Ars Nova News

The Brick Theater, Inc. will present the World Premiere of Robert Honeywell's (Ich Liebe Jesus!; Greed: a Musical Love $tory) all-female rock musical, Mass, tonight, April 13-30 at The Brick (579 Metropolitan Ave at Lorimer Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn). The production will be directed by Leah Bonvissuto (Ye Elizabeths at Planet Connections 2012) with Music Direction by Maria Dessena (2012 MAC nominated Jessye Normous Show) and will feature Esther Crow, Rebecca GRay Davis, Melissa DeLancey, Kaitlan Emery, Amanda LaPergola, Tracy Shar, Pheobe Silva*, and Moira Stone*.

Negin Farsad, Amy Albert and Beth McGregor present the weekly standup show, Comedy School Dropout. In the grand tradition of East Village alternative rooms, Comedy School Dropout brings top-notch standup comics, the occasional comedy musical act, subversive duo, or extremely talented threesome, to the stage for the cut-rate price of zero dollars.

Paper Mill Playhouse presents Thoroughly Modern Millie, winner of the 2002 Drama Desk and Tony Award for Best Musical. This effervescent musical romp will feature Ashley Kate Adams (Miss Dorothy Brown), Brenda Braxton (Muzzy Van Hossmere), Billy Bustamante (Bun Foo), Jeff Kready (Jimmy Smith), Burke Moses (Mr. Trevor Graydon), Lenora Nemetz (Mrs. Meers), James Seol (Ching Ho), Jessica Sheridan (Miss Flannery) and Laurie Veldheer (Millie Dillmount). Thoroughly Modern Millie will be directed by Paper Mill Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee with choreography by Denis Jones. Thoroughly Modern Millie will run at the Millburn, New Jersey, theater from tonight, April 10 through May 5, 2013. The official press opening is Sunday, April 14, at 7:00pm.

The Flea Theater will present the world premiere of a cautionary tale by playwright christopher oscar peña. Directed by Flea Resident Director Benjamin H. Kamine (Thomas Bradshaw's Job), previews begin May 29 with opening night set for June 10.

The Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) at Shepherd University has announced the five-play repertory for its 23rd season of producing and developing new American theater. The four-week festival, consisting of 94 performances and other programming, will be held July 5 - 28 on the Shepherd University campus in Shepherdstown, WV.

Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman has selected playwright Jen Silverman as the winner of the 2013 Yale Drama Series for her play Still, chosen from almost 1100 entries from 30 countries. As winner of the competition, Still will be published by Yale University Press, receive a staged reading at Lincoln Center Theater's Claire Tow Theater, and Ms. Silverman will be presented with the David Charles Horn Prize, a cash award of $10,000.

Keen Teens, the educational theatre partnership between Off-Broadway's Keen Company and the theatrical publishing company Samuel French, has selected the writers for the program's seventh season: Jonathan Caren, Madeleine George, and Anna Moench, who have been commissioned to write thirty-minute, large cast plays, which will be produced with student actors Off-Broadway.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten has announced additions to the Festival's 59th Season, including Blood Play, The Debate Society's off-Broadway hit, which will play the Nikos Stage, August 7 - 18, 2013. It was also announced today that celebrated comedian (and Williamstown Theatre Festival regular) Lewis Black will return to the WTF Main Stage for My Fair Lewis, a one-night-only evening of stand-up, on Monday, July 22, and that the Festival's signature Late-Night Cabaret series - featuring Festival stars in rarely seen cabaret performances - returns to Goodrich Hall, July 11 - 13, July 25 - 27, August 8 - 10 at 10:30 PM.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten has announced additions to the Festival's 59th Season, including Blood Play, The Debate Society's off- Broadway hit, which will play the Nikos Stage, August 7 - 18, 2013. It was also announced today that celebrated comedian (and Williamstown Theatre Festival regular) Lewis Black will return to the WTF Main Stage for My Fair Lewis, a one-night-only evening of stand-up, on Monday, July 22, and that the Festival's signature Late-Night Cabaret series - featuring Festival stars in rarely seen cabaret performances - returns to Goodrich Hall, July 11 - 13, July 25 - 27, August 8 - 10 at 10:30 PM.

Sundance Institute just presented playwright and Sundance Institute Theatre Lab alum Branden Jacobs-Jenkins with the first-ever Tennessee Williams Award from the Institute's Theatre Program, which supports the development of new work for the stage. Sundance Institute Emeritus Trustee Sally Field presented the honor and accompanying $10,000 grant at the Celebrate Sundance Institute benefit for its Theatre Program last night at Stephan Weiss Studio in Greenwich Village. BroadwayWorld was there for the festivities and you can check out who was there to celebrate below!

Slant Theatre Project, the team that presented the critically acclaimed play THE STEADFAST earlier this season, will present the sixth episode in their popular story-telling series ON THIS ISLAND on Tuesday, April 9 at 8:00pm at Ars Nova (511 West 54th Street) in Manhattan. Matt Dellapina will host.

Jonathan Whitton (Bistro & MAC Award Winner, HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH) continues his critically lauded concert residency with guitarist Aaron Jones at Don't Tell Mama. BLACK SHEEP CARNIVAL will play once a month through 2013 with initial dates scheduled for Friday, May 3 & June 7 @ 7:30PM and Monday, July 8 & August 5 @ 7:30PM. Tickets are $10 plus a two-drink minimum.

Negin Farsad, Amy Albert and Beth McGregor present the weekly standup show, Comedy School Dropout. In the grand tradition of East Village alternative rooms, Comedy School Dropout brings top-notch standup comics, the occasional comedy musical act, subversive duo, or extremely talented threesome, to the stage for the cut-rate price of zero dollars.

Liz Callaway (Miss Saigon, Baby), Kate Shindle (Legally Blonde, Cabaret), Betsy Wolfe (The Last Five Years, The Mystery of Edwin Drood), F. Michael Haynie (Wicked, Dogfight), Zachary Prince (On A Clear Day…) and Sam Heldt (Junie B. Jones) have joined the lineup of performers for musical theater writer Adam Gwon's upcoming concert at 54 Below tonight April 8, 2013 at 9:30pm. Heading up a five-piece band, Gwon will premiere brand-new songs and share fresh and funny tunes from his musicals Ordinary Days, Cloudlands, The Boy Detective Fails, and String.

New York Live Arts is set to present several Re: Awakenings performances as part of the inaugural Live Ideas festival. New York Live Arts' newest program initiative, Live Ideas is an annual humanities festival that will explore a different theme each year over several days. The inaugural festival, The Worlds of Oliver Sacks, will take place from April 17 through 21, 2013 and is comprised of more than 20 events, including performances, films and discussions that showcase works of art and spark conversations that engage the prevalent themes in the acclaimed neurologist's works.

The New Theater at 45th Street & New York Music/Theatre Project presents the New York City premiere of the children's musical BILLY, GOAT, GRUFF: The Musical, at The New Theater at 45th Street. Directed by Chris Fink & Amanda Sayles, BILLY, GOAT, GRUFF: The Musical, features a talented cast of eight, with credits from the National Tour of Jekyll & Hyde Legally Blonde to NYMF's 'Next Broadway Sensation' to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Whistle Down the Wind. Originally scheduled to open on April 6, the new opening date of April 19, was set to accommodate a conflict in dates at the theatre.