Arena Stage News

Playwrights Horizons has announced initial casting for the New York premiere production of STAGE KISS, a new play marking the eagerly-awaited return of two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl(Dead Man's Cell Phone at PH; The Clean House, In the Next Room...) to the theater company. Directed by Rebecca Taichman (Milk Like Sugar at PH; the current Marie Antoinette, Orlando, The Scene, Luck of the Irish), the production will begin previews Friday evening, February 7 at 8PM with an Opening Night set for Sunday, March 2 at 7PM. The limited engagement will play through Sunday evening, March 23 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Native Voices at the Autry continues its vital role as the country's only equity theatre company dedicated exclusively to developing the work of Native American Playwrights with its third annual Short Play Festival, featuring staged readings of six engaging short plays on the theme 'Legal Briefs: Lawmakers & Activists' written by veteran playwrights today, November 10, 1:30 p.m., at the Wells Fargo Theater at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in partnership with the United States Department of State will send four Arena Stage teaching artists to Zagreb, Croatia December 1-20, 2013 to work with students and young adults with physical disabilities to create a play entitled Disable(d) Prejudice and provide professional development training seminars, based on Arena Stage's Voices of Now devised theater program. Now in its 11th year, Voices of Now equips participants to write and perform autobiographical theater that poses questions about social, cultural and emotional issues, with a focus on creating projects that bring voice to issues of relevancy for the young artists involved.

Actors' Equity Association ("AEA" or Equity) has announced the selection of Ralph Remington as Western regional director/assistant executive director, effective January 2014. Remington succeeds Mary Lou Westerfield who steps down from the post at the end of the year.

Continuing its 26th Season, Lookingglass Theatre Company presents The Little Prince, produced in Association with The Actors Gymnasium, by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar, based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and directed by Ensemble Member David Catlin. The Little Prince runs December 5, 2013 - February 2, 2014 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. The Press Opening is Saturday, December 14, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

Following previous seasons sold-out holiday hits, The Snow Queen and Hansel and Gretel, the A.R.T. Institute, in association with the Loeb Drama Center, brings another children's story to life - The Light Princess, by Lila Rose Kaplan with music by Mike Pettry, directed by Allegra Libonati, with choreography by Jeff and Rick Kuperman. Performances will be held at the Loeb Drama Center at from December 21 through January 5, 2014.

Billy Crystal will return to Broadway this fall for a 9-week-only limited engagement of his Tony Award-winning, record-breaking play 700 Sundays. This will mark the final engagement of this production. Previews begin tonight, November 5, 2013 at the Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street) with opening night scheduled for Wednesday, November 13, 2013 and a final performance set for Sunday, January 5, 2014. 700 Sundaysis performed and written by Mr. Crystal with additional content by Alan Zweibel and direction by Des McAnuff.

KEVIN CARTER, Bobby Cronin, SCOTT EVAN DAVIS, DREW GASPARINI, JULIA MEINWALD, BLAKE PFEIL, JEFF THOMSON, and AMANDA GREEN star in INSPIRED 2: A Benefit Concert for the Humane Society of NYC and The Last Resort Rescue of NJ, on Monday November 18th, 7pm at Stage 72/Triad.

THE TRAMP'S NEW WORLD, an original one-man show written by and featuring Robert Jansen, will make its Baltimore premiere at the Charm City Fringe Festival, playing at the Baltimore Theatre Project November 6-10, 2013. Tickets are available at www.charmcityfringe.com.

Charles Newell, Artistic Director of Court Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, is the 2013 recipient of The Zelda Fichandler Award, an award to recognize an outstanding director or choreographer who is transforming the regional arts landscape through imaginative, brave work in theatre. The $5,000 award, given by Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation, heralds both accomplishment to date and promise for the future, and lauds deep commitment to a community.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University and the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research (formerly known as the Du Bois Institute), in conjunction with Hilton Als of The New Yorker, will present a staged reading of Alice Childress's Wedding Band: A Love-Hate Story in Black and White, co-directed by Hilton Als and A.R.T. Artistic Associate Shira Milikowsky. It takes place at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, starting at 7:30pm, and will be followed by a post-reading discussion.

With the Broadway Fall season in full swing, and a constant need for replacements, there is a solid group of performers making their Broadway debuts this Fall. Meet all of Broadway's newest stars below!

On December 9, 2013 92Y celebrates songwriting legend Mike Stoller on the occasion of his 80th year with An 80th Birthday Celebration, a one-night-only Lyrics & Lyricists Special Event hosted by Paul Shaffer and directed and written by Randy Johnson (director/writer of A Night with Janis Joplin). Confirmed artists performing expected and unexpected interpretations from Stoller's genre-spanning career in blues, R&B, rock 'n' roll and jazz include legendary vocal group The Coasters, along with artists Karen Akers, Mary Bridget Davies, Corky Hale, Maria Elena Infantino, Sally Kellerman, Bettye LaVette, Melissa Manchester, Billy Stritch, Tommy Tune and Steve Tyrell. Backed by Tyrell's band, the artists perform some of the greatest songs written by Stoller with his longtime lyricist partner Jerry Leiber and others. Leiber will be the subject of a special tribute during the evening. Stoller is planning to be in attendance for the celebration.

Dr. Barbara Ann Teers's National Black Theatre (NBT) will open its 45th Season with the New York Premiere of The Last Saint On Sugar Hill, written by Keith Josef Adkins and directed by Seret Scottannounced NBT's Director of Theatre Arts Program, Jonathan McCrory. Preview performances begin tonight, October 29th at NBT, 2031 Fifth Avenue starting at 7:30pm. The opening night is set for Friday, November 1st at 7pm. The production will run through Sunday, November 24th.

Arena Stage's world premiere production offers something a little bit different. Despite some fundamental challenges, the play shows considerable promise.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will take the stage at the Shakespeare Theatre Company this holiday season. Making his STC mainstage directing debut, STC Associate Director Alan Paul heads up the hilarious and fun musical farce based on the classic plays of ancient Roman playwright Plautus. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will play at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW) from November 21, 2013-January 5, 2014.

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced that Dinner with Friends by Pulitzer Prize winnerDonald Margulies, directed by Tony Award winner Pam MacKinnon will open on February 13, 2014. The cast will include Jeremy Shamos as 'Gabe,' Darren Pettie as 'Tom', Marin Hinkle as 'Karen,' and Maria Dizzia as 'Beth.'

Paper Mill Playhouse will continue its 75th Anniversary Season with the classic Charles Dickens musical Oliver!, with a holiday 'twist' for the entire family. With a book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, Oliver! will be directed by Paper Mill Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee with original choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter. Oliver! will feature David Garrison (Fagin), best known for his role as Steve Rhoades on the hit television series Married...with Children, Betsy Morgan (Nancy), John Treacy Egan (Mr. Bumble), Jose Llana (Bill Sikes), David Hess (Mr. Brownlow), Ethan Haberfield (Artful Dodger) and introducing Tyler Moran as Oliver. Oliver! will also feature 16 local boys from across the state of New Jersey who auditioned from a pool of over 200. Oliver! will play the Millburn, New Jersey theater from November 21 through December 29. The official press opening night is Sunday, December 1, 2013, at 7:00pm.