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1998-1999 Season

1998-1999 Season

Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde
by Moisés Kaufman
Directed by Michael Bloom
Sept. 11 — Oct. 11, 1998
The Huntington Theatre

The smashing off-Broadway success of last season chronicles the three courtroom battles that transformed Oscar Wilde’s reputation forever. Once the most celebrated playwright in Britain, Wilde became notorious after three months of highly-publicized accusations and conflicting testimony leading eventually to his conviction for “gross indecency” for his scandalous relationship with a young aristocrat. This compelling and surprising drama skillfully juxtaposes court transcripts and contemporary accounts of the trials with excerpts from Wilde’s own writings to create a mosaic which The New York Times cheered as “Must see!”

Jitney
by August Wilson
Directed by Marion McClinton
Oct. 23 — Nov. 22, 1998
Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre

The Huntington continues its special relationship with two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner August Wilson with our presentation of his early play, Jitney, newly revised by Mr. Wilson. Jitney tells the moving story of the conflict between a father and son who confront each other after years of separation. Set amidst a group of unlicensed cab drivers scraping together a living in Pittsburgh’s Hill District in 1977, Jitney was originally written before Wilson gained notice on the national theatre scene. Filled with a young man’s energy as well as the richly detailed characterizations of a great writer in his prime, Jitney moves in just over two hours to a powerful, poignant conclusion.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Mary Zimmerman
Jan. 1 — Jan. 31, 1999
The Huntington Theatre

Mary Zimmerman, the nationally-acclaimed theatre artist who adapted and directed the 1996-97 season’s captivating epic Journey to the West, returns to direct Shakespeare’s most endearing comedy. “What fools these mortals be,” exclaims the fairy Puck, commenting on the escapades of mismatches lovers in Shakespeare’s beloved romantic fantasia. A Midsummer Night’s Dreams is the perfect elixir to life the winter doldrums and warm the January heart.

The Steward of Christendom
by Sebastian Barry
Directed by Edward Gilbert
March 12 — April 11, 1999
The Huntington Theatre

One of the most beautifully written new plays for many years, The Steward of Christendom is a poignant drama set in Ireland. Thomas Dunne is an aging former police chief and Irish Catholic who had the unenviable job of guarding the seat of British government in Dublin at a time when his compatriots were seeking to end their nation’s long occupation.

The Mikado
Book & Lyrics by William S. Gilbert
Music by Arthur Sullivan
Directed by Larry Carpenter
May 21 — June 20, 1999
The Huntington Theatre

Larry Carpenter, director, and Daniel Pelzig, choreographer, will continue their remarkable series of collaborations (HMS Pinafore, Iolanthe, Company) in the Huntington’s presentation of this classic musical satire. Victorian England meets an imaginary imperial Japan in this sparkling send-up of British politics and far-fetched theatre by the renowned musical theatre team of Gilbert and Sullivan.