Anna-Deavere Smith News

The Second City and NBCUniversal are proud to announce the first annual NBCUniversal Second City Break Out Comedy Festival at UP Comedy Club (230 W. North, 3rd Floor of Piper's Alley) on Friday, June 5, and Saturday, June 6.

The Second City and NBCUniversal have announced the first annual NBCUniversal Second City Break Out Comedy Festival at UP Comedy Club (230 W. North, 3rd Floor of Piper's Alley) on Friday, June 5, and Saturday, June 6.

Actor, dancer and clown Ananda Bena-Weber returns to San Francisco, her hometown, this June in a two-week engagement of her original solo showFANCIFOOL!.

Philadelphia Theatre Company continues its 40th Anniversary season with the hit of the Humana Festival brownsville song (b-side for tray) by Kimber Lee May 1-31. Co-produced with Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, CT, brownsville song (b-side for Tray) is directed by Eric Ting, and features a cast including Sung Yun Cho, Curtiss Cook, Jr., Catrina Ganey, Anthony Martinez-Briggs, and Kaatje Welsh.

Playwrights Foundation has announced a partnership with Tides Theatre as the new home for our annual Bay Area Playwrights Festival (BAPF), now in its 38th year, which will run July 17-27, 2015 at the 90-seat theater in the heart of San Francisco's Theater District.

Law enforcement officer, hip hop star, Jinho 'The Piper' Ferreira examines the lines between 'right' and 'wrong' in COPS AND ROBBERS returning to the Marsh San Francisco for a limited five week run.

Berkeley Playhouse at the historic Julia Morgan Theater continues their seventh season with Hairspray, directed by Producing Artistic Director Daren A.C. Carollo (Broadway: A Time to Kill; Off-Broadway: bare The Musical; Regional: Diablo Theatre Company, Solano College Theatre, Napa Valley Opera House, Ohlone College, Town Hall Theatre Company, DRAA's On Broadway, El Campanil Theatre, Contra Costa Civic Theatre, Missouri Street Theatre, Role Players Ensemble) and choreographed by Alyssa Bond (Diablo Theatre Company, San Francisco State University, Golden State Theatre Productions, and Alameda Civic Light Opera). Previews begin April 23. Show runs from April 25 to May 17, 2015 at the Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. in Berkeley. Tickets are now available through the Box Office, call (510) 845-8542 x351 or visit berkeleyplayhouse.org.

Crowded Fire Theater (CFT) presents the West Coast Premiere of Blackademics by Idris Goodwin, opening Monday April 13 (previews April 9-11) running through May 2 at the Thick House in San Francisco's Potrero Hill.

Below, get a behind the scenes look at season 7 of Showtime's NURSE JACKIE, starring Edie Falco which includes a first look at Broadway's Tony Shalhoub

Tony and Grammy Award-winner Billy Porter continues Philadelphia Theatre Company's new Theatre Masters Series on March 23 at 7:00 PM at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). Porter will be joined in conversation by theatre historian and author John Kenrick. Launched as part of PTC's celebration of its 40th Anniversary season, Theatre Masters offers an array of Monday night on-stage interviews with major theatre artists with whom PTC has worked, each sharing personal journeys of transformation and creative growth over time and how it has impacted both art and life. The series, which launched February 16 with a sold out house for Bill Irwin, concludes with Anna Deavere Smith on May 11.

Berkeley Playhouse at the historic Julia Morgan Theater continues their seventh season with You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown directed and choreographed by Christina Lazo (Chicago, The Rocky Horror Show with Altarena Playhouse; All Shook Up, West Side Story with Tri Valley Repertory Theatre; A Chorus Line, Catch Me If You Can with Woodminster; and Bye Bye Birdie with Contra Costa Musical Theatre). Previews begin tonight, February 19, and runs from tonight, February 21 to March 15, 2015 at the Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. in Berkeley. BroadwayWorld has a look at the cast in action below!

Berkeley Playhouse at the historic Julia Morgan Theater continues their seventh season with You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown directed and choreographed by Christina Lazo (Chicago, The Rocky Horror Show with Altarena Playhouse; All Shook Up, West Side Story with Tri Valley Repertory Theatre; A Chorus Line, Catch Me If You Can with Woodminster; and Bye Bye Birdie with Contra Costa Musical Theatre). Previews begin tonight, February 19, and runs from February 21 to March 15, 2015 at the Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. in Berkeley. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Crowded Fire Theater (CFT), one of the Bay Area's most innovative and critically acclaimed producers of new plays, today announced the hiring of Mina Morita as the new Artistic Director. Morita replaces Marissa Wolf, who resigned from her post in December 2014 to become Director of New Works at Kansas City Rep. Morita's hire is the result of a national search that saw applications from over 40 talented candidates. As Artistic Associate at Berkeley Rep, Morita helped establish and run The Ground Floor: Berkeley Rep's Center for the Creation and Development of New Work. Mina also served as Board President of Shotgun Players for the past five years, during which she oversaw immense growth for the company. She will be leaving both positions to lead Crowded Fire in collaboration with longtime Managing Director and current Executive Producing Director Tiffany Cothran.

The Public Theater announced the 2015 Spring Public Forum season, featuring an exciting line-up of one-night-only readings and discussions that connect dramatic literature to society. Continuing its fifth year, the popular Public Forum series presents the theater of ideas: conversations and performances with leading voices in politics, media, and the arts.

Bridge Repertory Theater of Boston continues its second season with shows two and three running in repertory. While seemingly very different, FUFU & OREOS and SIXTY MILES TO SILVER LAKE are linked by a common theme of struggling to navigate between two worlds. As the Boston theater community examines the issue of gender parity, they are also linked by strong direction by the tandem of Rebecca Bradshaw and Shana Gozansky.

Philadelphia Theatre Company's continues its 40th Anniversary season with the Tony Award-nominated play Mothers and Sons by Terrence McNally tonight, February 6, through March 8. Directed by Wendy Goldberg, the cast features Hugh Kennedy, Emmy Award-winning actress Michael Learned, James Lloyd Reynolds, and Patrick Gibbons and Jacob D. Wilner in alternating performances.

Tony Award-winning actor and clown Bill Irwin opens Philadelphia Theatre Company's new Theatre Masters Series on February 16 at 7:00 PM at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). Irwin will be joined in his conversation by arts consultant and former Executive Director of the American Theatre Wing Howard Sherman.

For over 25 years, stars of stage and screen have come out to bowl in support of Second Stage's award-winning seasons and to assist the theatre in its fund-raising efforts at its annual All-Star Bowling Classic. Last night, stars gathered at Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge to bowl and BroadwayWorld brings you photos from inside the event below!

Five years in development, 'Small Axe' is a compelling, timely, provocative and inspiring new piece of Verbatim Theatre now playing at the Theatre Centre. It is presented by The Theatre Centre and Project: Humanity (PH). Founded in 2008, PH calls itself 'a non-profit organization raising awareness of social issues through the arts.' It reunites actor/writer Andrew Kushnir and director Alan Dilworth, who previously collaborated in 2010 on PH's 'The Middle Place,' a successful play about Toronto's homeless youth. Premiered at SummerWorks, it was restaged as a coproduction of Theatre Passe Muraille, Canadian Stage and PH.