Michael Chekhov Theater Festival celebrates its 10th Anniversary with a line-up of groundbreaking performances

Ridgefield has long been a hub for groundbreaking theater and one of the major players is the Michael Chekhov Theater Festival, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this fall with a line-up of standout performances.

A nephew of famed playwright Anton Chekhov, Michael Chekhov (1891-1955) achieved fame in his own right as actor/director/author, who relocated his dramatic art school from England to Ridgefield in 1939 in a barn off North Salem Road.

“Chekhov’s contribution to the artistic history of Ridgefield is immeasurable and I am thrilled to have been able to honor him these last 10 years,” says executive producer Abby Walker, who herself studied the Chekhov technique. “The 2018 season is shaping up to be the best ever.”

The festival kicks off Sept. 22 with a free staging of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in Ballard Park. Performed by The Drilling Company, this adaptation features Jane Bradley in the title role.

The festival comprises a trifecta of shows at the Ridgefield Theater Barn. On Oct. 5, the one-woman show, Fancifool, written and performed by Ananda Bena Weber, reminds the audience that despite everyone’s differences, love is a uniting and connecting thread. On Oct. 6, The Captives by Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich will be read by New Haven’s Collective Consciousness Theater. The award-winning play looks at true events to craft a story about gender identity and capital punishment. Concluding the festival that same day is The Intimacy Effect by Jeff Tabnick, a clever and worldly look at family, marriage and the power of personal choice.

The festival embraces stories that are provoking and daring. “What comes through are the words and the meaning and how that takes people and their imagination on a journey through storytelling,” Walker said. “It boils down things to the essence of the play, which is the language and the writing.”

Over the last 10 years, the festival has stayed true to its mission in recognizing Chekhov’s contributions to the theater world but expanded its goals. “We have increasingly focused on bringing show material that is current and provocative,” she said. “Even our Shakespeare production has a new twist and is seen from a woman’s point of view.”

Artistic director Hamilton Clancy said the focus is on creative and inventive work. “Originally we were bringing innovative work to Ridgefield, in the spirit of Mr. Chekhov. And now we’re discovering a new mission, revealing some of the innovative work that’s happening right here in an ever growing theater community of Ridgefield and the surrounding area.”

Each show stands alone but a commonality exists. “If there was a theme in the performances, I would say it was women, their challenges and roles in being changemakers,” he said.

“What keeps us contemporary is our constant effort to find new works that are cutting edge and socially evocative to bring to our festival,” Walker adds. “That search is an essential practice of our mission.”

For more information and to purchase tickets please visit, ChekhovFestival.com or stop in at Newumann Reality and purchase your tickets in person during office hours.

R
Submitted by Ridgefield, CT

Become a Local Voice in Your Community!

HamletHub invites you to contribute stories, events, and more to keep your neighbors informed and connected.

Read Next