Molly Smith News

Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC), under the leadership of Vivienne Benesch Artistic Director and Sarah Clare Corporandy Managing Director, is proud to present The May Queen a world premiere comedy by Molly Smith Metzler from July 18-27, directed by Vivienne Benesch, on the Bratton Theater Mainstage.

Tony-nominated actress Jayne Houdyshell (Broadway's Romeo and Juliet, Follies, Wicked, Well) will kick off Arena Stage's 2014/15 season in her D.C. stage debut starring as Alma in Morris Panych's world-premiere comedy The Shoplifters, September 5 - October 19, 2014.

Ars Nova is now accepting applications for Play Group, a vibrant and eclectic group of emerging writers who gather twice a month at Ars Nova to share new work and get peer feedback. The group offers members the chance to develop their plays with peer support; to be inspired by each other's work; to form collaborative relationships; and to build a strong sense of community within Ars Nova. All emerging playwrights are eligible for membership. If selected, new members will be invited to join for a period of two years beginning in January of 2015.

Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC), under the leadership of Vivienne Benesch Artistic Director and Sarah Clare CorporandyManaging Director, presents Lorraine Hansberry's award-winning classic A Raisin in the Sun, directed by CTC Resident Director Ethan McSweeny(CTC's The Glass Menagerie, Broadway's A Time to Kill), June 28 through July 6 on the Bratton Stage.

A pioneer in the world of contemporary dance, MacArthur 'Genius Grant' recipient Liz Lerman's new theatrical dance piece Healing Wars examines healing in wartime, the nature of damage that continues when battles are over and the question of how individuals and societies absorb the pain and impact of war. The production features a company of performers in multiple roles, including Marjani Forte, George Hirsch, Tamara Hurwitz Pullman, Ted Johnson, Alli Ross, Samantha Speis, Keith A. Thompson, renowned stage and film actor Bill Pullman and a combat veteran to be announced at a later date. The limited engagement, world-premiere production of Healing Wars running through June 29 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Check out photos from the opening night below!

Bay Street Theater is pleased to announce its new name, new mission, new design, and new programming. Through the vision of Bay Street Theater's new Artistic Director, Scott Schwartz, the new Bay Street will enhance the development and presentation of new productions, performances and events.

A pioneer in the world of contemporary dance, MacArthur 'Genius Grant' recipient Liz Lerman's new theatrical dance piece Healing Wars examines healing in wartime, the nature of damage that continues when battles are over and the question of how individuals and societies absorb the pain and impact of war. The production features a company of performers in multiple roles, including Marjani Forte, George Hirsch, Tamara Hurwitz Pullman, Ted Johnson, Alli Ross, Samantha Speis, Keith A. Thompson, renowned stage and film actor Bill Pullman and a combat veteran to be announced at a later date. The limited engagement, world-premiere production of Healing Wars running through June 29 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Check out a first look at opening night below!

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces a national call for monologue submissions inspired by the world-premiere theatrical event Our War, a commission of 25 American playwrights as part of The National Civil War Project.

Tony Award-winning comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will feature Resident Actor Jeffrey Bean as Vanya, Sharon Lockwood returning to the Alley as Sonia, Alley Artist Josie de Guzman returning as Masha, and Resident Actor Jay Sullivan as Spike. Rounding out the cast and making their Alley debuts are Rachael Holmes as Cassandra and Sarah Nealis as Nina. Jonathan Moscone, Artistic Director of California Shakespeare Theater, helms the production and returns after having directed the Alley's 2011 production of Amadeus.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater has been selected by the United States Embassy in Lima, Peru to send two staff members from the theater's community engagement department to Lima June 15-22, 2014 to partner with Arena y Esteras, a local organization comprised of artists, educators and leaders committed to using art as a tool to contribute to human development and social transformation.

Voices of Now Festival showcases original devised work by youth ensembles from around DC, Virginia and Maryland. Their work represents more than 100 young artists from the DC area and abroad and is an extension of Arena's community engagement program.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater will host the Voices of Now Festival, a four-day event featuring original works of theater written and performed by nine different youth ensembles from the internationally renowned Community Engagement program. The festival will bring together more than 100 artists, ages 11-24, from D.C., Maryland and Virginia who have been working with professional theater artists from Arena Stage for the past year to devise original one-act plays. The 2014 ensembles will come together today, May 14-17, 2014 to perform and discuss their work in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle at the Mead Center.

A pioneer in the world of contemporary dance, MacArthur "Genius Grant" recipient Liz Lerman's new theatrical dance piece Healing Wars examines healing in wartime, the nature of damage that continues when battles are over and the question of how individuals and societies absorb the pain and impact of war. The production features a company of performers in multiple roles, including Marjani Forte, George Hirsch, Tamara Hurwitz Pullman, Ted Johnson, Alli Ross, Samantha Speis, Keith A. Thompson, renowned stage and film actor Bill Pullman and a combat veteran to be announced at a later date. The limited engagement, world-premiere production of Healing Wars runs June 6 - June 29 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater.

Opening night for SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE-THE SONGS OF LEIBER AND STOLLER was last night (Thursday, May 8) at Arena Stage. Check out the photos below! The show runs April 25-June 8, 2014 in the Fichandler Stage.

SPACE on Ryder Farm, a nonprofit artist residency program housed on a working organic farm in Brewster, NY, announces members of its 2014 resident writers group, The Working Farm.

THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN will play its final performance at Broadway's Booth Theatre today, having played 22 preview and 16 regular performances. Starring Academy Award winner Estelle Parsons and two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Spinella, THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN began performances on Tuesday, April 1, 2014 and opened Monday, April 21, 2014, following a sold-out, critically acclaimed run at Washington DC's Arena Stage in the fall of 2013.

Chance Theater presents the second show of its 16th Anniversary Season - the humorous and inventive glimpse behind-the-scenes of the traditional Passion play produced in three distinctively different locations and times. Written by two-time Pulitzer Prize Finalist Sarah Ruhl, with direction by Trevor Biship (director of Chance's Ovation Award-winning Jerry Springer: The Opera). Passion Play opens tonight, May 3 and continues through May 25 at Chance Theater at Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater's Artistic Director Molly Smith announces that theater artist Robert Barry Fleming has joined the company as Director of Artistic Programming as of April 2014. Fleming has worked extensively with theaters across the country as a director, writer, choreographer, producer and performer and has held positions at the University of San Diego and the University of Memphis. He returns to Arena Stage following his previous collaboration with Smith as assistant director for The Music Man.

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for recent Tony Award-winning comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Appearing in titles roles are Resident Actor Jeffrey Bean as Vanya, Sharon Lockwood returning to the Alley as Sonia, Alley Artist Josie de Guzman returning as Masha, and Resident Actor Jay Sullivan as Spike. Rounding out the cast and making their Alley debuts are Rachael Holmes as Cassandra and Sarah Nealis as Nina. Jonathan Moscone, Artistic Director of California Shakespeare Theater, helms the production and returns after having directed the Alley's 2011 production of Amadeus.

Actor Sharif Atkins ('White Collar,' 'Hawaii,' 'ER') will star as Clay in the co-production of 'Dutchman' by LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka) by Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre (NBT) and The Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH). The two theater companies are mounting the production 50 years after the March 1964 world premiere of the play at the Cherry Lane Theatre and in tribute to the late theater great Baraka, who died on January 9. Ambien Mitchell stars opposite Atkins as Lula and Lorenzo Scott joins the cast as the Conductor. Previews of the Carl Cofield-directed show begin tonight, April 30 and run through May 2, and performances run from May 3 through May 23 at National Black Theatre in Harlem.