blackface act in the 19th century which led to the formation of the Jim Crow laws (featuring an appearance by Strom Thurmond); a musical where a successful career woman uses her business skills to try to land the man of her dreams; and a one-man show (written and performed by theater critic Charles Gross) chronicling a young man's arrival in New York City and billed as "Spalding Gray meets Jerry Seinfeld."
Tickets to all shows can be purchased through Ticket Central, either by calling 212-279-4200 or by going to their website at www.ticketcentral.com. All tickets are $18.00, $15.00 for students and seniors. Further information on the Festival and a complete list of shows can be found at www.midtownfestival.org.
