Niegel Smith News

Playwrights Horizons is now accepting entries for its popular LIVEforFIVE online lottery for up to two $5 tickets each to the world premiere of IOWA, a new musical play written by Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist Jenny Schwartz (God's Ear, Somewhere Fun), music by Todd Almond (Stage Kiss at PH, Kansas City Choir Boy, The Tempest, On the Levee) and lyrics by Mr. Almond and Ms. Schwartz. Directed by two-time Obie Award winner Ken Rus Schmoll (Red Dog Howls, Middletown, What Once We Felt; next season's just-announced Antlia Pneumatica by Anne Washburn at PH), the musical play will be the fifth production of the theater company's 2014/2015 Season.

The Public Theater announced the line-up for the popular Spotlight Series of free staged readings of new plays by The Public's Emerging Writers Group, beginning on Tuesday, April 7 and running through Tuesday, May 26 at the Sheen Center Black Box Theater (18 Bleecker Street). Now in its seventh year, the Emerging Writers Group is an important part of The Public's commitment and long legacy of supporting current and future generations of our country's most important writers.

The English language is in need of a gender-neutral pronoun. Firstly to eliminate the awkward 'he or she' and 'his or her,' but also to refer to people who don't identify with either, or in cases where gender really doesn't matter (which is most cases). The title of the new play HIR (pronounced here) is playwright Taylor Mac's suggestion for an alternative to her and him, with ze replacing he and she. But to say that HIR is about transgender and gender issues is to simplify it too much. In fact, it's difficult to put into words just what it's about, but I'll do my best. It's epic and brutal and funny and heart-breaking as it explores ideas of not just gender, but also class, domestic violence, the changing order of things, and the effects of war on soldiers and those left behind. It's one of those plays that will rip you open, lay your emotions bare, and perhaps leave you with a bit of a queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach. But this beautifully done, perfectly cast production at Mixed Blood Theatre, known for its challenging and rewarding work, is well worth it.

Playwrights Horizons, under the leadership of Artistic Director Tim Sanford and Managing Director Leslie Marcus, has announced the six productions of its 2015/2016 Season. The six new works will be presented at the theater company's home at 416 West 42nd Street. In season order, they will be:

TONY, Emmy and NAACP Award winner Phylicia Rashad (A Raisin In The Sun, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, The Cosby Show), TONY nominee Billy Magnussen (Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike, Disney's Into The Woods), TONY nominee Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, The Heidi Chronicles), TONY, Olivier and Emmy Award winner Alan Cumming (Cabaret, Macbeth, CBS's The Good Wife), and TONY winner Laura Benanti (Gypsy, In the Next Room / The Vibrator Play, ABC's Nashville) have all been photographed by Jason Zeren for The Creative Faces Project. The bi-weekly publication of their individual entries will begin this week, starting with Phylicia Rashad on Thursday, January 22nd on The Creative Faces Project website.

Theater artist Taylor Mac makes his New York Live Arts debut with A 24-Decade History of Popular Music: 1900-1950s, presented by New York Live Arts as part of The Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival, today, January 13-25, 2015.

Theater artist Taylor Mac makes his New York Live Arts debut with A 24-Decade History of Popular Music: 1900-1950s, presented by New York Live Arts as part of The Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival, January 13-25, 2015.

Elastic City celebrates its fifth year by presenting the first-ever participatory walks festival. The 12-day Elastic City Walks Festival, in which all events are free and open to the public via RSVP, will take place in outdoor locations throughout New York City, today, September 26 - October 7.

Academy, Emmy and TONY Award winner Ellen Burstyn (Picnic, 'Requiem for a Dream'), TONY Award winner Jefferson Mays (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, I Am My Own Wife), TONY Award nominee Jessica Hecht (King Lear, A View from the Bridge), and New York favorites Tracee Chimo (Lips Together Teeth Apart, Bad Jews) and Steven Boyer (King Lear, Hand to God) have all been photographed for The Creative Faces Project. The weekly release of their individual entries will mark the project's official launch this fall. Current featured artists are listed below.

Elastic City celebrates its fifth year by presenting the first-ever participatory walks festival. The 12-day Elastic City Walks Festival, in which all events are free and open to the public via RSVP, will take place in outdoor locations throughout New York City, September 26 - October 7.

BAX is a fundamental resource for NYC dance and theater artists, providing critical urban residency support for the development of cutting edge new work. Since 1998, when BAX received a Bessie Award 'for building both a house and a home for the arts in Brooklyn,' BAX's service to NYC artists has deepened and broadened. Thousands of NYC performing artists come through BAX's doors each year to rehearse, perform, teach, curate, take part in residencies and act as artist advisors. The organization's distinct focus on developmental process and individualized approach to working with each artist has made it a nurturing incubator with a proven record of success in supporting NYC dance and theater artists.

BAX | Brooklyn Arts Exchange is excited to announce our 2014 Summer and Fall Space Grant Recipients. The Space Grant Program is designed to give choreographers, playwrights, and multi-disciplinary artists the opportunity to create new work in a setting that is conducive to working deeply and exploring new territory.

Cementing its role as a purveyor of new plays, as a destination for the finest talent in the field, and as an anchor in its Cedar-Riverside Minneapolis neighborhood, Mixed Blood Theatre Company will produce, present, and host 20 theatrical productions in the Alan Page Auditorium of its historic firehouse theatre between August of 2014 and July of 2015.

The 8th Annual One-Minute Play Festival will take place Wednesday, April 2, 2014 for two performances only, at 6PM and 9PM at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters. The One-Minute Play Festival (#1MPF) and Primary Stages continue their dynamic partnership with a portion of the event's proceeds benefitting Primary Stages Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA).

Magic Theatre welcomes back Obie Award-winning playwright Taylor Mac with the world premiere of Hir, directed by Niegel Smith and running January 29 - February 23, 2014.

On the nights of Friday, February 21 and Saturday, February 22 theatre-goers can experience the mind-bending fantasy and unique musical experience of THE LEGEND OF YAUNA, an incredible tale created by theGrammy award-winning composer Chris Berryand reinvented by the creative director of the Tony award-winning Broadway production FELA!,Maija Garcia. Debuting at the legendary BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) Fisher in Brooklyn, New York, the theatrical event of non-traditional instrumentation, including African drums and the distinctive sound of the Mbira, and contemporary dance set the stage for thewisdom of Yauna, an ancient narrative set 12,000 years ago. Casting for the independent production, presented by BanaKuma, will run from January 7-9 at the DANY Studios in Manhattan; tickets for the February performance at BAM Fisher will go on sale January 14.

Magic Theatre will welcome back Obie Award-winning playwright Taylor Mac with the world premiere of Hir. The production is directed by Niegel Smith and will run January 29 - February 23, 2014 at Magic Theatre, Fort Mason Center, Building D, 3rd Floor. Press Dates are February 6-9, 2014.

Horse Trade Theater Group will present Less Than Rent Theatre's World Premiere of HOW LTR STOLE CHRISTMAS, a late-night smorgasbord of short plays, musical guests, and variety acts from all over the city curated by the LTR staff. The show will run Tuesdays, today, December 3rd, 10th, & 17th at The Kraine Theater (85 E 4th St. between 2nd Ave and Bowery) at 9pm.

Horse Trade Theater Group will present Less Than Rent Theatre's World Premiere of HOW LTR STOLE CHRISTMAS, a late-night smorgasbord of short plays, musical guests, and variety acts from all over the city curated by the LTR staff. The show will run Tuesdays, December 3rd, 10th, & 17th at The Kraine Theater (85 E 4th St. between 2nd Ave and Bowery) at 9pm. Tickets ($10) are available online at www.horseTRADE.info or by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444.

PRELUDE allows the public to experience work-in-progress presentations, open rehearsals and discussions by dozens of NYC's most exciting theater and performance artists -- for FREE -- including Taylor Mac, Nature Theater of Oklahoma, Big Dance Theater, Big Art Group, Cesar Alvarez & Sarah Benson, Annie Baker, David Levine, Cynthia Hopkins, 600 HIGHWAYMEN, Jay Scheib & Co., Elastic City, PearlDamour, ANIMALS, Katherine Brook / Tele-Violet, Woodshed Collective, Daniel Fish, Andrew Ondrejcak, James Monaco & Jerome Ellis and more.