Goodman Theatre News

The League of Chicago Theatres announces plans for Chicago's celebration of World Theatre Day, including presentations by local and international artists. Events will begin at 4:00pm on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at the Chicago Cultural Center.

Team StarKid has announced its newest Chicago production, HOLY MUSICAL B@MAN!, an original musical comedy parody from the creative team behind A VERY POTTER MUSICAL, which featured music and lyrics by GLEE's Darren Criss, and STARSHIP. Holy Musical B@man! will be presented at the Hoover-Leppen Theatre at Center on Halsted, 3656 North Halsted, Chicago, for four performances only, through March 25, 2012. A special weekend of preview performances will run March 16-18, 2012. The limited run of live performances will be offered free of charge for all audiences, with a YouTube release slated for April 2012.

Acclaimed playwright Danai Gurira (In The Continuum) returns to Chicago with her newest work, The Convert, directed by Emily Mann.

Writers' Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, continues its 20th Anniversary Season with The Caretaker by Harold Pinter, directed by Ron OJ Parson.

One of Shakespeare's most tragic heroes squares off against literature's greatest villain in a visceral, sexy, hard-driving story of intrigue, betrayal and vengeance, as Iago leads Othello to the edge of jealous madness by sowing seeds of doubt about his wife's fidelity. This classic revenge tragedy comes to life in a modern and edgy adaptation set in the world of motorcycle gangs. This production of Othello will be directed by Artistic Director Mark Clements, the role of Othello will be performed by guest actor Lindsay Smiling, and the role of Iago will be performed by Rep Resident Acting Company Member Gerard Neugent. The Rep's production of Othello is sponsored by Harley-Davidson Motor Company and runs April 3 - May 6, 2012 in The Rep's Quadracci Powerhouse and previews Tuesday, April 3 - Thursday, April 5, and opens on Friday, April 6.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre has announced the cast for Little Shop of Horrors, its final production of the 2011-12 season. The Rep's Associate Artistic Director Kyle Hatley will direct. He has also directed the Rep's productions of Circle Mirror Transformation, A Christmas Carol, The Borderland, Nathan Louis Jackson's Broke-ology, and he has appeared in The Whipping Man and The Glass Menagerie at the Rep. Hatley is a noted writer and director for the Kansas City Fringe Festival and is artistic director and co-founder of Chatterbox Audio Theater.

DOMA Theatre Company kicks off its 2012 season of musical theater with a revival of The Who's Tommy. Hallie Baran directs the Tony Award-winning rock opera that features a book by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff; music and lyrics by The Who's Pete Townshend; and additional music and lyrics by John Entwistle, Keith Moon and Sonny Boy Williamson. Musical director is Chris Raymond and Angela Todaro choreographs. Performances take place March 23 through April 15 at The MET Theatre in Los Angeles.

Philadelphia Theatre Company will present the second production and East Coast premiere of Barrymore Award-winning playwright Bruce Graham's newest play The Outgoing Tide, running March 23-April 22 at PTC's home at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets).

Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside of American Blues Theater (ABT), Chicago's second oldest Equity ensemble, today announced the Ensemble's 27th season. The season kicks off with the world premiere of Illegal Use of Hands by Emmy Award-winner, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and ABT Artistic Affiliate James Still, directed by Sandy Shinner, August 31 - September 30 and followed by the critically acclaimed It's a Wonderful Life: Live on State Street! , now at the Museum of Broadcast Communications, directed by ABT Artistic Affiliate Marty Higginbotham, November 16 - December 30. ABT's final 2012 -2013 production is Pulitzer Prize playwright Donald Margulies' 2010 Broadway script Collected Stories, co-directed by Steppenwolf Artistic Affiliate Jessica Thebus and Mary Ann Thebus.

The Bay Area premiere of San Jose Rep's God of Carnage begins previews tonight. This winner of the 2009 Tony Award® for Best Play was written by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton. The production runs from March 22 to April 15, 2012, with Opening Night on Wednesday, March 28 at 7:30 pm.

War and violence meet a trio of clowns when Guerra: A Clown Play comes to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion March 22-24, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. Presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, Guerra: A Clown Play is a collaboration among Chicago artists Seth Bockley andDevon de Mayo, and Mexico City-based Artús Chávez.

Millennium Park's In the Works series concludes for the season with Staging Change, a trio of new works from Columbia College Chicago's Playwriting Program on April 19-21, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. Presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture and Columbia College Chicago, the three evenings will showcase work by current and former Columbia College playwrights, directors and actors. In the Works is supported by a grant from The Boeing Company.

Goodman Theatre and Teatro Vista team up for their second world-premiere production with Fish Men, Puerto Rican playwright Candido Tirado's new comedic drama about a group of urban chess hustlers drawn together by a shared need to overcome their individual demons. Edward Torres, Artistic Director of Teatro Vista, makes his Goodman directorial debut with this second play of a three-year producing partnership between the Goodman and Teatro Vista, Chicago's first and largest not-for-profit professional Latino theater company. Fish Men runs April 7 - May 6, 2012 (Opening Night is April 16) in the Goodman's Owen Theatre.

Annie Elias brings her years of experience in documentary theater to Cutting Ball with the World Premiere of TENDERLOIN, a piece about the people and places in Cutting Ball Theater's neighborhood. Written by Annie Elias, with theater documentarians Tristan Cunningham, Siobhan Doherty, Rebecca Frank, Michael Uy Kelly, Leigh Shaw, and David Sinaiko (with additional writing by David Westley Skillman), and directed by Elias, TENDERLOIN plays April 27 - May 27 at the Cutting Ball Theater in residence at EXIT on Taylor (277 Taylor Street) in San Francisco.

A new Chekhov-inspired play by Christopher Durang, an Edward Albee classic, and one of Shakespeare's late romances directed by Rebecca Taichman will be produced at McCarter Theatre Center during the 2012-2013 season. Two more productions will be announced at a later date.

The New Group presents the world premiere of An Early History of Fire, a new play by Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe. Directed by Jo Bonney, this production features Deema Aitken, Gordon Clapp, Erin Darke, Jonny Orsini, Devin Ratray, Dennis Staroselsky, Theo Stockman and Claire van der Boom. Limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated April 5 - May 26 at The New Group at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Official Opening Night is set for Monday, April 30 at 7:00 PM.

Writers' Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, continues its 20th Anniversary Season with Hesperia by Randall Colburn, directed by Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden.