Lucille Lortel News

Particularly pertinent in an era of heightened politics, TEA FOR THREE: Lady Bird, Pat & Betty humanizes the political scene with a whimsical and deeply moving performance at Pepperdine University's Smothers Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 9.

Profiles Theatre opens its 26th Season with the Midwest Premiere of Reasons to Be Happy by Resident Artist Neil LaBute, directed by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox. The production runs now through October 12, 2014 at Profiles Theatre's The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway. The press opening is tonight, August 28, 2014 at 8pm.

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents 'RELATIVITY: A New Musical In Concert' tonight, August 28th at 9:30pm.

Abingdon Theatre Company -- which has produced 83 new plays in its 21-year history -- launches its 2014-2015 Season with IT HAS TO BE YOU by Drama Desk nominee Catherine Butterfield (JOINED AT THE HEAD), set to begin previews October 3, at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex's Dorothy Strelsin Theatre (312 West 36th Street). Official press opening is set for Sunday, October 12, with performances through October 26. Drama Desk nominee Stuart Ross (ENTER LAUGHING, FOREVER PLAID) is set to direct.

MCC THEATER has announced the 2014 PlayLabs reading series, which will feature new works in development by playwrights Stephen Belber, John Pollono, and Will Snider. "Friends" alum David Schwimmer, currently represented off-Broadway with his direction of the critically-acclaimed hit Sex with Strangers, is set to direct Belber's Shut Up When You Talk to Me. Pollono's Lost Girls will be directed by MCC alum Jo Bonney, who also directed MCC's hit production of Pollono's Small Engine Repair. Snider's How to Use a Knife will be helmed by Kareem Fahmy. Readings will be held on September 15th, September 29th, and October 6th, respectively, at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street). All readings are at 7pm. Full casting will be announced at a later date. Tickets are $10, which include the post-reading reception. For tickets and more info, please visit www.mcctheater.org.

Cerveris took the time to chat with BroadwayWorld about the new project earlier this week, and you can check out the full interview below!

'Mad Men' star Vincent Kartheiser and Broadway's Larry Pine (CASA VALENTINA) will play Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler, respectively, in BILLY & RAY, Mike Bencivenga's new play -- directed by the legendary director/writer/producer Garry Marshall -- being given its NY premiere this fall at the Vineyard Theatre (108 E. 15 St.), with previews scheduled to begin October 1 prior to an official opening on October 20, it has been announced by Vineyard's Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern.

As the 2014 season draws to an end, Davis McCallum, Artistic Director of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF) gave friends and fans something to look forward to when he announced the 2015 season at a special Sneak Peak event on Saturday evening. Noting that the pieces that he has chosen share in the deep belief in the magic of storytelling, McCallum announced that the 2015 productions will be The Winter's Tale, A Midsummer Night's Dream, An Iliad by Lisa Peterson and Dennis O'Hare, and a fourth, soon to be revealed production. 'Each of these pieces aims to transport the audience with the simplest and most powerful of theatrical means - language, wit, movement, commitment, and passion,' he told the assembled crowd.

The Menier Chocolate Factory has announced that its upcoming season will include productions of ASSASSINS by Stephen Sondheim & John Weidman, BUYER AND CELLAR by Jonathan Tolins & starring Michael Urie, plus AN EVENING WITH JOAN PLOWRIGHT.

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.

Atlantic Theater Company's world premiere production of Tony Award nominee Stephen Adly Guirgis' play BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY, directed by Tony Award nominee Austin Pendleton, began previews July 10, opened to critical acclaim on July 31 and plays through today, August 23 off-Broadway at Atlantic's main stage Linda Gross Theater (336 West 20th Street).

The New York regional premiere of Dogfight will take place September 19-21 at the White Plains Performing Arts Center following a recent run Off Broadway. Dogfight is a new musical written by TONY Nominees Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (A Christmas Story) with a book by Peter Duchan -- based on the blockbuster 1991 Warner Bros. film starring River Phoenix and Lili Taylor; screenplay written by Bob Comfort.

Profiles Theatre opens its 26th Season with the Midwest Premiere of Reasons to Be Happy by Resident Artist Neil LaBute, directed by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox. The production runs tonight, August 22 - October 12, 2014 at Profiles Theatre's The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway. The press opening is August 28, 2014 at 8pm.

Alan Smithee Directed This Play from Big Dance Theater comes to BAM's Harvey Theater (651 Fulton Street), running September 30-October 4, 2014.

Profiles Theatre opens its 26th Season with the Midwest Premiere of Reasons to Be Happy by Resident Artist Neil LaBute, directed by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox. The production runs tonight, August 22 - October 12, 2014 at Profiles Theatre's The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway. The press opening is August 28, 2014 at 8pm.

ONCE, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, will play the Orpheum Theatre for a limited engagement from October 28th through November 2nd, 2014. Tickets for ONCE will go on sale today, August 22nd at 10:00 AM and will be available for purchase online at the official Orpheum Theatre website, www.orpheum-memphis.com, The Orpheum Box Office (901.525.3000), the ticket counter at The Booksellers at Laurelwood, and all Ticketmaster centers (901.743.ARTS).

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, presents the second-ever production of The Commons of Pensacola by Amanda Peet, directed by Robin Witt. The production will run at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie, from September 12 - October 19, 2014. The press performance is Saturday, September 20, 2014 at 2:30 pm.

MCC THEATER will next feature Elizabeth Reaser, Gia Crovatin, Golden Globe nominee Callie Thorne, and Frederick Weller for the world premiere of MCC Playwright-in-Residence Neil LaBute's new play, The Money Shot, directed by Terry Kinney. Performances for The Money Shot begin at the Lucille LortelTheatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) on September 4, 2014. An official opening is set for September 22, 2014 and it is currently scheduled through October 12, 2014. The cast just met the press and BroadwayWorld was on hand for the special event!

Kate Mulgrew is a celebrated actress of stage, screen and television; from Broadway shows including EQUUS, MARY STUART, and TEA AT FIVE; to films like A STRANGER IS WATCHING, THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN, and STAR TREK NEMISIS, to her most famous roles in RYAN'S HOPE, MRS. COLUMBO, and STAR TREK VOYAGER.

Artists Rep will kick off its 2014/15 season with the Portland premiere of Intimate Apparel by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage. Artists Rep Artistic Associate and Resident Artist Michael Mendelson will direct this award-winning, Off-Broadway and regional theatre sensation.