David Ira Goldstein News

It's 1927 and Ma Rainey, the Mother of the Blues, strides into a rundown Chicago recording studio to join a battling quartet of musicians. The great playwright August Wilson places this formidable artist at the center of a captivating drama of flamboyant personalities, professional jealousy, and shattered dreams. Directed by Lou Bellamy, MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM plays in Tucson at the Temple of Music and Art from October 16 through November 6. It continues its run in Phoenix at the Herberger Theater Center from November 11 through November 28. The Tucson media sponsors for the 2010-2011 season are KGUN9, MIX-FM and Tucson Lifestyle. Arizona Theatre Company's season sponsors are I. Michael and Beth Kasser.

The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust has awarded Arizona Theatre Company and Actors Theatre of Phoenix a $150,000 grant over a two year time period. This grant will allow these professional theatre companies to explore possible collaborations, either artistically, administratively or both, to better fulfill the missions of both organizations. La Piana Consulting from Emeryville, CA will be helping through these investigations, explorations, discussions and possible implementation.

Center Rep Presents A MARVELOUS PARTY: THE NOEL COWARD CELEBRATION from May 20 to June 26, 2010.

Due to audience demand, Arizona Theatre Company has added a performance of The Second City Does Arizona, or Close But No Saguaro on Sunday, May 16 at 7 PM.

Last night at an awards ceremony held in the Palace of Fine Arts, San Jose Repertory Theatre was awarded five distinct honors by the San Francisco Bay Area Critics' Circle Awards' committee for the critically acclaimed world premiere of The Kite Runner. In the category of 300 or more seats, San Jose Rep received a grand total of twenty-five nominations from the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle for outstanding productions when announced in March.

Due to audience demand, Arizona Theatre Company has added a performance of The Second City Does Arizona, or Close But No Saguaro on Sunday, May 16 at 7 PM.

Due to audience demand, Arizona Theatre Company has added two performances of The Second City Does Arizona, or Close But No Saguaro on Sunday, April 25 at 2 PM and 7 PM.

The Cast and Creative Team are set for the Asolo Repertory Theatre production of Backwards in High Heels: the Ginger Musical, opening on the Asolo Rep mainstage on May 7,2010. Rehearsals began at New York City's Chelsea studios and will continue at Asolo Rep's studios in Sarasota, Florida, beginning April 21.

The Cast and Creative Team are set for the Asolo Repertory Theatre production of Backwards in High Heels: the Ginger Musical, opening on the Asolo Rep mainstage on May 7,2010. Rehearsals began at New York City's Chelsea studios and will continue at Asolo Rep's studios in Sarasota, Florida, beginning April 21.

Due to audience demand, Arizona Theatre Company has added two performances of The Second City Does Arizona, or Close But No Saguaro on Sunday, April 25 at 2 PM and 7 PM.

Arizona Theatre Company creates the most thrilling professional theatre in the Southwest in 2010-2011, with electric moments of pure beauty, magic and deeply felt emotion in a mix of comedy, drama, classics and musicals. The new season opens with the Southwest premiere of the musical BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS, about the journey of Hollywood goddess Ginger Rogers; followed by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright August Wilson's MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, directed by Lou Bellamy and starring renowned recording artist Jevetta Steele as Ma Rainey. ATC's new season follows with the Arizona premiere of WOODY GUTHRIE'S AMERICAN SONG, directed by ATC favorite Randal Myler, followed by the world premiere of Jeffrey Hatcher's TEN CHIMNEYS set at the legendary summer estate of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. Neil Simon's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play LOST IN YONKERS continues ATC's AMERICA PLAYS! Celebrating Great American Stories initiative for a fourth season; and a twelfth anniversary revival of audience favorite, THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP, with the original ATC cast and designs. The 2010-2011 season also includes a limited engagement presentation of The Acting Company and Guthrie Theater's production of ROMEO AND JULIET.

San Jose Repertory Theatre received a grand total of twenty-five nominations from the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle for outstanding productions. The Kite Runner, As You Like It and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee all received nominations for Director, Ensemble, Entire Production and Original Script for The Kite Runner.

This year's Critics Circle Awards, sponsored by Actor's Equity Association, today announced is nominees for excellence in San Francisco Bay area theater. Berkeley Rep's production of American Idiot, which played in the fall of 2009, leads with 12 nominations and will open on Broadway this spring.

Arizona Theatre Company's post-show discussion at [title of show] following the performance on Thursday, March 4 at 7:30 PM will feature the creators and original stars themselves, Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell; and original keyboardist and musical arranger Larry Pressgrove.

Center Rep Presents A MARVELOUS PARTY: THE NOEL COWARD CELEBRATION from May 20 to June 26, 2010.

Arizona Theatre Company's post-show discussion at [title of show] following the performance on Thursday, March 4 at 7:30 PM will feature the creators and original stars themselves, Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell; and original keyboardist and musical arranger Larry Pressgrove.

Imagine two hyper-talented young songwriters in New York trying to write a new musical about two hyper-talented young songwriters in New York trying to write a new musical?!

In 2004, two out-of-work actors in New York decided to write a musical. The problem was, they didn't know what to write about.

In 2004, two out-of-work actors in New York decided to write a musical. The problem was, they didn't know what to write about.

The Kite Runner, directed by David Ira Goldstein, plays in Tucson at the Temple of Music and Art from September 10 through October 3. It continues its run in Phoenix at the Herberger Theater Center from October 8 through October 25.