Arena Stage News

Signature Theatre has announced the cast of Elmer Gantry, a musical version of Sinclair Lewis' best-selling novel, directed by Signature's Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer (Broadway's Follies, Million Dollar Quartet). Schaeffer collaborated on the last production of Elmer Gantry at Marriott's Lincolnshire Theatre in Chicago with authors John Bishop (book), Mel Marvin (music) and Bob Satuloff (lyrics) in 1998; the show has not been produced since then. This will be the 5th production in the show's history. Running in the MAX Theatre October 7 - November 9, Signature's production will include several brand new songs by Mel Marvin and Bob Satuloff and a reimagined script that John Bishop worked on until his death in 2006.

The Pasadena Playhouse announces the cast of STOP KISS, the second production of its 2014-2015 Season. Written by Diana Son and directed by Pasadena Playhouse Associate Artistic Director Seema Sueko, STOP KISS stars Sharon Leal (Bill Condon's Dreamgirls, Fox's "Boston Public," and Lionsgate's Addicted), Angela Lin (Broadway's Chinglish), John Sloan (Fox's "Happy Hour"), Brandon Scott (ABC's "Grey's Anatomy"), Amanda Carlin (Liar Liar), and Jeff De Serrano (A&E's "Longmire"). The production is performed November 4 - 30, 2014 with the official press night on Wednesday, November 9, 2014.

Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, announces the cast and creative team for its production of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's Camelot, directed by David Lee with music direction and orchestrations by Steve Orich (Jersey Boys) and choreography by Mark Esposito (South Pacific with Reba McEntire). The production will run November 15-December 14, 2014, with the opening night on Friday, November 21 at 8pm. Tickets starting at $20 and ticket packages for Two River's season are available from 732.345.1400 or www.tworivertheater.org. The lead production sponsor for Camelot is Investors Bank.

Marin Theatre Company continues its 48th Season with the Bay Area premiere of Samuel D. Hunter's The Whale, which won MTC's 2011 Sky Cooper New American Play Prize and has gone on to become one of the most critically acclaimed new plays in America since its premiere in 2012.

Questing Beast Productions is proud to present the 2014 FringeNYC Encores performances of HOAXOCAUST!, written and performed by Barry Levey, directed by Jeremy Gold Kronenberg (Caroline, or Change - NYIT Award Outstanding Production of a Musical Nominee). HOAXOCAUST! Winner of this year's 18th Annual New York International Fringe Festival - FringeNYC Overall Excellence Award.

Huntington Theatre Company welcomes Julia Duffy, Tony Award winner Adriane Lenox, Boston favorite Will Lyman and Malcolm-Jamal Warner in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, the opening production of the 2014 Best of Boston's 33rd season. This funny and poignant stage adaptation of the award-winning 1967 film opens tonight, September 10, 2014.

People's Light & Theatre opens its 40th Anniversary Season with August Wilson's Fences running tonight, September 10-October 5, 2014 on the Leonard C. Haas Stage. Kamilah Forbes directs. People's Light & Theatre is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA 19355.

The Old Globe today announced the full cast and creative team for Marco Ramirez's ('Orange is the New Black,' 'Sons of Anarchy') wildly theatrical new play The Royale, directed by two-time Obie Award-winning and Drama Desk Award-nominated Rachel Chavkin. Founding Artistic Director of New York's the TEAM, Chavkin most recently won accolades for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (The New York Times, Time Out New York, and New York Post Critics's Picks, and Top Ten of 2012 and 2013). The Royale will run October 4 to November 2 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run October 4 - 8. Opening night is Thursday, October 9 at 8:00 p.m.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG) is pleased to announce the ten participants in the SPARK Leadership Program, one of the programs in TCG's Leading the Charge: Diversity & Inclusion Initiative, SPARK will create a more diverse theatre landscape by supporting the professional development of exceptional rising leaders of color who aim to take on executive leadership positions in artistic, management or producing roles at U.S. not-for-profit theatres.

Sixth Avenue has announced that Town Hall: A Back Room Play Reading Series will continue with Partners by Dorothy Fortenberry. The play will be read for one night only, tonight, September 9 at 8pm at Akbar in Silver Lake.

Artists Rep will kick off its 2014/15 season with the Portland premiere of Intimate Apparel by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage. Artists Rep Artistic Associate and Resident Artist Michael Mendelson will direct this award-winning, Off-Broadway and regional theatre sensation.

Today, September 6th, Everyman Theatre welcomes seasoned theatrical professionals for its panel discussion entitled 'Waiting in the Wings.' The panel is a part of the discussion series, The World of the Play, which began during the 2013/14 season.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG) is pleased to announce the publication of Samuel D. Hunter's The Whale/A Bright New Boise. This is the first book by Hunter from TCG. Winner of Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel awards, The Whale has had several notable productions, including its world premiere at the Denver Theatre Company in January 2012 and an off-Broadway run at Playwrights Horizons in October 2012 in New York, NY. The Obie Award-winning A Bright New Boise was first produced by Partial Comfort Productions in New York in September 2010, and enjoyed a subsequent production at Woolly Mammoth Theater Company in Washington, DC. The award-winning plays will be available in paperback and as an eBook.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater kicks off the 2014/15 season with the world premiere of Morris Panych's The Shoplifters, a biting comedy about society's haves and have-nots and how much they might actually have in common. Noted Canadian playwright and director Panych, a two-time recipient of the Governor General's Literary Award, makes his Arena Stage debut with an expertly drawn cast of oddball characters and a high-stakes battle of wills involving a career shoplifter whose life of petty crime is halted by an overzealous rookie security guard and his ambivalent mentor. The Shoplifters runs tonight, September 5, through October 19, 2014 in the Kreeger Theater.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? This weekend's big news: THE WINTER'S TALE begins at the Delacorte, 'MIGHTY REAL' starts performances off-Broadway, RUTHLESS! benefits BC/EFA, we remember Joan Rivers and more!

According to the history books, the infamous Gunpowder Plot was a conspiracy by England's marginalized Catholics to blow up Protestant King James I and his entire Parliament. Or was it? What if the official story concealed a darker truth? And what if King James had commanded William Shakespeare to write a play -- a "true historie" -- on order to further cement the government's account? These are some of the questions asked in Equivocation, Bill Cain's witty exploration of political power and artistic integrity. Winner of the prestigious 2010 Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, Equivocation opens on Sept. 5 at Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

In conjunction with its upcoming production the compelling family comedy Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Huntington Theatre Company will host a number of special events and post-show conversations.

Huntington Theatre Company welcomes Julia Duffy, Tony Award winner Adriane Lenox, and Boston favorite Will Lyman alongside Malcolm-Jamal Warner in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, the opening production of the 2014 Best of Boston's 33rd season.

Why do some actors make it and others don't? Ken Womble sets out to find the answer to this question, one that has fascinated and tormented him for years, in his new book, INSIDE ACT: How Ten Actors Made it and How You Can Too (Hansen Publishing Group, 373 pages, $24.99). To celebrate the release, BroadwayWorld will be featuring chapter previews from the new book. Today, hear from Gary Beach!

Joseph W. Ritsch directs his first Everyman production.