Joe Orton News

There's a great moment in Cecil B. DeMille's gloriously overblown epic, The Ten Commandments, when Sir Cedric Hardwicke, playing Pharaoh Sethi, upon discovering that his beloved son Moses is really Hebrew, makes a proclamation that the name of Moses must be stricken from the history books, despite his many heroic accomplishments for Egypt, and that his name never be spoken again.  Moses, as far as Egypt was concerned, will have never existed.

Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre celebrates thirteen years of theatrical excellence next year with six mainstage productions and the return of the popular Storytellers Series. The 2009 season runs May-September with a special family friendly December production in time for the holidays. The organization has snagged the rights to produce one of the very first regional productions of Tom Stoppard's recent Broadway sensation Rock'n'Roll, and will present the play as the opener of the 2009 season, 'New and Ideal.' The season continues with the naughty-yet-sophisticated wit of Joe Orton's What the Butler Saw, the moral uncertainty of John Patrick Shanley's Doubt, the unbridled enthusiasm of Alan Bennett's students in The History Boys, and two classics of modern literature, Crime and Punishment and Jane Eyre, in phenomenal new adaptations for the stage. The Storytellers Series returns with Prague Spring: Three comedies about life under Communism by Vaclav Havel.

Philadelphia Theatre Workshop is nurturing four rising playwrights with ties to the region as their works are presented at the Second Annual PlayShop Festival. This festival, which opens March 7, will present these works in repertory over several weekend performances, while the playwrights, directors, and cast have opportunities to develop the work during the week. This festival ends March 22 and will be held at the Shubin Theatre, 407 Bainbridge Street. Tickets are available online at www.philadelphiatheatreworkshop.org and cost $8-$10.

This February, the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia is celebrating the theatre community's commitment to the development of new works. The month of February will be the perfect time to check out a Premiere in America's First Great Theatre City! There are a number of fully staged productions running throughout the month, as well as readings, workshops and discussions. On Monday, February 23, starting at 6:00 PM, the Theatre Alliance is hosting a celebration party, sponsored by Philadelphia Weekly, to honor the new works being developed and premiered right here. While the Theatre Alliance has devoted February to new play development, this commitment to producing new works is not limited to any one month of the year. This past December, the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia commissioned a Theatre Snapshot report, with funding, guidance and support from The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage through the Philadelphia Theatre Initiative and additional funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. This Theatre Snapshot report, based upon data in the Pennsylvania Cultural Data Project (PACDP), found that, in 2006, 81 world premieres were presented in Philadelphia; a total that accounts for 26% of all productions. This total is significantly higher than the 12% proportion of world premieres-to-total productions from a comparative set of TCG theatres. In addition, 2006 boasted 63 workshops or readings of new works and Philadelphia Theatres also commissioned 17 new works.

Jim Creighton, David Haig, James Hayes, Doon Mackichan and Javone Prince will join previously announced Matt Di Angelo in Joe Orton's 'Loot', directed by Sean Holmes at the Tricycle Theatre. 'Loot' will run from 11 December ? 31 January. Designs are by Anthony Lamble with lighting by Charles Balfour and sound by Greg Clarke. 'Loot' will tour to Newcastle Theatre Royal from 2-7 February after its opening at the Tricycle.

Jim Creighton, David Haig, James Hayes, Doon Mackichan, Javone Prince and Matt Di Angelo star in Joe Orton's Loot, directed by Sean Holmes at the Tricycle Theatre. Loot starts its run from 11 December-31 January with press night on 15 December.

Kevin Bacon portrays retired military officer (and Nixon's chief of staff after the president left office) Lt. Col. Jack Brennan. As Nixon's negotiator in setting up the terms and ground rules for the interviews, Brennan was a bulldog.

Jim Creighton, David Haig, James Hayes, Doon Mackichan and Javone Prince will join previously announced Matt Di Angelo in Joe Orton's 'Loot', directed by Sean Holmes at the Tricycle Theatre. 'Loot' will run from 11 December until 31 January. Designs are by Anthony Lamble with lighting by Charles Balfour and sound by Greg Clarke. 'Loot' will tour to Newcastle Theatre Royal from 2-7 February after its opening at the Tricycle.

Imelda Staunton and Mathew Horne are cast in a major revival of Joe Orton's comic masterpiece, Entertaining Mr Sloane. Directed by Nick Bagnall, this dark study of sexual manners will run at the Trafalgar Studios 1 from 22 January to 11 April 2009 with press night on Friday 30 January, in a co-production with Michael Edwards & Carole Winter and English Touring Theatre.

Jim Creighton, David Haig, James Hayes, Doon Mackichan and Javone Prince will join previously announced Matt Di Angelo in Joe Orton's Loot, directed by Sean Holmes at the Tricycle Theatre. Loot will run from 11 December - 31 January with press night on 15 December.

Eastenders Repertory Company presents its Seventh Annual Festival of Short Works, a co-production with Theatre Rhinoceros.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) will present a new Off-Broadway production of David Rabe's award winning drama Streamers, directed by Scott Ellis. Streamers will begin performances on Friday, October 17th and open officially on Thursday, November 11th, 2008, Off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 West 46th Street).

In Conflict, the first show of Culture Project's (Allan Buchman, Artistic Director) fall season, has won a 'Fringe First' Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, it was announced today.

In Conflict, the first show of Culture Project's (Allan Buchman, Artistic Director) fall season, has won a 'Fringe First' Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, it was announced today.

Just in time for the fall election, Berkeley's acclaimed Aurora Theatre Company opens its 17th season with Gore Vidal's fascinating political nail-biter THE BEST MAN.

Just in time for the fall election, Berkeley's acclaimed Aurora Theatre Company opens its 17th season with Gore Vidal's fascinating political nail-biter THE BEST MAN.

Just in time for the fall election, Berkeley's acclaimed Aurora Theatre Company opens its 17th season with Gore Vidal's fascinating political nail-biter THE BEST MAN.

Just in time for the fall election, Berkeley's acclaimed Aurora Theatre Company opens its 17th season with Gore Vidal's fascinating political nail-biter THE BEST MAN.

The Tricycle Theatre Announces their Summer/Autumn Season.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) announced a new Off-Broadway production of David Rabe's award winning drama Streamers, directed by Scott Ellis.