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[title]In an unusual move, the Goodman Theatre will open its upcoming season in the mainstage Albert Theatre with a remount from the current season in the smaller Owen: Noah Haidle's Smokefall. The new play, which made a number of top ten lists for 2013 (including mine), will return with its entire original cast (September 20–October 26).
Also in the Albert, Kimberly Senior will make her Goodman directing debut with the Chicago premiere of Gina Gionfriddo's Rapture, Blister, Burn (January 17–February 22). Chuck Smith will helm a revival of August Wilson's Two Trains Running (March 7–April 12) as part of a planned "citywide celebration" of the playwright ten years after his death; Smith will curate readings of all ten plays in Wilson's Century Cycle at theaters around the city. Two more titles in the Albert remain to be announced.
The Owen kicks off the season with The World of Extreme Happiness by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, in a world premiere co-production with Manhattan Theatre Club (September 13–October 12). Also in the Owen will be the premiere of The Upstairs Concierge (March 28–April 26); Kristoffer Diaz's comedy had a workshop production last fall as part of the Goodman's New Stages Series. Regina Taylor will direct the Chicago premiere of her own stop. reset. (May 23–June 21).
At the holiday season, the Goodman will partner with the Second City to mount A Christmas Carol: Twist Your Dickens (December 5–28 in the Owen), a satiric complement to the perennial traditional version in the Albert. Albany Park Theatre Project will also return to the Goodman at some point in the season with a production to be determined.
Updated 4/07: The Goodman has filled one TBD slot in the 2014–15 season: The theater will produce the Chicago premiere of Christopher Durang's Chekhov-inspired comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, to be directed by Steve Scott in the Albert Theatre in the spring, with exact dates to be determined. No casting has been announced for the widely acclaimed 2012 ensemble piece, the winner of last year's Tony Award for best play.
Update 4/23: The final entry in the Albert season will be Lillian Hellman's 1939 drama The Little Foxes (May 2–June 7), to be directed by artistic associate Henry Wishcamper. The Goodman also confirmed dates for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, now set to run June 26–August 2.
This will mark the first season in a dozen or more years that artistic director Robert Falls won't helm a production under the Goodman's roof—though he will be directing elsewhere, including the BAM remount of the Goodman's 2012 production of The Iceman Cometh.