Mark Jackson News

ESPN will televise four NBA Conference Semifinals Game 6's, with prime-time doubleheaders both tonight, Thursday, May 14 and Friday, May 15.

Aurora Theatre Company closes its 23rd season with the Bay Area Premiere of Lisa D'Amour's (Anna Bella Eema, Airline Highway) wicked Obie-winning satire about our uncertain economic times, DETROIT. Josh Costello (Wittenberg) directs this explosive dark comedy, featuring Amy Resnick (Body Awareness, Collapse), Jeff Garrett, Luisa Frasconi, and Patrick Kelly Jones (Metamorphosis), that brilliantly captures our current economic moment. DETROIT plays June 19 through July 19 at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. For tickets ($32-60) and information the public can call (510) 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org.

The 2015 NBA Playoffs will tip off on ABC and ESPN with the first five games of the postseason airing on the networks, beginning Saturday, April 18.

Berkeley's acclaimed Aurora Theatre Company proudly announces the lineup for its 24th season.

ESPN announced today it has made an update to its 2014-15 NBA regular-season schedule. On Wednesday, April 8, the Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons matchup has been added at 7 p.m. ET, replacing the previously scheduled Toronto Raptors at Charlotte Hornets game.

At the New London Theatre, the proud home of Michael Morpurgo's much celebrated War Horse, the National Theatre's acclaimed stage production recently extended bookings for the West End production to 13 February 2016. In its eighth year, and having now been seen by over 6 million worldwide, a new cast of 26 actors and 12 puppeteers joined the company this month led by the show's equine star Joey.

Cutting Ball Theater continues its 16th season with the adventurous RISK IS THIS…THE CUTTING BALL NEW EXPERIMENTAL PLAYS FESTIVAL, one of the only play festivals in America solely dedicated to experimental works for the stage.

At the New London Theatre, the proud home of Michael Morpurgo's much celebrated War Horse, the National Theatre's acclaimed stage production today (2 February) releases over 150,000 new tickets for sale taking bookings for the West End production to 13 February 2016. In its eighth year, and having now been seen by over 6 million worldwide, a new cast of 26 actors and 12 puppeteers join the company on 16 March 2015 led by the show's equine star Joey. War Horse recently completed sell-out dates in South Africa visiting Johannesburg and Cape Town and has now returned to the UK where it will complete a record-breaking national tour in Bristol next month.

This Thursday, Dec. 25, a Christmas Day tradition continues as ABC and ESPN will combine to present a marquee NBA tripleheader.

The 2013-14 Encore Awards nominees are announced.

The Finals on ABC will begin tonight, June 5, at 9 p.m. ET with Game One between the defending NBA Champion Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs in a rematch from the 2013 NBA Finals.

NBA veteran Mark Jackson has reached a multi-year agreement with ESPN to return to the network and serve as an NBA game analyst. Jackson will re-join his former booth-mates - play-by-play commentator Mike Breen and analyst Jeff Van Gundy - during the Eastern Conference Finals, starting with Game One on ABC this Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. The three-person booth, with reporter Doris Burke, will call the entire Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals.

Due to popular demand, Aurora Theatre Company announces that it will add a second extension week of performances of John W. Lowell's suspenseful psychological thriller THE LETTERS, the first fully staged production in the company's second stage performance space, Harry's UpStage.

David Copperfield, designs a final challenge that requires the remaining teams to master the art of illusion.

San Francisco's cutting-edge Cutting Ball Theater proudly announces the lineup for its 16th season. The main stage season opens in November with the World Premiere of SUPERHEROES, written and directed by Sean San Jose (Campo Santo), followed by Sophocles' ANTIGONE in February, directed by Cutting Ball Associate Artistic Director Paige Rogers, in a new translation by Daniel Sullivan. Cutting Ball presents the World Premiere of resident playwright Andrew Saito's MT. MISERY in May. RISK IS THIS...THE CUTTING BALL NEW EXPERIMENTAL PLAYS FESTIVAL returns in May to round out the season with five new works, including two new plays from resident playwright Andrew Saito, in staged readings that push the boundaries of what theater can be. In addition to the main stage season, Cutting Ball Theater continues its Hidden Classics Reading Series with five new installments. The entire 2014-15 season will be staged in San Francisco at the Cutting Ball Theater in residence at EXIT on Taylor (277 Taylor Street at Ellis). Single tickets on sale August 1. For information about season memberships, the public may contact boxoffice@cuttingball.com. For tickets and information, the public may visit cuttingball.com or call 415-525-1205.

To be or not to be is no longer the question - critics and audiences agree that WITTENBERG is a hit. Aurora Theatre Company announces that it will add an additional 7 performances of the Bay Area Premiere of WITTENBERG, David Davalos' audacious comedy about reason versus faith. Josh Costello (San Francisco Playhouse, Marin Theatre Company, Impact Theatre) directs this smarty-pants celebration of history, language, academia, and religion, featuring Dan Hiatt (The Arsonists), Elizabeth Carter (Trouble in Mind), Jeremy Kahn, and Michael Stevenson. WITTENBERG plays now through May 11 (added performances: Tuesday, May 6, 7pm; Wednesday, May 7, 8pm; Thursday, May 8, 8pm; Friday, May 9, 8pm; Saturday, May 10, 8pm; Sunday, May 11, 2pm and 7pm) at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. For tickets ($32-50) and information the public can call (510) 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org.

Aurora Theatre Company presents its first fully staged production in the company's second stage performance space, Harry's UpStage. Award-winning Bay Area auteur Mark Jackson returns to the company to direct this sixth addition to the season, the Professional Bay Area Premiere of John W. Lowell's suspenseful psychological thriller THE LETTERS, featuring Beth Wilmurt (The Eccentricities of a Nightingale) and Michael Ray Wisely (The Arsonists). THE LETTERS plays today, April 17 through May 25 at Harry's UpStage, located in the Nell and Jules Dashow Wing at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley.

Due to popular pre-sale demand, Aurora Theatre Company announces that it will add an additional week of performances of John W. Lowell's suspenseful psychological thriller THE LETTERS, the first fully staged production in the company's second stage performance space, Harry's UpStage. Award-winning Bay Area auteur Mark Jackson (The Arsonists, Salomania) returns to the company to direct this sixth addition to the season, featuring Beth Wilmurt (The Eccentricities of a Nightingale) and Michael Ray Wisely (The Arsonists). THE LETTERS now plays April 17 through June 1 (added performances: Wednesday, May 28, 8pm; Thursday, May 29, 8pm; Friday, May 30, 8pm; Saturday, May 31, 8pm; Sunday, June 1, 2pm) at Harry's UpStage, located in the Nell and Jules Dashow Wing at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. For tickets ($28, $32) and information the public can call (510) 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org.

Russ Nagy recalls going to the Lakewood Civic Auditorium in Cleveland in 1971 and being blown away by one of the first performances of a new musical called GODSPELL.

The Crowded Fire Theater (CFT) 2014 season begins with the World Premiere of Amelia Roper's She Rode Horses Like the Stock Exchange, her first play to be produced in the Americas. She Rode Horses... opens with a press night on Monday March 24 (previews today, March 20-23) running through April 12 at the Thick House in San Francisco's Potrero Hill.