Playwrights Horizons News

Producers Daryl Roth and Eva Price announced today that Emmy Award-winning actor Tom Skerritt will make his Broadway debut in A Time to Kill, Tony Award-winning playwright Rupert Holmes' stage adaptation of John Grisham's best-selling novel. Skerritt will portray Lucien Wilbanks, the mentor to protagonist Jake Brigance (played by Sebastian Arcelus), in this thrilling, iconic courtroom drama. Skerritt joins the previously announced Sebastian Arcelus, Chike Johnson, Patrick Page, Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins, Fred Dalton Thompson, John Douglas Thompson, and Ashley Williams plus Dashiell Eaves, J.R. Horne, John Procaccino, Tijuana Ricks, and Lee Sellars. Casting is now complete.

As the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's untimely death approaches, The Road Company Theater will stage Assassins, an American musical that lays bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate Presidents of the United States. Bold, sometimes disturbing, and alarmingly funny, the Tony-nominated historical musical with haunting songs by Tony-winning composer Stephen Sondheim explores the dark side of the American experience.Assassins will run September 12 - September 28 (Thursdays at 7pm; Friday and Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 2pm) in the Grand Theatre, located at 405 S. Main Street, Williamstown, NJ. Tickets, ranging from $22 - $25, are available at www.roadcompany.com or 856-728-2120.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) has announced two special ticketing initiatives for their New York premiere production of MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY, a new play by Anne Washburn (The Internationalist), with music by Obie Award winner Michael Friedman (Saved, The Drunken City at PH; Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, the current Love's Labours Lost) and directed by Obie Award winner Steve Cosson (Gone Missing, This Beautiful City, founding Artistic Director of The Civilians).

The Flea Theater presents the World Premiere of SARAH FLOOD IN SALEM MASS by Obie Award winner Adriano Shaplin (Pig Iron's Hell Meets Henry Halfway). This radical re-telling of the events leading up to the Salem Witch Trials will be directed by Rebecca Wright featuring members of The Bats. Previews begin September 24 with opening slated for October 6. The Flea's Producing Director Carol Ostrow says, 'bringing Shaplin's work and his team of collaborators together with The Bats will be one of the most combustible theatrical events of the season.'

Fat Violet Theater is thrilled to announce the NYC premiere of Ronan Noone's THE COMPASS ROSE, directed by David Sullivan. Part of 1st Irish, THE COMPASS ROSE begins performances on Thursday, September 12 for a limited engagement through Sunday, September 29. Press Opening is Monday September 16 at 7 PM. Performances are at Ryan's Daughter (350 East 85th Street, at 1st Ave. Subway info: 4, 5, 6 to 86th Street). The performance schedule is Thursday - Saturday at 8 PM, Sunday at 7 PM, with an added performance on Monday, September 16 at 7 PM for Opening Night. The regular ticket price is $18. For tickets, call SmartTix on (212) 868-4444 or visit www.smarttix.com. For more information, visit www.fatviolettheater.com.

Playwrights Horizons, under the leadership of Artistic Director Tim Sanford and Managing Director Leslie Marcus, has announced additional details for its 2013/2014 Season, including new casting and the addition of a director to the final production of the season.

TAMAR OF THE RIVER will star Margo Seibert (Saving Aimee, Circus in Winter at Playwrights Horizons, Next to Normal at the Weston Playhouse) as Tamar with Ako (Throne of Blood), Noah Galvin (Burnt Part Boys), Erik Lochtefeld (February House), Mike Longo (Hair) and Vince B. Vincent (Geography of Loss). The cast also features Jen Anaya, Adam Bashian, Margot Bassett, Troy Burton, Tamrin Goldberg, Mary Kate Morrissey and Manuel Stark.

Producers Jeffrey Richards and John N. Hart Jr., in association with the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.), have announced that the box office will open on Thursday, August 8th for the 17-week limited engagement of the critically-acclaimed revival of The Glass Menagerie at the Booth Theatre (222 W 45th Street) with performances beginning Thursday, September 5, 2013, and an opening night set for Thursday, September 26th. The production will star multiple Tony and Emmy Award-winner Cherry Jones as Amanda Wingfield, film and stage star Zachary Quinto as Tom, two-time Tony-nominee Celia Keenan-Bolger as Laura, and Brian J. Smith as Jim, the Gentleman Caller.

Hangar Theatre continues its 39th season with the regional premiere of Bruce Norris' award-winning play, Clybourne Park, running from tonight, August 8th through 17th.

Detroit runs September 9, 2013 to October 6, 2013, with performances Tuesday-Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 3pm and 8pm (September 14 at 8pm only), and Sunday at 2pm and 7pm (September 15 at 7pm only). Monday and Tuesday, September 9 and 10, will be Pay-What-You-Can performances and begin at 8pm.

Young Jean Lee, whom The New York Times recently called 'hands down, the most adventurous downtown playwright of her generation,' will release her band Future Wife's first album, entitled We're Gonna Die and produced by Shannon Fields (Stars Like Fleas, Leverage Models), today, August 6.

Don't let this summer end without seeing 'America's Favorite Original Boy Band'! Olney Theatre Institute presents a limited return engagement of Forever Plaid August 24 through September 15 on Olney Theatre Center's Historic Stage.

Primary Stages Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA), the company's professional training school, is pleased to announce a rare collection of Master Classes featuring Tony Award-winning director Pam MacKinnon (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole), and Tony Award-winning actress Alice Ripley (Next to Normal).