From the Artistic Director

There’s something different about Profile Theatre this year. It’s our fifteenth season and that number feels like a milestone.  Why? Is fifteen such a big number? In the life of a theatre it is. Perhaps theatre years are like dog years – each one survived is the equivalent of double, triple, even seven times a normal human year.

To celebrate this milestone, we’re throwing ourselves and the city of Portland an anniversary party featuring our honored guests from the past fourteen years: Arthur Kopit, Tennessee Williams, Constance Congdon, Arthur Miller, Harold Pinter, Edward Albee, Romulus Linney, Terrence McNally, Lanford Wilson, Wendy Wasserstein, John Guare, Neil Simon, Horton Foote and Lee Blessing.  Rather than profiling the body of work of a single playwright, I’ve decided that for season fifteen, Profile will present a retrospective season of one play from each of these past fourteen writers.

In the spirit of celebrating the diverse, rich works of these great playwrights, what we will NOT do in 2011-12 is recreate favorite productions from Profile’s past, as tempting as that is. Rather, this season gives us the opportunity to revisit and further explore each writer, and to present one more facet of the remarkable gem that is the body of work created by each one of them.

A great amount of time and thought has gone into creating this season. With the advantage of being able to utilize our staged readings and one-night stand format we are offering a season of fourteen plays by these fourteen writers. The selection went through at least five permutations. It was a challenge to have to eliminate one great play in favor of another.  I am delighted with all of my final selections and eagerly await your attendance at our season long party! It’s going to be a celebration to remember. Fourteen seasons in one. For one season only.

Jane Unger, Artistic Director