At almost the same time Theatre 3 announced its new season on Wednesday (see above), WaterTower Theatre announced its new roster as well (although it was in Lawry’s Prime Rib in Addison). The season includes area premieres, notably of Mark Twain’s Is He Dead? (adapted by David Ives) and Grey Gardens, the musical drawn from the Mayles brothers’ documentary about Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale and her daughter.

The new season drops the Discover Series, the WaterTower’s smaller shows in its Studio Theatre (like the current Based on a Totally True Story). But WaterTower will return to four-week runs for the shows, having cut its current shows to three weeks.

Grey Gardens (October 1-25) Jackie Kennedy’s strange relatives have inspired a documentary, an HBO show and this musical by (former Dallasite) DFoug Wright, Scott Frankel and Michael Korie.

Forever Plaid: Plaid Things (December 3-23) The  Christmas-themed sequel to the popular muiscal revue about a clean-cut quartet of pre-Beatles singers.

Laughter on the 23rd Floor (January 214-February 7) Life with Sid Caesar’s comedy writers as remembered by Neil Simon.

Out of the Loop Fringe Festival ()March 4-14) The WaterTower’s annual collection of touring shows and local new plays returns for its ninth time.

Is He Dead? (April 1-23)  Mark Twain’s 1898 script was dusted off and found, with a few tweaks, to work onstage after more than a century. Appropriately enough for April Fools and for our own age of morbid celebrity worship: An artist fakes his own death to drive up the prices on his paintings.

Black Pearl Sings (May 20-June 13), Area premiere of Frank Higgins’ play about a female prisoner, a singer of spirituals, discovered by a folk music researcher. Stars Liz Mikel.

The Full Monty (July 8-August 1) Appropriate enoughly for our economic times: The musical about blue collar guys out of work and willing to take it off to make a living.