The Jungle Theater has announced its 2012 season. Here are the facts:
"Dial M for Murder," Frederick Knott's classic thriller with Cheryl Willis ("Shirley Valentine" from last year) and Michael Booth ("Blithe Spirit"). Artistic director Bain Boehlke, fresh off his Ivey recognition for lifetime achievement, will stage the piece, which runs Feb. 3- March 18.
"The Pain and the Itch," by playwright Bruce Norris. My colleague and editor Claude Peck saw this on a recent trip to Portland, Ore., and liked it pretty well. The play originated at Steppenwolf in Chicago in 2005 and satirizes the politics of class and race. Joel Sass will direct. It runs April 6-May 13.
Speaking of Sass, he will direct Michael Frayn's "Noises Off!" for the Jungle's summer show. Sass has done this backstage farce twice before at Park Square in St. Paul. It always has been a laugh riot. No word in the press release whether Wendy Lehr will reprise her role. She's worked with Sass on it at Park Square. It runs June 8-July 29.
Boehlke will bring back one of his favorites, "Waiting for Godot" to start the fall season. He's bringing in Nathan Keepers and Jim Lichtscheidl to play the cheerful misfits Didi and Gogo. Allen Hamilton and Charles Schuminski are on board too. Aug. 24-Sept. 30.
The season closes with "In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play)." The Jungle is bringing in Sarah Rasmussen, who assistant directed this Sarah Ruhl play in its Broadway run. The piece is about the history of the vibrator, and was nominated for three Tonys in 2010. The cast has Sarah Agnew, Christiana Clark, Christina Baldwin, Annie Enneking, Bradley Greenwald and John Middleton. It runs Nov. 2-Dec. 16.
Tickets go on sale Nov. 15. For more info, www.jungletheater.com
