Marsha Norman News

Menier Chocolate Factory presents the European premiere of the landmark musical The Color Purple, which runs from 5 July to 14 September. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the rehearsals below.

Monday night, Julia Jordan, Theresa Rebeck, Marsha Norman, Tim Sanford and The Committee for Recognizing Women in Theatre presented the 4thAnnual Lilly Awards at Playwrights Horizons. Named for playwright Lillian Hellman, The Lilly Awards were created to recognize the extraordinary contributions made by women to the American Theater. Producers, playwrights, actors, designers, and directors were honored last night for their continued excellence in the theater community. Check out a look back at the ceremony below!

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten has announced further casting and additions to the 2013 summer season, which officially kicks off tomorrow, June 4, when the box office opens its doors. Brooks Ashmanskas, De'Adre Aziza, Reed Birney,Joey Slotnick, and Omar Metwally are among the actors who will take part in this summer's productions. Gersten has

The European premiere of the landmark musical The Color Purple, runs from 5 July to 14 September at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Jiehae Park will receive the 2013 Leah Ryan Prize for Emerging Women Writers at the fourth annual Lilly Awards held tonight, June 3rd, 6pm at Playwright's Horizons, 416 West 42nd Street in New York.

MCC Theater has announced the line-up for their Spring 2013 PlayLab readings of new plays by three members of the company's Playwrights' Coalition: Adam Szymkowicz, Ed Napier, and Ashlin Halfnight to be held respectively at 7PM tonight, June 3, June 10 and June 23, 2013 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street). The series offers a rare look into the development process of new plays by some of New York's most exciting playwrights. Audience members will also be invited to meet and greet the artists at receptions directly following the readings.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) is pleased to announce that the world premiere of MCC Playwright-in-Residence Neil LaBute's new play, Reasons to Be Happy, also directed by LaBute, will now extend throughSaturday, June 29th. It was previously scheduled through June 23rd.

On June 3, 2013 Julia Jordan, Theresa Rebeck, Marsha Norman, Tim Sanford and The Committee for Recognizing Women in Theatre will present the 4th Annual Lilly Awards at Playwrights Horizons. Named for playwright Lillian Hellman, The Lilly Awards were created to recognize the extraordinary contributions made by women to the American Theater. Producers, playwrights, actors, designers, and directors will be honored for their continued excellence in the theater community.

Jiehae Park will receive the 2013 Leah Ryan Prize for Emerging Women Writers at the fourth annual Lilly Awards held on June 3rd, 6pm at Playwright's Horizons, 416 West 42nd Street in New York. Her award winning new play, HANNAH AND THE DREAD GAZEBO, will have a public reading, directed by Jose Zayas on Tuesday, June 4 at 7pm at Primary Stages located at 307 W 38th St #1510 (between 8th and 9th Avenue) in New York. For reservations, email leahryansfeww@gmail.com.

Burning Coal Theatre Company has announced that Jonathan Fitts, a recent graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, will conduct its 2013 Summer Theatre Conservatory for Teens in July. Jonathan will then take over as Director of Education at Burning Coal Theatre Company. A photo of Jon is attached and his bio is below.

Applications for the second annual T. Fellowship will be accepted from May 22, 2013 through August 1, 2013. Applications and instructions are available online at www.tfellowship.com.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) has announced that its 2013 Spring Gala, honoring Artistic Director James C. Nicola in celebration of 25 years of service to the organization, takes place tonight, Monday, May 20 at Tribeca Rooftop.

In May, it was announced that Ghostlight Records will preserve the hit Second Stage Theatre production of The Last Five Years, created and directed by Jason Robert Brown. Second Stage Theatre has extended this production starring Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe three times. The Last Five Years is performed at Second Stage's Tony Kiser Theatre (305 West 43rd street) through today, May 18, 2013. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a flashback of the musical's run off-Broadway!

MCC THEATER has announced the line-up for their Spring 2013 PlayLab readings of new plays by three members of the company's Playwrights' Coalition: Adam Szymkowicz, Ed Napier, and Ashlin Halfnight to be held respectively at 7PM on June 3, June 10 and June 23, 2013 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street). The series offers a rare look into the development process of new plays by some of New York's most exciting playwrights. Audience members will also be invited to meet and greet the artists at receptions directly following the readings.

Theatre Agile, Altera Vitae Productions and the Rialto Theatre present Marg Szkabula (Pissy's Wife). The cabaret-style play, written by Ron Chambers, directed by Lib Spry (assisted by Luciana Burcheri) and starring Carolyn Fe with musical sidekick, Le Jack runs in the Rialto Hall from tonight, May 15 to 26, 2013. With Ms Fe's love of music and theatre, this one woman show is a natural for the raspy-voiced blues diva (see bio below).

The Writers Guild of America, East Foundation has changed its name -- it is now called the Writers Guild Initiative (WGI). The name change is part of a rebranding that recognizes the organization's long time proactive and focused mission: 'to perpetuate the art and craft of storytelling, either by professionals or amateurs, through education and practical experience, on local, national, and global levels.' The Initiative's programs are designed to reach various populations and help them to find their unique voice as writers.

Tonight, May 13, 2013, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, will honor Ruth and Stephen Hendel and Ming Cho Lee with a Gala Evening at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in New York City. The Gala co-chairs are playwright Lydia R. Diamond and interior designer Jasmine M. Keller. The Gala honorary chairs are Anne Kaufman, Obie award-winning director; Nelle Nugent, Broadway producer; Judith O. Rubin, chairman of the board of Playwrights Horizons; and Liz Smith, columnist and 'The Grand Dame of Dish'.