LESLIE ODOM JR., STAR OF SMASH BROADWAY HIT ‘HAMILTON,’ HEADLINES WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL READING AT CLARK ART INSTITUTE

April 10, 2017

Williamstown, Massachusetts—Leslie Odom Jr., 2016 Tony Award-winner for his role as Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical Hamilton, will lead a dramatic reading of a new work, Safe Space, by Alan Fox at the Clark Art Institute on Thursday, June 8 at 7 pm in the auditorium. The reading is presented by Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Mandy Greenfield, who will also provide a sneak peek at the upcoming WTF season.

In addition to winning the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, Odom also won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album as a principal vocalist on the Hamilton soundtrack. Odom is a seasoned theatre and television star, including Broadway and Los Angeles productions of Rent, Jersey Boys, and Leap of Faith and in recurring television roles on shows including CSI: Miami, Smash, and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit

Safe Space tells the tale of college student Jenny, who challenges her professor and ignites a campus-wide protest. Her passion upends the status quo and pits the school's president against an opinionated professor. With the reputation of the university hanging in the balance, the president must weigh identity politics, ethics, and institutional stability as she faces the most difficult decisions of her career.

Additional casting for the reading will be announced in the coming weeks.

The reading is free, but reservations are required. This event is expected to sell out quickly. Tickets are available through both the clarkart.edu and wtfestival.org websites. Reservations can also be made by phone at 413 458 0524.

ABOUT THE CLARK

The Clark Art Institute, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, is one of a small number of institutions globally that is both an art museum and a center for research, critical discussion, and higher education in the visual arts. Opened in 1955, the Clark houses exceptional European and American paintings and sculpture, extensive collections of master prints and drawings, English silver, and early photography. Acting as convener through its Research and Academic Program, the Clark gathers an international community of scholars to participate in a lively program of conferences, colloquia, and workshops on topics of vital importance to the visual arts. The Clark library, consisting of more than 270,000 volumes, is one of the nation’s premier art history libraries. The Clark also houses and co-sponsors the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is $20; free year-round for Clark members, children 18 and younger, and students with valid ID. For more information, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.

Press contact:
Clark Art Institute
413 458 0471
[email protected]