John Gassner News

Out of over 100 submissions, ten new plays will receive a staged reading at The Creek and Cave in Long Island City, NY. The Ladder series is scheduled to begin in July and continue into early October.

Rare Terra Theatre celebrates the Chicago premiere of Wrong Mountain at The Second Stage, 3408 North Sheffield, September 13 - October 7. The witty black comedy, written by award-winning playwright David Hirson, is directed by Rare Terra's Artistic Director Ian Streicher.

Celebration presents the Houston premiere of the award-winning play NEXT FALL by Geoffrey Nauffts, directed by Ron Jones, from August 22 to September 15, 2012, atObsidian Art Space, located at 3522 White Oak Drive, Houston, Texas.

The Platform Group announces The Ladder Series, a staged reading series aimed at getting new plays to the next rung. Out of more than 100 submissions, ten new plays will receive a staged reading at The Creek and Cave in Long Island City, N.Y. The Ladder series is scheduled to begin on July 15th and continue into early October.

Polarity Ensemble Theatre's Dionysos Cup Festival of New Plays has apparently reached the proper vintage to bear multiple fruit. This summer two scripts developed in the Dionysos Cup series will see their world premieres playing simultaneously, the series itself adds video thanks to an award from the Saints, another Dionysos Cup play has gone on to further development with the Goodman Theatre, and Polarity will award this year's Cup to a worthy and entertaining new script.

The Chicago Commercial Collective has announced the return of the Chicago and Broadway hit drama, A Steady Rain, with its original cast and crew to the Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave. The production, written by Keith Huff and directed by original director Russ Tutterow, runs Saturday, July 7 - Sunday, Sept. 2. Previews are July 7 at 8 p.m. and July 8 at 2 and 7 p.m. Opening/Press night is Tuesday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. The regular run is Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and are $40 (preview tickets are $35) and may be purchased online at www.asteadyrainchicago.com. Student and group discounts are available.

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director), Barry Grove (Executive Producer), and Mandy Greenfield (Artistic Producer) announced that Manhattan Theatre Club will launch The Studio at Stage II where bold, new work meets bold, new audiences at New York City Center - Stage II (131 West 55th Street). The Studio at Stage II will launch this fall with the world premiere production of MURDER BALLAD, a new musical by Julia Jordan and Juliana Nash, directed by Trip Cullman, and the American premiere of MTC's commission CHOIR BOY, a play with music by Tarell Alvin McCraney.

The Platform Group announces The Ladder Series, a staged reading series aimed at getting new plays to the next rung. Out of more than 100 submissions, ten new plays will receive a staged reading at The Creek and Cave in Long Island City, N.Y. The Ladder series is scheduled to begin on July 15th and continue into early October.

Best Actress Tony nominee Linda Lavin will be joined by an array of notable playwrights, directors and actors -- Vineyard Theatre artists all -- when she hosts The Vineyard's 5th annual luncheon presentation of the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award to emerging playwright Erika Sheffer (RUSSIAN TRANSPORT), today, June 21 (12 p.m. - 2 p.m.) at the National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South) in Manhattan.

As part of the current three-play Royal Court at the Duke of York's Season with Posh by Laura Wade, Jumpy by April De Angelis and Constellations by Nick Payne, four of the UK's leading playwrights will direct one of their all-time favourite plays in a series of one-off afternoon readings from 29 June at the Duke of York's Theatre in a special event supported by The Ambassador Theatre Group. Nick Payne, Polly Stenham, Roy Williams and David Eldridge will select their favourite plays and will have less than two days to bring their vision to life with a full cast to be announced for staged readings on Friday afternoons this summer.

This morning Olney Theatre Center Artistic Director Martin Platt announced the Theatre's 75th Anniversary Season. The award-winning Theatre's season will emphasize 20th-century American classics, new works, reinterpretations of classics and musical theater.

id Theater returns to McCall, Idaho for the 12th Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, today, June 11 through June 23, sponsored by the Alpine Playhouse. Playwrights, actors and directors from around the country will travel to McCall and, working with local artists and students, develop ten new plays that will be presented to the public free of charge. Since 2001, the Conference has developed more than 100 new plays by some of the most exciting voices in American Theater.

Best Actress Tony nominee Linda Lavin will be joined by an array of notable playwrights, directors and actors -- Vineyard Theatre artists all -- when she hosts The Vineyard's 5th annual luncheon presentation of the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award to emerging playwright Erika Sheffer (RUSSIAN TRANSPORT), on Thursday, June 21 (12 p.m. - 2 p.m.) at the National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South) in Manhattan.

Happy Medium Theatre, Inc. (HMT) presents The American Plan, written by Richard Greenberg and directed by Melanie Garber from tonight, June 8th to June 16th, 2012 at the Factory Theatre, 791 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, 02118.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment Commissioner Katherine Oliver today presented the seventh annual "Made in NY" Awards, honoring individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to various fields in the City's entertainment and digital media industries.

Philadelphia Theatre Company announces the world premiere of the new musical Stars of David to open its 2012-2013 season this fall.