David Johnston News

The Front Page, one of the great satires about the world of journalism, hits the stage in Stratford today, under the direction of Festival veteran Graham Abbey. Written by former Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, and newly adapted by Canadian playwright Michael Healey, this comedy-drama is now in previews at the Festival Theatre and will officially open on Thursday, August 15.

Patio Playhouse Community Theater presents Animales Nocturnos by Juan Mayorga, with an English translation, Nocturnal, by David Johnston. Written in 2003, this tautly written and suspenseful play is set in motion by a secret: Short Man knows that Tall Man is an undocumented immigrant. He offers to keep this secret in exchange for Tall Man's friendship. The plot thickens as their respective wives become involved, and the price for silence begins to rise. Patio Playhouse's production of Animales Nocturnos and Nocturnal will be a West Coast premiere, performed in both English and Spanish by the same cast of Latinx actors. The cast includes Sam Kohler (Bajo/Short Man), Lettie DeAnda(Baja/Short Woman), Victor Reveles (Alto/Tall Man) and Melba Novoa (Alta/Tall Woman.)

Rover Dramawerks concludes their 18th Season with the comedy/mystery Murder on West Moon Street by Rob Urbinati. Performances will be at Rover's theatre in Plano, located in Ruisseau Village at 221 W. Parker Rd, Suite 580, at the northwest corner of Parker and 75. Performances run November 1-17 todays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. and on Saturdays at 3:00 and 8:00 p.m.

Rover Dramawerks concludes their 18th Season with the comedy/mystery Murder on West Moon Street by Rob Urbinati. Performances will be at Rover's theatre in Plano, located in Ruisseau Village at 221 W. Parker Rd, Suite 580, at the northwest corner of Parker and 75. Performances run November 1-17 on Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. and on Saturdays at 3:00 and 8:00 p.m.

The GLAAD Award-winning play CANDY & DOROTHY by David Johnston will receive its Utah Premiere by In The Now Productions this June.

The GLAAD Award-winning play CANDY & DOROTHY by David Johnston will receive its Utah Premiere by In The Now Productions this June.

The GLAAD Award-winning play CANDY & DOROTHY by David Johnston will receive its Utah Premiere by In The Now Productions this June.

Houston Grand Opera (HGO) announced at its annual meeting today that its 2017-18 season, dramatically relocated after Hurricane Harvey, closed on a strong financial footing despite nearly $15 million of losses due to the storm and related costs. Lower sales income than in previous seasons was significantly offset by a Harvey recovery fundraising campaign that has raised more than $9.5 million to date. HGO presented its entire 63rd season in the HGO Resilience Theater, a temporary venue the company built in Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center after its home in the Wortham Theater Center was seriously damaged by flooding. The company will return to the Wortham in the fall with a gala benefit concert featuring Placido Domingo and Ana Maria Martinez on September 26.

It is a universal human experience trying to find where you belong; to find your home. In our 52nd season here at Patio Playhouse, I'm excited to present a series of shows that explore finding family and home.

In many areas of the arts in New York, January is a quiet month. But in the opera world, the last few weeks certainly have been jumping. It has also been a fine time for asking 'What is an Opera?' For me, January started with Prototype 2018's ACQUANETTA and ended this past weekend--with many in between--with New York City Opera's 'first mariachi opera,' CRUZAR LA CARA DE LA LUNA (TO CROSS THE FACE OF THE MOON).

Houston Grand Opera's (HGO) Opera to Go! presents the world premiere of Monkey & Francine in the City of Tigers, with music by rising composer Kamala Sankaram and libretto by David Johnston, February 2 and 3, 9:30 and 11 a.m. both days, at Heinen Theater, 3517 Austin St., Houston. Performances are free. The 45-minute family opera is inspired by Indian and Chinese mythology and includes music influenced by Bollywood. A hilarious fable, Monkey & Francine in the City of Tigers demonstrates the power of teamwork as a monkey prince and his brainy sister outwit a hungry crocodile and escape from the City of Tigers. The opera is a co-commission of HGO's HGOco arm with American Lyric Theater, which presented a partially staged performance in New York City earlier in January. Seen and Heard International noted, the libretto was sophisticated and fresh, while the music was witty and eclectic. You tapped your toes and found yourself singing along.

American Lyric Theater presents ALT Alumni: Composers and Librettists in Concert on January 14, 2018 at 8pm at Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufman Music Center, 129 W. 67th Street, NYC. Tickets are $25 and are available by phone at 212-501-3330 or online at www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/alt-alumni-composers-and-librettists-in-concert.

Mayor de Blasio, Speaker Mark-Viverito, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl, and City Council Majority Leader and Cultural Affairs Committee Chair Jimmy Van Bramer today announced more than $40 million in grants to support public programming at nearly 950 cultural organizations across all five boroughs, including support for priorities in the City's CreateNYC cultural plan. This represents the largest ever allotment for the Department of Cultural Affairs' Cultural Development Fund (CDF), which distributes funding for cultural programming to hundreds of nonprofit cultural groups every year.

In the holiday season when matters of family, spirituality, identity, and survival are often acute, EPIPHANY V a gay fantasia in the form of a classical music-driven short film explores these tender issues through a uniquely queer lens.

American Lyric Theater presents ALT Alumni: Composers and Librettists in Concert on January 14, 2018 at 8pm at Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufman Music Center, 129 W. 67th Street, NYC.

Alumni of American Lyric Theater's Composer Librettist Development Program are changing the landscape of contemporary opera. ALT's annual alumni concert showcases scenes from three exciting new operas taking the stage around the country, written by alumni of the CLDP.

American Lyric Theater presented A Toast to Ten Years, a wine tasting recital in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the company's lauded Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP), on Friday, November 17, 2017 at 7pm at The Players, 16 Gramercy Park South, NYC.

Alumni of American Lyric Theater's Composer Librettist Development Program are changing the landscape of contemporary opera! Join us for ALT's annual alumni concert, showcasing scenes from three exciting new operas taking the stage around the country, written by alumni of the CLDP. Hosted by ALT's Founder and Producing Artistic Director, Lawrence Edelson.

American Lyric Theater presented A Toast to Ten Years, a wine tasting recital in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the company's lauded Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP), on Friday, November 17, 2017 at 7pm at The Players, 16 Gramercy Park South, NYC. Tickets were $125 ($50 tax-deductible) and $250 ($175 tax-deductible), and tables of four were available at $500 ($200 tax-deductible) and $1,000 ($700 tax-deductible).

Midtown Direct Rep (MDR) is delighted to present its second reading of its 2017-1018 staged reading series, Theater at The Woodland, with a presentation of FEAR, written by Matt Williams and directed by Mark Armstrong. This event will be performed for one night only on Sunday, December 3rd at 7:00pm at The Woodland (60 Woodland Rd. Maplewood, NJ), where MDR is the resident theater company. The reading is $20 (advance purchase), $25 (if purchased at the door) and open to the public. Student/Senior discounts are also available. Tickets can be purchased online through Eventbrite by clicking the link HERE.