A Lesson from Aloes
May 17 – June 10
By Athol Fugard
Directed by Darko Tresnjak
Past Issues
- The Age of Innocence
- Murder on the Orient Express
- Feeding the Dragon
- A Christmas Carol (2017)
- Seder
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Our Great Tchaikovsky
- Heartbreak House
- The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
- Cloud 9
- The Comedy of Errors
- A Christmas Carol
- The Piano Lesson
- Queens for a Year
- Anastasia
- Having Our Say
- Romeo & Juliet
- The Body of an American
- A Christmas Carol (2015)
- Rear Window
- An Opening in Time
- Kiss Me, Kate
- The Pianist of Willesden Lane
- Reverberation
- Private Lives
- A Christmas Carol (2014)
- Hamlet
- Ether Dome
Short Takes
A Look at Our Lobby
Athol Fugard’s A Lesson from Aloes takes place in 1963 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa during Apartheid. Apartheid was a social system enacted in 1948 in which South Africa’s different racial groups did not have the same political and economic rights. Apartheid was abolished in 1994 but its devastating effects still linger. Our upper lobby display focuses on powerful street images of the people of South Africa as they resisted and protested against racial injustice.
2018-19 Subscriptions
The exciting 2018-19 season has been announced! The upcoming season, Darko Tresnjak’s last as artistic director, features a line-up of classic, contemporary, thought-provoking and entertaining new work – theatre that is Positively Hartford Stage. Learn more about the plays here: https://www.hartfordstage.org/2018-2019-season/. Current Subscribers: Your seat is already reserved, and renewal packets are in the mail. Interested in becoming a subscriber? Visit the link to find out more about the season and how you can guarantee your seat for all six plays!
Hartford Stage Gala Recap
The Gilded Age: New York to Newport – Hartford Stage’s annual fundraising gala – was a smash sell-out! Inspired by Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, guests enjoyed a delicious meal from Riverhouse Catering and danced the night away to the sounds of the Hartford Jazz Orchestra. Barry Sellers, our extraordinary costume shop draper who will be retiring after 36 years of service, was honored during the evening’s program. Guests also got a sneak peek at next season’s world premiere musical, The Flamingo Kid. The event raised more than $300,000 for our education and artistic programming.
Backstage Renovations
Hartford Stage will embark upon the final phase of a $14 million, multi-year plan this summer to transform the theatre’s functionality, comfort and accessibility. The renovations include a refurbishment of guest artist dressing rooms, fully remodeled green room, and a state-of-the-art costume shop. In addition to new HVAC, lighting and flooring, the costume shop will feature a dedicated wig area, expanded fitting rooms, new windows and upgraded work spaces to accommodate specialty projects. The green room will include an updated kitchen and new furnishings. Restrooms and dressing rooms will be upgraded to be fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Teen Musical: The Addams Family
Join us on Hartford Stage’s mainstage for our Teen Musical Summer Studio’s full production of The Addams Family! Performances will be held Friday, August 10, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, August 11, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10. Visit hartfordstage.org for more information about our ongoing studio classes!
Breakdancing Shakespeare: Twelfth Night
Celebrate Breakdancing Shakespeare’s 12th birthday with this fantastically funny comedy staged in the breakdancing heyday of the late eighties. Performances will take place Thursday, August 2, and Friday, August 3, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, August 4, at 2 p.m. on the Hartford Stage mainstage. Learn more at hartfordstage.org
Giving Back to the Community
In late April, 16 Hartford Stage staff members teamed with Hands On Hartford to cook and serve a hot meal for over 140 Hartford residents at Christ Church Cathedral, located across the street from the theatre. An annual tradition, our staff was excited to give back to the community it serves. Residents in need of a meal enjoyed baked chicken breast, spicy corn, rice, buttered rolls, juice and cookies. Hartford Stage staff purchased, prepared, cooked, and served the meal.
Neighborhood Ambassador Program
The Neighborhood Ambassadors Program, in conjunction with the Hartford Public Library, completes its inaugural season with A Lesson from Aloes. Eight Hartford residents, nominated by Hartford Public Library staff, gathered the first Tuesday Preview of each show for dinner and dialogue led by Rachel Alderman and Theresa MacNaughton from Hartford Stage and Michelle McFarland from Hartford Public Library to discuss the intersection of the themes of each production and life in Hartford. As part of their ambassadorship, each participant returns to Hartford Stage towards the end of the run with up to three guests, aiming to increase awareness of Hartford Stage in their neighborhoods and community circles. We are grateful to Billings Forge Community Works for catering the delicious meals for all the Ambassador gatherings.
