The Woodstock Players

We put on plays - good ones.

Currently we are working towards producing two plays that will run in repertory this June (2013), both by our artistic director and resident playwright, Cary Harrison. The plays are a two-man play "Rex & Rex" and a one-woman play "I Won't Bite You." Rex & Rex is a light comedy about the author's famous father Rex Harrison where he imagines Harrison haunting his younger self in order to persuade him to make different choices with regard to his career and his love-life. Carey will play the older Rex and Mick O'Brien (Salvador Dalí in "Midget in a Catsuit Reciting Spinoza" and Carl Jung in "Scenes from a Misunderstanding") will be young Rex.

"I Won't Bite You" is as dark as "Rex & Rex" is light; it is psychological drama about a woman, Dorothea Farber, who is caught up in world of abuse and revenge. Farber is played by Holly Graff who was described by Jon Parrish of Roll Magazine as "one of the most gifted young actresses of her generation." Holly played Anna Saunders in the Woodstock Players production of "Hedgerow Specimen."

Following are comments made by our patrons and the media about our productions. Unless otherwise stated, sets and costumes are by Claire Lambe:

For "Endgame" written by Samuel Beckett (ran September 2012) - directed by Andrea Cunliffe.

“An outstanding production of Endgame...it amplified this most secretive inner dialogue concerning resignation in both life, and death.” —Kim Alderman

“Fantastic performance last night! The actors were wonderful and the set was starkly perfect. You keep getting better and better!” —Heather Dempsey

“An excellent Endgame! Enjoyed it immensely. Carey Harrison and Mik Horowitz made me really feel it, and made me laugh. The parents - perfect. As always Claire Lambe’s design is just right, the set, costumes, props, all hit the mark. Direction, stage management...lights, tech. WOW. That intimate little Byrdcliffe stage was charged.” —Joan Elliot

“Wonderful performances by all, Claire's witty set and costumes always a delight!” —Carole Bugge, novelist and playwright

For "Hedgerow Specimen" written & directed by Carey Harrison (June-July 2012):

"Fabulous new Carey Harrison play...wowed audiences at Byrdcliffe" —Paul Smart in The Woodstock Times, Almanac Weekly.

"I found myself continuing to think about the play long after I left the theater. The 4 actors were excellent... The staging was brilliant." —Cornelia Seckel of Art Times.

"Wonderful staging, great performances, top notch writing...we had a stellar evening of theatre in the woods...Bravo!" —David Adler, Screenwriter/jounalist, San Francisco Bay Guardian, San Diego Reader.

"I was totally unprepared for the depth of Carey Harrison's play and the level of Violet Snow's performance as she chases down the murderess, played to great emotional heights by Holly Graph. The end is more than a murder mystery, it delves into solving some deep mystery of life as well. ...amazing minimalist set and costume design" —Susan Manuso in a letter to The Woodstock Times, June 2012

For "American Buffalo" by David Mamet (January 2012), directed by Tracy Carney.

“Thank you for an excellent time at the theater! … Everything was believable about the play - including Carey's American accent! Sets by talented Claire were excellent. BRAVO!” —Barbara Lubell

For "Midget in a Catsuit Reciting Spinoza," written & directed by Carey Harrison (June 2011)

“Brilliant play! Moving to the point of disruptive, and a reinvention of player - and audience - commitment.” —Michel Eckersley

"Midget in a Catsuit... is brilliantly written and played. It was one of the best nights of theater I've had in many years. Kudo's to all!" -Tom Grasso of Roll Magazine

For "MAGUS," written & directed by Carey Harrison (June 2010, February 2011)

"I have not seen an audience participate with theater like that since I was a child visiting London," from the blog, The Book Of Ideas.

"Experiencing Magus at the Byrdcliffe Theater in Woodstock raised the curtain on an extraordinary fact: that theater of the first order is happening right here in the Hudson Valley. At the top of the list of what is far beyond the ordinary is the genius of Carey Harrison—author, director, lead actor." —George Quasha: artist, poet, theater theoretician & author of Inside A Theater Of More.

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