Meg Miroshnik News

ACT Theatre ACT Theatre and One Coast Collaboration announce the second year of their partnership on a new play festival. The ACT|One New Play Festival, scheduled at the end of August, includes a playwright-driven new works process, centering creative collaboration and conversation between local and national artists.

Durango PlayFest today announced a cast of 11 New York- and Los Angeles-based actors who will headline four plays being developed at its new works festival. The August 5-10 event brings nationally recognized actors, playwrights and directors to Durango to incubate new plays, hold workshops for the community, and culminate the week with staged readings. The event schedule and tickets are available at www.durangoplayfest.org.

Durango Playfest today announced the four plays that will headline its new works festival, as well as other special events planned for the August 4-10, 2019 program. PlayFest, which debuted last year, brings top-tier playwrights, directors and actors to Durango to incubate new plays, hold workshops for the community, and culminate the week with staged readings.

Washington audiences love Joshua Harmon. The DC premiere of the playwright's no-holds-barred comedy, Admissions, has been extended by Studio Theatre a fourth and final time-now closing March 24, 2019. The extension adds six additional performances to Admissions, which has been extended a total of five weeks. Mike Donahue directs this "little hothouse of a play" (Washington Post) that skewers white privilege, entitlement, and the vanity of liberal values that aren't backed by real action.

William Shakespeare's Richard II produced by Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF runs from March 27 - April 28, 2019. Tickets (starting at $30) are available now by phone (407) 447-1700 ext. 1, online at orlandoshakes.org, or in person at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 East Rollins Street).

The League of Professional Theatre Women (Kelli Lynn Harrison and Catherine Porter, Co-Presidents), an organization which has been leading the gender parity conversation and championing women in the professional theatre for over 35 years, will present the 2019 Theatre Women Awards at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (18 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012) on Monday, March 25 at 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm). For more information on the 2019 TheatreWomen Awards, and to purchase tickets, please visit www.theatrewomen.org.

The Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition continues to spotlight the best emerging playwrights with a full production for the competition winner and staged readings for four competition finalists.  The 15th competition winner, GOODNIGHT, TYLER is the story of Tyler Evans, a young Black man who wants to be remembered for who he was rather than how he died. GOODNIGHT, TYLER is written by B.J. Tindal who completed his MFA in writing for screen and stage at Northwestern University in 2018.  Directed by Kent Gash, GOODNIGHT, TYLER will have its world premiere on the Hertz Stage Feb. 16 - March 10, 2019.  Opening night is Thursday, February 21, at 7:30 p.m.   

The Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition continues to spotlight the best emerging playwrights with a full production for the competition winner and staged readings for four competition finalists.  The 15th competition winner, GOODNIGHT, TYLER is the story of Tyler Evans, a young Black man who wants to be remembered for who he was rather than how he died. GOODNIGHT, TYLER is written by B.J. Tindal who completed his MFA in writing for screen and stage at Northwestern University in 2018.  Directed by Kent Gash, GOODNIGHT, TYLER will have its world premiere on the Hertz Stage Feb. 16 - March 10, 2019.  Opening night is Thursday, February 21, at 7:30 p.m.   

The League of Professional Theatre Women (Kelli Lynn Harrison and Catherine Porter, Co-Presidents), an organization which has been leading the gender parity conversation and championing women in the professional theatre for over 35 years, will present the 2019 Theatre Women Awards at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (18 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012) on Monday, March 25 at 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm). For more information on the 2019 Theatre Women Awards, and to purchase tickets, please visit www.theatrewomen.org. 

With the dust settled from midterm elections and freshman members of Congress learning to navigate the maze of Capitol Hill 2.5 miles away, Studio Theatre presents Kings, part of its Studio X series, written by Alexandria, VA native Sarah Burgess and directed by Marti Lyons. With a deft hand at the fast talk and power dynamics of lawmaking and fundraising, Burgesss play is a swamp tour of the Beltway power-broking that fuels her hometown. A Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist, Burgess quickly rose to notoriety exploring the cutthroat world of finance in her breakout play, Dry Powder, at the Public Theater in New York, which starred Claire Danes, John Krasinski, and Hank Azaria.

New year, new Kilroys! For the past five years The Kilroys, an LA-based collective of playwrights/producers continuing the fight to achieve gender balance in the American theater, have been advocating for equal representation on our American stages, and have released an annual list of under-produced plays by women, trans, and non-binary writers. Despite some measurable progress, we still have a long way to go before we strike that balance. So, as we approach 2019, we are beyond thrilled to introduce a fresh new gang of fearless badass leaders. These women will seize our reins and continue the fight for equality, creating random acts of disruption along the way, while the OG Kilroys will serve as an advisory board supporting the current class. 

The Acting Company announces its 2019 Season, which will feature Native Son, by Nambi E. Kelley, adapted from the novel by Richard Wright and directed by Seret Scott playing in rotating repertory with William Shakespeare's Measure for Measure directed Janet Zarish.

The Trap Door Theatre presents The Old Woman Broods written by Tadeusz Rozewicz

And if there's any justice in the world of the performing arts, you can rest assured that University of Memphis' Layne Mackenzie Crutsinger will be among the names of particular note. A graduate of Mt. Juliet High School, she's now a senior at the University of Memphis, looking ahead to what the future holds in store for her.

Long Wharf Theatre, under the leadership of Managing Director Joshua Borenstein, begins its 2018-19 season with The Roommate, by Jen Silverman, directed by Mike Donahue.

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, presents the World Premiere of Witch, written by Jen Silverman, inspired by The Witch of Edmonton by Rowley, Dekker & Ford. Witch, directed by Marti Lyons, runs September 26 - December 16, 2018 in the Gillian Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The Press Opening is Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. 

A Russian American girl returns to her native land to find herself, only to encounter a landscape more sinister and disorienting than the fairytales she grew up with. Will she succeed in battling wits with the villains in her story or be gobbled alive?

"Monsieur D'eon is a Woman" is a madcap romp following the extraordinary life and adventures of the Chevailere D'eon, an eighteenth century French diplomat, soldier, spy and a celebrated figure for Transgender and Women's rights.

A Russian American girl returns to her native land to find herself, only to encounter a landscape more sinister and disorienting than the fairytales she grew up with. Will she succeed in battling wits with the villains in her story or be gobbled alive?

The Alliance Theatre commits extensive resources annually to supporting and developing new work and new artists through two nationally recognized programs - the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition and the Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab.  The Alliance today announced the winner and finalists of the 16th Alliance/Kendeda Competition as well as the three projects chosen for development in the 5th annual Reiser Lab.