Goodman Theatre News

The Brooklyn College Department of Theater will present its inaugural New Works Brooklyn festival on June 25-29. The series will feature staged readings of one-act plays written by Kia Corthron, Erin Courtney, Jose Rivera, Anne Washburn, and Mac Wellman, all of whom will take part in audience talkbacks during the week. In addition, Rivera will direct his own piece, and Corthron, Courtney, Washburn, and Wellman will take part in a panel discussion on the development of new plays on the closing day of the festival.

59E59 Theaters will welcome Chicago's A Red Orchid Theatre, in association with Bisno Productions, with the NYC premiere of THE OPPONENT, written by Brett Neveu and directed by Karen Kessler. THE OPPONENT begins performances on Thursday, July 31 for a limited engagement through Sunday, September 7. Press opening is Wednesday, August 6 at 7:30 PM.

Barrel of Monkeys invites you to enjoy a summer full of brand new stories at its long-running, critically acclaimed revue THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA, directed by Artistic Director Molly Brennan, playing Mondays at 8 pm from June 19 - September 1, 2014 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Throughout the summer months, THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA will premiere stories from the 2013-14 school year - all conceived and written by Chicago Public School students and adapted for the stage and performed by Barrel of Monkeys Company Members. Clever and funny - touching and poignant - the collection of short sketches are equally entertaining for adults and children. The line-up changes each week by audience vote, so no two shows are ever the same. Check below for production photos!

Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, will continue its 30th anniversary season with the Tony Award-winning musical comedy THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, previewing tonight, June 19, opening Thursday, June 26 at 8 p.m., and running through August 17, 2014. Scott Calcagno (Legally Blonde at The Civic Theatre, Grease at The Long Lake Theatre as well as the annual production of A Christmas Carol at Drury Lane Theatre) will direct.

Goodman Theatre adds eight more performances of Brigadoon, the first large-scale professional revival in more than three decades, extended through August 10 by popular demand; the full 28-member company remains intact. Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick's Loewe's legendary musical of Broadway's Golden Age, under director/choreographer Rachel Rockwell, tells the enchanting tale of an 18th century Scottish village that appears every century for one day only -- and the complications that arise when it's discovered by two 20th century Americans.

Carol Becker, Dean of Faculty of Columbia University School of the Arts, announced today the appointment of two acclaimed playwrights to the faculty of the Arts: David Henry Hwang, Associate Professor of Theatre in Playwriting and director of the Playwriting Concentration, and Lynn Nottage, Associate Professor of Theatre in Playwriting.

Steep Artistic Associate Joanie Schultz, fresh off directing the Goodman Theater's production of David Ives' Venus in Fur, returns home to Steep to direct the company's upcoming Chicago Premiere of Adam Bock's A Small Fire. Ms. Schultz and Steep scored a hit with Bock's work in 2012 with their critically acclaimed, Jeff nominated production of The Receptionist. A Small Fire opens on Thursday, July 10th at Steep Theatre.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, proudly announces that at the 24th TCG National Conference: Crossing Borders in San Diego from June 19-21, the following awards will be presented:

Barrel of Monkeys invites you to enjoy a summer full of brand new stories at its long-running, critically acclaimed revue THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA, directed by Artistic Director Molly Brennan, playing Mondays at 8 pm from June 9 - September 1, 2014 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Throughout the summer months, THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA will premiere stories from the 2013-14 school year - all conceived and written by Chicago Public School students and adapted for the stage and performed by Barrel of Monkeys Company Members. Clever and funny - touching and poignant - the collection of short sketches are equally entertaining for adults and children. The line-up changes each week by audience vote, so no two shows are ever the same. For tickets, reservations and information visit www.barrelofmonkeys.org or call (312) 409-1954.

Co-founders John Stoops, Tim Evans, and Marc Grapey proudly announce the second season of Three Oaks Theater Festival, a summer theater festival that brings limited-engagement runs of highly-acclaimed, professional productions to audiences in Harbor Country, Michigan. This expanded season is being performed in creative venues throughout Harbor Country, including the Acorn Theater, Vickers Theatre, and the historic Lakeside Inn. Three Oaks Theater Festival is presented with major support by The Pokagon Fund.

La Jolla Playhouse announces the cast and creative team for its upcoming Without Walls (WoW) production of El Henry, adapted from Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part One by Culture Clash's Herbert Siguenza, directed by San Diego REPertory Theatre Artistic Director Sam Woodhouse. Presented in association with San Diego REP, El Henry will run June 14 - 29 (press opening: Friday, June 20 at 7:30pm) at SILO, in the vibrant new East Village neighborhood of Makers Quarter.

Following its hugely successful Without Walls (WoW) Festival last October, La Jolla Playhouse announces the latest production in its acclaimed site-based theatre series: El Henry, written by and starring Culture Clash's Herbert Siguenza, directed by San Diego REPertory Theatre Artistic Director Sam Woodhouse. Presented in association with San Diego REP, the show will run June 14 - 29 at SILO in downtown San Diego's Makers Quarter. Performances run Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30pm.

Michael Cerveris, Isaiah Johnson, Randy Newman, Laura Osnes, Vonda Shepard, Brooklyn Shuck, Tony Vincent and Broadway Inspirational Voices have been cast in Randy Newman's Faust: The Concert, which will be performed on July 1 as the second Encores! Off-Center presentation of the 2014 season. Faust will be directed by Thomas Kail and choreographed by Marcos Santana. Jeanine Tesori is the Encores! Off-Center artistic director; Chris Fenwick is its music director.

First Folio Theatre, presents Shakespeare's classic comedy THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR on its outdoor main stage situated on the scenic slopes of the historic Mayslake Peabody Estate. THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR previews July 9, opens Saturday, July 12 at 8:15 p.m., and runs through August 10, 2014. Guests are encouraged to bring a picnic and enjoy First Folio Theatre's annual 'Shakespeare under the Stars' production, directed by Jeff Award nominee Nick Sandys.

Between graduating from Syracuse University in 2005, and getting her Broadway break opposite Harry Connick, Jr., in 2011, Tony Award winner Jessie Mueller was a Chicago-based actress, following in the steps of her Evanston-based parents, Roger Mueller and Jill Shellabarger. And what a career she had in the Windy City!

As BroadwayWorld reported last night, Jessie Mueller won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for BEAUTIFUL- THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL. BroadwayWorld's own Richard Ridge was in the press room to catch up with the winner on what the award means to her - hear what Mueller had to say below!

As announced earlier this evening, A Raisin in the Sun's Kenny Leon has won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play. BroadwayWorld's own Richard Ridge was in the press room to catch up with the winner on what the award means to him - hear what Leon had to say below! As announced earlier this evening, A Raisin in the Sun's Kenny Leon has won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play. BroadwayWorld's own Richard Ridge was in the press room to catch up with the winner on what the award means to him - hear what Leon had to say below!

Jessie Mueller won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL. Jessie Mueller was nominated for a Tony Award in 2012 for her performance in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.

A Raisin in the Sun's Kenny Leon has won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play. Kenny Leon's Broadway credits include August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean (five Tony nominations) and the Tony Award-winning revival of A Raisin in the Sun, both featuring Phylicia Rashad; for the latter, he earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Director of a Play. Other directing credits include the Off-Broadway hit Emergence-See featuring Daniel Beaty, Blues for an Alabama Sky, and From the Mississippi Delta (Huntington Theatre).