Cincinnati Playhouse News

New Ground Theatre Festival, Cleveland Play House's annual showcase of new theatrical works will open with the world premiere production of Deborah Zoe Laufer's thought-provoking Informed Consent. The Festival is comprised of 25 performances of works ranging from fully-produced, large-scale collaborations to solo performances, to readings of plays hot off the writer's printer that represent a variety of new work from nationally-recognized artists. This year's lineup also includes work from Tony Award nominee and CWRU/CPH alumna, Elizabeth A. Davis, as well as critically acclaimed playwrights George Brant and Eric Coble, and Roe Green Award Winner Heidi Schreck. For the third consecutive year, the Roe Green Award brings a leading American playwright to Cleveland to develop a new project culminating in a reading and public conversation with the playwright. CPH is indebted to Honorary Producer Roe Green, Supporting Sponsor Ohio Savings Bank and Associate Sponsors Ulmer & Berne, Westlake Reed Leskosky and Walter Haverfield. The New Ground Theatre Festival will run from May 7 - 17.

ATCA has named Lauren Gunderson's I and You recipient of the Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, recognizing playwrights for scripts that premiered professionally outside New York City during 2013.

San Francisco Playhouse (Artistic Director Bill English & Producing Director Susi Damilano) continues its provocative eleventh season with Seminar by recent Susan Blackburn Award nominee Theresa Rebeck (Smash, The Scene).

Florida Studio Theatre announces its annual Richard and Betty Burdick New Play Reading Series, which will present three new plays by contemporary American playwrights. The series will take place in the Keating Theatre on Monday, April 28 at 7:00pm, Monday, May 5 at 7:00pm, and Saturday, May 10 at 2:00pm, and is part of FST's Sarasota Festival of New Plays. Tickets for the series are 3 plays for $25, or individual play readings for $10. Additionally, FRIENDS of FST can purchase a subscription for all 3 plays for $15. They may be purchased by calling the FST Box Office at (941) 366-9000 or by visiting www.floridastudiotheatre.org.

With Broadway's 2014 season now in full swing, there's a solid group of performers making their Broadway debuts this Spring. Meet all of the Great White Way's newest stars below, and be sure to let us know who you're most looking forward to seeing onstage!

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for Alan Ayckbourn's science fiction comedy Communicating Doors. Eleven plays penned by Alan Ayckbourn have been produced by the Alley, including the American premiere of Henceforward, directed by Ayckbourn, in 1987 and House & Garden in 2002. Alan Ayckbourn has been inducted into the American Theatre's Hall of Fame, received the 2010 Critics' Circle Award for Services to the Arts, became the first British playwright to receive both Olivier and Tony Special Lifetime Achievement Awards and was knighted in 1997 for services to the theatre.

David Ives' seductive play of gender politics and power VENUS IN FUR brings Broadway's hottest date night to the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's Robert S. Marx Theatre April 19 through May 17.

Music Theatre of Connecticut MainStage, Fairfield County's award-winning professional theatre company, concludes its 2013/2014 Season with 'The Fantasticks' a musical with book by Tom Jones, music by Harvey Schmidt, lyrics by Tom Jones and based on 'Les Romanesques' by Edmond Rostand. Performances are April 11 - May 4, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, with matinees Saturdays at 4pm and Sundays at 2pm, at MTC MainStage Studio Theatre, 246 Post Road East (Colonial Green/Lower Level) in downtown Westport, CT. Tickets range from $25-$45 ($5 discount for seniors/students) and are available by calling 203.454.3883 or visiting www.musictheatreofct.com.

From April 24 through June 1, one of William Shakespeare's most famous histories 'Richard III' gets an innovative PNT treatment in this boldly re-imagined tale of power, treachery, seduction, and fate.

City Theatre continues its 2013-2014 season with Grounded, a high-intensity drama by George Brant. Directed by Jenn Thompson, Grounded runs from today, March 29 to May 4, 2014 in City Theatre's Hamburg Studio, with an Opening Night performance on Friday, April 4 at 8pm.

Roundabout Theatre Company's production of VIOLET, starring Sutton Foster, Colin Donnell, Alexander Gemignani and Joshua Henry, begins previews tomorrow, March 28, 2014. VIOLET officially opens on April 20, 2014 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street). Scroll down to learn more about the full company and check out a sneak peek performance and interviews with the cast!

Playhouse is the Park is putting on their production of Pride & Prejudice. Pride & Prejudice has been performed and made into movies multiple times so critiquing the play itself is kind of pointless because most of us have made up our minds already on whether we like it or not. I happen to think it is a great play and enjoy it every time I see a movie version of it or the play version. And this production is no different, I enjoyed it.

Magic Theatre will welcome back one of Scotland's leading contemporary playwrights, Linda McLean, with the world premiere of Every Five Minutes, directed by Producing Artistic Director Loretta Greco. Every Five Minutes runs today, March 26 - April 20.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater concludes its 60th Anniversary Season with The History of Invulnerability, the play The Washingtonian says 'leap[s] across an impressive array of thought-provoking issues in a single bound . . . a super achievement.' The cast features Rep newcomers Bob Amaral, JJ Phillips and Greg Wood, as well as Rep Associate Artists Angela Iannone and Gerard Neugent, Rep Artistic Associate Michael Kroeker, guest actors Kelley Faulkner and Josh Landay, children's cast John Brotherhood, Luke Brotherhood and Max Pink as well as several members of The Rep's Artistic Ensemble. Written by playwright David Bar Katz, The History of Invulnerability will be directed by Rep Artistic Director Mark Clements. The Executive Producer for this production is Judy Hansen.

Mothers and Sons, the new play by four-time Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally and starring Tyne Daly, opens tomorrow, March 24, 2014 at Broadway's John Golden Theatre. Also in the cast are Bobby Steggert, Frederick Weller, and Grayson Taylor. Tony nominee Sheryl Kaller (Next Fall) directs. Scroll down to learn more about the full company, plus watch interview swith the cast below!

The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is hosting a staged reading of Theresa Rebeck's new play, FOOL, in conjunction with the Cincy in NYC performing arts showcase in New York City May 6 through 12.

Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Joe Masteroff, John Kander and Fred Ebb's Tony winning musical Cabaret, starring Tony Award-winner Alan Cumming and Golden Globe-winner Michelle Williams, begins previews tomorrow, Friday March 21. Cabaret officially opens on Thursday, April 24, 2014 at Studio 54 (254 West 54th Street). This is a 24-week limited engagement. Scroll down to learn more about the full company, plus watch a TV spot for the production below!

Lincoln Center Theater presents Act One, a play written and directed by James Lapine from the autobiography by Moss Hart. The production is scheduled to begin previews tomorrow night, March 20 and will open on Thursday, April 17 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street). Scroll down to learn more about the full company, plus check out the latest TV spot for the production!

Marin Theatre Company, in association with Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, will stage August Wilson's Fences, the 1950s entry into his Century Cycle (also known as his Pittsburgh Cycle) - a decade-by-decade exploration of the black experience in 20th century America. Directed by Derrick Sanders, the Pulitzer Prize and two-time Tony Award-winning play will feature veteran film and television actor Carl Lumbly as Troy Maxson, Steven Anthony Jones, the artistic director of Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, as Jim Bono and award-winning actor, playwright and director Margo Hall as Rose, as well as Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Eddy Ray Jackson as Cory, Adrian Roberts as Gabriel, Tyee Tilghman as Lyons and two Marin City youths - Jade Sweeney, who attends Willow Creek Academy, and Makaelah Bashir, Bayside Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy - splitting the role of Raynell.