Barrington Stage Company offers a filmed presentation of the new musical The Right Girl—based on true stories of sexual assault survivors—November 1 at 2 PM in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Featuring music by 11-time Academy Award nominee Diane Warren, lyrics by Warren, Louisette Geiss, and Howard Kagan, and a book by Geiss and Kagan, The Right Girl is directed and choreographed by five-time Tony winner Susan Stroman.
The cast includes Alysha Umphress, Jenna Ushkowitz, Tony Yazbeck, Heath Calvert, Steve Rosen, Robyn Hurder, Merle Dandridge, Polly Baird, Jessica Bishop, Jim Borstelmann, Joshua Buscher, Richard Gatta, Leah Hoffmann, Jolina Javier, Donald Jones Jr., Bryonha Marie Parham, Sarah Ann Masse, Anthony Wayne, and Cory Lingner. Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting.
The new musical concerns Eleanor Stark, whose entire life has been leading up to this moment: her first day as Chief Creative Officer of the movie studio Ambrosia Productions. As Eleanor rises to the top of her game working with the industry’s most respected men, we learn that one of them has been abusing women all along. What role does she play in the story of Hollywood’s most fiercely guarded secret?
Geiss, whose screenwriting career ended in 2008 when she was sexually harassed, has been a leader in the movement to bring abusers to account and to empower all survivors to tell their stories, seek justice, and change the culture. In an earlier statement she said, “To create this musical over the last two years was cathartic. The creative team sat down with more than 20 of my fellow survivors, women who are victims of about a dozen different men in entertainment. Only portions of their stories have been recounted in the press to date, so by presenting these women’s stories in their own words in an entertaining format like musical theatre, we hope they resonate with an even bigger audience and empower other survivors to speak out. I worked diligently to reclaim my creative spirit again and have audiences see my work. I am particularly grateful to all the women who joined us as contributors and told us their stories, and who will share in the financial success of this show when tickets go on sale.”
Artistic Director Julianne Boyd said, “I am proud that Barrington Stage will present the first new American musical before a live, indoor audience since the pandemic began. We have been prepared to welcome audiences safely back since the summer and now that the state of Massachusetts and its citizens have achieved a level of control over virus spread, the State has moved to Phase 3/Step 2 of reopening, and we can open our beautiful indoor theatre and safely gather to enjoy this great American art form as a community again.”
Following the presentation, there will be a talkback with Stroman, Umphress, Hurder, Yazbeck, and a survivor who contributed to the story.
Barrington Stage has retrofitted its 520-seat theatre for socially distanced seating for 160 and improved audience flow by removing every other row so audience members can move to and from their seats while remaining socially distanced. Masks will be required at all times for staff and audience members.
The audience will be a mix of invited industry professionals and members of the general public. To submit a request for tickets, visit [email protected].
