Kirk Douglas News

Casting is set for the Celebration Theatre production of 'Die, Mommie, Die!' which Center Theatre Group is remounting at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre. Written by Charles Busch and directed by Ryan Bergmann, 'Die, Mommie, Die!' will begin previews May 10, open May 12 and close May 20.

Pasadena Playhouse, the State Theater of California is presenting Culture Clash, revisiting their hit Bordertown twenty years later, with Bordertown Now from Wednesday May 30 to Sunday June 24 at Pasadena Playhouse.

The New American Theatre (NAT) will present the Los Angeles premiere of Greg Kalleres' (Honky) comedy Meanwhile, Back at the Super Lair... at the award-winning company's new Hollywood venue. New American Theatre's artistic director Jack Stehlin directs. The production will open Saturday, May 26 and runs through Saturday, June 23. ' Super Lair' will be presented independently and then will be offered as a Hollywood Fringe Festival show.

Odyssey Theatre Ensemble collaborates with Not Man Apart-Physical Theatre Ensemble to present the world premiere of Lysistrata Unbound, a new and unexpected dramatic version of the classic Greek story written by acclaimed playwright Eduardo Machado. NMA artistic director emeritus John Farmanesh-Bocca (Tempest Redux, Ajax in Iraq) directs June 9 through Aug. 4 at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A.

Producers Scott Rudin and Barry Diller announced today that Reed Birney and Jayne Houdyshell will reprise their Tony Award®-winning performances in "The Humans" for the last stop of the national tour at the Center Theatre Group / Ahmanson Theatre.

The world premiere of a new musical for animal lovers of all agesis set to open at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Ryan Bergmann (Die, Mommie, Die! at CTG Block Party) will direct the furry tale of fun created by Tony Cookson, with a book by Cookson and music and lyrics by John Daniel, Tony Cookson, Robb Curtis Brown and David O. Anthony Lucca will musical direct, and the choreographer is Janet Roston. Previews begin July 10, with the press opening set for July 15. Performances will continue through Aug. 5.

Elevator Repair Service, "one of the city's few truly essential theater companies" (New York Times), is pleased to present the world premiere of Everyone's Fine With Virginia Woolf, a new play written by longtime company member Kate Scelsa and directed by Elevator Repair Service Artistic Director John Collins.

Center Theatre Group has announced the launch of the inaugural L.A. Writers' Workshop Festival: New Plays Forged In L.A., to celebrate some of the freshest and most exciting voices in modern American theatre coming out of Los Angeles and Center Theatre Group's long-standing L.A. Writers' Workshop. To be held annually at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, the festival will feature readings of three new plays by three L.A. Writers' Workshop participants from throughout the program's thirteen year history. The inaugural festival will be on June 23 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. with readings of "A Kind of Weather" by Sylvan Oswald, "New Life" by Dan O'Brien and "How To Raise A Freeman" by Zakiyyah Alexander.

Jennifer Barclay's RIPE FRENZY is produced by Greenway Arts Alliance (Whitney Weston and Pierson Blaetz, Co-Founders and Co-Artistic Directors) at Greenway Court Theatre (544 N. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles), as part of a National New Play Network (NNPN) Rolling World Premiere with partnering theaters New Repertory Theatre in Boston and Synchronicity Theatre in Atlanta. Winner of the 2016 NNPN Smith Prize for Political Theatre, RIPE FRENZY is directed by Ovation Award-nominee Alana Dietze (Dry Land at the Echo Theater Company and Kirk Douglas Theatre) and projection designs by Obie Award-winner Jared Mezzocchi (Vietgone at Manhattan Theatre Club). Performances will play May 17 through June 17, 2018; with the press opening on Saturday, May 19.

Casting is set for the Celebration Theatre production of 'Die, Mommie, Die!' which Center Theatre Group is remounting at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre. Written by Charles Busch and directed by Ryan Bergmann, 'Die, Mommie, Die!' will begin previews May 10, open May 12 and close May 20.

The second play in this year's Block Party is AMERYKA, written and directed by Critical Mass Performance Group Artistic Director Nancy Keystone, which continues through April 29, 2018 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Plan to arrive early so you can take advantage reading all the information posted in several areas of the lobby (as well as in the two main theater entrances) about Tadeusz Ko?ciuszko, a Polish freedom fighter who assisted Thomas Jefferson in the formation of our country, as his remarkable life and beliefs are central to the plot of this play.

The Acting Company presents a one-night-only benefit reading of The Night of the Iguana, Tennessee Williams' feverishly poetic 1961 drama, at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues), on Monday, June 11. Directed by Michael Wilson, the acclaimed Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award-winner, the performance reunites much of the cast and creative team from last season's critically acclaimed production at the American Repertory Theatre. 

Thrown Stone Theatre Company under the leadership of Co-Artistic Directors Jason Peck & Jonathan Winn announces casting for their 2018 Summer Repertory season, the New England Premiere of The Arsonists by Jacqueline Goldfinger and the East Coast Premiere of Where All Good Rabbits Go by Karina Cochran.

Critical Mass Performance Group's AMERYKA has been chosen as the next production of this year's Center Theatre Group's second annual BLOCK PARTY running April 19 through April 29, 2018 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. We had the opportunity to talk to Nancy Keystone, CMPG's founding artistic director, and director and co-writer of AMERYKA, as she rhapsodizes on all things cultural, critical and collaborative.

The Old Globe's 2017-2018 Season continues with today's announcement of the complete cast and creative team for the Southern California debut of A Thousand Splendid Suns, Ursula Rani Sarma's sweeping and deeply moving theatrical production based on the best-selling book by Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner).

Celebration Theatre presents under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, present the third and final show in its 2017 2018 season, CABARET, book by Joe Masteroff (based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood), music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, choreography by Janet Roston, musical direction by Anthony Zediker and directed by Michael Matthews. CABARET will begin previews on Friday, May 25 at 8pm; will open on Friday, June 1 at 8pm, with tickets on sale through Sunday, July 15 at Celebration Theatre @ the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles.

The Critical Mass Performance Group production of "Ameryka," which Center Theatre Group is remounting at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre, will open Saturday, April 21 at 8 p.m. Written and directed by Critical Mass Performance Group Artistic Director Nancy Keystone in collaboration with the company, "Ameryka" is currently in previews and will close April 29.

Jennifer Barclay's RIPE FRENZY is produced by Greenway Arts Alliance (Whitney Weston and Pierson Blaetz, Co-Founders and Co-Artistic Directors) at Greenway Court Theatre (544 N. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles), as part of a National New Play Network (NNPN) Rolling World Premiere with partnering theaters New Repertory Theatre in Boston and Synchronicity Theatre in Atlanta. Winner of the 2016 NNPN Smith Prize for Political Theatre, RIPE FRENZY is directed by Ovation Award-nominee Alana Dietze (Dry Land at the Echo Theater Company and Kirk Douglas Theatre) and projection designs by Obie Award-winner Jared Mezzocchi (Vietgoneat Manhattan Theatre Club). Performances will play May 17 through June 17, 2018; with the press opening on Saturday, May 19.

A collective of perspectives. A public outcry. The establishment of a movement. This month, two new plays- Until the Flood by Dael Orlandersmith, directed by Neel Keller and florissant & canfield by Kristiana Rae Colon, directed by Derrick Sanders-bring a national dialogue to the stage.

Rogue Machine Theatre (2017 Ovation Award "Best Season," and two time recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle "Polly Warfield Award for an Excellent Season in a Small to Mid-Size Theatre") presents four new plays in 2018, about the haunted, about how we survive in a world that is increasingly nonsensical. In addition, an American premiere and a West Coast premiere are being added to Rogue Machine's season.