2004-2005 Season

Glenn Peters and Aysan Celik in The Turn of the Screw. Photo by Richard Termine for The Acting Company.

The TONY honored Acting Company presents Henry James’ provocative tale of suspense, horror and psychological intrigue. As adapted by award-winning playwright Jeffrey Hatcher, The Turn of the Screw takes a turn of its own, creating a frightening and fascinating piece of theater.

Madness and mystery are concealed in this brilliant, spine-tingling play. A young English governess is sent to a remote country estate, romantic yet fraught with disturbing questions. Why was her handsome young charge expelled from school? Why does his angelic young sister refuse to speak? Who are the mysterious figures wandering the ramparts, luring the children down to the storm-tossed lake? Are there ghosts or are they the product of her fevered imagination? And, most disturbing of all, what if none of this is real? This classic tale of suspense and horror is both wonderful and terrifying, providing a multi-faceted penetrating drama. The Turn of the Screw is a suggesting, haunting play.

Continuing The Acting Company’s 31-year commitment to producing the work of the world’s greatest playwright, The Turn of the Screw is presented in touring repertory with William Shakespeare’s first romantic comedy, The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

The Acting Company has performed over 100 plays for more than two million people in the United States, London, Australia, Russia and Eastern Europe. It's Education Programs -- including master classes, student matinees and weeklong artistic residencies -- have reached tens of thousands of students. The Acting Company was founded in 1972 by John Houseman and current Producing Artistic Director, Margot Harley, with the first graduating class of The Juilliard School's Drama Division. Winner of the Obie, Audelco and Los Angeles Critics Awards for excellence, The Acting Company is a 2003 TONY Honoree for Excellence in Theater.

See for yourself what makes The Acting Company the most respected and praised touring repertory theater in America.

The Turn of the Screw continues The Acting Company’s series of commissioning, developing and producing new plays based on great American literature. Following powerful and successful productions of Willa Cather’s O Pioneers! (2000-01) and Mark Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson (2001-02), American Dreams brought to the stage the work of one of our most powerful contemporary American writers. This production of The Turn of the Scew will be joined in touring repertory by Two Gentleman of Verona. The Acting Company's 2003-04 season production as a part of the New Classics series is Murder by Poe. This production brings to the stage the work of one of our country's most well-known and widely read writers and will be joined in touring repertory by one of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpieces, Richard III.