Serenbe Playhouse, the Georgia regional theatre that has garnered national recognition for its site-specific outdoor stagings of classic and contemporary musicals, has announced its 2020 season, which will explore stories of growth through classic works, new adaptations, and regional premieres.
Each production will feature natural elements within the 40,000 acre community of Serenbe.
Kicking off the new season March 18, 2020, will be the Tony-winning musical Spring Awakening. The Serenbe production of the Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik musical will continue through April 12. Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias, set in Truvy's Louisiana beauty parlor, will follow May 20–June 14.
A new outdoor production of the Tony-winning Harvey Fierstein-Cyndi Lauper musical Kinky Boots, based on the film of the same name, will be presented July 8–August 9. The season will also include an original adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, presented May 4–August 30, the annual staging of The Sleepy Hollow Experience (September 23 –November 1), and a holiday show to be named at a later date.
READ: What Makes Serenbe Playhouse a Game-Changing Theatre
The Playhouse has also announced a leadership transition: Founding Executive Artistic Director Brian Clowdus is stepping down and moving to a role on the board of directors as founding artistic director emeritus in perpetuity, to help steward the artistic trajectory of the company.
Serenbe will launch a national search for the next artistic director and will invite guest directors for the 2020 season, overseen by Managing Director Mickey McGuire and Associate Artistic Director Joel Coady.
“We are thrilled to announce the 2020 Season, and we look forward to all it will bring to the theatre community, the Serenbe community, and greater Atlanta arts lovers,” said Garnie Nygren, Serenbe Playhouse Board Chair. “Brian Clowdus had an idea to do skits in the woods in 2008, and he turned that idea into the engaging, magical experiences at Serenbe Playhouse that we all know and love. And we are so excited about the next ten years! With Brian’s help and support, and Mickey McGuire’s leadership, we expect to create an exciting team who will build on the magic of Serenbe Playhouse, and shepherd the next batch of dreamers. We are so excited for Brian and his new venture, and so thrilled he’s taking the joy of site-specific theatre to all the new venues he’s working with.”
Read Clowdus’ full farewell letter below.
Twelve years ago, I stepped onto Serenbe soil for the first time, and in an instant my life was changed forever. Little did I know that serendipitous visit planted a seed that would lead me into this whirlwind of a life I have cultivated, taking me all over the country as the nation’s leading producer in outdoor experiential theatre. As an artist and entrepreneur, there is a time to continue and there is a time to pass the torch, and it’s finally the right time for me to pass the Serenbe torch. I couldn’t be more excited to announce the next chapter of Serenbe Playhouse!
These past 10 years have been thrilling… We landed a helicopter, created a fair, and even sank a dang ship; but more than anything, we shook the very core of Atlanta theatre and beyond with stories that jerked audiences into orbit and punched them in the gut in the most authentic, yet spectacular way. I know it’s hard to imagine Serenbe Playhouse without my constant “Jow ya durins,” but change is our only constant, and I feel confident this is what’s best for the future of the organization. Don’t worry though, as I ain’t going too far… I will remain on the board of directors and as founding artistic director emeritus in perpetuity to help steward in the next batch of dreamers that plop into Serenbe, hungry to take control of their lives and their art!
I am excited to continue building what I initially created in these thousand acres all across the country and even across the globe. Brian Clowdus Experiences exploded this past year with me in eight different states, and I saw the gift and opportunity I had to engage communities and artists globally, ultimately supporting my mission to inspire, connect, and unite people everywhere through experiential art. I have never felt more happy and connected to my life and although I will miss standing in a field in Serenbe day dreaming of what’s next, know that I will be doing that on a ski slope, beach, or historic home in some other place in the world spreading skits in the woods as far and wide as I possibly can.
There are not enough words to thank Serenbe and The Nygren Family for all they have done for me, and I hope that my way to thank them is to continue their mission of connecting nature, art, and community wherever I go. Thank you to every single artist, patron, and audience member who has been part of this journey; I will always keep you all very near and dear to my heart. No matter where I go in life, I will always close my eyes and think of that moment we stood on scaffolding seeing hundreds of people line up for Hair six years ago and thinking “Holy crap, this thing is special.”
My heart is full, I am so thankful, and I look forward to the next 10 years of Serenbe Playhouse!
