Lorraine Hansberry News

The brutally funny Clybourne Park engages audiences in an uncensored journey, revealing the challenges and controversies in one house spanning 50 years of societal changes. As part ofAurora Theatre's 19th Season Peach State Federal Credit Union Signature Series, the darkly satirical Pulitzer Prize winning comedy makes its debut in metro-Atlanta October 2-26.

HISTORY MATTERS/BACK TO THE FUTURE, a coalition of theatre professionals, has announced the application deadline for the new Judith Barlow Prize has been extended to December 30th, 2014 to better align with the academic calendar. The Judith Barlow Prize will award $2,500 annually to a student playwright of a one-act play inspired by the work of an historic woman playwright whom she/he has studied. In addition, a $1000 prize will be awarded to the runner up and a $500 prize will be awarded to the winning student's professor who participated in the One Play at a Time initiative.

Ebony Repertory Theatre announced today that Garth Fagan Dance will return to Los Angeles after an absence of ten years. The company's program includes the Los Angeles premiere of excerpts from 'Lighthouse/Lightning Rod,' a collaboration of the company's Founder/Artistic Director Garth Fagan, Wynton Marsalis and California-based visual artist Alison Saar. 'Lighthouse' opened the Brooklyn Academy of Music season in 2012. Performances at the 400-seat Nate Holden Performing Arts Center (4718 W. Washington Blvd.) in Los Angeles will run this weekend, October 3-5, 2014. For more information, visit www.ebonyrep.org.

Rehearsals are underway for Driving Miss Daisy, the second show of Dallas Theater Center's 2014-15 season. Joel Ferrell, director and choreographer of DTC's hot-ticket production of The Rocky Horror Show, directs Driving Miss Daisy, which marks DTC's return to the historic Kalita Humphreys Theater for the first time in one and a half years. Driving Miss Daisy begins previews on Thursday, October 16 with a Pay-What-You-Can performance and runs through Sunday, November 16. Tickets to Driving Miss Daisy are on sale now at www.DallasTheaterCenter.org and by phone at (214) 880-0202.

The 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama winning play DISGRACED is about to begin previews at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre. In anticipation of this drama's return to New York City stages, I recently had an opportunity to talk with Karen Pittman, who is returning to the role of Jory. Together, we discussed the play's Broadway debut, its exploration of relevant sociopolitical issues, and why audiences must see this show.

California Stage will revive Rick Foster's smash-hit show Love, Isadora today, September 20th-October 12th, 2014.

California Stage will revive Rick Foster's smash-hit show Love, Isadora September 20th-October 12th, 2014. Professional actress Lori Russo reprises her Elly Award-winning turn as Isadora Duncan, the mother of modern dance, with Janis Stevens' inspired direction.

Ebony Repertory Theatre announced today that Garth Fagan Dance will return to Los Angeles after an absence of ten years. The company's program includes the Los Angeles premiere of excerpts from 'Lighthouse/Lightning Rod,' a collaboration of the company's Founder/Artistic Director Garth Fagan, Wynton Marsalis and California-based visual artist Alison Saar. 'Lighthouse' opened the Brooklyn Academy of Music season in 2012. Performances at the 400-seat Nate Holden Performing Arts Center (4718 W. Washington Blvd.) in Los Angeles will run October 3-5, 2014.

The William & Eva Fox Foundation and Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, have announced the ninth round of Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowships recipients. The program is designed to support actors' professional and artistic development, to enrich relationships between actors and nonprofit theatres and to ensure continued professional commitment to live theatre. Funded by the Fox Foundation and administered by TCG, the fellowship is one of only a few programs of its kind for actors in the country.

Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) will present the first play in its seventeenth Mainstage season, 'Clybourne Park'. Bruce Norris' satirical comedy won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize Award and the 2012 Tony Award for Best Play. 'Clybourne Park' will be directed by Peter Wray and will run every Thursday through Sunday at Maryland Ensemble Theatre from tonight, September 12 through October 5.

Central Works concludes the 2014 season with 'Recipe,' a profoundly funny new work by Michael Gene Sullivan, opening with a press Night on Saturday October 18 at 8 pm and running through November 23 at the historic Berkeley City Club. Sullivan serves up the laughs in this delicious take on a circle of sweet old grandmotherly bakers, who just happen to be dedicated to the armed overthrow of the United States government. But baking pies and cakes isn't enough to satisfy these four intrepid refugees from the sixties, and their burning desire to 'Up the Revolution!' Directed by Gary Graves, 'Recipe'is Central Works 45th world premiere and features Velina Brown* (Diane), Tamar Cohn (Ruth), Phoebe Moyer* (Lillian), Lynne Soffer* (Helen) and Jan Zvaifler (Janice), (*member AEA). It's one thing to say 'The government is probably listening to my calls,' but what do you do when you find out it's true? If it seems that the government that you call 'a fascist, surveillance state' has specifically targeted you, is specifically watching YOU (it's not paranoia if they really are after you!), then what? How do you live your life knowing that all your fears may, actually, be true?

THE LAST CADILLAC began yesterday, August 28, with a press opening tonight, August 29 at 8pm, and runs at The Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N Southport in Chicago, through September 21.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized as a vital "American Cultural Ambassador" to the world and New York City Center's Principal Dance Company, returns to the New York City Center stage for the 43rd consecutive year from December 3, 2014 - January 4, 2015. The Company will present 39 performances during an exciting annual season that has become a joyous holiday tradition.

Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) will present the first play in its seventeenth Mainstage season, 'Clybourne Park'. Bruce Norris' satirical comedy won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize Award and the 2012 Tony Award for Best Play. 'Clybourne Park' will be directed by Peter Wray and will run every Thursday through Sunday at Maryland Ensemble Theatre from September 12 through October 5.

The League of Professional Theatre Women is pleased to present Actor/Director/Philanthropist BILLIE ALLEN for the next Oral History interview. ALLEN will sit down with Tony Award-Winning Actress PHYLICIA RASHAD to discuss her fascinating work as a theatre artist. The event will be Monday, September 22, 2014 at 6:00 pm at the Bruno Walter Auditorium of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts on 65th Street & Amsterdam Avenue. Admission is free, but seats will be on a first-come-first-seated basis.

In the spirit of Facing Our Truth, The New Black Fest will commission 6 black male playwrights to write monologues and/or performance essays entitled HANDS UP: 6 playwrights, 6 testaments. The playwrights include Dennis Allen II, Nathan James, Nathan Yungerberg, Eric Holmes, Idris Goodwin, and Glenn NSangou.

California Stage will revive Rick Foster's smash-hit show Love, Isadora September 20th-October 12th, 2014. Professional actress Lori Russo reprises her Elly Award-winning turn as Isadora Duncan, the mother of modern dance, with Janis Stevens' inspired direction.

THE LAST CADILLAC begins Thursday, August 28, with a press opening on Friday, August 29 at 8pm, and runs at The Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N Southport in Chicago, through September 21.

Theater Alliance announces its 12th Season with a lineup of three world premieres by award-winning playwrights, the return of the holiday classic Black Nativity, and the third annual Hothouse reading series that will develop four new pieces from DC based playwrights.