Roger on stage at Williamstown

Roger is to appear as Sir Isaac Newton in "The Physicists" at the Williamstown Theater Festival this summer. The play was written by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, translated by James Kirkup and will be directed by Kevin O’Rourke. It will be performed on the Center Stage from August 7 to 18.

On Monday July 23 Roger will perform his one-man show celebrating Shakespeare's works, WHAT YOU WILL – AN EVENING BY AND ABOUT THE BARD at 7:30 on the Main Stage Tickets are $25, and the proceeds of this event benefit the Festival.

For more information see:

Playbill.com
Broadway.com
Williamstown Theater Festival

Berkshire Idols

Roger was a judge in the Berkshire Idols competition, a charity event to benefit four Berkshire region non-profit entities. The other judges were country music recording artist Michael Joseph and promotor John Souchack. The winner in the adult category was Jill Gallagher, youth winner was Renee Lussier.


Williamstown Theater Festival Artistic Director and Berkshire Idol judge Roger Rees with Berkshire Food Project Director Valerie Schwarz


For a full report see:  iBerkshires.com

Artspass Interview

Artspass' Richard A. Humphrey interviews Roger on their website, which you can watch on-line. It lasts almost 23 minutes and in it Roger talks mainly about his work with the Collegiate Chorale. He talks about the relationship between words and music at some length, about Shakespeare and Verdi.

Roger explains that he feels very musical, that he plays the piano and that verse-reading is music in a way. He also talks about the way performances and productions come together.

He mentions young women saying to him at the stage door: "My mother loves your work". He also confesses to leaning towards the pathetic. And he claims: "My acting style has gone out of favour."

The interview was recorded in the spring of 2005.

See: Artspass, and just scroll down almost to the end.

Collegiate Chorale Spring Benefit 2007

Roger will host "May! We Sing", the Spring Benefit 2007 for the Collegiate Chorale at The Racquet and Tennis Club (370 Park Avenue). It will feature sopranos Harolyn Blackwell and Christine Goerke. No date is mentioned, unfortunately. Does anyone know?

More information on the Collegiate Chorale's website.

The Narrows

The Los Angeles Daily News mentions that Roger is to appear in a film called "The Narrows" which is soon to go into production with Sophia Bush, Vincent D'Onofrio, Eddie Cahill and Roger Rees. It has Cahill as a New York University student and promising photographer -- whose father, D'Onofrio, wants him in the family business. Family as in mafia. It doesn't mention what part Roger is to play.


See: LA Daily News

The Treatment

"The Treatment" will go on general release in New York on May 4, other US cities follow over the summer. Roger plays Leighton Proctor in the film. "The Treatment" won the award for "Best Made in New York Narrative Feature" at the Tribeca International Film Festival last year.

The film tells the story of Jake Singer, an anxious young schoolteacher living in New York, who embarks on a course of psychoanalysis with the maniacal Argentine-Freudian Dr. Ernesto Morales, therapist from hell, who wields his heavily accented sarcasm like a machete. Ian Holm plays Morales, Chris Eigeman plays Jake.


For more information:
The official website
New Yorker Films

Ahrens and Flaherty

Roger is to appear at an upcoming benefit for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in New York. The event, entitled "We Tell the Story: The Songs of Ahrens and Flaherty" will take place at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on April 30.

More information at: Playbill

After What You Will

picture by Carol Pratt

The Washington Post has a review of Roger's show at the Folger Theatre. Peter Marks has some criticisms, but on the whole he is very favourable.

The whole review is at: Washington Post

More on Shakespeare

Roger talks a little more about Shakespeare and his show on the Express.