Leslie Ayvazian News

Continuing their mission of developing new works and cultivating the next generation of playwrights, Urban Stages (Frances Hill, Artistic Director) will present a reading of David Koteles' The Cook's Tour, directed by Chris Henry. The reading will take place on Tuesday, February 8 at 6PM.The free reading will take place at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30 Street) reservations can be made by calling 212 421-1380.

Set in Cuba in 1953, 'A Bearded Lover' is a dark and heartwarming play about three eccentric sisters who are preparing for a long journey into the sea. Love and loyalty are tested; even the bond of sisterhood is challenged, pushed to the limit, and changed forever.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) continues its 2010-11 season with a revival of Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter's most provocative play, The Homecoming, directed by A.C.T. Artistic Director and longtime Pinter collaborator Carey Perloff.

INVASION!, a play by the Swedish playwright and novelist Jonas Hassen Khemiri that has enjoyed great success in numerous European productions, will receive its U.S. premiere -- presented Off-Broadway by The Play Company and directed by Erica Schmidt - with previews beginning February 9 prior to an official opening night on February 21 at Walkerspace (46 Walker Street) in Tribeca, it has been announced by Kate Loewald, Founding Producer and Lauren Weigel, Executive Producer of The Play Company. The English translation of INVASION! is written by Rachel Willson-Broyles.

Manhattan Theatre Club will present its annual Winter Benefit, an evening of cocktails and dinner followed by a special one-night-only cabaret-style show featuring some of the biggest stars of musical theatre on Monday, January 24, 2011 at The Plaza (58th Street & Fifth Avenue).

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) has announced the line-up for its upcoming 27th season of producing new works with the world premieres of two plays: Olive and the Bitter Herbs by Charles Busch; Rx by Kate Fodor; and the New York premiere of The Morini Strad by Willy Holtzman; and In Mother Words, conceived by Susan R. Rose and Joan Stein, and written by Leslie Ayvazian, David Cale, Jessica Goldberg, Beth Henley, Lameece Issaq, Lisa Loomer, Michele Lowe, Marco Pennette, Lisa Ramirez, Theresa Rebeck, Luanne Rice, Annie Weisman and Cheryl L. West at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street).

INVASION!, a play by the Swedish playwright and novelist Jonas Hassen Khemiri that has enjoyed great success in numerous European productions, will receive its U.S. premiere -- presented Off-Broadway by The Play Company and directed by Erica Schmidt - with previews beginning February 9 prior to an official opening night on February 21 at Walkerspace (46 Walker Street) in Tribeca, it has been announced by Kate Loewald, Founding Producer and Lauren Weigel, Executive Producer of The Play Company. The English translation of INVASION! is written by Rachel Willson-Broyles.

In Mother Words, an audacious collection of stories by some of theater's most talented contemporary playwrights, makes its West Coast debut with award-winning actors Jane Kaczmarek, Saidah Arrika Ekulona and James Lecesne. Conceived Susan Rose and Joan Stein and helmed by acclaimed director Lisa Peterson, this hilarious night of theater includes works by Pulitzer Prize winner Beth Henley, Pulitzer Prize nominee Lisa Loomer, two-time Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award finalist Michele Lowe, Peabody Award winner Theresa Rebeck, best-selling author Luanne Rice, as well as Leslie Ayvazian, David Cale, Jessica, Lameece Isaaq, Marco Pennette, Lisa Ramirez, Annie Weisman and Cheryl L. West. These Goldberg playwrights' combined stories give voice to mothers and children of all ages, races and even sexes - resulting in an eye-opening, poignant and irresistible evening, which opens in the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse on February 23, 2011.

Atop a high dive, a woman terrified of heights chronicles her comic misadventures of past vacations, while her son and a cast of 34 goad her to take the plunge. High Dive is a light comedy starring five-time Carbonell nominated actress, Barbara Sloan, where ½ hour before the performance begins she casts the show's supporting roles (one-liners) from audience members who are willing to participate.

Atlantic Theater Company Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director is proud to announce that Patricia Conolly, Michael Countryman, Francesca Faridany, Mikaela Feely-Lehmann, Rick Holmes, John Keating, Peter Maloney, Jaime Ray Newman, Patricia O'Connell, Jeremy Shamos, Joey Slotnick and Tom Patrick Stephens will star in the world premiere adaptation of THE NEW YORK IDEA by Tony Award® winner David Auburn from the original play by Langdon Mitchell and directed by Mark Brokaw.

Manhattan Theatre Club will present its annual Winter Benefit, an evening of cocktails and dinner followed by a special one-night-only cabaret-style show featuring some of the biggest stars of musical theatre on Monday, January 24, 2011 at The Plaza (58th Street & Fifth Avenue).

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) is proud to announce that Patricia Conolly, Michael Countryman, Francesca Faridany, Mikaela Feely-Lehmann, Rick Holmes, John Keating, Peter Maloney, Jaime Ray Newman, Patricia O'Connell, Jeremy Shamos, Joey Slotnick and Tom Patrick Stephens will star in the world premiere adaptation of THE NEW YORK IDEA by Tony Award® winner David Auburn from the original play by Langdon Mitchell and directed by Mark Brokaw.

Following a successful extended run of Love, Loss, and What I Wore and the upcoming performances of Dick Van Dyke - Step in Time! - A Musical Memoir, the Geffen Playhouse welcomes two more productions this season into its intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater: In Mother Words, a moving collection of stories on the universal subject of motherhood by award-winning contemporary playwrights, and Extraordinary Chambers, a world premiere by David Wiener about the consequences of a couple's trip to Cambodia.

A multitude of the most curious chapters from 500+ years of animal trials will take center stage in late November at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College with excerpts from 'The Tragical-Comical Trial Trial of Madame P and Other 4-Legged and Winged Creatures,' a multi-media phantasmagoria-in-progress by award-winning playwright Susan Yankowitz. The play is widely interdisciplinary, engaging themes of animal rights and law, criminal justice, philosophy and ethics. The concluding event of John Jay's annual Art of Justice Series, it will be presented on Monday and Tuesday, November 29 and 30 at 7:00pm. The Gerald W. Lynch Theater is located at John Jay College, 899 Tenth Avenue, NYC. Tickets are $10 (free for CUNY students with valid ID) and may be purchased by calling Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or visiting www.ticketcentral.com.

A multitude of the most curious chapters from 500+ years of animal trials will take center stage in late November at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College with excerpts from 'The Tragical-Comical Trial Trial of Madame P and Other 4-Legged and Winged Creatures,' a multi-media phantasmagoria-in-progress by award-winning playwright Susan Yankowitz. The play is widely interdisciplinary, engaging themes of animal rights and law, criminal justice, philosophy and ethics. The concluding event of John Jay's annual Art of Justice Series, it will be presented on Monday and Tuesday, November 29 and 30 at 7:00pm. The Gerald W. Lynch Theater is located at John Jay College, 899 Tenth Avenue, NYC. Tickets are $10 (free for CUNY students with valid ID) and may be purchased by calling Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or visiting www.ticketcentral.com.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) is proud to announce that Atlantic Theater Company members Larry Bryggman and Matt McGrath and guest artists Lisa Emery, Rebecca Henderson and Darren Pettie will star in its first main stage production of the 2010-2011 season, THE COLLECTION & A KIND OF ALASKA: TWO PLAYS BY HAROLD PINTER, directed by Atlantic founding member Karen Kohlhaas.

EDGEWISE -- a new play by Eliza Clark, directed by Trip Cullman -- will be given its world-premiere this fall in a co-production by the Off-Broadway companies Page 73 and The Play Company, with previews set to begin November 9 and opening night set for November 17 at the Walkerspace (46 Walker St.) in Tribeca.

EDGEWISE -- a new play by Eliza Clark, directed by Trip Cullman -- will be given its world-premiere this fall in a co-production by the Off-Broadway companies Page 73 and The Play Company, with previews set to begin November 9 and opening night set for November 17 at the Walkerspace (46 Walker St.) in Tribeca.

EDGEWISE -- a new play by Eliza Clark, directed by Trip Cullman -- will be given its world-premiere this fall in a co-production by the Off-Broadway companies Page 73 and The Play Company, with previews set to begin November 9 and opening night set for November 17 at the Walkerspace (46 Walker St.) in Tribeca.

The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust has announced that the 3rd Annual ‘Mimi' Awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held Monday, November 8, 2010 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center Theater (150 West 65th Street).