Lee Strasberg News

The New School for Drama has announced that the award-winning playwright Jon Robin Baitz will be the distinguished artist-in-residence for the 2009-2010 academic year. Baitz is a Pulitzer finalist, a Guggenheim and NEA fellow, and winner of an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award. A founding member and former artistic director of New York's Naked Angels theater company, Baitz has written a number of acclaimed plays, including The Film Society, The Substance of Fire, Three Hotels, A Fair Country, Ten Unknowns, Mizlansky/Zilinsky, a new version of Ibsen's Hedda Gabler (produced on Broadway in 2001), and The Paris Letter. Playwrights Horizons, the Roundabout Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater, and the Second Stage Theatre have produced Baitz's work in New York. His new play, Love and Mercy, will be produced next season on Broadway.

Al Pacino is set to star as 'Herod' in the upcoming film 'Mary, Mother of Christ.' The multi-award winning actor will star alongside Camilla Belle, Al Pacino, Peter O'Toole, Julia Ormond and Hollywood newcomer Diogo Morgado, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The New School for Drama was well represented in the 34th Annual Samuel French Off-Off-Broadway Short Play Festival, which took place this month at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre in New York.

FaceSpace, written by Talia Gonzales & Bisanne Massoud, will be part of the 2009 Midtown International Theatre Festival. The show, produced by Lucky Penny Productions, in Association with The 7th Sign Theatre Productions, will open on Saturday, July 18th & run for six performances at the MainStage Theatre, 312 West 36th Street. This Premiere Production will be directed by Daniel Winerman. Lighting Design is by Jana Mattioli.

Aurora Theatre Company opens its 18th season, focusing on 'family and fortune,' with Clifford Odets' classic Depression-era drama AWAKE AND SING! Bay Area theater veteran Joy Carlin (Jack Goes Boating, Hysteria, The Price), who first directed this play for Berkeley Repertory Theatre 24 years ago, revisits this landmark drama for Aurora.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director), in association with Sonia Friedman Productions and Ostar Productions presents Sienna Miller as 'Miss Julie', Jonny Lee Miller as 'John' and Marin Ireland as 'Christine' in the American premiere of playwright Patrick Marber's drama After Miss Julie, a version of Strindberg's Miss Julie, directed by Mark Brokaw.

Audax Theatre Group presents Haunted House, a new play by Daniel Roberts, directed by Brian Ziv. Performances begin July 9th at the Irish Arts Center (553 West 51st Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues) for a limited engagement though August 8th only. Haunted House features Jordan Charney, Jason Blaine, Meghan Miller, Jason Altman, and Diana Cherkas.

Audax Theatre Group today announced that Jordan Charney, Jason Blaine, Meghan Miller, Jason Altman, and Diana Cherkas would comprise the cast of their new production, Haunted House, a new play by Daniel Roberts, directed by Brian Ziv. Performances will begin July 9th at the Irish Arts Center (553 West 51st Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues), for a limited engagement though August 8th only.

FaceSpace, written by Talia Gonzales & Bisanne Massoud, will be part of the 2009 Midtown International Theatre Festival. The show, produced by Lucky Penny Productions, in Association with The 7th Sign Theatre Productions, will open on Saturday, July 18th & run for six performances at the MainStage Theatre, 312 West 36th Street. This Premiere Production will be directed by Daniel Winerman. Lighting Design is by Jana Mattioli.

FaceSpace, written by Talia Gonzales & Bisanne Massoud, will be part of the 2009 Midtown International Theatre Festival. The show, produced by Lucky Penny Productions, in Association with The 7th Sign Theatre Productions, will open on Saturday, July 18th & run for six performances at the MainStage Theatre, 312 West 36th Street. This Premiere Production will be directed by Daniel Winerman. Lighting Design is by Jana Mattioli.

Audax Theatre Group presents Haunted House, a new play by Daniel Roberts, directed by Brian Ziv. Performances begin July 9th at the Irish Arts Center (553 West 51st Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues) for a limited engagement though August 8th only. Haunted House features Jordan Charney, Jason Blaine, Meghan Miller, Jason Altman, and Diana Cherkas.

Kurt Weill's Johnny Johnson gets its UK premiere at Sadler's Wells - but why here and why now? Our correspondent finds out

'Grey's Anatomy' star Chandra Wilson has stepped into the celebrated role of Matron 'Mama' Morton, the reigning cellblock diva of the smash hit musical CHICAGO. Chandra Wilson has joined the production for a four-week limited engagement which began, Monday, June 8th. She will perform in the production through Sunday, July 5, 2009 at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.). BroadwayWorld.com's cameras were there as she welcomed 'Grey's Anatomy' creator Shonda Rhimes backstage after the Monday June 22nd performance!

Come give your happy feet a chance and jump, jive and wail at Pittsburgh CLO's production of Swing!, playing June 20 through 26 at the Benedum Center in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District.

Come give your happy feet a chance and jump, jive and wail at Pittsburgh CLO's production of Swing!, playing June 20 through 26 at the Benedum Center in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District.

Audax Theatre Group today announced that Jordan Charney, Jason Blaine, Meghan Miller, Jason Altman, and Diana Cherkas would comprise the cast of their new production, Haunted House, a new play by Daniel Roberts, directed by Brian Ziv. Performances will begin July 9th at the Irish Arts Center (553 West 51st Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues), for a limited engagement though August 8th only.

Come give your happy feet a chance and jump, jive and wail at Pittsburgh CLO's production of Swing!, playing June 20 through 26 at the Benedum Center in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) is pleased to announce the full cast for the New York premiere of the new musical The Tin Pan Alley Rag, written by Mark Saltzman, with Music & Lyrics by Irving Berlin & Scott Joplin, directed by Stafford Arima.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director), in association with Sonia Friedman Productions and Ostar Productions presents Sienna Miller as 'Miss Julie' and Jonny Lee Miller as 'John', both of whom will be making their Broadway debuts, in the American premiere of playwright Patrick Marber's drama After Miss Julie, a version of Strindberg's Miss Julie, directed by Mark Brokaw.

Broadway heats up this summer now that three-time Emmy Award nominee and 'Grey's Anatomy' star Chandra Wilson has stepped into the celebrated role of Matron 'Mama' Morton, the reigning cellblock diva of the smash hit musical CHICAGO. Chandra Wilson joins the production for a four-week limited engagement which began last night, Monday, June 8 through Sunday, July 5, 2009 at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.). BroadwayWorld.com's cameras were there as she took her first bows as 'Mama' Morton!