John Gassner News

Elvis has indeed left the building! ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY (ETC) is thrilled to announce the second show of its 40th Anniversary Season, THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA McBRIDE, written by Matthew Lopez, directed by Jenny Sullivan with choreography by Jamie Torcellini. THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA McBRIDE begins previews on Thursday, December 6, opens on Saturday, December 8, and runs through Sunday, December 23, 2018 at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.

Chance Theater is thrilled to announce its 21st Anniversary Season, which will be the fifth to employ both stages in its home at the Bette Aitken theater arts Center. Next year will feature eight fully-staged productions.

Pratidhwani - a Seattle area based organization for promoting South Asian performing arts and artists - will present I And You by Lauren Gunderson as a co-production with Theater Schmeater, running October 18th through November 3rd, 2018, performing at Theater Schmeater's home in Bell Town.

Ophelia's Jump Productions (OJP) concludes its successful 6th season with Bad Jews, Joshua Harman's savagely funny comedy performed at the Ophelia's Jump Studio, located at 2009 Porterfield Way, Suite H, in Upland, from November 29 through December 15, 2018. Directed by OJP Artistic Company Member Nicki Heskin, Bad Jews is the perfect way to celebrate faith, family and legacy.

MCC Theater announced today the extension of the run of the encore production of the critically acclaimed, award-winning play School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play, written by 2017-2018 Tow Playwright-in-Residence, Jocelyn Bioh, and directed by Tony Winner Rebecca Taichman. The encore production opened at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street) on October 22nd and was set to end performances on November 25th. Due to popular demand, the production will now play through December 9, 2018.

Everyone's favorite characters from Cleveland Street are back for their 11th production with Cleveland Play House (CPH) during the 2018 holiday season. A Christmas Story will once again delight Cleveland audiences with the story you know and love, based on the original motion picture that was filmed in Cleveland. CPH's production of A Christmas Story has quickly become an annual holiday tradition for families of all generations. Each year, these performances attract thousands of new guests to live theatre at Cleveland Play House. Previews begin November 23rd with press opening on November 30th at the Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square. This production will be sponsored by Dollar Bank and Pinecrest.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater continues to host Arena Civil Dialogues to engage the D.C.-area community. Scholar, professor and public intellectual Amitai Etzioni curates and moderates a series of discussions focusing on topics and questions in today's headlines. The next Arena Civil Dialogue will discuss what makes a great America and will be held in the Molly Smith Study at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater from 5:30-7 p.m. on November 11, 2018.

MCC Theater's return of the critically acclaimed, sold out, extended, award-winning play School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play, written by 2017-18 Tow Playwright-in-Residence Jocelyn Bioh, and directed by Tony Winner Rebecca Taichman opened last night, October 22nd. The encore production will be performed at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street) from October 16th through November 25th.

MCC Theater's return of the critically acclaimed, sold out, extended, award-winning play School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play, written by 2017-18 Tow Playwright-in-Residence Jocelyn Bioh, and directed by Tony Winner Rebecca Taichman opened last night, October 22nd. The encore production will be performed at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street) from October 16th through November 25th.

MCC THEATER just today announced the full cast and creative team for the return of the critically acclaimed, sold out, extended, award-winning play School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play, written by 2017-18 Tow Playwright-in-Residence Jocelyn Bioh, and directed by Tony Winner Rebecca Taichman. The encore production will be performed at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street) from October 16th through November 25th. Opening night is set for October 22nd. Prior to the return, Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles will present the MCC production at the CTG Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City from September 2nd through September 30th.

La Jolla Playhouse announces the cast and creative team for its world-premiere production of The Year to Come, by Lindsey Ferrentino (Amy and the Orphans, Ugly Lies the Bone), directed by Encores! Off-Center Artistic Director and UC San Diego M.F.A. graduateAnne Kauffman (Playhouse's Hundred Days), running December 4 - 30 in the Mandell Weiss Theatre.

Westport Country Playhouse will present a Script in Hand playreading of "I Hate Hamlet," the comedy that conjures the ghost of actor John Barrymore, on Monday, November 5, at 7 p.m.  Barrymore will be played by four-time Tony Award winner Boyd Gaines. Written by Paul Rudnick, the reading will be directed by Anne Keefe, Playhouse associate artist and curator of the playreading series. Tickets are $20 each.

Tony award-winner, Elizabeth Ashley ("Take Her She's Mine") and Tony nominee Tom Hewitt ("The Rocky Horror Show") will headline a refreshed production of Paul Rudnick's witty, laugh out loud comedy, "I Hate Hamlet" at Bucks County Playhouse, November 9 - December 1. The play marks Ashley's return to the Playhouse after co-starring opposite Robert Redford in the pre-Broadway production of Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park."

Pratidhwani - a Seattle area based organization for promoting South Asian performing arts and artists - will present I And You by Lauren Gunderson as a co-production with Theater Schmeater, running October 18th through November 3rd, 2018, performing at Theater Schmeater's home in Bell Town.

The Gift Theatre is pleased to conclude its 17th season with the Midwest premiere of Tony Award-winning playwright and ensemble member David Rabe's* COSMOLOGIES, directed by Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton*, playing October 19 - December 9, 2018 at 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood.

Pratidhwani - a Seattle area based organization for promoting South Asian performing arts and artists - will present I And You by Lauren Gunderson as a co-production with Theater Schmeater, running October 18th through November 3rd, 2018, performing at Theater Schmeater's home in Bell Town.

Strawdog Theatre Company is pleased to continue its 31st season with THE REVOLUTIONISTS, Lauren M. Gunderson's brutal comedic quartet about four very real women who lived boldly during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror, directed by Denise Yvette Serna.

Yesterday, October 15th at The Lotos Club (5 East 66th Street, New York City), the 2018 recipients of the biennial Horton Foote Prize, were celebrated for excellence in American theater. The 2018 Prize for Outstanding New American Play, presented to a work produced in the 2016-17 or 2017-18 seasons, was awarded to Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yee. The 2018 Prize for Promising New American Play, presented to a previously unproduced work, was awarded to India Pale Ale by Jaclyn Backhaus.

Previews begin tonight, October 16, for MCC Theater critically acclaimed, sold out, extended, award-winning play School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play, written by 2017-18 Tow Playwright-in-Residence Jocelyn Bioh, and directed by Tony® Winner Rebecca Taichman. The encore production will be performed at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street) through November 25th. Opening night is set for October 22nd. 

Following their last sold-out concert A View of the River at 54 Below/Feinstein's, the songwriting team of Will Van Dyke and Jeff Talbott are hosting Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford, Tony nominees Kate Baldwin and Orfeh, and a starry list of other top-notch Broadway performers in a concert called Crazy Rainbow Days: New Songs by Will Van Dyke & Jeff Talbott at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 28th. The evening will feature never-before-heard songs from Van Dyke and Talbott's musicals, as well as several all-new songs created exclusively for the evening.