Jennie Coletta (left) as Lottie Wilson, and Schuyler Evans (right) as Rose Arnott. Both are featured in Easthampton Theater Company’s upcoming production of “Enchanted April.”
Photo credit: Easthampton Theater Company.
EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton Theater Company is back with its first production of 2026, “Enchanted April,” a graceful comedy about renewal, friendship, and second chances that will open on Saturday, March 14, at Williston Theater.
The production of “Enchanted April” was written by Matthew Barber, who adapted the play from the novel by Elizabeth von Armin.
The charming and witty play will be presented live on stage, offering audiences warmth, humor and unexpected transformation, according to the show’s organizers.
“With ‘Enchanted April,’ we’re inviting audiences into a story that celebrates hope and the possibility of renewal,” said Director Gilana Chelimsky. “It’s a story about friendship, love, and the quiet courage it takes to open yourself to joy again.”
Set in 1920s England and Italy, the play follows four very different women who, stuck in their ordinary lives, pool their resources to rent a secluded villa on the Italian Riviera during the month of April. A practical arrangement quickly turns into a transformative journey, as the setting and unexpected connections reshape the characters in unforeseen ways.
“Enchanted April” earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Play in 2003, as well as a 2003 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New American Play and a Drama League Award for Distinguished Production of a Play.
Performances will take place March 14, 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m., and on March 15 and 22 at 2 p.m., and all shows will be performed inside Williston Theater.
Chelimsky said she pushed for the theater group to take on this production due to the play’s themes on the importance of platonic relationships, friendships among women, self-care and rediscovering who you are when life has caused you to lose yourself.
“I really felt like Enchanted April, it speaks to a lot of the same things that we are dealing with. Particularly, they’re dealing with stuff in a post-World War 1 way; we’re sort of dealing with stuff in a semi-post-pandemic way. A lot of the stuff is the same; it’s a lot of feelings of isolation, loss of community, the sort of grind that we ended up getting back into, things like that,” explained Chelimsky. “Some of it’s about uncertainty about how to deal with trauma. We have a number of characters responding to different traumas in different ways, but in the end, it’s deeply, deeply about how valuable community is, how valuable it is to have deep platonic connections. Because our central characters are all femme, a lot of it is about sisterhood of some sorts.”
While it is not a conventional romance, “Enchanted April” serves a richly layered story filled with wit, emotional insight and profound transformation, according to show organizers.
“This play sneaks up on you,” said Michael Budnick, producer, co-founder and president of Easthampton Theater Company. “It’s funny and sharp, but also deeply human. By the end, audiences realize they’ve been part of something quietly extraordinary.”
Chelimsky added, “It’s really about how taking time for ourselves, and also [about how] creating a community for ourselves really helps us through complicated times, through traumas, through loss of self-identity and so forth.”
Chelimsky said every production from Easthampton Theater Company aims to have a solid balance of themes and ideas for audiences to engage in. Whether in “Torch Song,” “God of Carnage,” “On Golden Pond,” or “Guys and Dolls,” the theater company has captured audiences’ attention through a wide range of themes.
“I think we really like to do a combination, and we also really want to sort of reflect the people, the interest and the experiences of local communities as well,” said Chelimsky, adding that this upcoming show is another example of this effort.
“Even as a kid, a teenager and a young adult, what’s stood out is the sort of power of connection and the power of community, but also the power of taking time for yourself, which is a lot of what this boils down to also; the concept of, it doesn’t always have to be the hustle, it doesn’t always have to be the grind,” said Chelimsk. “You will burn yourself out or lose track of yourself, and the importance of just taking the time, taking rest, things like that. Which is another thing I think we tend to forget about, the importance of rest. And I think these are things that anyone can connect to.”
Humor sparkles throughout the new play, but it is balanced by moments of honesty, vulnerability and hard-won grace, while acknowledging the importance of love in its many different forms.
“I know sometimes when I describe the show, it does not sound humorous; it is very funny. We will crack up quite frequently. Particularly, some of our actors are just hysterical,” added Chelimsky. “This is a show that is beautiful and funny, and the actors that we have are really doing an amazing job amping that up.”
Easthampton Theater Company’s production features a talented regional cast and creative team, bringing Barber’s lyrical dialogue and richly-drawn characters to vivid life. The cast list is available on the theater company’s website.
Easthampton Theater Company continues its mission to present compelling stories that resonate with audiences since its debut production of “God of Carnage” in 2023. Chelimsky added that the company was purposefully founded to create a space for passionate performers and crew members to come together and focus directly on putting out high-quality local theater, while constantly being a reminder of why these passionate artists are performing in the first place.
“We really try to make the experience of the crew, the actors, etc., as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Several of us are really heavily of the mindset of ‘why do it if it’s not fun,’” said Chelimsky. “We try to create a really safe space and create a sense of community. That’s really important to all of us involved and who were part of the creation of this company. We also just wanted to tell a variety of stories. We wanted to have that variety and create a welcoming and comfortable place, and we are extraordinarily proud of the quality of productions we’ve been able to put out, the quality of actors, the dedication of the actors that we’ve gotten and the various crew that we’ve gotten. We’re very proud of everything that’s come of the work from all of us.”
For more tickets or more information on Easthampton Theater Company and its upcoming show, visit www.easthamptontheater.com.
