Denzel Washington News

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes The Directors Company, in association with Chase Mishkin, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, and Invictus Theater Company, with MURDER IN THE FIRST, written by Dan Gordon and directed by Michael Parva. MURDER IN THE FIRST begins performances tonight, Friday, May 25, for a limited engagement through Sunday, July 1. Check out photos of Chris Kimball, Guy Burnet, Larisa Polonsky and more on stage below!

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes The Directors Company, in association with Chase Mishkin, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, and Invictus Theater Company, with MURDER IN THE FIRST, written by Dan Gordon and directed by Michael Parva. The production is led by Tony nominee Chad Kimball (MEMPHIS) as Willie. Additional cast members include: Joe Adams, Guy Burnet, Richard Fiske, Anthoula Katsimatides, Darren Kelly, Joe Lawless, Larisa Polonsky, Thomas Ryan and John Stanisci. The show opens tonight,5/25

The Festival celebrates 60 years of excellence with a special symposium that will feature influential theatre artists and intellectuals in discussion about how Shakespeare's work lends itself to a broad range of media, interpretations and settings. The event will be held at the Studio Theatre on June 2.

Earlier today at a press conference held in BET's New York studios, it was announced that actor Samuel L. Jackson, declared the highest grossing movie actor of all time according to the Guinness Book of World Records, will be this year's BET AWARDS 12 host. In addition, the members of Maze featuring Frankie Beverly were announced to be the prestigious recipients of the 'Cadillac Lifetime Achievement Award;' and Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj were revealed as the first confirmed performers.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Conservatory Director Melissa Smith previously announced that honorary master of fine arts degrees would be conferred on acclaimed actress and comedian Mary Birdsong and California Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director Jonathan Moscone.

Tonight's 57th Annual Village Voice Obie Awards will be presented by Eric McCormack, Grace Gummer, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce, Juliet Rylance, Justin Bartha, Leslie Odom Jr., Lily Rabe, Michael McKean, Tonya Pinkins, Topher Grace, and Tracee Chimo. The event will feature live performances from David Patrick Kelly of ONCE, Joshua Henry and Sumayya Ali of PORGY & BESS, and Ethan Lipton and His Orchestra of NO PLACE TO GO.

Trinity Repertory Company previously announced that Rhode Island's own Academy Award-nominated actress, Viola Davis, would be honored with the 2012 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts at the 16th annual Pell Awards. Theater educator Elaine Foster Perry will receive the Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts, Brown University President Ruth J. Simmons will receive the Pell Award For Leadership in Arts Education, and J.L. "Lynn" Singleton, President of the Providence Performing Arts Center and Professional Facilities Management, will be honored as the recipient of the Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts. All awardees are past or current Rhode Islanders.

The Coalition of Theatres of Color (CTC), an historical assemblage of 12 of the oldest ethnically specific, multicultural theatrical and cultural institutions in New York, invites the public to a Town Hall Meeting to discuss "Can NYC's Theatres of Color Survive in the New Economy?" on June 4 at 6PM at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard (135th St. & Lenox Avenue) in Harlem.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Conservatory Director Melissa Smith announced today that honorary master of fine arts degrees will be conferred on acclaimed actress and comedian Mary Birdsong and California Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director Jonathan Moscone.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles® (BAFTA Los Angeles), which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, announced today that American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance producer Nigel Lythgoe will chair the Britannia Committee, which oversees the production of the Britannia Awards. The 2012 Britannia Awards will take place on Wednesday, November 7 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The Public Theater announced complete casting today for AS YOU LIKE IT, the first show of the 50th Anniversary season of free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte. Directed by Daniel Sullivan, AS YOU LIKE IT will begin previews on Tuesday, June 5 and continue for four weeks through Saturday, June 30, opening on Thursday, June 21.

Two-time Golden Globe® winner, Academy Award® & Tony Award® nominee Kathleen Turner returns to Toronto in the National Tour of Matthew Lombardo's play HIGH, tonight, May 8 through May 13, 2012, at The Royal Alexandra Theatre. Directed by Rob Ruggiero, HIGH also features Evan Jonigkeit as "Cody Randall" and Timothy Altmeyer as "Father Michael Delpapp".

Jujamcyn Theaters (Jordan Roth, President) and True Colors Theatre Company (Kenny Leon, Co-Founding Artistic Director) previously announced the 4th Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition, to take place tonight, May 7th at 7:00 p.m. at the August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd Street). The event, which is free and open to the public, features high school students from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh and Seattle performing monologues by the late, legendary American playwright.

Jujamcyn Theaters (Jordan Roth, President) and True Colors Theatre Company (Kenny Leon, Co-Founding Artistic Director) have announced the 4th Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition on Monday, May 7th at 7:00 p.m. at the August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd Street). The event, which is free and open to the public, features high school students from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh and Seattle performing monologues by the late, legendary American playwright.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes The Directors Company, in association with Chase Mishkin, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, and Invictus Theater Company, with MURDER IN THE FIRST, written by Dan Gordon and directed by Michael Parva. The production will be led by Tony nominee Chad Kimball Kimball as Willie.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes The Directors Company, in association with Chase Mishkin, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, and Invictus Theater Company, with MURDER IN THE FIRST, written by Dan Gordon and directed by Michael Parva.

Jujamcyn Theaters (Jordan Roth, President) and True Colors Theatre Company (Kenny Leon, Co-Founding Artistic Director) have announced the judges and guest performers for the 4th Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition on Monday, May 7th at 7:00 p.m. at the August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd Street). The event, which is free and open to the public, features high school students from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh and Seattle performing monologues by the late, legendary American playwright.

With the help of A.C.T. Young Conservatory alumnus Darren Criss and two-time Tony Award winner Bill Irwin, American Conservatory Theater raised over $760,000 at its 2012 Season Gala, Expect the Unexpected!, which took place Sunday, April 15, at The Regency Center in San Francisco.

In honor and celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater, The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) will hold a special one-night-only gala event on Monday, June 18, featuring Kevin Kline as Romeo and Meryl Streep as Juliet in a star-studded staged reading of ROMEO AND JULIET, directed by Daniel Sullivan. For information on tickets for The Public Theater's Anniversary Gala, please call (212) 539-8547 or visit www.shakespeareinthepark.org.