Playwrights Horizons News

What is more romantic than theatre? Nothing! So take your valentine to one of these shows in San Diego this weekend!

Memories aren't always reliable as three high school buddies try to reconnect after a high school reunion. The complex nature of male friendship is explored in South Coast Repertory's world premiere of Reunion by Gregory S Moss. The show runs March 9-30, on the Julianne Argyros Stage. Adrienne Campbell-Holt directs. Tickets are available online: www.scr.org.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) just announced the full cast of VIOLET. The musical will star two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster (Violet), Colin Donnell (Monty), Alexander Gemignani (Father) and Tony Award nominee Joshua Henry (Flick), and will feature Ben Davis (Preacher), Annie Golden (Hotel Singer/Old Lady), Emerson Steele (Young Violet) and Austin Lesch, Anastasia McCleskey, Charlie Pollock, Jacob Keith Watson, Rema Webb and Virginia Ann Woodruff.

The Acting Company will present a benefit staged reading of Murderers, a new play by Jeffrey Hatcher (Never Gonna Dance, Tuesdays with Morrie) at 7 pm on Monday, February 24 at the Mainstage Theater (Playwrights Horizons), 416 West 42nd Street (9th-10thAvenues). The performance-starring Acting Company Alumna and Tony-winner Harriet Harris (Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Encores!Little Me), Marylouise Burke (TV's Alpha House) and Reg Rogers (The Big Knife)-will be followed by a reception with the cast and director, Ian Belknap, Artistic Director of The Acting Company. Tickets @ $35 and $60 (Patron) are available from 212-258-3111.

16 years after they swept San Francisco Bay Area audiences off their feet with the Tony Award-winning production Fool Moon, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) welcomes back Tony Award winners Bill Irwin and David Shiner in the West Coast premiere of the Signature Theatre production of Old Hats. Using music, technology and movement - plus a few other tricks up their sleeves - Old Hats combines the inimitable magic, slapstick and hilarity of Irwin and Shiner into a wild and remarkable outing of theatre for generations old and new. Directed by Tina Landau, Old Hats was the recipient of the 2013 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Alternative Theatrical Experience and the 2013 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revue. Old Hats marks the first collaboration for Irwin and Shiner since the smash Broadway hit Fool Moon, which set A.C.T. box office records during its sold-out 1998 run and their return engagement in 2001. At this time, tickets to Old Hats are available only to subscribers of A.C.T.'s 2014-15 season.

In 2012, Playwrights Theatre began the New Jersey Emerging Women Playwrights Project (NJEWP) as part of its larger ongoing effort to provide meaningful support to playwrights through an authentic development process that focuses on the specific and individual needs of the writer.

A memorial to celebrate the life and career of actor Christopher Evan Welch will take place on Monday, February 17 on the Irene Diamond Stage of The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 W. 42nd Street). The event is open to the public and will begin at 3:00 with doors opening at 2:30PM. Mr. Welch died Monday, December 2 in Santa Monica, California from complications related to cancer. He was 48.

Stephanie Saland entered The School of American Ballet just before her 15th birthday. Three years later she was invited by George Balanchine to join the New York City Ballet for the remarkable Stravinsky Festival. In a 21year career with City Ballet, she was showcased in leading roles under Balanchine's direction, as well as principal roles in Jerome Robbins' repertoire. Before moving to Seattle in the fall of 1993, she taught movement for student actors at Playwrights' Horizons and helped develop a body-awareness class for actors with theater teacher Caymichael Patten.

For the first DG Conservatory of the new year, the Dramatists Guild is thrilled to team up with the writers who created Behind the Music-al, Kyle Ewalt and Michael Ian Walker, today, February 11, 2014, at 6:00 p.m.

Geva Theatre Center' 41st Season continues with Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris. Directed by Mark Cuddy, this wickedly funny and fiercely provocative play about the volatile combination of race and real estate begins performances tonight, February 11 and runs in the Elaine P. Wilson Mainstage through March 9.

La Jolla Playhouse presents its final production for its 2013/14 season: the world premiere of The Who & The What, by Ayad Akhtar, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright for Disgraced and author of the acclaimed novel American Dervish, directed by Kimberly Senior (Disgraced), running tonight, February 11 - March 9, 2014 (press opening: Wednesday, February 19 at 7:30pm) in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.

Writers Lab, the largest collective of Asian-American playwrights in the country, continues its annual tradition of presenting a 'stunt' event, announcing today that this year's evening of brand-new short plays centered around a contemporary, pressing theme will be held at the Mainstage Theater at Playwrights Horizons. The event, called Mga Kasabihan, which is Tagalog for Words of Wisdom, will be a benefit for recovery efforts in the Philippines.

Today we are talking to a legendary leading lady famous for a few of the most iconic roles in some of the most memorable musicals of the 1980s and 1990s as well as a versatile vocalist and concert performer set to make her cabaret debut later this month - the ingratiating and amusing Randy Graff. Looking back at originating the role of Fantine in the original Broadway production of mega-hit mega musical LES MISERABLES and singing the unforgettable 'I Dreamed A Dream' eight times a week (and on the best-selling cast recording) as well as recounting her Tony Award-winning work in the endlessly entertaining Cy Coleman/David Zippel musical comedy CITY OF ANGELS, Graff share stories from behind the scenes and gives us a rare look at theatrical history in the making and her elemental role in both productions. Additionally, Graff opens up about some of her other most fondly remembered work, including her fantastic turn in Ed Kleban's A CLASS ACT, William Finn's FALSETTOS, Cole Porter's HIGH SOCIETY, the stage play and documentary MOON OVER BUFFALO co-starring Carol Burnett, the most recent revival of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF and much more. Most importantly, Graff generously outlines what we can expect from her upcoming solo shows at NYC hotspot 54 Below titled MADE IN BROOKLYN, in what will actually be the stalwart star's solo show premiere. In addition to all of that, Graff also touches upon some of her big screen and small screen work, ranging from LAW & ORDER to RENT, as well as recounts some theatrical tales involving theatre greats such as Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, John Simon and more. All of that and much, much more awaits in this rich resume recounting retrospective with one of Broadway's best!

The Kennedy Center presents the world premiere production of Orphie and the Book of Heroes in the Family Theater, today, February 8 - 23, 2014.

For the first DG Conservatory of the new year, the Dramatists Guild is thrilled to team up with the writers who created Behind the Music-al, Kyle Ewalt and Michael Ian Walker, on Tuesday, February 11, 2014, at 6:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Dramatists Guild's New York office, in the Frederick Loewe Room, 1501 Broadway (between 43rd and 44th Streets), Suite 710. This free seminar is opening a limited number of seats to the public and reservations are required.

The Village Voice, the nation's first and largest alternative weekly newspaper, announced today that esteemed critic and longtime judge of the awards, Michael Feingold, will serve as Obie Chairman for the 59th Annual Village Voice OBIE Awards, to be presented Monday, May 19, at Webster Hall.

The evening will be co-hosted by two of the company's alumni actors: two-time Tony Award winner David Hyde Pierce (at PH in Richard Greenberg's The Maderati in 1987) and two-time Tony Award nominee, two-time Obie Award winner and 2012 Special Drama Desk Award winner Mary Testa (at PH in William Finn's In Trousers in 1979, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's Lucky Stiff in 1988, Tom Donaghy's From Above in 1998/Obie Award and Kathleen Tolan's The Wax in 2000).

Pioneer Theatre Company presents the charming Shakespearean comedy Much Ado About Nothing, February 21 through March 8, 2014.

Check out what these San Diego theatres have in store for you this weekend!

Playwrights Horizons presents the New York premiere production of STAGE KISS, a new play marking the eagerly-awaited return of two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl (Dead Man's Cell Phone at PH; The Clean House, In the Next Room...) to the theater company. Directed by Rebecca Taichman (Milk Like Sugar at PH; the current Marie Antoinette, Orlando, The Scene, Luck of the Irish), the production begins previews this evening, February 7 at 8PM with an Opening Night set for Sunday, March 2 at 7PM. The limited engagement will play through Sunday evening, March 23 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).