Ensemble Studio Theatre News

Skylight Theatre Company and Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble present the Los Angeles Premiere of Pulitzer Prize Finalist Bulrusher, written by Eisa Davis and directed by Nataki Garrett. The show opens on 8pm on August 23rd and 3pm August 24th. RECEPTION TO FOLLOW BOTH PERFORMANCES. Runs 8pm Fridays and Saturdays, 3pm Sundays through September 28, 2014 at the Skylight Theatre, 1816 1/2 N. Vermont, LA, 90027

Combined Artform and Matthew Quinn present the return of "WOMEN" - with an official opening of September 5th. After a sold-out run in New York City and the Hollywood Fringe Festival, WOMEN, written by Chiara Atik and directed by Stephanie Ward, is returning to Los Angeles for a full run at the Asylum Theater, August 28th through October 25th.

A team of independent producers and a multicultural group of artists have joined forces with Kori Rushton and IRT's Residency Season to bring to life a new play: Useless by Romanian-born playwright Saviana Stanescu. The production is directed by Jose Zayas and features Ana Grosse, Andy Phelan and Steven Rishard.

The Flea Theater will present the World Premiere of Kim Davies' SMOKE, directed by Flea Resident Director Tom Costello (The Wundelsteipen) and featuring members of The Bats, the resident acting company at The Flea. Previews begin August 22 with opening slated for September 7. Says Producing Director Carol Ostrow, "where 50 Shades of Grey dances on the surface of BDSM, Smoke cuts to the core.

The Old Globe today announced the full cast and creative team for the World Premiere of Bright Star, a new American musical featuring music by Edie Brickell and Steve Martin, lyrics by Brickell, and book by Martin, based on an original story by Martin and Brickell. Directed by Walter Bobbie, Bright Star will run September 13 - November 2, 2014 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run September 13 - September 27. Opening night is Sunday, September 28 at 7:00 p.m. Single tickets go on sale on Friday, August 8 at noon.

Nick Gehlfuss (Shameless, The Newsroom), Shawn Hatosy (Southland, Reckless), Amber Tamblyn (Joan of Arcadia, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and Alicia Witt (Justified, 88 Minutes) are cast in the Geffen Playhouse production of Reasons to Be Pretty, nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play (2009). Helmed by Geffen Playhouse Artistic Director Randall Arney, Reasons to Be Pretty will be performed in the Gil Cates Theater through August 31 with an opening night of tonight, August 6.

F*It Club, the New York Innovative Award-winning film and theatre company, joins acclaimed partner companies EST/Youngblood, Naked Angels, Studio 42, and Waterwell at The Green Building in Brooklyn with GAP Presents! The Green Plays, five new short plays by Hanna Cheek/Lauren Cregor Devine/Rodney Gardiner/Kevin Townley (Waterwell/ Goodbar), Meaghan Deans (Studio 42/ Ashore, Internet Famous), Jason Kim (Naked Angels/ HBO's Girls), Victor Lesniewski (F*It Club/ Cloven Tongues), and Chris Sullivan (EST/Youngblood/ Metro Cards).

Samuel French previously announced a talented roster of judges for the Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival (OOB Festival), the nation's premiere short play competition, running from today, August 5th-10th at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre.

Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce Writers Theatre's opener to its 2014/15 season: the Midwest Premiere of Isaac's Eye by Lucas Hnath, directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam. The show runs September 2 - December 7, 2014 at Books on Vernon, 664 Vernon Ave Ave, Glencoe. The Press Openings are Wednesday, September 10, 2014 and Thursday, September 11, 2014, at 7:30pm.

A team of independent producers and a multicultural group of artists have joined forces with Kori Rushton and IRT's Residency Season to bring to life Useless, Romanian-born playwright Saviana's Stanescu's dark humored drama, August 14-24.

Cellar Door presents HOT STEAMS by Zach Wegner as part of the 18th annual New York International Fringe Festival - FringeNYC. For tickets, visit http://www.fringenyc.org/basic_page.php?ltr=H#HotSte.

Casting has been announced for the Boston engagement of Disney's The Lion King. Boston's most eagerly awaited stage production returns to the Boston Opera House stage from September 9 to October 12 as part of the 2014-2015 Lexus Broadway In Boston Season.

square product theatre kicks off its 9th Season with the World Premiere of SLAB, adapted by Gleason Bauer and Emily K. Harrison from the forthcoming novel by Mississippi born, Denver-based writer Selah Saterstrom. SLAB will be presented in the ATLAS Black Box theater on the University of Colorado Boulder campus, today, July 31-August 16, 2014.

The Berkshire Playwrights Lab, continues its 2014 season of readings of innovative and exciting new plays with a presentation of Jennifer Maisel's Out of Orbit at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center (14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA) tonight, July 30 at 7:30 p.m.

New Repertory Theatre announces the final show of the 30th Anniversary Season, the Next Rep World Premiere: SCENES FROM AN ADULTERY by Ronan Noone, June 6 through June 21, 2015 at the Boston University Theatre, Lane-Comley Studio 210. SCENES FROM AN ADULTERY is co-presented with Boston Center for American Performance (BCAP).

Nick Gehlfuss (Shameless, The Newsroom), Shawn Hatosy (Southland, Reckless), Amber Tamblyn (Joan of Arcadia, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and Alicia Witt (Justified, 88 Minutes) are cast in the Geffen Playhouse production of Reasons to Be Pretty, nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play (2009). Helmed by Geffen Playhouse Artistic Director Randall Arney, Reasons to Be Pretty will be performed in the Gil Cates Theater today, July 29 to August 31 with an opening night of August 6.

Fells Point Corner Theatre's next production is from the Baltimore Playwrights Festival. UNDER THE POPLAR TREES, written by Rosemary Frisino Toohey and directed by Miriam Bazensky, opens on August 14th and will run until August 31, 2014.

Ben Rimalower's addiction to spending beyond his means has driven him to extreme lengths all his life. In BAD WITH MONEY he charts his sometimes hilarious, sometimes harrowing struggle to overcome his problem-or get rich trying. Written and performed by Ben Rimalower and directed by Aaron Mark, BAD WITH MONEY premieres at The Duplex (61 Christopher Street at Seventh Avenue) from September 4 through November 6.

Second Generation Productions (2g), a major incubator and producer of Asian American theater, announced today that Julian Cihi (Romeo and Juliet, Classic Stage Company) and Diane Phelan (Bernarda Alba, Lincoln Center) lead the cast of 2g's commissioned musical, Galois, by Sung Rno and Aaron Jones, directed by Victor Maog and produced by Jane Jung. The creative team also includes Music Director J. Oconer Navarro (The Adding Machine), Choreographer Camille A. Brown (tick, tick...BOOM!) and Fight Director Jacob Grigolia-Rosenbaum (Peter and the Starcatcher).