David Auburn News

Simon Levy directs the West Coast premiere of the original drama about scientific intrigue and competition - and a woman's life in a man's world. Photograph 51 by Anna Ziegler opens on March 21 at The Fountain Theatre for a seven-week run through May 3. Low-priced previews begin March 14.

Partial Comfort Productions will present the 4th annual BATTLE OF THE BARDS on Friday February 20, 2009 at The Canal Room (285 West Broadway at Canal Street). BATTLE OF THE BARDS is a one-night-only theater competition pitting New York City's hottest emerging theater companies against each other in a stage-fight to the finish. With an audience of nearly 1000 last year, this benefit for Partial Comfort Productions has rapidly become Off-Off Broadway's biggest annual event.

Partial Comfort Productions will present the 4th annual BATTLE OF THE BARDS on Friday February 20, 2009 at The Canal Room (285 West Broadway at Canal Street). BATTLE OF THE BARDS is a one-night-only theater competition pitting New York City's hottest emerging theater companies against each other in a stage-fight to the finish. With an audience of nearly 1000 last year, this benefit for Partial Comfort Productions has rapidly become Off-Off Broadway's biggest annual event. The panel of judges for the event include Pulitzer Prize winning playwrights David Auburn (Proof) and Suzan-Lori Parks (Topdog/Underdog), actors John Slattery (Mad Men) and Daniel Sunjata (Rescue Me), casting director Marcia Debonis (Bride Wars) and theater journalist David Cote (Time Out New York). This year, seven theater companies will compete in BATTLE OF THE BARDS: Naked Angels, Ma-Yi, EST's Youngblood, The Fire Department, Electric Pear, Flux and Partial Comfort. Each company assembles its own artistic team consisting of playwright, director and actors. On Feb 6th, each team will be given the parameters by which to write, cast, and rehearse a world premiere one-act play; all plays must incorporate the use of a prop that will be personally selected by William H. Macy (currently starring on Broadway in Speed the Plow). Two weeks later, on February 20th, these plays will be performed publicly at The Canal Room and the winner will be determined by a panel of celebrities and industry professionals. An audience favorite award will also be presented. Winning companies receive prize packages donated by area businesses that specialize in theater production (rehearsal spaces, lighting packages, sound rentals, etc.) that help offset costs of future productions.

The National Arts Club announced the recipients of its Kesselring Fellowship (formerly the Kesselring Award) supporting the work of extraordinary playwrights who have yet to achieve national recognition. An industry panel of writers, literary managers, actors, producers and directors and critics evaluated twenty-five finalists. In a rare move based on extraordinary merit, the 2009 panel and the National Arts Club choose to give out two lead awards rather than one. These two playwrights, Rajiv Joseph (Bengal Tiger at the Baghad Zoo, upcoming at the Mark Taper Forum) and David Adjmi (Stunning, upcoming at Lincoln Center 3) were awarded Kesselring Fellowships. Playwrights Jenny Schwartz and Tarrel Alvin McCraney were also named as Kesselring Honorees

Partial Comfort Productions will present the 4th annual BATTLE OF THE BARDS on Friday February 20, 2009 at The Canal Room (285 West Broadway at Canal Street). BATTLE OF THE BARDS is a one-night-only theater competition pitting New York City's hottest emerging theater companies against each other in a stage-fight to the finish. With an audience of nearly 1000 last year, this benefit for Partial Comfort Productions has rapidly become Off-Off Broadway's biggest annual event.

Partial Comfort Productions will present the 4th annual BATTLE OF THE BARDS on Friday February 20, 2009 at The Canal Room (285 West Broadway at Canal Street). BATTLE OF THE BARDS is a one-night-only theater competition pitting New York City's hottest emerging theater companies against each other in a stage-fight to the finish. With an audience of nearly 1000 last year, this benefit for Partial Comfort Productions has rapidly become Off-Off Broadway's biggest annual event. The panel of judges for the event include Pulitzer Prize winning playwrights David Auburn (Proof) and Suzan-Lori Parks (Topdog/Underdog), actors John Slattery (Mad Men) and Daniel Sunjata (Rescue Me), casting director Marcia Debonis (Bride Wars) and theater journalist David Cote (Time Out New York). This year, seven theater companies will compete in BATTLE OF THE BARDS: Naked Angels, Ma-Yi, EST's Youngblood, The Fire Department, Electric Pear, Flux and Partial Comfort. Each company assembles its own artistic team consisting of playwright, director and actors. On Feb 6th, each team will be given the parameters by which to write, cast, and rehearse a world premiere one-act play; all plays must incorporate the use of a prop that will be personally selected by William H. Macy (currently starring on Broadway in Speed the Plow). Two weeks later, on February 20th, these plays will be performed publicly at The Canal Room and the winner will be determined by a panel of celebrities and industry professionals. An audience favorite award will also be presented. Winning companies receive prize packages donated by area businesses that specialize in theater production (rehearsal spaces, lighting packages, sound rentals, etc.) that help offset costs of future productions.

First Light Festival 2009 is a presentation of new works commissioned by the EST/Sloan Project, an initiative designed to stimulate artists to create credible and compelling work exploring the worlds of science and technology and to challenge the existing stereotypes of scientists and engineers in the popular imagination. Now in its eleventh season, The Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Project (Graeme Gillis, Program Director) program has received proposals now numbering in the hundreds, and EST/Sloan has commissioned some two hundred projects for development with grants ranging from $500 to $10,000. Each season the EST/Sloan Project commissions and develops new works, and presents the results, at various stages from first readings to fully mounted productions, in the FIRST LIGHT Festival.

George Street Playhouse begins 2009 with its production of Donald Marguiles' Sight Unseen. When first presented in 1992, the play won the OBIE Award for Best New American Play, was nominated for a Drama Desk, and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. George Street Playhouse Artistic Director will helm the production, slated to run at the New Brunswick theatre January2020 - February 15, 2009. Matthew Arkin, last seen at GSP in their production of Theresa Rebeck's The Scene, leads an ensemble including Heidi Armbruster, Christopher Curry and Kathleen McNenny.

tick, tick...BOOM! by Pulitzer Prize Winner Jonathan Larson returns to the Provincetown Theatre on December 26th for 8 performances only until January 3rd. Perormances run every night at 7pm, except for Thursday, January 1st. Counter Productions is proud to present a reprisal of their critically acclaimed, smash hit production of tick, tick...BOOM! which played the Provincetown Theatre June 23-July 3rd, 2008.

George Street Playhouse is celebrating the December holidays in a big way with a series of musical performances for a special Holiday Cabaret. The musical celebration will feature the talents of Tony Award nominee Robert Cuccioli, who is currently performing at George Street Playhouse in Conor McPherson's The Seafarer. Mr. Cuccioli received a Tony Nomination and is perhaps best known for playing the title role in Broadway's Jekyll & Hyde. Joining Mr. Cuccioli will be fellow Tony nominee Sally Mayes from the recent Broadway revival of She Loves Me. Christopher Howatt will serve as musical director and performer for the revue. Performances take place Saturday, December 20 at 2 and 8PM, and Sunday, December 21 at 2PM.

Atlantis Productions, a bi-continental, multi-media Production Company has announced they will create a bold new production of the Tony Winning hit musical Spring Awakening for a Philippines based mounting in September 2009.

George Street Playhouse is celebrating the December holidays in a big way with a series of musical performances for a special Holiday Cabaret. The musical celebration will feature the talents of Tony Award nominee Robert Cuccioli, who is currently performing at George Street Playhouse in Conor McPherson's The Seafarer. Mr. Cuccioli received a Tony Nomination and is perhaps best known for playing the title role in Broadway's Jekyll & Hyde. Joining Mr. Cuccioli will be fellow Tony nominee Sally Mayes from the recent Broadway revival of She Loves Me. Christopher Howatt will serve as musical director and performer for the revue. Performances take place Saturday, December 20 at 2 and 8PM, and Sunday, December 21 at 2PM.

As the oldest, continuously running Off-Broadway theatre in New York, the Cherry Lane Theatre is one of the many businesses in the city that are beginning to feel the pressure of a collapsing economy. James Sims reports...

Epic Theater Ensemble brings out the vote on Election Eve with 'First Vote '08,' a one-night only special event to benefit Epic's innovative, civic-minded in-school and after-school education programs.

Variety reports that a revival of 'Look Homeward, Angel' is on the way back to Broadway next fall by the producing team of Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and Steve Traxler.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents the American premiere of HAPPY NOW? by Lucinda Coxon, directed by Liz Diamond, at Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street). Opening Night is October 30 with performances running through November 15th.

Epic Theater Ensemble brings out the vote on Election Eve with 'First Vote '08,' a one-night only special event to benefit Epic's innovative, civic-minded in-school and after-school education programs.

Angelo Parra's The Devil's Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith will be performed at the New Brunswick Playhouse, running March 3?29. Miche Braden, who portrayed Bessie Smith in the previous productions of the play, will recreate the title role once more.

Tracy Letts' AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, winner of the 2008 Tony, Pulitzer Prize, Drama Desk, New York Drama Critics Circle, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Play, is proud to welcome Tony Award-nominee Johanna Day, in the role of 'Barbara Fordham,' and Michael Milligan, in the role of 'Little Charles' to the Broadway company tonight Tuesday, October 14th.

George Street Playhouse continues their 35th season with the New Jersey premiere of Conor McPherson's Olivier Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated play, The Seafarer.