Great Barrington Public Theater Announces Cast of Madame Mozart, the Lacrimosa.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Katherine N. McCombs
katherine@greatbarringtonpublictheater.org
860.604.8441

Great Barrington Public Theater announces the cast of its first commissioned work, Madame Mozart, the Lacrimosa, by Anne Undeland. Longtime audience members of GB Public will recognize the piece from its first staged reading in Season 2023.

Berkshire favorites take the stage with Tara Franklin in the title role as Constanze Mozart with Ryan Winkles joining her in a multiplicity of roles referred to as The People in Constanze’s story. The pair are supported onstage by Hudson Orfe as The Piano Player, whose presence in the piece transcends that of a simple accompanist. Highly physical, this epic unfolds like opera – in a dreamscape of color, motion, humor, tragedy and some of the greatest music ever written.

The production will be helmed by Great Barrington Public Theater Associate Artistic Director Judy Braha and begins performances on July 10, 2025 at the Daniel Arts Center located at Bard College at Simon’s Rock.
Tara Franklin, Ryan Winkles, and Hudson Orfe

Playwright Anne Undeland was inspired by author and musician Gerald Elias' short story, “Lacrymosa.” She says “We immediately saw that to do Constanze justice, we would have to refocus the gaze through the female lens to discover the trajectory of our story. The uniquely imagined but unexplored possibility we posit is that it was, in fact, the hidden hand of Constanze that engineered the completion of Mozart’s final masterpiece in the wake of his untimely death. Whenever we think of classical music today, we think of Mozart's Requiem -- we may not know it but we have Madame Mozart to thank for it.”

GB Public Associate Artistic Director Judy Braha, adds “Constanze’s plight is alive and well today. She's surrounded by men who want to steal Mozart's work and legacy, others who want to possess her body and censor her ideas, she's hated by her father-in-law and discommended by her own mother. Sound like any women we know – sound like any women we are?

Madame Mozart, the Lacrimosa will continue the season highlighting the strength of women in challenging times. All three world premieres at GB Public are not only written by women but all three also feature women leading the action.

GB Public Associate Artistic Director Judy Braha speaks to the development of the piece “Anne and I have been collaborating on this play for over 2 years. The first iteration, called Mozart’s Wife, was read as a solo work by Anne herself. After this first foray into the world of the play, GB Public Artistic Director Jim Frangione suggested writing another actor into the action to embody all the many people/circumstances that Constanze must overcome.”

In 2024, the play was further workshopped to include two actors and a live pianist. Director Judy Braha continues “We discovered that the piece worked so much more dynamically this way. Such a vibrant, growing journey for our first commissioned work!”

Season 2025 at Great Barrington Public Theater is already shaping up to be another record-breaking summer. With three world premiere plays, GB Public is on track for Season 2025 to beat 2024 as their best season on record. Be a part of the excitement and reserve your seats today.

Tickets for Great Barrington Public Theater’s 2025 Season are now on sale. Check out their website for more information. https://www.greatbarringtonpublictheater.org/