Donald Margulies News

Ars Nova will present a FREE reading of BOMBS IN YOUR MOUTH by Corey Patrick, directed by Evan Cabnet, as part of the Out Loud series. The cast will feature Dan Eric Gold, Jennifer Mudge, and Cara Greene.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) has announced complete casting for its 24th season New York premiere of A Body of Water by Lee Blessing. Maria Mileaf (Going to St. Ives) returns to Primary Stages to direct the three-member cast that features Margaret Colin (Old Acquaintance) as Avis, Laura Odeh (The Rivals) as Wren and David Rasche (Getting and Spending, Speed-the-Plow) as Moss.

The Tony Award-winning Manhattan Theatre Club (Peter J. Solomon, Chairman of the Board; Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grove, Executive Producer) will dedicate its Broadway theatre the 'Samuel J. Friedman Theatre' on Thursday, September 4.

Due to popular, Primary Stages has announced a two-week extension for the first production of the their 24th season, the New York premiere of Buffalo Gal by A.R. Gurney.

Collected Stories, one of South Coast Repertory's most successful commissioned plays, will replace the previously announced Daniel Sullivan-directed King Lear as the final production of South Coast Repertory's 2008-09 season. Donald Margulies' Pulitzer Prize nominated play about two women writers at opposite stages of their careers will run May 15 through June 14, 2009 on the Segerstrom Stage. King Lear will open SCR's 2009-10 season. 'We are delighted to have this opportunity to revisit one of Donald's most celebrated plays and reintroduce it to Southern California audiences,' said Artistic Director Martin Benson, who will direct the revival. Collected Stories received its World Premiere in 1996 on SCR's Second Stage. After its New York premiere at Manhattan Theatre Club, Collected Stories received a commercial Off-Broadway run, and the Los Angeles production at the Geffen Playhouse was subsequently filmed for PBS. Since then, Collected Stories has been produced throughout the U.S. and the world. 'Although we've had to postpone King Lear due to an unexpected conflict with Daniel Sullivan's spring schedule, we're happy to be able to replace it with Donald's engaging play,' said Producing Artistic Director David Emmes. 'Fortunately, Dan will be able to direct King Lear in the fall and we gain an exciting way to open our 2009-10 season.' In addition to Collected Stories, Margulies is the author of four plays that were commissioned and premiered by South Coast Repertory: Brooklyn Boy and Pulitzer Prize finalist Sight Unseen, which received Broadway productions, and Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont as Told by Himself. Dinner with Friends, which had its West Coast Premiere at SCR, won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize. LOCATION: South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, at the Bristol Street/Avenue of the Arts exit off the San Diego (405) Freeway in the Folino Theater Center, part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Parking is available off Anton Blvd. on Park Center Drive. CALENDAR: An Italian Straw Hat: A Vaudeville (9/5-10/5), dead man's cell phone (9/21-10/12), The Heiress (10/17-11/16), Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (11/7-11/23). PHOTO EDITORS: Digital images of South Coast Repertory productions are available at www.southcoastrepertory.com/photos.html. Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, under the artistic direction of David Emmes and Martin Benson, is widely recognized as one of the leading professional theaters in the United States. Founded in 1964, SCR is committed to theater that illuminates the compelling personal and social issues of our time, not only on its stages but through its education and outreach programs. While its productions represent a balance of classic and modern theater, SCR is renowned for its extensive new play development program, including the Pacific Playwrights Festival. Of SCR's more than 400 productions, 107 have been world premieres with subsequent stagings achieving enormous success across America and around the world. SCR-developed works have garnered eight Pulitzer Prize nominations with Margaret Edson's Wit winning the prize in 1999 and David Lindsay-Abaire's Rabbit Hole in 2007. Located in Costa Mesa, California, in 2002 SCR opened the Folino Theater Center, an expanded three-theater complex that includes the 507-seat Julianne Argyros Stage, the 336-seat Julianne Argyros Stage and the 94-seat Nicholas Studio.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director), Off-Broadway's preeminent theater company, will honor Tony Award-winning actress Patti LuPone and The Baruch-Routh-Frankel-Viertel Group at this year's Primary Stages 24th Anniversary Gala Benefit to be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel (109 East 42nd Street) on Monday, October 27, 2008.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) has announced the addition of the New York premiere of the new comedy, Love Child, written and performed by Daniel Jenkins and Robert Stanton, as an added event of the 2008-2009 season.

Alex Kilgore and Evan Cabnet are set to direct the world premiere of the stageFARM's newest work, SPIN, which begins performances on Friday, October 3, at The Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street).

After coming off the most successful season in the organization's history, New Brunswick's George Street Playhouse is pleased to announce their 2008-09 season. 'Last season was a blockbuster,' said Artistic Director David Saint, 'we began and ended it with smash hit comedies which became the top two best selling plays in our history. For 2008-09, we are pleased to welcome new and old friends to the Playhouse in what promises to be another exciting season.'

Primary Stages (Casey Child, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) has instituted a Pay What You Can special ticket offer available for the first two previews of all productions in their 24th season, beginning with the New York Premiere of Buffalo Gal by A.R. Gurney. Pay What You Can tickets go on sale two hours before curtain on July 22nd and July 23rd.

BroadwayWorld's own James Sims joined Shipwrecked! star Gregory Itzin and Director Bart DeLorenzo at the Geffen Playhouse to learn of the voyage Louis de Rougemont took in becoming a 'tabloid sensation' of his Victorian England days with his amazing tales chronicling a voyage full of wild characters and plenty of imagination...

The Tony Awardâ-winning Manhattan Theatre Club (Peter J. Solomon, Chairman of the Board; Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grove, Executive Producer) today announced it will rename its Broadway house, the landmarked Biltmore Theatre, the 'Samuel J. Friedman Theatre' in recognition of the pioneering Broadway publicist.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) launches its 24th season with the New York premiere of Buffalo Gal by A.R. Gurney.

King Lear will crown South Coast Repertory's 45th season under the direction of Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Andrew D. Hamingson, Managing Director) is proud to announce the world premiere production of Annie Baker's play BODY AWARENESS, directed by Karen Kohlhaas and featuring Jonathan Clem, Peter Friedman, Mary McCann and JoBeth Williams.

The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) announced yesterday that it has selected Moisés Kaufman's 33 Variations to receive the 2008 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award. The announcement was made at Actors Theatre of Louisville during the Humana Festival of New American Plays. The award includes a commemorative plaque and a cash prize of $25,000-currently the largest national playwriting award. Deborah Zoe Laufer's End Days and Sarah Ruhl's Dead Man's Cell Phone also received citations and $7,500 each. These three were among six finalists selected from 28 eligible scripts submitted by ATCA members. They were evaluated by a committee of 12 theater critics from across the country.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director), in association with Nancy Cooperstein and Betty Ann Besch Solinger, present the New York premiere of Something You Did by Willy Holtzman (Sabina). The five-member cast features Tony Award-winner Joanna Gleason (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Into the Woods) as Alison, a sixties radical, with Jordan Charney (Hearts) as Arthur, Alison's attorney, Tony Award-winner Adriane Lenox (Doubt) as Lenora, Portia (McReele) as Uneeq and Victor Slezak (Sabina) as Gene. Carolyn Cantor (Pumpgirl) directs the final production of this current 23rd Primary Stages season of new works by American playwrights. Performances begin March 18 for a limited run through April 26, 2008, at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Opening night is Tuesday, April 1, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. Willy Holtzman returns to Primary Stages with his latest work, the story of a notorious Sixties radical that has served nearly 30 years in prison for her part in the accidental killing of an African-American police officer during an explosive war protest. Now she is eligible for parole in a post 9/11 world where bombing is terrorism and dissent, treason. How much can she be faulted for having a conscience? Is she guilty of bringing the war home? Something You Did is a powerfully topical and provocative drama that examines the responsibility of citizens for the actions of their government. The creative team includes Eugene Lee (sets), Jenny Mannis (costumes), Jeff Croiter (lighting), and Lindsay Jones (sound). The Production Stage Manager is Samone B. Weissman. Single tickets are priced at $60 with a specially priced $20 ticket is available to patrons 35 and under for all performances. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or online at www.ticketcentral.com. For group sales inquires, please email Kara Hennessey at kara@primarystages.com. Earlier this season, Primary Stages presented the New York premieres of Opus by Michael Hollinger, and Dividing The Estate by Horton Foote, and the world premiere of Hunting and Gathering by Brooke Berman. Primary Stages recently announced the schedule of new plays for its 24th season. The 2008-2009 season will have three New York premieres: Buffalo Gal by A.R. Gurney, A Body of Water by Lee Blessing, and Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told By Himself) by Donald Margulies, and the world premiere of Chasing Manet by Tina Howe at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street). 4-play subscription packages are now available by calling TicketCentral at (212) 279-4200 or online at www.TicketCentral.com. For additional information about Primary Stages, please visit the website at www.primarystages.com.

Manhattan Theatre Club Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove announced that Jerry Patch will be joining MTC's artistic team as the company's new Director of Artistic Development.

Willy Holtzman returns to Primary Stages with his latest work, the story of a notorious Sixties radical that has served nearly 30 years in prison for her part in the accidental killing of an African-American police officer during an explosive war protest. Now she is eligible for parole in a post 9/11 world where bombing is terrorism and dissent, treason. How much can she be faulted for having a conscience? Is she guilty of bringing the war home? Something You Did examines the responsibility of citizens for the actions of their government.

South Coast Repertory Artistic Directors David Emmes and Martin Benson have been named the recipients of the 2007-08 Margo Jones Medal. The prestigious award honors those who have demonstrated a significant impact, understanding and affirmation of the craft of playwriting, with a lifetime commitment to the encouragement of the living theater everywhere. The venerable duo has guided South Coast Repertory from a small touring company into one of the country's leading professional theaters, now approaching its 45th season and known world-wide for its development of new work for the stage. The Ohio State University Libraries and College of the Arts will present the award to Emmes and Benson on May 1 at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California, kicking off the theater's nationally-renowned Pacific Playwrights Festival.