J.R. Sullivan News

Following four successful years as The Pearl Theatre Company's Artistic Director, J.R. Sullivan has decided to step down on July 19th. Sullivan will relocate his career base to Chicago, where he will be getting married this fall, and will return to freelance directing, as well as writing and teaching. The Pearl's Board of Trustees has accepted Sullivan's decision with regret and has launched a search for a new Artistic Director to lead the Company into its fourth decade. Longtime Pearl staff member and dramaturg Kate Farrington has been appointed Interim Artistic Director.

Due to popular demand, The Pearl Theatre Company extends This Side of Neverland, a duo of one-act plays by J. M. Barrie, to May 26. This Side of Neverland features J. M. Barrie's Rosalind and The Twelve Pound Look with direction by Artistic Director J. R. Sullivan.The New York Times says, "How refreshing it is to be reminded of this feminist battle cry not by a straight-out-of-central-casting cliche but by an early-20th-century nobleman whom we usually associate with boyish fantasies." while Time Out New York says, "Barrie's still-fresh 1914 twosome...makes heroes of self-willed, single, middle-aged women. That's better than pirates any day.' And Michael Giltz inThe Huffington Post says, "The Pearl Theatre Company proves again with this diverting entertainment why all theater buffs and casual fans should take a trip to their ideal new home."

Founded in 1984, The Pearl Theatre Company, New York's only classical Resident Acting Company, began as a small troupe of artists in Chelsea and is now a celebrated Off-Broadway institution with its own permanent home on West 42nd Street. The Pearl's 30th anniversary season will showcase the Company's talents in productions of classic plays that are especially suited to the ensemble's skills—including a world premiere written especially for them.

Due to popular demand, The Pearl Theatre Company extends This Side of Neverland, a duo of one-act plays by J. M. Barrie, to May 26. This Side of Neverland features J. M. Barrie's Rosalind and The Twelve Pound Look with direction by Artistic Director J. R. Sullivan.The New York Times says, "How refreshing it is to be reminded of this feminist battle cry not by a straight-out-of-central-casting cliche but by an early-20th-century nobleman whom we usually associate with boyish fantasies." while Time Out New York says, "Barrie's still-fresh 1914 twosome...makes heroes of self-willed, single, middle-aged women. That's better than pirates any day.' And Michael Giltz inThe Huffington Post says, "The Pearl Theatre Company proves again with this diverting entertainment why all theater buffs and casual fans should take a trip to their ideal new home."

Co-founders John Stoops, Tim Evans, and Marc Grapey announce the inaugural season of Three Oaks Theater Festival, a new summer theater festival that will bring three limited-engagement runs of highly-acclaimed, professional Chicago-based productions and a World Premiere to audiences in Harbor Country, Michigan. Three Oaks Theater Festival is presented in association with Harbor Arts with special thanks to The Pokagon Fund.

The Utah Shakespeare Festival recently revealed its 2014 season, eight plays running from June 23 to October 18. Artistic Directors David Ivers and Brian Vaughn announced the season, which includes four plays ranging from Shakespeare classics to a Stephen Sondheim musical to a world premier adaptation of a beloved novel.

The Pearl Theatre Company completes its 29th season-the first season in its new home on West 42nd Street-with This Side of Neverland, a duo of one-act plays by J. M. Barrie. Running April 19-May 19, This Side of Neverland will feature J. M. Barrie's Rosalind and The Twelve Pound Look with direction by Artistic Director J. R. Sullivan.

The Pearl Theatre Company completes its 29th season-the first season in its new home on West 42nd Street-with This Side of Neverland, a duo of one-act plays by J. M. Barrie. Running April 19-May 19, This Side of Neverland will feature J. M. Barrie's Rosalindand The Twelve Pound Look with direction by Artistic Director J. R. Sullivan.

Northlight Theatre continues its 2012-2013 season with Marie Jones's Stones in His Pockets, directed by J.R. Sullivan, featuring Brian Vaughn and David Ivers. The production will run at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie, now through April 14, 2013. The show is currently in previews to prepare for a press opening on Friday, March 15. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

People's Light & Theatre announces its 39th season with eight productions that will stir emotions, warm hearts, and inspire the music lover in you. The season opens with Philadelphia native N. Richard Nash's breakthrough hit The Rainmaker, followed by The Devil's Music which has received raves throughout New York, Connecticut and Florida for Miche Braden's incredible performance as Bessie Smith. Highlights include a dance-filled adaptation of Jane Austen's romantic Pride & Prejudice, Itamar Moses' innovative comedy, Bach at Leipzig, and the revival of our multi award-winning holiday panto, Cinderella. Our season also includes Dear Elizabeth, Sarah Ruhl's lyrical and whimsical portrait of the relationship between acclaimed American poets, Robert Lowell and Elizabeth Bishop and Henrik Ibsen's scandalous Ghosts.

The Pearl Theatre Company has rescheduled the world premiere of Terrence McNally's And Away We Go. The production will anchor The Pearl's 30th season, running November 11 - December 22, rather than the previously announced April 19 - May 19, which will now be dedicated to a production of This Side of Neverland featuring two one-acts, Rosalind and The Twelve Pound Look, by J. M. Barrie.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its 2012-2013 season with Marie Jones's Stones in His Pockets, directed by J.R. Sullivan, featuring Brian Vaughn and David Ivers. The production will run at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie, from tonight, March 8 - April 14, 2013. The Press Opening is Today, March 15, at 7:30 pm.

Festival artistic directors and actors David Ivers and Brian Vaughn are taking Stones in His Pockets by Marie Jones to the Northlight Theatre in Chicago, Illinois this March. Directed by J. R. Sullivan, the show first appeared at the Festival in 2005 and was restaged due to popular demand in the fall of 2012. In association with the Northlight Theatre, this production will run from March 8 to April 14 with the original cast and director.

Last evening, February,18, The Pearl Theatre Company (J.R. Sullivan, Artistic Director) presented a reading of Chekov's The Seagull, adapted by Michael Raver (THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, FIRE ON BABYLON) and starring Tony Award winner Judy Kaye. Check out a photo of the cast and production team below!

THE PEARL THEATRE COMPANY (J.R. Sullivan, Artistic Director) presents in the latest in a series of free readings, Chekov's The Seagull, adapted by Michael Raver (THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, FIRE ON BABYLON) and starring Tony Award winner Judy Kaye.

The Pearl Theatre Company continues its 29th season-the first season in its new home on West 42nd Street-with Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1. On the heels of acclaim for its current Bard-centric production, In Acting Shakespeare, The Pearl picks up where the company left off after last year's staging of Richard II, directed by Artistic Director J. R. Sullivan. Henry IV, Part 1 is directed by Davis McCallum and features Resident Acting Company members Bradford Cover as King Henry and Dan Daily as Falstaff.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its ,2012-2013 season with Marie Jones's Stones in HisPockets, directed by J.R. Sullivan, featuring Brian Vaughn and David Ivers.