Paul Mullins News

What do you get when you throw six quirky kids bubbling with adolescence, three frazzled school administrators trying to relive their glory days, a live band, and four new audience members each night into a spelling bee? Magic. Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee onstage at the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre tomorrow, November 20th, through December 7th. Winner of Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Theatre World and Tony Awards in 2005, Spelling Bee will delight audiences. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

What do you get when you throw six quirky kids bubbling with adolescence, three frazzled school administrators trying to relive their glory days, a live band, and four new audience members each night into a spelling bee? Magic. Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee onstage at the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre tonight, November 20th through December 7th

What do you get when you throw six quirky kids bubbling with adolescence, three frazzled school administrators trying to relive their glory days, a live band, and four new audience members each night into a spelling bee?

'Henry VIII' directed by Paul Mullins in now onstage at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey through November 9th. Area audiences should relish the opportunity to see a stellar cast in Shakespeare's epic pageant.

David Foubert will play the role of King Henry VIII in the New Jersey Shakespeare Theatre's production of 'Henry VIII.' Directed by Paul Mullins, performances will begin on the Madison stage on October 15th.

Next up on its Main Stage, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents the Bard's epic pageant play Henry VIII. Centered around the tug-of-wars between church and state and husband and wife, the play culminates in the birth of England's future Queen Elizabeth I, Shakespeare's great patron and Henry's fierce and very female heir. Performances begin October 15 at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue in Madison. Tickets start at $25 for preview performances and $32 for regular performances. Student rush tickets for all performances are $15, available a half-hour before curtain for with a valid student ID. Performances are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets, call the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

Dorset Theatre Festival will present The Mousetrap, Dame Agatha Christie's masterpiece of mayhem and mystery, from August 14th through the 30th at the Dorset Playhouse. The Mousetrap, in addition to being one of Christie's most famous works, has the distinction of being the world's longest continually running play. The original production, at London's Ambassador Hotel, has been running continuously since 1952!

The Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) announces its 2014-15 Season, filled with classic comedies and challenging, engaging new work. The 2014-15 Season is full of characters in search of their identity. Their journeys explore the dramatic moments and decisions that allow for self-discovery.

'The Devil's Disciple' is now on stage at The Shakespare Theatre of New Jersey through Sunday, July 27th.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents George Bernard Shaw's Revolutionary War dramaThe Devil's Disciple. Just in time for the Fourth of July and the 350th anniversary of New Jersey's charter, The Devil's Disciple celebrates the spirit and honor of the everyday people who fought for our nation's independence.

DTF opens its 39th Summer Season New Play Reading series with a new play by local favorite Theresa Rebeck. The play, Zealot, is a finalist for the Susan Blackburn Prize and is set at the British consulate in Mecca, where a tactical tea is interrupted by news of nearby violence. When a witness seeks asylum, a diplomatic battle of wits ensues, while a life hangs in the balance. The reading will star renowned actress Alfre Woodard and will be directed by award winning director John Doyle.

Portland Stage closes its 2013-2014 season with a sharp production of Evan Smith's saucy, yet serious comedy, The Savannah Disputation, as play which examines the foibles of faith and the thorny issues of religious dogma. Smith's 2009 play, set in his native Savannah, recounts the story of two aging sisters, Mary and Margaret, whose devout Catholicism is challenged by the visit of a fundamentalist missionary, Melissa. Engaged in a dialogue against their will, the sisters soon find themselves plunged into a full-fledged theological disputation, which prompts them to call for reinforcement from their parish priest. The ensuing heated and hilarious conversation tests the tenacity of each of the character's beliefs.

This production, helmed by Paul Mullins, is delightful in every way, with wonderfully full portrayals, a fanciful set (designed by Joe Keener III) and costumes (designed by Tiffany Delligatti) that are to die for.

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week or you're just in the mood for a recap, BroadwayWorld's 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end-of-the-week fix! Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to The West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more. Highlights this week include a first look at the cast of THE REALISTIC JONESES, a peek backstage with Saturday Intermission Pics, a peek into rehearsals for THE THREEPENNY OPERA, coverage of ALL THE WAY on Broadway, and more!

Sinatra is on the radio, soldiers returning home from the Korean War, and a beautiful seaside estate sets the scene for Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Connecticut Repertory Theatre presents the comedy directed by Paul Mullins, onstage February 28- March 9 in the Nafe Katter Theater, Storrs. Sarah Wintermeyer stars as Beatrice and matches wits in this hilarious battle of the sexes with James Jelkin's Benedick. Scroll down for a first look at the cast in action!

Storrs: Sinatra is on the radio, soldiers returning home from the Korean War, and a beautiful seaside estate sets the scene for Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Connecticut Repertory Theatre presents the comedy directed by Paul Mullins, onstage February 28- March 9 in the Nafe Katter Theater, Storrs. Sarah Wintermeyer stars as Beatrice and matches wits in this hilarious battle of the sexes with James Jelkin's Benedick.

On the heels of its critically acclaimed 2013 Season, for which The Washington Post applauded The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey as one of the few "companies with classical traditions that are not towing a conventional line," the Theatre has announced its remarkable 2014 Season. The ambitious lineup demonstrates the Theatre's unwavering dedication to all classic literature, from the familiar to the forgotten, the recognizable to the rediscovered, with works by Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw, Ben Jonson, Moliere, and contemporary playwright David Davalos. The Shakespeare Theatre's varied and inspired selections demonstrate once again that "presenting great art isn't about safety-it's about commitment," as The Princeton Packet described the Theatre's dedication to both popular and lesser-known classics.

As always, Connecticut's professional theaters offerered a bountiful selection of excellent theater in 2013. It's hard to pick just a few, but here are some of the year's standouts from the theaters I cover for BroadwayWorld.com:

The reading takes place tonight, Monday, September 30th at 7 p.m. at the Shakespeare Theatre's Main Stage, the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Ave. (at Lancaster Road) in Madison. The evening will also include a post-play talk-back session with the director, cast, and audience. For tickets or more information, call the box office at 973-408-5600 or visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey continues its 2013 Lend Us Your Ears play reading series with the American premiere of renowned Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov's only full-length theatrical work, The Tragedy of Mister Morn. Never published during Nabokov's lifetime, The Tragedy of Mister Morn was translated into English by Anastasia Tolstoy (great-great-great-granddaughter of Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace andAnna Karenina) and British scholar Thomas Karshan. The Shakespeare Theatre's reading, featuring a prestigious cast of company members and guest artists, marks the very first time the recently translated play will be seen or heard in the United States.