Marva Hicks News

Signature Theatre Company (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) is pleased to announce that artists from Signature's 2008-2009 Season celebrating the Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) will participate in a special program, In Conversation: Signature Theatre Company, at Macy's Herald Square and Brooklyn stores. Macy's is hosting a month-long series of activities and special events for Black History Month, showcasing black culture through theatrical, art, song, prose and cuisine presentations. The events are free and open to the public.

The Annual Benefit at Arena Stage is a fun evening that raises over one-third of the funds necessary to run Arena's Community Engagement programs, which educate, excite and enrich the lives of over 20,000 students from across the region. This year's event on Monday, March 16, 2009 at Arena Stage in Crystal City highlights Arena's temporary home in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, VA, with co-chairs Angela Fox, President/CEO, Crystal City Business Improvement District and Mitchell N. Schear, President, Vornado/Charles E. Smith.

During an all-day open casting event at the Lincoln Theatre on Saturday, January 3, 2009, 60 young, ambitious actresses auditioned for the role of Yolanda, the teenage character central to Regina Taylor's musical Crowns. Winner of four Helen Hayes Awards, including Best Resident Musical, Crowns runs March 27-April 26, 2009 at Arena Stage at the Lincoln Theatre.

Arena Stage will allow an audience to watch the first round of auditions to fill a role in the spring revival of 'Crowns'. The show will run March 27-April 26 at the Lincoln Theater. Arena is searching for an African American woman between the ages of 16-24 who can act, sing, and dance. No previous professional experience is required.

Arena Stage will allow an audience to watch the first round of auditions to fill a role in the spring revival of 'Crowns'. The show will run March 27-April 26 at the Lincoln Theater. Arena is searching for an African American woman between the ages of 16-24 who can act, sing, and dance. No previous professional experience is required.

In Regina Taylor's musical Crowns, Yolanda is a young woman who faces a change in her life and through it finds her true promise and identity. Arena Stage has decided to change the life of one lucky, local talent by opening auditions to the D.C. area for the role of Yolanda in the theater's upcoming production of Crowns. The Finding Yolanda Casting Search will be an all-day event on Saturday, January 3, 2009 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009).

Black 2: Broadway, the acclaimed production celebrating the contributions of performers of color in the arts, returns with its final production of 2008. Celebrating the life and work of Broadway Veterans BJ Crosby & Adrian Bailey, this exciting evening will feature performances by Broadway's Chuck Cooper, Marva Hicks, Ebony Jo-Ann, Tina Fabrique, Alyson Williams, The Broadway Boys, Chester Gregory, Multi Award Winning Recording Artist Tonex (currently spelled: 'TON3X') and many more on Monday, November 3rd at The Schomburg Center For Research in Black Culture located in Harlem.

The Signature Theatre Company (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) was featured on National Public Radio this weekend in a story discussing this season's dedication to the works of the historic Negro Ensemble Company (NEC). The feature includes interviews with James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Associate Artist for the season and director of 'The First Breeze of Summer.

Signature Theatre Company's (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) announced today that their production of THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER has been extended by popular demand one week from Sunday, September 28th to Sunday, October 5th. THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER, by Leslie Lee and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, is the first production of the 2008-2009 season celebrating the historic Negro Ensemble Company (NEC). The show began performances on August 5th and opened August 21st at the Peter Norton Space located at 555 West 42nd Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues).

Black 2: Broadway, the acclaimed production celebrating the contributions of performers of color in the arts, returns with its final production of 2008. Celebrating the life and work of Broadway Veterans BJ Crosby & Adrian Bailey, this exciting evening will feature performances by Broadway's Chuck Cooper, Marva Hicks, Ebony Jo-Ann, Tina Fabrique, Alyson Williams, The Broadway Boys, Chester Gregory, Multi Award Winning Recording Artist Tonex (currently spelled: 'TON3X') and many more on Monday, November 3rd at The Schomburg Center For Research in Black Culture located in Harlem.

Signature Theatre Company (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) announced today that THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER has been extended for a second time by popular demand after receiving glowing reviews and playing to sold out houses since beginning performances on August 5th. The limited engagement, initially slated to conclude Sunday, September 28th, will now run through Sunday, October 19th. THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER, by Leslie Lee and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, is the first production of the 2008-2009 season celebrating the historic Negro Ensemble Company (NEC). The show opened August 21st at the Peter Norton Space located at 555 West 42nd Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues).

Signature Theatre Company's (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) announced today that their production of THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER has been extended by popular demand one week from Sunday, September 28th to Sunday, October 5th. THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER, by Leslie Lee and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, is the first production of the 2008-2009 season celebrating the historic Negro Ensemble Company (NEC). The show began performances on August 5th and opened August 21st at the Peter Norton Space located at 555 West 42nd Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues).

THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER, the first production of Signature Theatre Company's (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) 2008-2009 season celebrating the historic Negro Ensemble Company (NEC), will begin previews tomorrow, August 5th. THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER, by Leslie Lee and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, officially opens on Thursday, August 21st and continues through September 28th at the Peter Norton Space located at 555 West 42nd Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues).

THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER, the first production of Signature Theatre Company's (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) 2008-2009 season celebrating the historic Negro Ensemble Company (NEC), will begin previews tomorrow, August 5th. THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER, by Leslie Lee and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, officially opens on Thursday, August 21st and continues through September 28th at the Peter Norton Space located at 555 West 42nd Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues).

Yaya Dacosta is a formidable young actress who is making her mark in film with stand out performances in Take the Lead with Antonio Banderas and Honeydripper where she co-starred along with Danny Glover and Charles S. Dutton. On television she was last seen in a breakout performance in the Lifetime motion picture Racing for Time, as well as a recent featured role on All My Children. Fans of America's Next Top Model will remember her as a favorite contestant in the popular series third season. In the Signature Theatre Company's The First Breeze Of Summer, Miss Dacosta essays the pivotal role of 'Lucretia'. BroadwayWorld.com spoke with Yaya about winning the emotional role and bringing the powerful drama to life on stage.

THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER, the first production of Signature Theatre Company's 2008-2009 season celebrating the historic Negro Ensemble Company (NEC), will begin previews today, August 5th.

THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER, the first production of Signature Theatre Company's (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) 2008-2009 season celebrating the historic Negro Ensemble Company (NEC), will begin previews tomorrow, August 5th. THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER, by Leslie Lee and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, officially opens on Thursday, August 21st and continues through September 28th at the Peter Norton Space located at 555 West 42nd Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues).

Wendy C. Goldberg, Artistic Director of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference (NPC) and Paulette Haupt, Artistic Director of the National Music Theater Conference (NMTC), announced the actors cast in their 2008 projects. The actors include a mix of award-winning actors from stage and screen, seasoned O'Neill performers, and new talent.

Signature Theatre Company is proud to announce full casting for THE FIRST BREEZE OF SUMMER, the first production of Signature's 2008-2009 season celebrating the historic Negro Ensemble Company (NEC).

The world premiere of Tim Acito's musical adaptation of Gloria Naylor's novel, The Women of Brewster Place, opens at Arena Stage after its successful co-production run at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre. The Women of Brewster Place runs October 19 - December 9 in the Kreeger Theater; Opening performance is Friday, October 26 at 8PM.