John Steinbeck News

Marin Theatre Company is pleased to present the West Coast premiere of Lydia by award-winning San Francisco playwright Octavio Solis.

Marin Theatre Company is pleased to present the West Coast premiere of Lydia by award-winning San Francisco playwright Octavio Solis.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey today announced a change to its previously announced 2009 Season. In announcing the change, Bonnie J. Monte, artistic director of The Shakespeare Theatre said, 'Recently, we announced an exhilarating and ambitious line-up of plays for 2009, and we are very excited about bringing these great works to life. However, in the last few weeks, like many non-profits, we've been informed of the loss of several grants from the corporate sector. We are committed to controlling costs and securing our future in these tough times, and therefore, we have made the decision to replace Shakespeare's Timon of Athens with Moli?re's The School for Wives.

The 2009 Festival of New American Musicals, a four-month musical theatre festival, will be held in April through July, 2009, throughout Southern California. Marcia Seligson, Bob Klein, and Linda Shusett are the Executive Producers of the second annual Festival.

Steppenwolf for Young Adults continues its 2008-2009 season with Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, directed by Michael Patrick Thornton. The production, featuring ensemble member Robert Breuler withRobert Belushi, Emanueal Buckley, Ron Butts, Paul D'Addario, James D. Farruggio,Jessie Fisher, Richard Henzel, Keith Kupferer and Guy Massey runs April 21 - May 10, 2009 in the Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted. Tickets are available to the general public for weekend performances only, with all additional shows reserved for school groups. The press performance is Saturday, April 25 at 11 a.m.

The most faithful screen adaptation of the acclaimed bestseller, John Steinbeck's East of Eden, debuts on DVD from Acorn Media on March 3, 2009. This lavish six-hour production is a timeless American classic and captures the full, epic sweep of the Nobel Prize-winner's masterpiece. The stellar cast features Jane Seymour, Lloyd Bridges, Timothy Bottoms, Bruce Boxleitner, Warren Oates, Sam Bottoms, Karen Allen, and Anne Baxter. The award-winning miniseries aired on ABC in 1981 and won Golden Globes? for best miniseries and best actress for Jane Seymour (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman). Special features include a new, exclusive interview with Ms. Seymour. Acclaimed author John Steinbeck (The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men) considered East of Eden his quintessential novel. At more than six hours, this sumptuous production brings Steinbeck's bestseller to the screen more fully and faithfully than any other adaptation. Spanning the Civil War through World War I, the story follows three generations of the tumultuous Trask family as it explores the nature of good and evil, the origin of sin, and the hope of reconciliation. The cast includes patriarch Cyrus (Warren Oates); his feuding sons, Adam and Charles (Timothy Bottoms, Bruce Boxleitner); and quarrelsome grandsons, Aron and Cal (Hart Bochner, Sam Bottoms). Through these men's lives slithers Cathy (Jane Seymour) a she-serpent who holds their love and enmity.

Infamous Commonwealth Theatre closes their 2008-09 season dedicated to the topic Nature with Frank Galati's stage adaptation of John Steinbeck's THE GRAPES OF WRATH, directed by ICT Artistic Director and Jeff Citation winner Genevieve Thompson. NA?TURE (noun): native or inherent character: human nature; the instincts or inherent tendencies directing conduct: a man of good nature

The most faithful screen adaptation of the acclaimed bestseller, John Steinbeck's East of Eden, debuts on DVD from Acorn Media on March 3, 2009. This lavish six-hour production is a timeless American classic and captures the full, epic sweep of the Nobel Prize-winner's masterpiece. The stellar cast features Jane Seymour, Lloyd Bridges, Timothy Bottoms, Bruce Boxleitner, Warren Oates, Sam Bottoms, Karen Allen, and Anne Baxter. The award-winning miniseries aired on ABC in 1981 and won Golden Globes? for best miniseries and best actress for Jane Seymour (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman). Special features include a new, exclusive interview with Ms. Seymour. Acclaimed author John Steinbeck (The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men) considered East of Eden his quintessential novel. At more than six hours, this sumptuous production brings Steinbeck's bestseller to the screen more fully and faithfully than any other adaptation. Spanning the Civil War through World War I, the story follows three generations of the tumultuous Trask family as it explores the nature of good and evil, the origin of sin, and the hope of reconciliation. The cast includes patriarch Cyrus (Warren Oates); his feuding sons, Adam and Charles (Timothy Bottoms, Bruce Boxleitner); and quarrelsome grandsons, Aron and Cal (Hart Bochner, Sam Bottoms). Through these men's lives slithers Cathy (Jane Seymour) a she-serpent who holds their love and enmity.

Steppenwolf for Young Adults continues its 2008-2009 season with Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, directed by Michael Patrick Thornton. The production, featuring ensemble member Robert Breuler with Robert Belushi, Ron Butts, Paul D'Addario, James D. Farruggio, Jessie Fisher, Richard Henzel, Keith Kupferer, Guy Massey and Andr? Teamer, runs April 21 - May 10, 2009 in the Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted. Tickets are available to the general public for weekend performances only, with all additional shows reserved for school groups. The press performance is Saturday, April 25 at 11 a.m. John Steinbeck's classic tale of friendship follows two migrant workers in California during the Great Depression. George Milton looks after his mentally-disabled friend, Lennie Small, as they travel looking for work. The two men hope to one day settle down on their own piece of land, but their plans of living the American Dream prove difficult to achieve. Michael Patrick Thornton starred as John Merrick last season in Steppenwolf for Young Adults' production of The Elephant Man. As a director, Michael has helmed productions at The Gift Theatre Company, where he is co-founder and artistic director. He received a Joseph Jefferson Award for his performance in Gift's production of The Good Thief. The design team includes: Courtney O'Neill (sets), Branimira Ivanova (costumes), Charles Cooper (lights), Miles Polaski (original music and sound) and John Tovar (fight choreography). Kathleen Petroziello is the stage manager.

An 81-year-old actor Fred Kellerman almost gave everything to the craft of acting. According to reports by MSNBC, 'The incident happened Sunday on the final practice run by a seniors theater group for their production of John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men.' One actor picked up a pistol he had borrowed from another cast member and fired it at the head of fellow actor Fred Kellerman, who was playing the character Lenny. At the end of the play, Lenny takes a fatal gunshot to the head.' The bullet grazed Fred Kellerman's scalp and he was rushed to hospital from the stage at the Manatee theatre on the west coast of the sunshine state.

Marin Theatre Company is pleased to present the West Coast premiere of Lydia by award-winning San Francisco playwright Octavio Solis.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey announced its 2009 season of seven Main Stage productions and annual Outdoor Stage production today. 'We had an incredible 2008 season that included a record breaking number of subscribers.' said Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte. 'I am thrilled to be able to announce an extraordinary 47th Anniversary season that I think will once again thrill our audiences.'

Pittsburgh Opera recently announced the world premiere of the revised version of 'The Grapes of Wrath,' a new opera based on John Steinbeck's novel, by Ricky Ian Gordon and Michael Korie. Taking place at the Benedum Center for the Peforming Arts, 'The Grapes of Wrath' will be performed on Saturday, November 15 at 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m., Friday, November 21 at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, November 23 at 2:00 p.m..

Westport Country Playhouse (Joanne Woodward and Anne Keefe, artistic directors, Jodi Schoenbrun Carter, managing director) will stage John Steinbeck's classic drama, 'Of Mice and Men,' directed by Mark Lamos. Peformances began October 7th and will run through November 1. Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 and the Pulitzer Prize for his 1939 novel 'The Grapes of Wrath.' The production will honor the late Paul Newman, who was married to Westport's Artistic Director Joanne Woodward and who participated in many Westport Playhouse productions.

Westport Country Playhouse (Joanne Woodward and Anne Keefe, artistic directors, Jodi Schoenbrun Carter, managing director) will stage John Steinbeck's classic drama, 'Of Mice and Men,' directed by Mark Lamos, October 7 through November 1. Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 and the Pulitzer Prize for his 1939 novel 'The Grapes of Wrath.'

Westport Country Playhouse (Joanne Woodward and Anne Keefe, artistic directors, Jodi Schoenbrun Carter, managing director) will stage John Steinbeck's classic drama, 'Of Mice and Men,' directed by Mark Lamos, October 7 through November 1. Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 and the Pulitzer Prize for his 1939 novel 'The Grapes of Wrath.'

'Of Mice and Men,' John Steinbeck's classic novel, was adapted into a screenplay, but many are unaware that it has also been successfully translated into play form.

Capathia Jenkins and Louis Rosen play the Iridium Jazz Club July 15th, 29th, and August 5th.

Capathia Jenkins and Louis Rosen play the Iridium Jazz Club July 15th, 29th, and August 5th.

Westport Country Playhouse (Joanne Woodward and Anne Keefe, Artistic Directors, Jodi Schoenbrun Carter, Managing Director) announced that distinguished actor and director Paul Newman, who was slated to direct the fall production, 'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck, will step down from making his directorial debut at the Playhouse due to health issues.