David Thompson News

Kids 'N Comedy, New York's leading presenter of young comic talent, will present 'The Indoor Kids Show,' a one-of-a-kind show of original standup material featuring seven teen comics, November 20 at Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23rd Street.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Artistic Director Carey Perloff announced that an evening of short plays by modernist master Samuel Beckett replaces Twelfth Night for the 2011-12 season. The evening includes ENDGAME, Beckett's timeless rumination on the end of life, featuring two-time Tony Award winner and A.C.T. favorite Bill Irwin, who was recently hailed by The New York Times as 'an actor deeply steeped in the traditions of clowns, according to both the commedia dell'arte and Samuel Beckett,' and PLAY featuring A.C.T. core acting company members René Augesen, Anthony Fusco, and Omozé Idehenre. A longtime Bay Area favorite as one of the founders of the Pickle Family Circus, Irwin returns to A.C.T. after stealing the hearts of the Bay Area audiences last season as the loveable title character in Moliére's SCAPIN, which he also adapted and directed. Perloff, who has previously directed Beckett's WAITING FOR GODOT at A.C.T. and will helm the production, said: 'It was in Endgame that Beckett famously wrote: 'nothing is funnier than unhappiness.' And I cannot think of a more consummate artist than Bill Irwin to demonstrate that fact, undertaking the lead role of Hamm in this astonishing play. Endgame is a play Bill and I have wanted to do together for many years; when the opportunity suddenly presented itself to do it this season, we could not say no. I am thrilled to present Endgame in tandem with a comic gem from 1963 called PLAY, which will give our core company a chance to shine a spotlight on a hilarious tale of marriage and adultery that represents a very different side of Beckett's oeuvre. I hope that this Beckett pairing will add a rich chapter to A.C.T.'s explorations of the great modernists, Beckett and Pinter.' Endgame and Play play May 9-June 3, 2012, at the American Conservatory Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Press night is Wednesday, May 16, 2012, at 8 p.m. Tickets (starting at $10) are available by calling A.C.T. Ticket Services at 415.749.2228 or at www.act-sf.org.

Charles Dickens' beloved holiday classic returns to Princeton with McCarter Theatre Center's annual production of A Christmas Carol. Adapted by David Thompson and directed by Michael Unger, the production runs December 4 through December 24.

On Monday night, the Dramatists Guild of America hosted its annual Awards Night at the Players Club in New York City. The ceremony was hosted by David Henry Hwang and recognized the works of Bruce Norris (Clybourne Park), John Kander, Fred Ebb and David Thompson (The Scottsboro Boys), Robert Lopez, Trey Parker and Matt Stone (The Book of Mormon), Christopher Durang and Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Paula Vogel. Check out photos from the event below!

THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS will receive Actors' Equity Association's Advisory Committee on Chorus Affairs (ACCA) Fifth Annual ACCA Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus. The honor is the only industry accolade of its kind and honors the distinctive talents and contributions made by the original chorus members of a Broadway musical. The award will be presented in the Actors' Equity Association Council Room, overlooking Times Square, on Friday, November 18, 2011.

PRINCE OF BROADWAY, a new musical celebrating legendary Broadway director and producer Harold 'Hal' Prince, is in development now, aiming for a Toronto production in the summer of 2012 prior to opening on Broadway that fall. The production will feature twelve principle actors, according to an Equity casting notice.

Since nobody knows Halloween better than teenagers, Kids 'N Comedy, New York's leading presenter of young comic talent, will present 'Warm-Up to Halloween,' a one-of-a-kind show of original standup material featuring eight teen comics, October 23 at Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23rd Street.

The American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) 2011-12 season continues with David Mamet's newest play, Race, directed by former CENTERSTAGE Artistic Director Irene Lewis. Fresh from a triumphant run on Broadway, Mamet's wicked and scathing courtroom comedy makes its West Coast premiere at A.C.T. With his trademark verbal pyrotechnics, Mamet unleashes two attorneys and the firm's young associate as they scramble to decide if they want to represent a wealthy white man accused of assaulting a black woman.

Kids 'N Comedy, New York's leading presenter of young comic talent, will present 'The Indoor Kids Show,' a one-of-a-kind show of original standup material featuring seven teen comics, November 20 at Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23rd Street.

Vineyard Theatre (108 E. 15 St.) is extending its world-premiere production of Nicky Silver's play THE LYONS a second time -- extending now through November 20 -- it has been announced by The Vineyard's Artistic Director Douglas Aibel and Co-Artistic Director Sarah Stern.

According to the Toronto Star, Toronto's Dancap Productions has just announced the line-up for 2012. Included in the upcoming season are In the Heights (February 7-19), Shrek the Musical (March 20-April 1), West Side Story (May 8-June 3), Beauty and the Beast (July 3-22), Million Dollar Quartet (July 20-29), and Prince of Broadway (August 2012)

PRINCE OF BROADWAY, a new musical celebrating legendary Broadway director and producer Harold 'Hal' Prince, is in development now, aiming for a Toronto production in the summer of 2012, prior to opening on Broadway that fall. According to the Toronto Star, the production will feature a wide variety of material, including music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim..

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE is coming to theaters on October 21, 2011. The dramatic thriller is directed by T. Sean Durkin and stars Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes, Hugh Dancy, Brady Corbet, Christopher Abbott, Michael Chmiel, Maria Dizzia, Julia Garner, Louisa Krause, Diana Masi, Allen McCullough, Tobias Segal and Adam David Thompson

The Actors Fund and the Vineyard Theatre have announced details for their upcoming one-night-only benefit concert performance of Kander & Ebb's THE VISIT, starring Broadway stage legends and Tony Award winners Chita Rivera and John Cullum. Directed by Carl Andress with choreography by Tony Award winner Ann Reinking and musical direction by David Loud, the performance will take place on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. at Broadway's Ambassador Theatre (219 West 49th Street), current home to the celebrated revival of Kander & Ebb's worldwide smash Chicago.

Philadelphia Theatre Company opens its 2011-2012 season with the Philadelphia premiere of John Logan's Tony Award-winning drama Red October 14-November 13 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). Directed by Anders Cato, the two-person cast features Broadway veteran Stephen Rowe and Oscar nominee Haley Joel Osment. In the video below, Osment stops by Good Day, where he chats about starring in the production!

Vineyard Theatre is extending its world-premiere production of Nicky Silver's play THE LYONS, starring Linda Lavin and Dick Latessa, through November 11, it has been announced by The Vineyard's Artistic Director Douglas Aibel and Co-Artistic Director Sarah Stern.

Nicky Silver's play THE LYONS is getting its world-premiere this fall with an official opening night October 11 at Vineyard Theatre (108 E. 15 St.), it has been announced by Vineyard Theatre artistic director Douglas Aibel and co-artistic director Sarah Stern. Check out photos of the cast in action below!