Playwrights Horizons News

The Theatre School at DePaul University will present BARRIO GRRRL! A MUSICAL (book and lyrics by Quiara Alegria Hudes, music by Bill Sherman, musical direction by Mark Elliott, and directed by Lisa Portes) as the final production of the 2011-2012 Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences Series. BARRIO GRRRL! A MUSICAL opens Tuesday, March 27, and runs through Saturday, May 12, 2012, at DePaul's historic Merle Reskin Theatre. Performances are Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 AM and Saturdays at 2 PM. There will be no performance on March 31, April 3, April 5, April 7, April 28, May 1, May 3, or May 5.

Producer John Johnson announced today the complete cast for the New York premiere of 35mm A Musical Exhibition, written by Ryan Scott Oliver based on the photography of Matthew Murphy.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) will begin previews on Wednesday, March 14 for NO PLACE TO GO, directed by Leigh Silverman and written by Ethan Lipton with music composed by Ethan Lipton and His Orchestra. NO PLACE TO GO is the first Joe's Pub commission, as part of its New York Voices Series, to become part of The Public Theater's season. Single tickets, priced at $30, are on sale now.

Playwrights Horizons just announced complete casting for the New York premiere of THE BIG MEAL, a new play by Dan LeFranc (Sixty Miles to Silver Lake at P73/Soho Rep, In the Labyrinth at Soho Rep). Directed by the Obie Award-winning "white-hot young director" (The New York Times) Sam Gold (Circle Mirror Transformation and Kin at PH, Seminar on Broadway, Tigers Be Still, The Aliens, The Coward), the production will begin previews Thursday, March 1 at 7:30 PM with an Opening Night set for Wednesday, March 21 at 7PM. The limited engagement will play through Sunday, April 8 at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) continues its 2011-12 season with the West Coast premiere of Maple and Vine, written by Jordan Harrison and directed by A.C.T. Associate Artistic Director Mark Rucker. Fresh from a run at Playwrights Horizons in New York City, Maple and Vine tells the story of married couple Katha and Ryu, a pair of stressed-out urban professionals who feel unfulfilled by the impersonal gadgets and fast-paced lifestyle of the modern world. After meeting a charismatic man from a community of 1950s reenactors, they decide to swap cell phones and sushi for phone trees and fish sticks by joining a community where life is slower, passion is risque, and a cocktail is a daily accessory. In this recreated world, where retro attitudes about gender, race, and sexuality stir up powerful questions, Katha and Ryu must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice for happiness and whether the "good old days" were really that good. Maple and Vine performs a limited run March 29-April 22, 2012, at the American Conservatory Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Tickets (starting at $10) are on sale now and may be purchased online at act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228.

Pioneer Theatre Company presents Laughing Stock, written by PTC Artistic Director Charles Morey, March 23 - April 7, 2012.

Next Theatre Company will present the Midwest premiere of Amy Herzog's After the Revolution, directed by Kimberly Senior, April 5 - May 13, 2012, at Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes Street. Previews are April 5 - 8 and the opening/press night is Tuesday, April 10 at 7 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

THE PROFIT OF CREATION, a new musical with book and lyrics by Charlie Sohne and music by Tim Rosser, will be presented to an industry audience on March 13 at 3 p.m. in the North Studio at Playwrights Horizons. The cast of the reading includes Lindsay Mendez (Godspell), Hunter Ryan Herdlicka (A Little Night Music), Colin Hanlon (Rent), Sean Dugan (Next Fall), Sally Wilfert (Make Me A Song) and Michael Winther (33 Variations). The reading will be directed by Obie Award-winning director Evan Yionoulis, music directed by Paul Staroba (Lucky Guy) and stage managed by Donald Butchko.

Writers' Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce the 2012/13 Season, which includes Shakespeare's Hamlet directed by Michael Halberstam with Scott Parkinson in the title role; the Midwest premiere of John W. Lowell's play The Letters, directed by Kimberly Senior; Sweet Charity, directed by Michael Halberstam with Musical Direction by Doug Peck and choreography by Jessica Redish; the Midwest premiere of David Greig's Yellow Moon directed by Stuart Carden; and David Ives' modern adaptation of Corneille's The Liar, directed by William Brown.

According to Deadline.com, Jeremy Strong has joined the cast of TNT's upcoming pilot LA NOIR. The project will be written and directed by Frank Darabont.

Ground UP Productions presents the World Premiere of Holly Webber's PRATFALLS, a new comedy about falling down - set on a rooftop in Brooklyn - directed by Jenn Thompson (THE LATE CHRISTOHER BEAN). Preview performances begin April 27 prior to an official press opening of April 29 at the Abingdon Theatre Complex /Dorothy Strelsin Theatre (312 West 36th Street).

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and Tristan Wilson, Managing Director, announces four new Associate Artists. Formed in 2010, the Associate Artists Program's inaugural honorees were composer/lyricist William Finn, actor/director Christopher Innvar and playwright Mark St. Germain. This year's new Associate Artists are music director Darren R. Cohen, actors Mark H. Dold and Debra Jo Rupp, and production stage manager Renee Lutz.

Off-Broadway theater company Playwrights Horizons will hold its annual Spring Gala on Monday evening, June 11th at the event space 583 Park Avenue. Titled "The Highest Standard", the evening will celebrate its five Pulitzer Prize-winning productions and honor the creators of these memorable works for the theater. The honorees are James Lapine (Sunday in the Park with George), Bruce Norris (Clybourne Park), Stephen Sondheim (Sunday in the Park with George), Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy), Wendy Wasserstein (The Heidi Chronicles) and Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife).

Producer John Johnson announced today the complete cast for the New York premiere of 35mm A Musical Exhibition, written by Ryan Scott Oliver based on the photography of Matthew Murphy.