Nilo Cruz News

REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL's New York production of Yoshvani Medina's PROBATION plays through today September 27, 2012. The play is directed by the playwright and its cast includes Hannia Guillén as Yenny, Alfonso Rey as Pancho & Sandor Juan as Freddy. Probation is the first production at Repertorio to be presented in Spanish with subtitles via Repertorio's new in-seat Simultext Captioning System.

In 1975, Main Street Theater began with a dream of bringing quality theatre to Houston audiences. Whether we are actually existing or living in our imaginings, one thing is certain: Main Street Theatre has fulfilled its reverie for 37 years, and is continuing to do so with the opening of the first production of their 38th season-the Regional Premiere of Nilo Cruz's adaptation and translation of Pedro Calderon de la Barca's LIFE IS A DREAM.

Award-winning stage, film and television actor Jimmy Smits makes his Chicago stage debut this season at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro's second staging of The Motherf**ker with the Hat, Stephen Adly Guirgis's hit new play.

Main Street Theater announces its 38th MainStage Season and 33rd Theater for Youth Season.

Main Street Theater's production of Pedro Calderon de la Barca's LIFE IS A DREAM, translated by Nilo Cruz, began previews on Saturday, September 15, 2012. Following their first preview, I had a chance to sit down with Crystal O'Brien, who plays Estrella, and her husband Justin O'Brien, who plays Astolfo. On a lovely almost Fall-like Sunday morning, we met at the exquisite Prego on Amherst. Over a charming brunch we discussed LIFE IS A DREAM, acting together, what else they're up to this season, and successful relationships.

What is life? What is this world? What is real, and what is only illusion? Pedro Calderon de la Barca's sweeping play LIFE IS A DREAM explores these questions that resonate in our souls. With previews tonight, September 15, 16, and 19, Life Is a Dream opens September 20 and runs through October 21 at Main Street Theater - Rice Village, 2540 Times Blvd.

This spring, Goodman Theatre broadens the scope of its Latino Theatre Festival, an event that has introduced more than 160,000 Chicagoans to prominent Latino theater companies around the globe-from Spain to Mexico to Brazil-for the past decade. Under the direction of Goodman Resident Artistic Associate and Festival Curator Henry Godinez, Latino Fest 2013 will span over an extended time period to run in conjunction with the height of the season.

What is life? What is this world? What is real, and what is only illusion? Pedro Calderon de la Barca's sweeping play LIFE IS A DREAM explores these questions that resonate in our souls. With previews September 15, 16, and 19, Life Is a Dream opens September 20 and runs through October 21 at Main Street Theater - Rice Village, 2540 Times Blvd.

The NATIONAL NEW PLAY NETWORK (NNPN), the country's alliance of non-profit theaters that champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays, announces its 31st Rolling World Premiere: Robert Caisley's Happy will receive four productions through the Network's Continued Life of New Plays Fund in the 2012/13 season, NNPN's 15th.

Today, as Berkeley Repertory Theatre holds its final rehearsal for the West Coast premiere of Chinglishand prepares this production for a trip to Hong Kong, the show's celebrated author has earned another honor. The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust announced this morning that David Henry Hwang will receive the Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award, a biennial prize that recognizes and encourages the artistic excellence and achievement of an American playwright whose body of work has made significant contributions to the American theatre.

Main Street Theatre has been a staple in the Houston theatre scene since Rebecca Udden found the company in the 1970s. Over time, the company has continued to evolve and grow. It seems that Houston audiences may not be fully aware of just how dynamic this stellar theatre company is. To help set the record straight, Rebecca Udden, Founding and Executive Artistic Director, and Vivienne St. John, Theater For Youth Producing Director, spoke with me about this fantastic and multifaceted theatrical company.

Main Street Theater announces its 38th MainStage Season and 33rd Theater for Youth Season.

Stage and screen star Sanaa Lathan (A Raisin in the Sun, Contagion) returns to the title role in Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage's By the Way, Meet Vera Stark for its West Coast premiere at the Geffen Playhouse. Lathan, who originated the character of Vera Stark in the critically acclaimed New York run, will once again take the stage as the 1930's era maid turned movie star, reunited with original cast member Kimberly Hebert Gregory (Spike Lee's Red Hook Summer) reprising her role as fellow aspiring African American actress Lottie. Broadway vet and Geffen alum Merle Dandridge (Spamalot, Rent, Aida) will take on the spicy role of Anna Mae, who fakes a Brazilian accent for a slice of fame, and former leading lady of ABC's Man Up, Amanda Detmer, will portray Gloria Mitchell, the white starlet dubbed "America's little sweetie pie" and Vera's first employer. Helmed by award-winning director Jo Bonney, the West Coast premiere cast also features Kevin Carroll (Paid in Full, Being John Malkovich), Spencer Garrett (Iron Man 3, Air Force One) and Geffen alum Mather Zickel (Extraordinary Chambers, Rachel Getting Married).

Casa 0101 Theater, Josefina Lopez, Artistic Director, and The Center for Collaboration with the Arts at Whittier College will present "Lorca in a Green Dress," written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Nilo Cruz, under the direction of Jennifer Sage Holmes at Casa 0101 Theater, 2102 E. 1st Street (at St. Louis Street), Boyle Height, Calif., on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 5:00 p.m., tonight, July 20 - August 26, 2012.

Black Milk, by the Russian playwright Vassily Sigarev (translation by Sasha Dugdale), will have its New York premiere Off-Broadway this summer from tonight, July 19 - August 4, 2012 in a production helmed by the acclaimed Venezuelan director Michel Hausmann at East 13th Street Theatre, 136 East 13th Street (home of Classic Stage Company).

REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL has announced the New York production of Yoshvani Medina's PROBATION. PROBATION will begin tonight, July 12 (7pm) at Repertorio Español's Gramercy Arts Theater (138 East 27th Street, btw. Lex. & 3rd). PROBATION plays through September 27, 2012. The play will be directed by the playwright and its cast includes Hannia Guillén as Yenny, Alfonso Rey as Pancho & Sandor Juan as Freddy. Probation is the first production at Repertorio to be presented in Spanish with subtitles via Repertorio's new in-seat Simultext Captioning System. Tickets are on sale now.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) presents Gilbert & Sullivan's comic operetta THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, directed by Broadway veteran Terrence Mann, starring Sean Martin Hingston as the Pirate King, Steven Hayes as the Major-General and Connecticut native Diane Phelan as Mabel.

Anthony Freud, general director of Lyric Opera of Chicago, announced today that The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is awarding $2 million to the internationally acclaimed company in support of expanded community engagement and new artistic initiatives.