Playwrights Horizons News

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).

La Jolla Playhouse presents American Night: The Ballad of Juan José, written by Richard Montoya (Zorro in Hell) for Culture Clash, developed by Culture Clash and Jo Bonney (The Seven, Adoration of the Old Woman), directed by Jo Bonney. A co-production with Center Theatre Group and originally commissioned and produced by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, American Night: The Ballad of Juan José will run January 27 - February 26, 2012 in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) is set to present Ethan Lipton's NO PLACE TO GO for a limited engagement at Joe's Pub, beginning Wednesday, March 14.

An unprecedented effort will take place on Sunday, March 11 when New York City's leading theatre companies, including Atlantic Theater Company, Lincoln Center Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York Theatre Workshop, The Play Company, Playwrights Horizons and The Public Theater, will join forces to present Shinsai: Theaters for Japan, a two performance benefit to raise funds that will go directly to Japanese theater artists devastated by last year's great earthquake (Shinsai). Shinsai: Theaters for Japan, will be performed for two performances only at 3pm and 8pm at the Great Hall at Cooper Union (Seventh Street at Third Avenue).

As BroadwayWorld reported earlier today, lead producer Scott Rudin has backed out of producing the Broadway production of Bruce Norris's CLYBOURNE PARK, which was due for a Thursday, April 12th opening night at the Walter Kerr Theatre.

The Strand Theater Company marks the midpoint of its fourth season with Sheila Callaghan's antic revenge story, That Pretty Pretty; or, The Rape Play.

The Strand Theater Company marks the midpoint of its fourth season with Sheila Callaghan's antic revenge story, That Pretty Pretty; or, The Rape Play. Blending fantasy, feminism, and satire with gonzo bouts of sex and violence, this dark, dark, dark comedy will shake audiences out of their theatrical doldrums and leave them talking well into the night, debating how the media portrays "dangerous women."

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has announced 10 Finalists for its prestigious playwriting award, now celebrating its thirty-fourth year. The ten Finalists for the 2011-2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, chosen from over 100 submitted plays, are:

Today, Michael Riedel reports in The New York Post, and BroadwayWorld.com has confirmed, that lead producer Scott Rudin has backed out of producing the Broadway production, which is now agressively hunting for a new producer to bring the show to the Greate White Way.

Almost-normal in association with The Landor Theatre present LUCKY STIFF from Wednesday 1st to Saturday 25th February 2012. It has a book and lyrics by LYNN AHRENS and music by STEPHEN FLAHERTY. LUCKY STIFF is based on "The Man Who Broke The Bank at Monte Carlo" by Michael Butterworth. It was first produced by Playwrights Horizons Inc. off-Broadway in 1988. It was the winner of the 1988 Richard Rodgers Production Award.

The Asian American Performers Action Coalition (AAPAC) released preliminary findings today on the representation of minority actors on New York City's most prominent stages during the last five years. The full report, which will be released on Monday February 13th in conjunction with an industry roundtable, tallies the ethnic make-up of casts from all shows which opened on Broadway during this period and productions from sixteen of the largest not-for-profit theatres in New York City: The Atlantic Theatre Company, Classic Stage Company, Lincoln Center Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, MCC, The New Group, New York Theatre Workshop, Playwrights Horizons, Primary Stages, Public Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, Second Stage, Signature Theatre, Theatre for a New Audience, Vineyard Theatre and The York Theatre Company. It is the first report on minority casting in New York theatre ever to be released publicly.

The Acting Company will present a benefit staged reading of Tennessee Williams' Suddenly Last Summer at 7 pm on Monday, February 13 at the Mainstage Theater (Playwrights Horizons). The performance, starring Dana Ivey (The Help, Importance of Being Earnest), Rebecca Brooksher (The Good Wife), Betsy Aidem (Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling), Chad Hoeppner (Come Back Little Sheba, Butley) Neal Huff (When I Come to Die, The Little Dog Laughed) and Pamela Nyberg (Doubt tour) will be followed by a reception with the cast and director, Jodie Markell (The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond). Ms. Ivey serves on the Board of The Acting Company; Chad Hoeppner and Pamela Nyberg are both Acting Company Alumni Members. Tickets @ $35 are available from 212-258-3111.

The Strand Theater Company marks the midpoint of its fourth season with Sheila Callaghan's antic revenge story, That Pretty Pretty; or, The Rape Play.

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for the Alley Theatre's production of the 2010 Best Play Tony Award Winner, Red.

The Strand Theater Company marks the midpoint of its fourth season with Sheila Callaghan's antic revenge story, That Pretty Pretty; or, The Rape Play. Blending fantasy, feminism, and satire with gonzo bouts of sex and violence, this dark, dark, dark comedy will shake audiences out of their theatrical doldrums and leave them talking well into the night, debating how the media portrays "dangerous women."