Playwrights Horizons News

Previews begin this Thursday, May 12 at 8PM for the Playwrights Horizons (Artistic Director, Tim Sanford; Managing Director, Leslie Marcus) and New York Theatre Workshop (Artistic Director, James C. Nicola; Managing Director, William Russo) co-production of THE SHAGGS: PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD, a new musical with book by Joy Gregory; music by Gunnar Madsen; lyrics by Ms. Gregory and Mr. Madsen; and story by Ms. Gregory, Mr. Madsen and John Langs. Directed by Mr. Langs, the co-production by the two non-profit theaters has an official Opening Night set for Tuesday, June 7 at 7PM. The limited engagement will play through Sunday, July 3 at Playwrights Horizons Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Douglas Sills, a Tony Award nominee for The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Sara Gettelfinger, last seen on Broadway in A Free Man of Color and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, will star as Gomez and Morticia in the upcoming national tour of THE ADDAMS FAMILY, a new musical based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams. As previously announced, the production will begin performances September 15 at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in New Orleans and will continue on to over 30 additional major markets across North America.

The Drama League has announced the rosters of stars who will appear as presenters at The 77th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Friday, May 20, 2011 (noon) in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square (1535 Broadway at 46th Street). The ceremony will be hosted by Kathleen Turner (High).

Alexander Greenfield (Asst. Director, BORN YESTERDAY) will direct a cast that includes Jason Michael Snow (The Book of Mormon), Tobias Segal (The Miracle Worker), Arden Myrin (Chelsea Lately), Lucas Near-Verbrugghe (Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson) Maggie Low (Times of War) and Elizabeth West (The Women) in a reading of Pulitzer- nominated Tom Diggs' new play LOVE IN THE TIME OF REAGAN at an industry reading in midtown Manhattan one day only on May 16, 2011 at 3 pm in an undisclosed location.

LCT3, Lincoln Center Theater's programming initiative devoted to producing the work of new artists and developing new audiences, has begun rehearsals for its world premiere of 4000 Miles, a new play by Amy Herzog, directed by Daniel Aukin. Greta Lee and Zoe Winters will join the previously announced Gabriel Ebert and Mary Louise Wilson in the third production of LCT3's 2010-2011 season. 4000 Miles will begin performances Monday, June 6, and run through Saturday, July 2 at The Duke on 42nd Street, a New 42nd Street® project (229 West 42 Street). Opening night is Monday, June 20.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) is pleased to announce the New York premiere of Stephen Karam's new play Sons of the Prophet, will feature Tony Award winner Joanna Gleason, directed by Peter DuBois.

FRANK ZAGOTTIS returns to Don't Tell Mama with his sell out cabaret show BACK 2 BASICS on May 25th at 7pm with an additional 'Gay Pride Weekend' performance on Saturday, June 25 at 6pm.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Interim Executive Director Joey Parnes) will present post-show discussions following select performances of KNICKERBOCKER, written by Jonathan Marc Sherman and directed by Pippin Parker. The Public LAB Speaker Series for KNICKERBOCKER will be held following the Tuesday, May 17 and Tuesday, May 24 performances. Tickets are $15 for all performances of KNICKERBOCKER and include free admission to the post-show discussions.

YALE SCHOOL OF DRAMA (James Bundy, Dean; Victoria Nolan, Deputy Dean; Paula Vogel, Chair of Playwriting; Ken Prestininzi, Associate Chair) presents the sixth annual Carlotta Festival of New Plays, May 6 to 14 at the Iseman Theater (1156 Chapel Street, New Haven).

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Interim Executive Director Joey Parnes) will begin previews on Friday, May 6 for the New York premiere of KNICKERBOCKER, written by Jonathan Marc Sherman and directed by Pippin Parker.

Clubbed Thumb, the Obie Award-winning New York theatre company that commissions, develops and produces funny, strange, and provocative news plays, presents SUMMERWORKS 2011, its 16th annual festival of original works by American playwrights, from June 5-25 at HERE Arts Center (145 6th Avenue) in Manhattan, it has been announced by Maria Striar, Clubbed Thumb's Producing Artistic Director.

Clubbed Thumb, the Obie Award-winning New York theatre company that commissions, develops and produces funny, strange, and provocative news plays, presents SUMMERWORKS 2011, its 16th annual festival of original works by American playwrights, from June 5-25 at HERE Arts Center (145 6th Avenue) in Manhattan, it has been announced by Maria Striar, Clubbed Thumb's Producing Artistic Director.

Passage Theatre, Trenton's only professional theater company, is pleased to announce the New Jersey premiere of Mat Smart's two-person drama Samuel J. and K., a play which traces the complex bond between two brothers as they travel to the homeland of the younger.

Executive Producer Lou Spisto today announced that The Old Globe will produce the World Premieres of four new plays and musicals in its 2011-12 Winter Season. The season will feature the World Premiere musicals Some Lovers by music legend Burt Bacharach and Tony Award winner Steven Sater and Nobody Loves You by Gaby Alter and Itamar Moses, as well as the West Coast Premiere of John Kander and Fred Ebb's The Scottsboro Boys, recently nominated for 12 Tony Awards including Best Musical, directed and choreographed by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman. The two plays receiving World Premiere productions are Somewhere by Globe Playwright-in-Residence Matthew Lopez and The Recommendation by Jonathan Caren. The new season also includes revivals of Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show and the Eugene O'Neill classic Anna Christie directed by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner David Auburn. Special events include the World Premiere of Odyssey by Todd Almond, a music theater event conceived and directed by Lear deBessonet celebrating the Globe's 75th Anniversary, The Old Globe/University of San Diego Graduate Theatre Program production of Twelfth Night and Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, which returns for its 14th consecutive year.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) is now accepting entries today, Wednesday, May 4, for its popular LIVEforFIVE online lottery for $5 tickets to the New York premiere of THE SHAGGS: PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD. A co-production between Playwrights Horizons and New York Theatre Workshop (Artistic Director, James C. Nicola; Managing Director, William Russo), the new musical features a book by Joy Gregory; music by Gunnar Madsen; lyrics by Ms. Gregory and Mr. Madsen; and story by Ms. Gregory, Mr. Madsen and John Langs. The production is directed by Mr. Langs.

kef theatrical productions is thrilled to announce the upcoming staged reading of Jay Russell's CRADLE & ALL on Wednesday, May 11th at 7:00 PM at the ArcLight Theatre.

Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing's 65th Annual Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards were announced May 3, 2011 by Tony Award winning actor Matthew Broderick and Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose, at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement sponsored by IBM.

Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing's 65th Annual Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards were announced May 3, 2011 by Tony Award winning actor Matthew Broderick and Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose, at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement sponsored by IBM.

Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing's 65th Annual Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards were announced May 3, 2011 by Tony Award winning actor Matthew Broderick and Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose, at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement sponsored by IBM.

Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing's 65th Annual Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards were announced May 3, 2011 by Tony Award winning actor Matthew Broderick and Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose, at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement sponsored by IBM.