Gina Gionfriddo News

Vineyard Theatre (Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director and Sarah Stern, Co-Artistic Director) proudly announces a one-night-only reading of Becky Mode's acclaimed play FULLY COMMITTED - with Mark Setlock returning to his "sparkling tour de force" (NY Post) performance - which will benefit The Vineyard's productions and programs in 2012-2013. FULLY COMMITTED, the first in a series of special celebrations during the Vineyard's 30th Anniversary Season, will take place on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at The Vineyard (108 E. 15 St., between Irving Place and Union Square East). Tickets, priced at $75 (which includes a pre-show toast in the Vineyard lobby), are available beginning today by calling The Vineyard box office at 212-353-0303, or online at www.vineyardtheatre.org.

Vineyard Theatre (Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director and Sarah Stern, Co-Artistic Director) just announced a one-night-only reading of Becky Mode's acclaimed play FULLY COMMITTED - with Mark Setlock returning to his "sparkling tour de force" (NY Post) performance - which will benefit The Vineyard's productions and programs in 2012-2013. FULLY COMMITTED, the first in a series of special celebrations during the Vineyard's 30th Anniversary Season, will take place on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at The Vineyard (108 E. 15 St., between Irving Place and Union Square East). Tickets, priced at $75 (which includes a pre-show toast in the Vineyard lobby), are available beginning today by calling The Vineyard box office at 212-353-0303, or online at www.vineyardtheatre.org.

Previews begin Friday, October 12 for the Playwrights Horizons' production of THE WHALE, the New York premiere of a new play by Obie Award winner Samuel D. Hunter (A Bright New Boise). Directed by Davis McCallum (February House, A Bright New Boise, the upcoming Water By the Spoonful at Second Stage), the production has an Opening Night set for Monday, November 5 at 7PM at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Sunday, September 23rd marked the 60th anniversary of Richard Nixon's political game-changing 'Checkers speech,' and today, September 24th at 10 a.m. tickets go on sale for the Vineyard Theatre's world-premiere production of CHECKERS, a play by Douglas McGrath about Nixon, his wife Pat and that historic speech. CHECKERS is directed by Terry Kinney. Preview performances begin at The Vineyard (108 E. 15 St.) on October 12; October 31 is opening night. Tickets can be purchased by calling The Vineyard box office at 212 353 0303 or online at

Sunday, September 23rd marks the 60th anniversary of Richard Nixon's political game-changing 'Checkers speech,' and on Monday, September 24th at 10 a.m. tickets go on sale for the Vineyard Theatre's world-premiere production of CHECKERS, a play by Douglas McGrath about Nixon, his wife Pat and that historic speech. CHECKERS is directed by Terry Kinney. Preview performances begin at The Vineyard (108 E. 15 St.) on October 12; October 31 is opening night. Tickets can be purchased by calling The Vineyard box office at 212 353 0303 or online at www.vineyardtheatre.org.

ACT - A Contemporary Theatre under the direction of Artistic Director Kurt Beattie officially announces the 2013 mainstage season. One of the most distinguished artists in the world, Sir Alan Ayckbourn, will stage his play, Sugar Daddies in the fall of 2013. Leading up to that is the musical Grey Gardens with The 5th Avenue Theatre, then the premiere of local playwright Katie Forgette's disturbingly funny take on senior care, Assisted Living, followed by two of the hottest shows from New York's stages last year, Jon Robin Baitz's Other Desert Cities and Gina Gionfriddo's Rapture, Blister, Burn, and then Middletown - Will Eno's modern response to Thornton Wilder's Our Town.

Continuing its commitment to nurturing and producing the next generation of musical theatre artists, Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) has awarded its first annual Donna Perret Rosen Award for excellence in musical theatre to composer/lyricist Adam Gwon. The $10,000 award was established at the off-Broadway company's 2011 gala to honor Second Stage Theatre trustee Donna Perret Rosen in recognition of her long-standing commitment to young artists and new works. The award was chosen by Tony Award winners James Lapine, Susan Stroman, and Jack Viertel.

Vineyard Theatre will celebrate its 30th anniversary season with a host of special events, in addition to its mainstage productions. These events include developmental readings and workshops, and one-night-only readings of acclaimed productions from the company's history.

Under Parker's direction the five actors in "Becky Shaw" perform Gionfriddo's play with the perfect combination of riotous comedy and genuine heart.

Vineyard Theatre will open its 30th Anniversary season with the world premiere production of Douglas McGrath's play CHECKERS. Preview performances begin on October 12th, and opening night is set for October 28th. The production will be directed by Terry Kinney, it has been announced by The Vineyard's Artistic Director Douglas Aibel and Co-Artistic Director Sarah Stern.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) has announced additional casting for its 2012/2013 Season, with initial casting for THE GREAT GOD PAN, the World Premiere of a new play by Obie Award winner Amy Herzog (After the Revolution at PH, 4000 Miles), directed by Carolyn Cantor (After the Revolution and Essential Self-Defense at PH, Pumpgirl, Orange Water Flower).

Round House Theatre Producing Artistic Director Ryan Rilette announces the addition of Bill Cain's How to Write a New Book for the Bible and Gina Gionfriddo's Becky Shaw to the company's 2012/13 Bethesda season.

Single tickets to productions in the Huntington Theatre Company's 2012-2013 Season go on sale to the general public onThursday, August 16.

Stage and screen star Sanaa Lathan (A Raisin in the Sun, Contagion) returns to the title role in Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage's By the Way, Meet Vera Stark for its West Coast premiere at the Geffen Playhouse. Lathan, who originated the character of Vera Stark in the critically acclaimed New York run, will once again take the stage as the 1930's era maid turned movie star, reunited with original cast member Kimberly Hebert Gregory (Spike Lee's Red Hook Summer) reprising her role as fellow aspiring African American actress Lottie. Broadway vet and Geffen alum Merle Dandridge (Spamalot, Rent, Aida) will take on the spicy role of Anna Mae, who fakes a Brazilian accent for a slice of fame, and former leading lady of ABC's Man Up, Amanda Detmer, will portray Gloria Mitchell, the white starlet dubbed "America's little sweetie pie" and Vera's first employer. Helmed by award-winning director Jo Bonney, the West Coast premiere cast also features Kevin Carroll (Paid in Full, Being John Malkovich), Spencer Garrett (Iron Man 3, Air Force One) and Geffen alum Mather Zickel (Extraordinary Chambers, Rachel Getting Married).

When the houselights went up for intermission at Gina Gionfriddo's  provocative comedy of gender issues, Rapture, Blister, Burn, my immediate impulse was to ask my guest – a 1980s Columbia University Women's Studies graduate who, like myself, remembers the days when an Upper West Side liberal's coffee table was considered incomplete if not graced by a heavily earmarked volume of Susan Faludi's latest and simply saying the name “Phyllis Schlafly” at certain cocktail parties would trigger the same venomous reaction the name “Haman” would receive from the most Manischewitz-soused participants at a Lower East Side Purim spiel – if it all seemed realistic to her.

Though Ann Arbor's professional theatre is still in the thick of its record-breaking 30th anniversary season, Performance Network has lined up seven exceptional plays and musicals for its 31st, to begin in the fall.

The award-winning Vineyard Theatre will celebrate its 30th anniversary season after its enormously successful 2011-12 season - which included the acclaimed debuts of THE LYONS, OUTSIDE PEOPLE, NOW. HERE. THIS. and the developmental lab of THE LANDING - with new works by Douglas McGrath, Rajiv Joseph and Jenny Schwartz, to be produced during 2012-13, it was announced by Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director, and Sarah Stern, Co-Artistic Director.

Best Actress Tony nominee Linda Lavin will be joined by an array of notable playwrights, directors and actors -- Vineyard Theatre artists all -- when she hosts The Vineyard's 5th annual luncheon presentation of the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award to emerging playwright Erika Sheffer (RUSSIAN TRANSPORT), today, June 21 (12 p.m. - 2 p.m.) at the National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South) in Manhattan.

This fall, one of America's most acclaimed theatre ensembles will take on one of the greatest plays of the 20th century when the Steppenwolf Theatre Company production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? comes to Broadway to celebrate the play's 50th anniversary.

Last night, June 13, Playwrights Horizons opened the World Premiere of RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN, a new play by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award winner Gina Gionfriddo (Becky Shaw). Previews began May 18. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the curtain call and post-show celebration and brings you photo coverage below!