Mark Twain News

Mesa Arts Center announces its 2012-13 Performing Live Series. Offering a variety of unique experiences, there are many events to entice you. Mesa Arts Center is proud to present LeAnn Rimes, Bill Cosby, Arlo Guthrie, Dave Koz, Hal Holbrook in Mark Twain Tonight and so much more. Throughout the year, additional performers will be announced, adding even more excitement to the season. With an array of almost 40 exciting shows, there is sure to be something for everyone.

August Strindberg's Chekhovian comedy, 'Playing With Fire' (Leka med elden, 1893), in a translation by Ulrika Brand that has been newly adapted by Obie-winner Leslie Lee, Executive Director of Negro Ensemble Company, will be presented tonight, May 18 to June 10 with an all-black cast as the inaugural production of August Strindberg Repertory Theatre, directed by Robert Greer. The play, to be staged at New School for Drama, 151 Bank Street (West Village), will be a co-production of August Strindberg Repertory Theatre and Negro Ensemble Company in association with Theater Resources Unlimited.

According to the NYTimes.com Ellen DeGeneres has been chosen as the recipient of the 15th Annual Mark Twain Prize for Humor.

Calling all Bible fans: GSN (Game Show Network) and the creators of 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' are looking for you! GSN is currently traveling across America casting contestants who want to have fun and compete to win money for their favorite charity by appearing on THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE, a new game show hosted by Jeff Foxworthy.

Comedian Bill Cosby has received countless awards and honors, including a Kennedy Center Honors Award (1998), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2002), and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (2009).

Lucas Papaelias, of Broadway's ONCE is set to join the line up of the previously announced 17th annual LOWER EAST SIDE (LES) FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS. Papaelias is also known as LPfunK and is an actor/guitarist/composer who was nominated for a Drama Desk Award (Best Original Music in a Play) for his work in Adam Rapp's "Essential Self-Defense" at Playwrights Horizons. Most recently, he co-wrote the rock musical PYRAMIDICA: Songs of Freedom, which takes place live in a pyramid scheme company's "free" orientation, and was presented at the Vineyard Arts Project's New Writers / New Plays Festival. He also conceived of, and composed, the rock opera ITHACA: a Perpetual Shredfest, the story of a Lower East Side rock band performing their final concert, which had presentations at Joe's Pub and ARS Nova.

Stage West presents Red Hot Patriot: the Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins, opening tonight, May 10 at Fort Worth's Stage West.

Barrington Stage Company will present the New England premiere of British playwright's Duncan Macmillan's acclaimed new drama Lungs. Lungs opens the newly named St. Germain Stage (formerly Stage 2) from May 23 through June 10, and the press opening is Sunday, May 27 at 3pm. St. Germain Stage is located on the upper level of the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center, 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield.

Awards season is in full swing and to celebrate all of the 2011-2012 nominees, we've dug deep into our archives to bring you vintage photos of all of the talent during special moments in their careers. Check out the 2011-2012 Tony-nominated men below!

Lily Tomlin, one of America's foremost comediennes, takes the stage at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside tonight, May 3.

Monday night, at the National Corporate Theatre Fund's (NCTF) 2012 Annual Chairman's Awards Gala at the Pierre Hotel in New York City, NCTF launched its "Impact Creativity" campaign - a $5 million fundraising effort to support theatre education programs in 19 American cities impacting more than 500,000 youth - with a launch gift of $200,000 from Ernst & Young LLP and its partners and principals.

'What can I say other than that I'm delighted! I woke up this morning and my wife said '8:30 huh?' and I said, 'Oh! Maybe we should watch.' It's really not everyday that an erotic diversion gets a nod from the Tony Awards. I think that's pretty unusual. I've already celebrated by sitting down at my writing table and going to work! I'm going to see CLYBOURNE PARK tonight, so that will be my celebration. That and a martini.'

Stage West presents Red Hot Patriot: the Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins, opening May 10 at Fort Worth's Stage West.

THE LOWER EAST SIDE (LES) FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS celebrates its seventeenth year of bringing together under one roof, in just three days, over 100 performing arts organizations, local and international celebrities, independent artists, poets, playwrights, musicians, puppeteers, film makers and many others - all of whom reside, work or have their roots in the culturally diverse, willfully anarchistic Lower East Side - for New York City's most diverse FREE 3-day festival, from Friday, May 25 through Sunday, May 27, at Theater for the New City (155 1st Avenue, between E. 9th and 10th Sts.) in Manhattan. OBIE Award-winning actress Crystal Field is co-founder and Artistic Director of Theater for the New City.

Bill Cosby comes to Jacksonville's Times-Union Center - Moran Theater - tonight, April 29th at 2:00PM. The theater is located at 300 West Water Street in Jacksonville, Flor. Tickets start at $42.00. Discounts are available for groups of 10+ by calling (904) 632-3228 or groupsales@fscj.edu.

A festival of devised work centering on the theme of politics from across the southeastern United States and beyond, June 28 - July 8, 2012 at Burning Coal Theatre Company's Murphey School Auditorium, 224 Polk Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. All tickets to all performances $5. No reservations necessary. For further information, call 919-834-4001 or visit us online at www.burningcoal.org. A complete listing of performances and events will be forthcoming.