Latest news with #WilliamstownTheatreFestival
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Amber Heard is showered with support from fans ahead of final performance in Spirit Of The People - after actress returned to acting following disastrous Johnny Depp trial
Amber Heard has been showered with support from fans on Instagram as she shared a makeup-free selfie on Wednesday ahead of her final performance in Spirit Of The People this weekend. The star, 39, made a sensational return to acting following the birth of her twins in May and the widely publicised defamation trial with ex-husband Johnny Depp. After stepping back into the spotlight, Amber snapped up the role of Genevieve in Jeremy O. Harris' play. Amber posted a rare snap on her social media to celebrate her success over the last month. She wrote: 'Lucky to be stealing one final breath before this weekend's final performances. Last chance to see Spirit of the People at @wtfestival!' Her fans expressed their support and love about her comeback in her comments section. Some wrote: 'Amber! We're so proud of you!!!', 'Wish I could see the play again! You were absolutely incredible in it ❤️❤️❤️ I hope you have a great final weekend with the festival!', 'getting to see you live was literally one of the best moments of my life, you're amazing!!' 'our queen is THRIVING', 'Beautiful as always and mastering your craft. Keep glowing and growing. ❤️' Just two months after quietly welcoming twins, Agnes and Ocean, the actress made her return to acting with Spirit Of The People at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. It also continues her gradual reemergence in the public eye following the legal battle with Depp. That legal battle concluded with a settlement in December 2022, after a six-week courtroom spectacle that drew global attention. Amber later appeared in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in 2023, but has otherwise remained largely private since relocating to Spain. Her fans expressed their support and love about her comeback in her comments section In April 2021, she announced the birth of her first child, Oonagh Paige, who was born via surrogate. Amber has not publicly identified the father of her children and previously said she choose to become a mother on her 'own terms.' Earlier this month, The Rum Diary star shared a photo of herself from behind the stage, with the caption: 'What an opening weekend!' She also made a rare public appearance in a Vogue photo shoot promoting the Williamstown Theatre Festival, photographed by Hunter Abrams and Sam Lee. The shoot showed Amber outdoors, smiling in the woods alongside her castmates. Spirit of the People is part of the festival's highly anticipated 2025 season and boasts a powerhouse ensemble, including Brandon Flynn, Lío Mehiel, Ato Blankson-Wood, Zachary Booth, James Cusati-Moyer, Amandla Jahava, Emma Ramos, Julian Sanchez, and Tonatiuh. The production is directed by Katina Medina Mora. 'In an interview with Jason Grissom, [Williams] once said, 'There's magic in those woods,' in regard to the verdant woods around Williamstown I've found myself in this summer,' said Harris, 36. 'He was right: There is a magic to the madness of making theater out here that has infected all of us this summer.' 'Perhaps it's the giddy 'theatre camp for adults' energy, or just the ways in which so many new theater artists — Katina [Medina Mora], Nicholas [Alexander Chavez], Whitney [Peak], Amber [Heard], and many more — have thrown themselves headfirst into this world and aren't just keeping up but pacing some of their peers,' he continued. 'I'm in awe of each of the people assembled this summer, and I hope the experience of meeting these gorgeous works of raw, ambitious art will give you something to chew on as we all dive headlong into this precarious moment in American history,' Harris concluded. Amber had hinted at her involvement in the production on Instagram in recent weeks, offering behind-the-scenes glimpses from rehearsals. Last month, she shared a selfie with Harris, which depicted her beaming with pride as she embraced the magic of the theater and her new role. 'In my theatre era x,' the mother-of-three captioned the post. On July 3, the performer also uploaded a sweet snap of herself sitting cross legged on a stage flipping through a script. 'Work in progress,' she wrote beneath the photo, which received more than 92,576 likes.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Book Review: ‘Gwyneth' is a portrait of a pioneering and polarizing ‘It girl' and wellness mogul
'Gwyneth: The Biography,' Amy Odell's thorough portrait of Gwyneth Paltrow, splits her life and career into two distinct periods: the rise (and fall) of the quintessential '90s Hollywood 'It girl,' and her transformation to wellness mogul with the creation of lifestyle brand Goop. In both phases, she struggles with likeability in the press and from the public, often coming across in interviews as elitist and out of touch with 'normal' Americans. But that hasn't stopped her from succeeding on both fronts. Blond, glamorous and patrician, Paltrow is the ultimate nepo baby, the daughter of actor Blythe Danner and TV producer Bruce Paltrow, acting from an early age at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. In the first half of the book, Odell charts Paltrow's rise from chain-smoking party girl at elite New York private school Spence to Hollywood 'It girl.' She starred in 1990s classics like ' Emma,' 'Sliding Doors' and 'Shakespeare in Love,' for which she won an Oscar at 26. She was on the cover of Vogue and constantly in the tabloids with movie star boyfriends like Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck. But she eventually soured on Hollywood and turned to her burgeoning interest in lifestyle and wellness. She started Goop as a newsletter in 2008. Goop promoted some dubious wellness theories and was hit with the same press bashing as she had gotten as an actor. 'Gwyneth has, to her extraordinary credit, found a way to be even more annoying,' the Guardian wrote when Goop launched in 2008. But Odell — who didn't have access to Paltrow or any close family or friends, but based the book on more than 200 interviews with people who know or worked with Paltrow — shows Paltrow has a masterful control of her image, working negative press to her advantage. At Goop, a $66 jade egg meant to be inserted vaginally and a $75 candle called 'This Smells Like My Vagina' were ridiculed in the press — and sold out in short order. When Goop launched a travel app, an advertiser sponsored it with the promise that it would reach 10,000 downloads. 'Call it G. Spotting,' Gwyneth told an executive, according to Odell. 'Everybody will make fun of me for being an idiot and we'll have the 10,000 downloads we need right there.' It worked. 'Gwyneth: The Biography' is a satisfying read about the pioneering and polarizing actor and business woman. ___ AP book reviews:
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Book Review: ‘Gwyneth' is a portrait of a pioneering and polarizing ‘It girl' and wellness mogul
'Gwyneth: The Biography,' Amy Odell's thorough portrait of Gwyneth Paltrow, splits her life and career into two distinct periods: the rise (and fall) of the quintessential '90s Hollywood 'It girl,' and her transformation to wellness mogul with the creation of lifestyle brand Goop. In both phases, she struggles with likeability in the press and from the public, often coming across in interviews as elitist and out of touch with 'normal' Americans. But that hasn't stopped her from succeeding on both fronts. Blond, glamorous and patrician, Paltrow is the ultimate nepo baby, the daughter of actor Blythe Danner and TV producer Bruce Paltrow, acting from an early age at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. In the first half of the book, Odell charts Paltrow's rise from chain-smoking party girl at elite New York private school Spence to Hollywood 'It girl.' She starred in 1990s classics like ' Emma,' 'Sliding Doors' and 'Shakespeare in Love,' for which she won an Oscar at 26. She was on the cover of Vogue and constantly in the tabloids with movie star boyfriends like Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck. But she eventually soured on Hollywood and turned to her burgeoning interest in lifestyle and wellness. She started Goop as a newsletter in 2008. Goop promoted some dubious wellness theories and was hit with the same press bashing as she had gotten as an actor. 'Gwyneth has, to her extraordinary credit, found a way to be even more annoying,' the Guardian wrote when Goop launched in 2008. But Odell — who didn't have access to Paltrow or any close family or friends, but based the book on more than 200 interviews with people who know or worked with Paltrow — shows Paltrow has a masterful control of her image, working negative press to her advantage. At Goop, a $66 jade egg meant to be inserted vaginally and a $75 candle called 'This Smells Like My Vagina' were ridiculed in the press — and sold out in short order. When Goop launched a travel app, an advertiser sponsored it with the promise that it would reach 10,000 downloads. 'Call it G. Spotting,' Gwyneth told an executive, according to Odell. 'Everybody will make fun of me for being an idiot and we'll have the 10,000 downloads we need right there.' It worked. 'Gwyneth: The Biography' is a satisfying read about the pioneering and polarizing actor and business woman. ___ AP book reviews:
Buzz Feed
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Amber Heard Returns To Acting: Opinion
Last month, social media user @LeaveHeardAlone collected fan messages and money for flowers to send to Amber Heard. Around 350 people wound up sending messages. The flowers were a gift for Heard to celebrate the opening of the new play Spirit of the People by Slave Play writer Jeremy O. Harris at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. It's her first major acting role since the 2022 Depp v. Heard trial, and a rare spot of good news. Lest you need a refresher, Heard was found guilty by a jury of defaming her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, in an op-ed titled 'I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change." In it, she doesn't mention Depp by name, but she refers to herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse." This was despite a judge in the UK ruling two years earlier that a tabloid calling Depp a "wife beater" was "substantially true," adding, "I have found that the great majority of alleged assaults of Ms Heard by Mr Depp have been proved to the civil standard.' There's been ample speculation about the difference in outcomes in the trials, including that jury members were not sequestered and were allowed to keep their phones, while social media raged against Heard. One juror was even texted by his wife, "Amber is psychotic." It was later found that much of the anti-Heard sentiment online was driven by bots. It was, plainly, a shit time to be a victim of sexual violence with an internet connection, as I am. It still is, given how other men are attempting to use the Depp playbook in court and public opinion. But watching the trial play out as a form of perverse entertainment in real-time felt like a nightmare, seeing friends and family members parrot myths about survivors that they'd unwittingly not realize also applied to me. It seemed like Heard would likely stay in Madrid for some time after the trial, out of the public eye, and who could blame her? But, with Spirit of the People, she's slowly making a return. Photos of her are in Vogue. She's posting on Instagram more frequently. It's hard for me not to see these images and feel a glimmer of hope. To feel inspired by her resilience. Yes, I know that photos aren't a real snapshot of someone's life. But, at the same time, I know I'm not the only one to feel this way. When comments are open, they are remarkably positive. Maybe the bots are gone, or maybe there's been a genuine shift in public opinion, I can't say. Maybe I can exhale, just a little. We've been told endlessly about how accusations ruin men's lives, but the comeback playbook for men accused of wrongdoing feels well-trodden at this point. Depp's out there ranting about #MeToo and conveniently filming his new movie Day Drinker with Penélope Cruz in Madrid. In my opinion, it was Amber whose acting career was ruined simply by being a victim. Against all that darkness, it may not be over yet. I probably won't write another article like this again. I know that mentioning someone's worst moments at every single turn grows into its own kind of cage. Perhaps Depp's most devout fans will be activated like sleeper agents to this piece. It'll be bad another day. But, on July 20, Amber got her flowers. She appeared visibly emotional in her Instagram story as she said, "Thank you so much for these beautiful flowers, I feel like the luckiest woman in the world."
Washington Post
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Pamela Anderson. Amber Heard. Dancing on ice. All in one theater festival.
WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS. — A queer fantasia is underway in the Berkshires, where a premiere provocateur of American theater has been handed the keys to Williamstown Theatre Festival. Under the creative leadership of Jeremy O. Harris, the summer mainstay's 71st season features Pamela Anderson as an ex-courtesan haunted by 'the specter of lunacy,' figure skaters lip-synching to Donna Summer and a new show in which a gaggle of toxic gays 'neocolonize' a Oaxacan nude beach. For die-hards, all that and more can be experienced as a whirlwind three- or four-day binge during one of the festival's three consecutive long weekends, which conclude Aug. 3. (Choosing shows a la carte is also an option. I saw eight in 48 hours.) Spread across four venues — two regular stages, a black box in a strip mall and an ice rink bordering a graveyard — the concentrated programming is a weekender-friendly feast of risky and captivating multidisciplinary performance. It's a big swing from a legacy institution that until recently appeared on the brink of collapse. A longtime magnet for top talent and incubator for New York productions, Williamstown has struggled to find a way forward since 2020, when operations shut down due to the pandemic, and an investigation by the Los Angeles Times revealed a history of troubling labor practices. As the nonprofit has endeavored to remake its creative and financial model, visits there in recent years have been characterized by half-staged works in half-empty theaters. Not so on opening weekend of the reimagined festival, the first in a three-year term as creative director for Harris, the 'Slave Play' author whose career includes screenwriting, producing, acting (in a recurring role on 'Emily in Paris') and being Extremely Online. The world premiere of his new play stars Amber Heard, ushering in her self-described 'theatre era.' There are sufficient faces from young Hollywood among the casts — such as Nicholas Alexander Chavez of 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,' Whitney Peak of 'Gossip Girl' and Tonatiuh of the upcoming Jennifer Lopez-starring 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' — that Vogue did a photo spread. Crowds flush with industry insiders spilled onto the main stage lawn between acts and perched elbow-to-elbow at area restaurants. A giddy conviction of stamina accompanied the comparison of itineraries. (There are six different routes to seeing the core lineup, depending on how many days you have.) Tennessee Williams is the season's curatorial inspiration, and the recurring themes are especially suited to midsummer heat: memory and existentialism, languor and confinement, horniness and forbidden desire. The vibes are loose-limbed and playful, irreverent toward convention but mindful of its place among the region's tony patrons. Three of the offerings are full-length plays, two by Williams — the surreal and purgatorial 'Camino Real' and the posthumously published prison drama 'Not About Nightingales' — and Harris's own boozy oddity steeped in Williamsian influence, 'Spirit of the People.' That play's title, a reference to mescal and the modest means of its original distillers, characterizes the festival lineup as a whole: Significant barriers to entry notwithstanding (getting here isn't easy, and staying isn't cheap), there's a pervasive effort to ensure that everything presented can be at least understood by anyone living in present reality. (With the exception of 'Camino Real,' but more on that in a minute.) Harris's mission as both a playwright and producer to position theater as vibrant pop culture gives this season the buzzy air of a music or film festival. 'Spirit of the People' is an overfilled and sloshing glass raised in that direction. The story is one I happen to recognize, as a frequent visitor to the coastal hamlet of Zipolite, where a heartbroken Canadian woman (played by Heard) decamps to reinvent herself as the owner of a Mexican mescaleria. A group of American millennials (played by Brandon Flynn and two 'Slave Play' alums, Ato Blankson-Wood and James Cusati-Moyer, among others) overstays their vacations, and Harris engages in anthropological study of their queerness (image obsession, compulsive mating, drugs, etc.) while mining the impacts of Western tourism on the land and its people. Where 'Slave Play' zeroed in on race and desire, here Harris broadens his lens to explore how power functions across borders by means of money and ignorant entitlement. The play, directed beautifully here by Katina Medina Mora, brims with compelling insights on contemporary anxieties (the dangers of AI, the sullying of social ideals under capitalism, etc.), but is also overrun with what we in the community call 'gay mess' (petty rivalries, bed-hopping and the like) and with heavy-handed reveries about the symbolic significance of mescal. As with pours of straight liquor, moderation will be key to the play's future. (Like several shows on opening weekend, it ran significantly over the approximated run time, clocking in at over three hours.) 'Slave Play' director Robert O'Hara delivers 'Not About Nightingales' as an erotic fever dream, in which the inmates of an Alcatraz-like island and their weasel-like warden (Chris Messina) are in heat. Written by Williams in 1938 and inspired by real events at a Pennsylvania prison, the play chronicles an uprising over wretched food in a brig that resembles a Berlin sex club. The raw animality of the staging emphasizes everyone's appetite for both survival and satisfaction. A triangle of desire develops between Messina's warden, his new secretary (Elizabeth Lail, of 'You') and the Black prisoner (William Jackson Harper, of 'The Good Place') he beats into submission before recruiting him to work in his office. O'Hara draws out the story's resonance not only with present mass incarceration but with the legacy of chattel slavery. It's a brutal production with a touch of Old Hollywood noir and the most affecting of the season's full-length dramas. 'Camino Real,' in which a menagerie of characters (among them Don Quixote, Casanova and Lord Byron), rattle around a carceral town square, is the most remote. The staging from director Dustin Wills evokes a desert landscape by Dalí and is equally beguiling to behold and confounding to interpret. Making sense of the play, a departure for Williams into modernist abstraction, may be beside the point — the author defended its rife symbolism as 'nothing more nor less than my conception of the time and the world I live in.' Funnily enough, of the sprawl of ensemble members, Anderson is the most engaging and accessible. She has no great facility with language or modulation, and a tendency to swallow words — but her unaffected air is endearing and suited to absurdism. As the beleaguered and faded beauty Marguerite, she got the most laughs and a mid-show round of applause. The fest's other happenings — most of them in what's called the Annex, a hollowed-out Price Chopper outfitted into an elongated playing space — benefit from their inclusion in a broader lineup that offers a wide berth for experimentation. The most striking among them, 'Vanessa,' is a chamber opera about a doomed love triangle composed by Samuel Barber and Gian Carlo Menotti, themselves forbidden lovers when it premiered in 1958. (My colleague Michael Brodeur has the full review.) 'Many Happy Returns,' a dance piece from Monica Bill Barnes inspired by 'Mrs. Dalloway,' combines everyday musings addressed to the audience (by her collaborator Robbie Saenz de Viteri) with lighthearted movement she executes with wiry precision. In 'The Things Around Us,' musician and writer Ahamefule J. Oluo likewise delivers a shuffle of anecdotes that could be disparate pages torn from a memoir. They're combined with an astounding display of musicianship, in which he wails on the trumpet, controls soundboards with his feet, and creates a score by recording and looping playback in real time. In an after-midnight stand-up set, Julio Torres delivered an earnest plea for job mobility as Pigasaurus, the hog who eats food scraps on 'The Flintstones.' The extreme-sport nature of the marathon schedule reaches its pinnacle on ice, where a virtuosic company of five skaters (lithe, limber and queer-coded) perform interpretive, disco-scored dance inspired by the Williams novel tucked into the show's title, 'The Gig: After Moise and the World of Reason.' Viewers bundle up, park rinkside in folding chairs and don headphones through which Harris narrates the impressions of a struggling writer in 1970s Manhattan who dated a figure skater. Conceived by director Will Davis with ice choreographer Douglas Webster, the hour-long spectacle includes swooping, synchronous glides, passionate pas de deux and a handful of Olympic-style stunts. The forms don't quite synthesize — you could bag the voice-over and just enjoy the icy grooves — but the daring is the point. Summer theater ought to be wild, a playground where soaring high and falling flat are both welcome results. Williamstown's reinvention is a thrilling testament to what's possible when artists are given license to let loose.
