Doug Wright News

Playwrights Horizons announced the appointment of Liz Fallon Culp as the institution's new Director of Development. Ms. Culp joins the acclaimed theater company direct from New York Public Radio (WNYC/WQXR), where she served as the Senior Director of Major Gifts and Legacy Giving. She began with the theater company this month, leading its seven-person Development department.

Luna Theater Company's 13th 'Season of Seduction', commences with the darkly comic QUILLS by Doug Wright, October 25-November 15; followed by CLOSER by Patrick Marber, January 17 - February 7; and concludes with RASHOMON by Ryunosuke Akutagawa (adapted by Fay & Michael Kanin from the screenplay of Akira Kurosawa), March 21- April 11.

Tonight, September 29 (8 pm), Symphony Space will present Sundance...Sings!, spotlighting songs from groundbreaking shows developed with support from the Sundance Institute Theatre Program, sung by a stellar cast. Christine Ebersole, Ann Harada, Annie Golden, Joshua Henry, and fourteen other notables will take the stage at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre in selections from the Broadway oeuvre of Stew + Heidi Rodewald, Scott Frankel, Adam Guettel, Lisa Kron, Michael John LaChiusa, Bill Finn, Steven Lutvak, Duncan Sheik, and others.

The Growing Stage, The Children's Theatre of New Jersey, located in the Historic Palace Theatre on Route 183 in Netcong, New Jersey is proud to open its 2014 - 2015 season with Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID. This production runs October 3rd through the 26th with performances Friday evenings at 7:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 4:00 PM.

On Thursday, October 2 at 12:30pm Senior Services of the Chatham's in Chatham, NJ welcomes Walter Newkirk, founder of Walter Newkirk Public Relations LLC and author of memoraBEALEia : A Private Scrapbook about Edie Beale of Grey Gardens for a lecture about Grey Gardens: the critically acclaimed documentary, the Tony Award winning Broadway musical, and the Emmy and Golden Globe winning HBO film film starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange. A free screening of the HBO film will be presented followed by a Q&A session with Walter, an expert on all things Grey Gardens.

Dramatists Guild Fund Executive Director Rachel Routh and Board President Gretchen Cryer today announced the star-studded line up for their annual gala Great Writers Thank Their Lucky Stars, set for Monday, October 27 at The Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street). The cocktail reception will begin at 6:30pm, followed by the dinner and celebration at 7:30pm. The Gala is the most critical fundraising event for the Dramatists Guild Fund, the public charity arm of the Dramatists Guild of America. This very special evening pays tribute to legendary writers and recognizes their significant contributions to American theater.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre continues its 50th anniversary celebration with the Kansas City premiere of Ayad Akhtar's The Who & The What, directed by Kansas City Repertory Theatre's Artistic Director Eric Rosen. From the 2013 Pulitzer Prize-winning writer of Disgraced, Ayad Akhtar's play, The Who & The What takes a passionate and searing look at a family divided by faith, bonded by love and searching for truth in contemporary America. A brilliant young Pakistani writer is focused on finishing a controversial novel that bridges the gulf between her modern life and her traditional heritage. But when her conservative father and sister discover her manuscript, they are all forced to confront the beliefs that define then. This production, at KC Rep's downtown Copaken Stage in the Power & Light District, will run October 17 through November 16. High resolution photos can be found here .

Luna Theater Company's 13th 'Season of Seduction', commences with the darkly comic QUILLS by Doug Wright, October 25-November 15; followed by CLOSER by Patrick Marber, January 17 - February 7; and concludes with RASHOMON by Ryunosuke Akutagawa (adapted by Fay & Michael Kanin from the screenplay of Akira Kurosawa), March 21- April 11. All shows take place at the new Luna Theater at 620. S. 8th Street (between South and Bainbridge). Tickets are $15-$25 and can be purchased by visiting www.lunatheater.org or by calling 215-704-0033.

Trustus Theatre is kicking off its thirtieth anniversary season with Christopher Durang's hilarious "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike," winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Play. The show runs through September 27th, with the first audience talk-back of the season following the matinee on September 21st.

On Monday, September 29 (8 pm), Symphony Space will present Sundance…Sings!, spotlighting songs from groundbreaking shows developed with support from the Sundance Institute Theatre Program, sung by a stellar cast. Christine Ebersole, Ann Harada, Annie Golden, Joshua Henry, and fourteen other notables will take the stage at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre in selections from the Broadway oeuvre of Stew + Heidi Rodewald, Scott Frankel, Adam Guettel, Lisa Kron, Michael John LaChiusa, Bill Finn, Steven Lutvak, Duncan Sheik, and others.

Hands on a Hardbody is a new rock musical about 10 Texans whose new lease on life is so close they can touch it. Under a scorching sun for days on end and armed with nothing but hope and ambition, they'll fight to keep at least one hand on a brand-new truck in order to win it. In this hard-fought contest, only one winner can drive away with the American dream. Check out a first look at highlights below!

Hands on a Hardbody is a new rock musical about 10 Texans whose new lease on life is so close they can touch it. Under a scorching sun for days on end and armed with nothing but hope and ambition, they'll fight to keep at least one hand on a brand-new truck in order to win it. In this hard-fought contest, only one winner can drive away with the American dream. Check out a first look at highlights below!

On August 17 Cynthia Levin was honored by the Unicorn Theatre when the Main Stage was renamed the Levin Stage by the Board of Directors and the staff. On Saturday night September 6 the now Levin Stage was christened with one of the best performances to be presented in the 41 seasons of the Unicorn Theatre. Hands on a Hardbody opened the 41st season for the Unicorn with a marvelous production directed by Missy Koonce, with musical direction by Angie Benson and choreography by Christina Burton.

Hands on a Hardbody is a new rock musical about 10 Texans whose new lease on life is so close they can touch it. Under a scorching sun for days on end and armed with nothing but hope and ambition, they'll fight to keep at least one hand on a brand-new truck in order to win it. In this hard-fought contest, only one winner can drive away with the American dream.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati opens its 29th season with the regional premiere of Hands on a Hardbody, the thrilling, powerfully emotional new musical featuring a country-rock-pop score by Trey Anastasio (frontman for the rock band Phish) and Amanda Green (High Fidelity, Bring It On), and a script by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Doug Wright (Grey Gardens, I Am My Own Wife). The show, which features a full-size Nissan hardbody truck on stage alongside its cast of 15, plays September 2-21, 2014 and is directed by D. Lynn Meyers.

The Lark Play Development Center named five New York City-based playwrights as Playwrights' Workshop Fellows for the 2014-15 season. The group spans a wide range of backgrounds and professional experiences and will meet regularly throughout the year to develop new plays.

Today in 2009, The Little Mermaid closed at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, where it ran for 685 performances. The Little Mermaid is based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name and the classic story of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. The musical's book is by Doug Wright, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman (written for the film) and new lyrics by Glenn Slater. The original cast featured Sierra Boggess in the title role of Ariel, Sean Palmer as Prince Eric, Brian D'Addario and Trevor Braun alternate as Flounder, Norm Lewis as King Triton, Sherie Rene Scott as Ursula, Tituss Burgess as Sebastian, Tyler Maynard as Flotsam, Derrick Baskin as Jetsam, Jonathan Freeman as Grimsby, and John Treacy Egan as Chef Louis.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati opens its 29th season with the regional premiere of Hands on a Hardbody, the thrilling, powerfully emotional new musical featuring a country-rock-pop score by Trey Anastasio (frontman for the rock band Phish) and Amanda Green (High Fidelity, Bring It On), and a script by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Doug Wright (Grey Gardens, I Am My Own Wife). The show, which features a full-size Nissan hardbody truck on stage alongside its cast of 15, plays September 2-21, 2014 and is directed by D. Lynn Meyers.