Maggie Smith News

Although I am not as familiar with the plays of Anton Chekhov as some, Christopher Durang's play, Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike, doesn't require a pop quiz of Chekhovian references in order for one to enjoy the show. This character study into the lives of three squabbling, middle-aged siblings has enough humor and poignancy in it so you don't have to have your SparkNotes handy to enjoy it. The play, produced by Leslie Nichols and directed by Fred Helsel, plays at the Santa Paula Theater Center through August 16.

Get the inside scoop!  Due to popular demand, The York Theatre Company, as part of its acclaimed Developmental Readings Series, will present the return one-night performance of Call My Publicist! - The Starry Education of a Broadway Press Agent, written and performed by Joshua Ellis and directed by Gretchen Cryer, on Thursday, August 20, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's (Entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).  The reading is open to the public with a suggested donation of $5.00.

BroadwayWorld has learned that English actor/director Robin Phillips has died. Best known as a driving force behind the revitalization of Ontario's Stratford Festival in the 1970s, Phillips passed away yesterday, July 25, following a prolonged illness. He was 73.

The nominations for the 67th Emmy Awards were just announced, and well, let's just say there is a lot to talk about! Many good, promising things for the future of TV, but also some things that worry me. There are so many categories in which I have something to say, but for the sake of your time, we will stick to the main categories: Best Drama Series, Best Comedy Series, Lead Actor/Actress, and Supporting Actor/Actress:

Due to popular demand and great reviews when it played in San Francisco in March, BREAKING THE CODE - THE ALAN TURING STORY by Hugh Whitemore is coming back for a return engagement for 20 performances only -- Aug. 5 - 29, 2015 (Wed. - Sat. - 8:00 pm / Sat. Matinees - 3:00 pm) in this exclusive Theatre Rhinoceros production in San Francisco.

The Actors Hall of Fame, which will honor 15 exceptional film, television and theatre actors this year, has partnered with Ovation TV, America's only arts network, to present the premiere of the 2015 Actors Hall of Fame inductions specia

The Daily Mail reported today that James McAvoy and Emily Blunt, who voiced the title charcters of GNOMEO AND JULIET are hoping to play the gnomes in the upcoming sequel to the movie, SHERLOCK GNOMES. Both have been offered the roles, but deals have yet to be finalized.

In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris, the political controversy surrounding the release of The Interview, and continued suppression of plays, books, and art in American schools, libraries and museums, the battle for freedom of speech and expression is more essential than ever. Planet Connections Theatre Festivity will present an evening of world premiere plays by Erik Ehn, Halley Feiffer, Israel Horovitz and Neil LaBute addressing censorship in the arts in Playwrights for a Cause, to be held at 7:30pm on June 14, 2015 at the Sheen Center, located at 18 Bleecker Street.

Why let the boring old truth stand in the way of a compelling story? Lettice Douffet lives her life by a code her flamboyant actress mother taught her: 'Enlarge! Enliven! Enlighten!' She eschews "the mere" - the regular, tedious, mundane, or mediocre in life. Lettice and Lovage contrasts dreamer and free spirit Lettice Douffet with bureaucrat Lotte Schoen, a rigid realist. Despite their differences the two find commonality and camaraderie. Quotidian Theatre - theatre dedicated to the poetry of everyday life, no-frills storytelling, and realistic situations and dialogue - brings us Peter Shaffer's witty clash of opposites ultimately finding solidarity.

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Andrew Levine, Executive Director), as part of its acclaimed Developmental Readings Series, presents Call My Publicist! - The Starry Education of a Broadway Press Agent, written and performed by Joshua Ellis. This premiere reading, directed by Gretchen Cryer will be presented for one-performance only TONIGHT, April 8, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's (Entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). The reading is open to the public with a suggested donation of $5.00.

Although a handful of playwrights have used elements from Anton Chekhov's canon of classics (such as Neil Simon's The Good Doctor), I can't think of any other writer who's displayed such ingenuity in incorporating bits and pieces from his work the way that Christopher Durang has in his play VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE. Referencing Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, The Seagull, and The Cherry Orchard, Durang has put together a show that's so absurdly funny it hurts! It's not a parody of Chekhov, but instead neatly walks a tightrope that utilizes these traces in enjoyable and amusing ways that act to provide an intelligent depth that engages while it entertains. The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis closes their season on a gloriously high note that will make you wish their productions continued year round. Don't miss this hilarious show!

The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will present the 2015 International Emmy® Founders Award to Julian Fellowes, the writer and creator of Downton Abbey, one of the most acclaimed, widely watched and best reviewed television series in the history of the medium.

Adelaide Repertory Theatre's next production Quartet is a moving and comical tale about a group of ageing opera singers reunited in a retirement home for musicians.

The York Theatre Company, as part of its acclaimed Developmental Readings Series, presents Call My Publicist! - The Starry Education of a Broadway Press Agent, written and performed by Joshua Ellis. This premiere reading, directed by Gretchen Cryer will be presented for one-performance only on Wednesday evening, April 8, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's (Entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). The reading is open to the public with a suggested donation of $5.00.

Pioneer Theatre Company presents the comedy I Hate Hamlet by PAUL RUDNICK, today, March 20 - April 4, 2015. Visiting guest artist ART MANKE directs the production.

Christopher Durang's Tony Award winning play, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, opened last night at the Panasonic Theatre. The play's premise is reminiscent of a sitcom: Masha, a famous actress past her prime (and the most successful sibling) returns home for a weekend to visit her siblings Sonia and Vanya. Sonia and Vanya have spent the last 15 years caring for their aging parents who have since passed away. Sonia is especially jealous of the success Masha has had.

DALLAS, FEBRUARY 20, 2015 – The Dallas Opera is preparing to whisk audiences away to the Latin Quarter of Paris for the blockbuster opera of the season: Giacomo Puccini's 1896 masterpiece, LA BOHÈME, based on Henri Murger's newspaper serial-turned-novel, Scènes de la vie de bohème.

In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris, the political controversy surrounding the release of The Interview, and continued suppression of plays, books, and art in American schools, libraries and museums, the battle for freedom of speech and expression is more essential than ever. Planet Connections Theatre Festivity will present an evening of world premiere plays by Erik Ehn, Halley Feiffer, Israel Horovitz and Neil LaBute addressing censorship in the arts in Playwrights for a Cause, to be held at 7:30pm on June 14, 2015 at the Sheen Center, located at 18 Bleecker Street.

With the recent end to DOWNTON ABBEY's latest season, many fans are going through DOWNTON withdrawals as they anticipate waiting a whole year to see new episodes of the British drama. Fortunately, some DOWNTON super-fans from College Humor have a remedy. Below, check out the team's music video, 'Downton Funk,' a new parody of Mark Ronson's hit pop song 'Uptown Funk'!