By Joe Siegel

There will be plenty to see on local stages this fall. A little bit of Shakespeare, along with world premieres, and two Draculas! Let’s dive in:

August 27 – September 13 – “Bell, Book, and Candle.”

Venue: The Arctic Playhouse, West Warwick, RI.

Directed by: Jay Burns

Written by: John Van Druten

Cast: Marisa Brown, Mike Petrarca, Sandi Nicastro, Paul Oliver, and Angelina Manfredi.

Synopsis: In the late 1950s, Gillian Holroyd is a modern-day witch living in New York City’s Greenwich Village. When she encounters charming publisher Shepherd Henderson, she decides to make him hers by casting a love spell.

September 3 – October 4 – WORLD PREMIERE – “The Getaway Driver.”

Venue: Trinity Repertory Company, Providence, RI

Directed by: Curt Columbus

Written by: Deborah Salem Smith and Charlie Thurston

Cast: Rebecca Gibel, Rachael Warren

Synopsis: Inspired by the remarkable true story of Katherine Ann Power and Clare Schroeder, The Getaway Driver is a gripping new drama that follows two women bound by a life-altering moment. In 1970, a young activist drove the getaway car for a robbery she hoped would change the world. Instead, it ended in tragedy and she disappeared, beginning the longest run of any woman on the FBI’s Most Wanted List.

September 17 – October 11 – “The Smuggler.”

Venue: The GAMM – Warwick, RI

Directed by: TBA

Written by: Ronan Noone

Cast: Tony Estrella

Synopsis: A lone Irishman takes the stage and begins to spin a tale that’s equal parts confession, comedy, and cautionary tale. Recently arrived on the fictional island of Amity, Massachusetts, Tim Finnegan shares the winding path that brought him here—through heartbreak, bad decisions, and a few too many pints.

September 17 – October 11 – “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Venue: Burbage Theatre Company – Pawtucket, RI

Directed by: Stephen Thorne

Written by: William Shakespeare

Cast: Jeff Church, Allison Russo

Synopsis:  A sparkling comedy of love, wit, and second chances, where old rivalries, lingering misunderstandings, and carefully guarded reputations shape the lives of those caught between the past and the future. 

September 18 – 26 – “A Doll’s House.”

Venue: Roundabout Productions – Attleboro, MA

Directed by: Mark Prokes

Written by: Henrik Ibsen

Cast: Jim Cannizzaro, Michael Pugliese, Michelle Katherine Wylie

Synopsis: Ibsen’s classic, reimagined. Now set in 1950’s American Suburbia, telling the story of Nora Helmer, a traditional housewife, devoted to her husband, who slowly realizes that her marriage has been built upon a broken foundation.

September 25 – October 4 – “Perfect Arrangement.”

Venue: The Players at Barker Playhouse

Directed by: Tyler John

Written by: Topher Payne

Cast: Scott Kubie, Lauren Kieler, Chad Chenail, Lydia Johnson

Synopsis: Perfect Arrangement combines madcap sitcom-style laughs with provocative drama as two closeted U.S. State Department employees struggle to maintain their cover – and their sanity – in 1950s America.

Also in September: “Same Difference” – WORLD PREMIERE (Wilbury Theatre Group), “Wonder of the World” (Attleboro Community Theater), “Operation Mincemeat” (PPAC), “Almost, Maine” (Granite Theatre).

October 1 – 18 – “Little Women.”

Venue: The Arctic Playhouse

Directed by: Karen Besson

Written by: Louisa May Alcott

Cast: TBA

Synopsis: Based on Alcott’s classic novel, Little Women follows the lives of the March sisters: romantic Meg, spirited Jo, loving Beth, and tenacious Amy. The play chronicles the sisters’ childhood in the 1860s as they strive to be kind, intelligent, and imaginative young women.

October 9 – 25 – “The Crucible.”

Venue: Granite Theatre, Westerly, RI

Directed by: TBA

Written by: Arthur Miller

Cast: TBA

Synopsis: Set during the infamous Salem witch trials, the play delves into fear, hysteria, and the devastating power of suspicion and betrayal.

October 16 – 24 – Rhode Island Stage Ensemble’s “Dracula.”

Venue: Assembly Theatre, Harrisville, RI

Directed by: TBA

Written by: Stephen Dietz (based on the novel by Bram Stoker)

Cast: Jonathan McDowell, Brittney Simard, James Laurent, Juliet Antonio

Synopsis: The most notorious bloodsucker of all time.

Also in October: “Dracula Bites” from writer/director JC Wallace, performance schedule and cast TBA.

November 5 – 29 – “A View from the Bridge.”

Venue: The GAMM Theatre.

Directed by: TBA

Written by: Arthur Miller

Cast: TBA

Synopsis: On the Brooklyn waterfront, longshoreman Eddie Carbone lives by a strict code of loyalty, family, and respect. But when two undocumented cousins arrive from Sicily seeking work, Eddie’s tightly controlled world begins to unravel.

Also in November: “Bye Bye Birdie” (The Community Players), “The Great Gatsby” (PPAC), “A Christmas Carol” (Trinity Rep.), “The Theater People of Huxley Street” (Daydream Productions), “Almost Maine,” (The Arctic Playhouse), “Cheap,” (Burbage Theatre Co.).