Ars Nova News

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced the third annual Roundabout Underground Reading Series. The series will celebrate seven critically-acclaimed seasons of Roundabout Underground productions. Roundabout Underground Reading Series is a five night event that will include a nightly reading of a new play written and directed by an emerging artist.

WICKED will welcome new cast members to the Broadway blockbuster beginning Tuesday, February 25. CHRISTINE DWYER will assume the role of Elphaba, after recently performing the role on National Tour, and JENNI BARBER (The Nance, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) will assume the role of Glinda.

Hartford Stage is now accepting applications from high school student writers, actors, rappers, dancers, musicians, poets and artists to create and perform an original theatre piece as part of Project: Transform. Project: Transform is a free program that will bring together approximately 15 high school students from districts throughout Connecticut to create and perform their own piece of theatre, under the guidance of renowned guest playwright and Aetna New Voices Fellow Janine Nabers and director Hunter Parker.

Kindling Theatre Company has announced the World Premiere of TAKE ME BACK, written by Emily Schwend and directed by Jay Stull. TAKE ME BACK begins performances on Friday, February 28 for a limited engagement through Saturday, March 22. Opening Night is Wednesday, March 5 at 8 PM. The performance schedule is Wednesday - Saturday at 8 PM, with added performances on Monday, March 3 and Tuesday, March 4 at 8 PM. Performances are at Walkerspace (46 Walker Street, between Broadway and Church Streets). Tickets are $18 and are available by calling SmartTix at (212) 868-4444 or visiting www.smarttix.com.

Winter usually isn't the busiest time of year for incoming Broadway shows, but that doesn't mean that there is any lack of fresh talent making their debuts! The Broadway Winter has arrived, and while a solid number of new faces are treading the boards, dozens more are on their way in the coming months. Meet all of Broadway's newest stars below!

Jackalope Theatre Company, the Edgewater-based group which cultivates theatre that manifests the adventure deeply rooted in the American mythos, announces the second production in its sixth season. Jackalope's season continues with the world premiere of THE KILLING OF MICHAEL X written by Cory Hinkle and directed by Associate Artistic Director Kaiser Ahmed. It will play March 12 - April 13 at Broadway Armory Park, 5917 N. Broadway in Chicago.

IAMA Theatre Company has announced the Los Angeles premiere of The Recommendation, written by Jonathan Caren and directed by Laura Savia, at Theatre Asylum in Hollywood. There will be two lower-priced preview performances on Thursday, February 6 and Friday, February 7 at 8pm, and opening is set for Saturday, February 8 at 8pm. The Recommendation will play a limited engagement through March 9 only.

Washington Ensemble Theatre to Present ED, DOWNLOADED by Michael Mitnick in its reigonal premiere. Directed by Ali el-Gasseir, Ed, Downloaded will play today, January 31 - February 24, 2014, running Thursdays through Mondays at 7:30. The Opening Night Reception is set for tonight, January 31st after the show.

Yale Repertory Theatre presents THE FAIRYTALE LIVES OF RUSSIAN GIRLS by Meg Miroshnik, directed by Rachel Chavkin, tonight, January 31-February 22 at Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street). Opening Night is Thursday, February 6.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will continue its three-month engagement at JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater on Sunday, February 16 at 9:30 PM with a celebration of stage and screen star Bernadette Peters. After a highly-successful run at 54 Below, the show has returned to its downtown roots for an exciting Winter/spring season. The February show will feature special guests to be announced.

The improbable 90-year history of New York City Center, the Moorish Revival theater on West 55th Street that is home to Fall for Dance and Encores!, is the inspiration for Women's Project Theater's second production of the season. The Architecture of Becoming is the creation of five playwrights and three directors who have intertwined secret societies, silent films, raucous parties, and the greatest performers of our time with five fictional lives woven through the dynamic history of this great landmark.

59E59 Theaters has announced the return of Strangemen & Co. with the premiere of THE WOODSMAN, created by James Ortiz, and directed by Mr. Ortiz and Claire Karpen. THE WOODSMAN begins performances tonight, January 30 for a limited engagement through Sunday, February 16. Press Opening is Wednesday, February 5 at 7:15 PM.

Ars Nova kicks off 2014 with Game Play, this year's incarnation of Ars Nova's annual Play Group production. An evening of original short plays and live music inspired by classic board game titles, Game Play features Peter Benson, Marcia DeBonis, Dashiell Eaves, Brandon Gill, Ben Graney, Susan Heyward, Jessica Love and Carmen Zilles. This production plays 10 performances, today, January 29 - February 8.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater's Artistic Director David Van Asselt and Managing Director Brian Long have announced that Ken Urban's The Correspondent, directed by Stephen Brackett will begin previews tonight, January 29, 2014, at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 224 Waverly Place, west of Seventh Avenue South, between West 11th and Perry Streets. The official opening night is set for Thursday, February 13, 2014. The Correspondent is scheduled to run through Sunday, March 16.

The NATIONAL NEW PLAY NETWORK (NNPN), the country's alliance of non-profit theaters that champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays, announces its 39th Rolling World Premiere: Peter Sinn Nachtrieb's The Totalitarians will receive three productions through the Network's Continued Life of New Plays Fund in 2014. The Totalitarians will begin its Rolling World Premiere at Southern Rep (New Orleans, LA, January 29 - February 23, 2014), followed by performances at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (Washington, DC, June 2 - 29, 2014) and Z Space (San Francisco, CA, November 17 - December 14, 2014).

Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Artistic Director) kicks off 2014 with Game Play, this year's incarnation of Ars Nova's annual Play Group production. An evening of original short plays and live music inspired by classic board game titles, Game Play will have 10 performances, January 29 - February 8.

Colt Coeur's Play Hotel reading series will present a free staged reading of She Rode Horses Like the Stock Exchange by Amelia Roper, directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, January 28th at 7pm at SoHo House in Manhattan. The cast for the reading includes McCaleb Burnett (Scarcity, Rattlestick), Katya Campbell (How to Make Friends and then Kill Them, Rattlestick), Zuzanna Szadkowski ('Gossip Girl'), and Matt Stadelmann (The Grown-Up, Humana). The event is hosted by Sam Goldberg and Julia Jones.

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director), Barry Grove (Executive Producer), and Mandy Greenfield (Artistic Producer) just announced that Manhattan Theatre Club will produce the American premiere of THE LION, the new autobiographical musical written and performed by 2013 ASCAP Cole Porter Songwriting Award winner Benjamin Scheuer, directed by Sean Daniels. The five-week limited engagement for THE LION will begin previews on Tuesday, June 10 and open Thursday, June 26 as the second production of MTC's 2013-2014 season of The Studio at Stage II - Harold and Mimi Steinberg New Play Series at New York City Center - Stage II (131 West 55th Street).