Ken Sawyer News

After a rigorously competitive submission and selection process, new musicals, Rebel Genius and Hit The Wall. have been selected for the second season of LiveRead@SDA, a developmental series at the USC School of Dramatic Arts created to cultivate and provide critical support for the creation of innovative and contemporary new works for the American theatre.

Maria Gobetti, co-artistic director of the Victory Theatre Center, is pleased to announce casting has been completed for the next production scheduled in The Big Victory - the world premiere of Jon Klein's comedy RESOLVING HEDDA.

Writer-director Tina Mabry (Mississippi Damned, “Queen Sugar”) as the recipient of their Fusion Achievement Award. Mabry will receive the award at the Fusion Gala during the 2017 Outfest Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festival

Outfest, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media, today announced its lineup for the 2017 Outfest Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festiva

The 27th Annual LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement throughout Los Angeles, were presented on Tuesday, January 17, at the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center.

One thing is perfectly clear. Jane Wagner's perspective of the 80s, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe is a brilliant piece of writing. When Lily Tomlin performed it in the 80s (the film version was released in 1991) as a one-woman play, portraying all twelve characters, the charm of the play was watching Tomlin's ingenious skill. She flawlessly slipped in and out of all the characters, female and male, without changing makeup, hair or clothes. It was a phenomenal performance. Now thirty years later, Wagner and Tomlin have adapted the work for a cast of 12 actors under the direction of Ken Sawyer, which opened in October and has been extended until December 11 only at the LGBT Center on the Ed Gould Plaza at McCadden Place, Hollywood.

The Road Theatre Company and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, have announced that their critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS CHOICE, Stage Raw TOP TEN) first show of its 2016-2017 season, EDWARD ALBEE'S THE PLAY ABOUT THE BABY, written by Tony award-winning playwright Edward Albee and directed by Andre Barron, is extending again, now through Saturday, December 10 at the Road Theatre Company's second home, The Road on Magnolia, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, are thrilled to announce that their critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS CHOICE, Stage Raw TOP TEN) first show of its 2016-2017 season,EDWARD ALBEE'S THE PLAY ABOUT THE BABY, written by Tony award-winning playwright Edward Albee and directed by Andre Barron, is EXTENDING through SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 at the Road Theatre Company's second home, The Road on Magnolia, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

?For the first time in the 35-year history of Jane Wagner's iconic play The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, the author and her creative and life partner Lily Tomlin have given their approval for it to be reinvented as a fully staged production performed by a company of 12 actors as opposed to its original solo format.

?For the first time in the 35-year history of Jane Wagner's iconic play The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, the author and her creative and life partner Lily Tomlin have given their approval for it to be reinvented as a fully staged production performed by a company of 12 actors as opposed to its original solo format.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, are thrilled to announce that they will be starring in the first show of its 2016-2017 season, EDWARD ALBEE'S THE PLAY ABOUT THE BABY, written by Tony award-winning playwright Edward Albee and directed by Andre Barron, reuniting the three for the first time since the critically acclaimed The Other Place.  EDWARD ALBEE'S THE PLAY ABOUT THE BABY will begin previews on Tuesday, September 13 at 8pm; will open on Friday, September 16 at 8pm and run through Saturday, November 5 at the Road Theatre Company's second home, The Road on Magnolia, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

?For the first time in the 35-year history of Jane Wagner's iconic play The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, the author and her creative and life partner Lily Tomlin have given their approval for it to be reinvented as a fully staged production performed by a company of 12 actors as opposed to its original solo format.

3-D Theatricals, Orange County's most distinguished regional musical theatre production company, presents the Tony Award-winning spectacular HELLO, DOLLY! starring Valerie Perrias Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi. The second opening took place at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center on August 6, 2016.  BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at the curtain call and stage door photos below!

This week, we go around our Broadway World to feature stories in Boston, St. Louis, Los Angeles and more. Check out our top 10 stories around our Broadway World below, which include THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, FOOTLOOSE in Cleveland, and HELLO, DOLLY! in L.A., just to name a few.

Director Ken Sawyer cemented his show's success when he cast Valerie Perri as the wily matchmaker and backed her up with a host of exceptional players.

3-D Theatricals, Orange County's most distinguished regional musical theatre production company, presents the Tony Award-winning spectacular HELLO, DOLLY! starring Valerie Perri as Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi. Previewing July 15, with its official opening July 16 at Fullerton's historic Plummer Auditorium and continuing there through July 31, the Fullerton run is followed by a second opening at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center where it will preview August 5, and officially open August 6, 2016.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, are thrilled to announce that they will be starring in the first show of its 2016-2017 season, EDWARD ALBEE'S THE PLAY ABOUT THE BABY, written by Tony award-winning playwright Edward Albee and directed by Andre Barron, reuniting the three for the first time since the critically acclaimed The Other Place.  EDWARD ALBEE'S THE PLAY ABOUT THE BABY will begin previews on Tuesday, September 13 at 8pm; will open on Friday, September 16 at 8pm and run through Saturday, November 5 at the Road Theatre Company's second home, The Road on Magnolia, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

The Pasadena Playhouse (Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director), in association with Broadway producer Suzi Dietz, announced today that they will present Tony Award-nominee and multi-platinum recording artist Sam Harris' critically acclaimed Off-Broadway production HAM: A MUSICAL MEMOIR.  Directed by Ken Sawyer (Founding Member of The Road Theatre Company) and Billy Porter (Tony Award-winner for Kinky Boots), the musical comedy takes us from a conflicted childhood in Bible-Belt Oklahoma to the dizzying roller coaster ride of a life in show business and the precarious balancing act of fatherhood. The production features musical direction by Todd Schroeder. HAM will play a limited engagement of three performances only on Saturday, July 9 at 2 pm and 8 pm and Sunday, July 10 at 2 pm at The Pasadena Playhouse (39 S. El Molino Avenue).

Professional Los Angeles intimate theater companies and their friends sold out Los Angeles Theatre Center to support the second-ever STAGE RAW THEATRE AWARDS.  Picking up where the LA WEEKLY Awards left off, and hosted by the Independent Shakespeare Co. and Dr. Pinch and Pinchtones, the best of 99-seat theatre was celebrated in an exuberant and emotional evening that put a "Raw" spotlight on the year's best work.

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle named the multi-nominated Hit the Wall and Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles as 2015's Outstanding Productions at the organization's 47th annual awards event, held on Monday evening, March 14 at the Moss Theatre of New Roads School in Santa Monica.