Mark Elliot Wilson

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) continues its 57th season, entitled Incredible Journeys, with William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Directed by Ian Belknap, Artistic Director of New York's prestigious The Acting Company, this tragedy of heartbreaking beauty speaks to every person of every era. Patrons can purchase tickets at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre Box Office located at 36 Madison Avenue in Madison, by calling the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or by going online at www.ShakespeareNJ.org. Performances begin on October 16th.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) continues its 57th season, entitled Incredible Journeys, with N. Richard Nash's The Rainmaker. Directed by Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte, this compelling story of love and hope has captivated audiences since it hit the stage in 1954. Patrons can purchase tickets at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre Box Office located at 36 Madison Avenue in Madison, by calling the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or by going online at www.ShakespeareNJ.org. Performances begin on July 31.

Since the dawn of the genre, stage shows have been adapted from various sources; books, other plays, poems, historical events, and, increasingly over the past two decades, movies. The best projects based on movies take what is special from the source material and use that as inspiration to form a fresh stage adaptation. However, the DIRTY DANCING National Tour, playing at Orlando's Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts through Sunday, April 3rd, focuses so intently on recreating the minutia of the film, that it completely misses what made it so captivating in the first place; authentic, compelling characters and an intimate, passionate story.

Hi guys! Last time we spoke I was headed into Johnny rehearsals, but due to some unforeseen circumstances I will be playing the 80 year old Mr. Schumacher first instead of the leading heartthrob for a few performances. This week, I guess versatility is a must! So to bone up on my more mature character, I've gone straight to our resident "old guys". First, I went to talk to Gary Lynch. This is his second time on tour with Dirty Dancing. I asked him how this show compares to the other US tour and he said it is sharper and more refined. "They've taken out a lot of extraneous material and made it more streamlined." Gary also originally played Moe, my role in the show. He told me how the character had a few more scenes, a song, and a lot more lines, but I sure am glad I don't have to do all that extra work with the insane amount of dancing and understudying I have to do in the show!

Theater for the New City, the Pulitzer Prize winning community cultural center that produces over thirty premieres of new American plays each year, presents the return of acclaimed playwright Eduardo Machado with the world premiere of his new play Worship, directed by Michael Domitrovich. Opening Night is set for Saturday, March 22nd at 8PM at Theater for the New City (155 First Avenue, between 9th and 10th Streets). This limited engagement continues through April 13th.

Summer in New York City is filled with outdoor theater events and different festivals. At 59E59 summer brings the annual SUMMER SHORTS. This is the seventh year for the event in which excellent writers, directors, and actors come together to present two series of three one-act-shorts. SERIES A delivers a humorous look inside the psyche during the audition process, a fast-paced telling of a political candidate's first meeting with her running mate, and an imaginative retelling of a classic tale of a princess.

Jana Robbins and Better World Productions present staged readings of ROBIN HOOD - The Final Adventure (Book by Thomas Meehan, Music by Peter Sipos, Lyrics by Martin Charnin) today, May 3rd and Monday, May 6th in New York City. The industry-only staged readings are open by invitation only. ROBIN HOOD - The Final Adventure is an exciting new musical filled with drama, intrigue, suspense and a whole lot of laughter.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents David Mamet's Race, directed by Timothy Near, February 8 - March 4. The production stars Zoey Martinson (Susan), Morocco Omari (Henry), Jeff Talbott (Jack), Mark Elliot Wilson (Charles). Check out production shots below!

In a season already packed with hits, the Rep smacks a home run with David Mamet's profanely brilliant play, RACE. Managing to expound not only about race, but also on how the justice system works in some cases, Mamet produces a wonderfully provocative work that seems designed to have tongues wagging after the performance. A splendid cast and smart, incisive direction come together to produce a masterwork. This fast-paced and driving play never lets up for a minute, and leaves the audience with plenty to chew on afterward.

I don't know how far along set and lighting designer Maruti Evans was with his work for INTAR's double bill of Eduardo Machado's In Paradise and Nick Norman's She Plundered Him when the company lost its home due to the sudden closing of the Zipper Theatre and its season was rescued by the availability of the much smaller studio space at the Cherry Lane Theatre, but I imagine the switch necessitated some drastic changes in his view of the two pieces. In any case, the end result is perhaps the most memorable and effective part of the evening.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Wednesday, March 4, 2009.

REVIEW: Tom Stoppard's classic comedy opens at CENTERSTAGE in Baltimore.