Liza Colon-Zayas News

As part of its ongoing series Changing the Picture, sponsored by Time Warner, Inc., Museum of the Moving Image will present the documentary film Latinos Beyond Reel: Challenging a Media Stereotype followed by a town-hall discussion about the role of Latinos in the media and the obstacles they face in representation within mainstream culture. The program, on Sunday, April 28, at 5:30 p.m., will feature appearances by Miguel Picker, co-director of Latinos Beyond Reel; actress Liza Colon-Zayas (Law and Order: SVU, Louie); actor Tony Plana (Ugly Betty, Three Amigos, Resurrection Blvd.); Maria Agui Carter, Chair, National Association of Latino Independent Producers; and will be moderated by Museum trustee Warrington Hudlin. The program was organized by independent filmmaker Edwin Pagan, a producer of Latinos Beyond Reel.

The 52nd Street Project makes a difference in the lives of countless Hell's Kitchen (Clinton) kids by pairing them with theater professionals who mentor them through the creation of original theater. Perhaps the most poignant presentations made by The 52nd Street Project are those in its semi-annual Playmaking series, which features the Project's youngest Hell's Kitchen mentees-ten year-olds who have just begun their theatrical education-writing for accomplished professional actors and director-dramaturges, and revealing their work to a public audience for the first time. Reed Birney, Billy Crudup, Peter Dinklage and Myra Lucretia Taylor, along with other accomplished actors, will perform in Stand by Me: The Reliable Plays, the Project's newest Playmaking show, Stand by Me: The Reliable Plays.

The Company Members of Labyrinth Theater Company, the award-winning, downtown ensemble, have announced today casting for its upcoming NEWYORKNEWYORK Festival Marathon Weekend, which will feature forty-eight hours of free, round-the-clock readings of plays centered around New York themes - iconic playwrights, vibrant cultures, urban ideals, and more. Over 180 actors will participate in the marathon weekend of free play readings including: Max Casella, Sarita Chowdhury, Liza Colon-Zayas, Kieran Culkin, Tony Danza, John Doman, Tate Donovan, Halley Feiffer, Michael Kelly, Elizabeth Kemp, Josh Hamilton, Sarah Nina Hayon, Florencia Lozano, Julia Murney, Tony Plana, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Julia Stiles, Marlo Thomas, and Yul Vazquez. The marathon will feature classic works by over twenty esteemed New York playwrights, including Maria Irene Fornes, Lorraine Hansberry, David Henry Hwang, Kenneth Lonnergan, Arthur Miller, Clifford Odets, Miguel Pinero, and more.

Performances begin tonight for Roundabout Theatre Company's second annual Roundabout Underground Reading Series. The actors involved in the series include: Penn Badgley, David Wilson Barnes, Noah Bean, Reg E. Cathey, Tracee Chimo , Liza Colon-Zayas, Patch Darragh, Erin Gann, Jordan Gelber, Kelli Giddish, Andre Holland, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Ezra Knight, Austin Lysy, Madeleine Martin, Chris Perfetti, Lorenzo Pisoni, Phillipa Soo, Stephen Stout, Andrea Syglowski, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Nitya Vindyasagar, Allison Williams.

It doesn't happen often, but, fair or not, there's always a little extra pressure put on a play when it comes to New York after having already won the Pulitzer Prize.  Quiara Alegría Hudes, a Pulitzer finalist for both Elliot, a Soldier's Fugue and her co-authorship of In The Heights, was awarded top honors last year for Water By The Spoonful, which was commissioned by Hartford Stage, where it premiered in 2011.  Shortly after, the recently-opened Off-Broadway mounting was placed on Second Stage's schedule.

WATER BY THE SPOONFUL began previews on Tuesday, December 11th, 2012 and officially opened last night, January 8th, 2013 at Second Stage's Tony Kiser Theatre (305 West 43rd street). For more information, please visit www.2ST.com. Check out photos from the opening below!

Second Stage Theatre presents the 2012 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, WATER BY THE SPOONFUL, written by Quiara Alegría Hudes, directed by Davis McCallum. The company features LIZA COLÓN-ZAYAS (Second Stage's Living Out, Our Lady of 121st Street), Frankie R. Faison (The Wire, Tony nominee for Fences), Zabryna Guevara (Chimichangas and Zoloft, Taper's Burn This), Bill Heck (Angels in America), Sue Jean Kim (Assistance, The Hallway Trilogy), and Armando Riesco (Elliot in Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue). Check out a first look of the cast in action below!

Performances of Steppenwolf Theatre Company's highly anticipated production of The Motherf**ker with the Hat by Stephen Adly Guirgis start today! Ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro directs following the Tony Award-nominated Broadway premiere, with an all-star ensemble cast featuring Sandra Delgado, Sandra Marquez, Gary Perez, John Ortiz and Jimmy Smits and members of the original design team: scenic designer Todd Rosenthal, lighting designer Donald Holder and composer Terence Blanchard.

Performances of Steppenwolf Theatre Company's highly anticipated production of The Motherf**ker with the Hat by Stephen Adly Guirgis start in just two weeks. Ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro directs following the Tony Award-nominated Broadway premiere, with an all-star ensemble cast featuring Sandra Delgado, Sandra Marquez, Gary Perez, John Ortiz and Jimmy Smits and members of the original design team: scenic designer Todd Rosenthal, lighting designer Donald Holder and composer Terence Blanchard.

In their first co-producing endeavor, HERE and the Hip-Hop Theater Festival in association with Collective Consciousness Theatre present the world premiere of How to Break, a new play fueled by human beat-boxing, breaking, popping and locking, linguistic flow and multimedia graffiti art. This production will play a limited engagement at HERE, opening tonight, October 23rd and running through November 4, 2012. Get a first look at the production in the photos below!

Second Stage Theatre has announced the casting for its upcoming production of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, WATER BY THE SPOONFUL, written by Quiara Alegria Hudes, directed by Davis McCallum. The company will feature LIZA COLÓN-ZAYAS (Second Stage's Living Out, Our Lady of 121st Street), FRANKIE R. FAISON (The Wire, Tony nominee for Fences), ZABRYNA GUEVARA (Chimichangas and Zoloft, Taper's Burn This), BILL HECK (Angels in America), SUE JEAN KIM (Assistance, The Hallway Trilogy), and ARMANDO RIESCO (Elliot in Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue).

In their first co-producing endeavor, HERE and the Hip-Hop Theater Festival in association with Collective Consciousness Theatre present the world premiere of How to Break, a new play fueled by human beat-boxing, breaking, popping and locking, linguistic flow and multimedia graffiti art. This production will play a limited engagement at HERE from tonight, October 18 - November 4, with Official Opening set for Tuesday, October 23 at 7:00pm.

In their first co-producing endeavor, HERE and the Hip-Hop Theater Festival in association with Collective Consciousness Theatre present the world premiere of How to Break, a new play fueled by human beat-boxing, breaking, popping and locking, linguistic flow and multimedia graffiti art. This production will play a limited engagement at HERE from October 18 - November 4, with Official Opening set for Tuesday, October 23 at 7:00pm.

Sundance Institute today announced the acting company and creative advisors for the eight projects being developed at its 2012 Theatre Lab, July 9-29 at the Sundance Resort. Under the supervision of Philip Himberg, Producing Artistic Director, and Associate Director Christopher Hibma, the Lab is the centerpiece of the Theatre Program's year-round work and is designed to support emerging and established artists and to create a place where their original work can be effectively mentored and challenged.

Avatars appear as the users of an internet support forum for crack addicts sign on to chat, but the action doesn't take place in cyberspace. It unfolds on stage as Hartford Stage presents the world premiere of Quiara Alegria Hudes' moving play WATER BY THE SPOONFUL.

The OBIE award-winning Classical Theatre of Harlem (Ty Jones, producing director) in conjunction with Hip-Hop Theater Festival (Clyde Valentín, executive director and Kamilah Forbes, artistic director) will present the world and Off-Broadway premiere of SEED, an award-winning play written by Radha Blank and directed by Niegel Smith, at the National Black Theater in Harlem.

THE MOTHERF**KER WITH THE HAT, by Stephen Adly Guirgis and starring Bobby Cannavale, Chris Rock, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Annabella Sciorra and Yul Vázquez, opened last night at the Gerald Schoenfeld Thetare (236 West 45th Street, New York City). Directed by Anna D. Shapiro, the limited engagement will play 15 weeks. BroadwayWorld was on hand to capture all the star-filled red carpet arrivals and brings you photo coverage below!