Philip Seymour Hoffman News

As Chicago theaters prepare for the fall season, the city has proven itself a leader on the national theater scene. Highlighted by two consecutive Pulitzer Prizes awarded to plays generated in Chicago-Tracy Letts' August: Osage County (Steppenwolf) and Lynne Nottage's Ruined (Goodman)-the Chicago theater season is poised to launch at home, while its influence is seen on Broadway.

Goodman Theatre welcomes children of all ethnicities to audition for this year's production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol adapted by Tom Creamer and directed by William Brown. Performers aged 5 to 17 are needed for several roles-including the role of Tiny Tim and the Cratchit children.

Producer Jack Thomas of Bulldog Theatrical will present Mary Adkins' new play The 49 Project as part of the 13th annual New York International Fringe Festival August 14-30.

Goodman Theatre launches its new 2009/2010 Season with tap dancing, acrobatics, tumbling, guitar- and ukulele-playing in an original take on the rarely-produced Marx Brothers classic musical Animal Crackers, written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, with music and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby

South Ark Stage and kef productions will present the World Premiere of Lyric is Waiting by Michael Puzzo, directed by Adam Fitzgerald. This production will begin Thursday, July 30; Opening on Sunday, August 2 and will run through August 22, 2009 and take place at The Irish Repertory Theatre.

Fox 2000 has lined up celebrated director Mike Nichols to helm a new adaptation of the 1957 Patricia Highsmith novel, Deep Water, according to Variety.

Producer Jack Thomas of Bulldog Theatrical will present Mary Adkins' new play The 49 Project as part of the 13th annual New York International Fringe Festival August 14-30.

Goodman Theatre welcomes children of all ethnicities to audition for this year's production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol adapted by Tom Creamer and directed by William Brown. Performers aged 5 to 17 are needed for several roles-including the role of Tiny Tim and the Cratchit children.

The Open Fist Theatre Company presents their First Ever, FIRST LOOK FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS, with new works written by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, Steven Haworth, Karen Hartman, Julie Hebert, Neil LaBute, Rick Pagano and directed by Bjorn Johnson, Neil LaBute, Marya Mazor, Charles Otte and Randee Trabitz. The Festival began on Thursday, July 23 and runs through Sunday, September 13 at The NEW Open Fist Theatre, 6209 Santa Monica Blvd. (former home of The Actor's Gang) in Hollywood.

Stage, film and television star Anna Paquin has announced her engagement to fellow actor Stephen Moyer. Moyer co-stars as Paquin's boyfriend on the hit HBO series, True Blood.

The Public launches its 2009/10 Season with a bold, contemporary interpretation of Shakespeare's most passionate and spiritually charged creation, Othello. Tickets for the production go on sale Monday, August 3rd at 9am. OTHELLO will play a limited engagement of 23 performances only! The production runs September 12 to October 4 at NYU Skirball Center, 566 LaGuardia Place (at Washington Square South).

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) announced complete casting today for the first production of the 2009-2010 Season, OTHELLO, directed by Peter Sellars. This highly-anticipated contemporary production, featuring the previously announced John Ortiz as Othello and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Iago, will play for 23 performances only, beginning on Saturday, September 12 at NYU Skirball Center. Single tickets go on-sale on Monday, August 3.

Producer Jack Thomas of Bulldog Theatrical will present Mary Adkins' new play The 49 Project as part of the 13th annual New York International Fringe Festival August 14-30.

South Ark Stage and kef productions will present the World Premiere of Lyric is Waiting by Michael Puzzo, directed by Adam Fitzgerald. This production will begin Thursday, July 30; Opening on Sunday, August 2 and will run through August 22, 2009 and take place at The Irish Repertory Theatre.

Vassar & New York Stage and Film's Powerhouse season will continue through Sunday, August 2, with the Mainstage play Vera Laughed (through 8/2); the Martel Musical Tina Girlstar (7/31 - 8/1); the ever-popular Readings Festival 2 (7/30 - 8/2); and a free concert reading by the Powerhouse Apprentice Company of the new musical Hello! My Baby.

The Open Fist Theatre Company presents their First Ever, FIRST LOOK FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS, with new works written by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, Steven Haworth, Karen Hartman, Julie Hebert, Neil LaBute, Rick Pagano and directed by Bjorn Johnson, Neil LaBute, Marya Mazor, Charles Otte and Randee Trabitz. The Festival will begin on Thursday, July 23 and run through Sunday, September 13 at The NEW Open Fist Theatre, 6209 Santa Monica Blvd. (former home of The Actor's Gang) in Hollywood.

The Open Fist Theatre Company presents their First Ever, FIRST LOOK FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS, with new works written by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, Steven Haworth, Karen Hartman, Julie Hebert, Neil LaBute, Rick Pagano and directed by Bjorn Johnson, Neil LaBute, Marya Mazor, Charles Otte and Randee Trabitz. The Festival will begin on Thursday, July 23 and run through Sunday, September 13 at The NEW Open Fist Theatre, 6209 Santa Monica Blvd. (former home of The Actor's Gang) in Hollywood.

Goodman Theatre is proud to present the Chicago premiere of Dael Orlandersmith's Stoop Stories, September 12 - October 11, 2009 the Goodman's 400-seat flexible Owen Bruner Theatre. Tickets are $10 - $40 and go on sale Friday, August 7 at GoodmanTheatre.org.

This summer, TheatreWorks New Milford is proud to showcase the riveting, Tony Award-winning drama, Doubt: A Parable, by John Patrick Shanley.

This summer, TheatreWorks New Milford is proud to showcase the riveting, Tony Award-winning drama, DOUBT: A PARABLE, by John Patrick Shanley.