Rajiv Joseph News

Theater J, the nation's pre-eminent professional Jewish theater, announces its 2018-2019 season, which will be presented "around town" in top cultural venues throughout the city as the historic Edlavitch DCJCC building undergoes major renovation.  Artistic Director Adam Immerwahr has selected a diverse group of plays including an acclaimed one-woman show with music at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a new contemporary drama by Anna Ziegler at Arena Stage, a period love story by Lanford Wilson at GALA Hispanic Theatre, and a new adaptation of a Yiddish theater classic at Georgetown University. 

In conjunction with the world premiere of The Doppelganger (an international farce) by Matthew-Lee Erlbach, Steppenwolf Theatre Company is offering four free events on select Sundays during the run of the show. Each discussion is a fun and casual chance for audience members to engage with experts on topics associated with the production. Space is limited. RSVP through Audience Services at 312.335.1650 or at steppenwolf.org.

The New Black Fest and The Lark, two theater organizations dedicated to celebrating and advocating for stories that explore the intersection of art and social justice, are proud to announce the fifth annual The New Black Fest at The Lark. This week-long event is aimed at showcasing diverse and provocative work in a festival of Black theater artists from throughout the Diaspora, and will feature talkbacks, a panel event, and staged readings of four plays-in-progress. The festival will take place April 9-13, 2018, and will include works by 2017 Djerassi Writer in Residence France-Luce Benson (Deux Femmes On the Edge De La Revolution), 2018 Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Award recipient Donja R. Love (soft), 2015 Princess Grace Award-Winner Jonathan Payne (Brother Rabbit), and artist, activist, and The New Black Fest alum Liza Jessie Peterson (Sistergurls and the Squirrel) who has performed excerpts of her one-person play The Peculiar Patriot in over 35 penitentiaries across the country.

In 1920, the Russian writer Isaac Babel reports on a Red Cavalry campaign in Poland. In 1936, Stalin's NKVD chief Nicolai Yezhov unleashes the Great Purge. In 1989, a mysterious KGB agent spying on a woman in Dresden falls in love. In 2010, an aircraft carrying most of the Polish government crashes near the Russian city of Smolensk…

Steppenwolf's LookOut series is proud to present The Yard's production of columbinus by the United States Theatre Project, written by Stephen Karam and PJ Paparelli. Directed by Mechelle Moe and performed by The Yard's 15 young-person ensemble, columbinus runs Thursday, May 3 - Saturday, May 26 in the 1700 Theatre.

The DGF Fellows program is accepting applications until April 27. DGF will host a live Q&A information session on March 15 at 11:30am Eastern on their facebook page, facebook.com/dramatistsguildfdn

Kickshaw Theatre, Ann Arbor's pop-up professional theatre, presents Gruesome Playground Injuries, by Rajiv Joseph, April 12 - 29 at trustArt Studios, a creative center for visual artists with working studios and a gallery space, located just west of Baker Road, near I-94 on the western edge of Ann Arbor.

The 2018 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has been awarded to U.K. playwright Alice Birch for her play "Anatomy of a Suicide". Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Prize is awarded annually to recognize women from around the world who have written works of outstanding quality for the English-speaking theatre. The Winner will receive $25,000 and a signed and numbered print by renowned artist Willem de Kooning.

La Jolla Playhouse is pleased to bring back for a sixth year its acclaimed new play development initiative, the DNA New Work Series, a weekend of readings of new works, taking place March 22 - 25, 2018 in the Playhouse's Rao and Padma Makeneni Play Development Center. Tickets for the DNA New Work Series are free but reservations are required by calling (858) 550-1010 or visiting LaJollaPlayhouse.org.

Rehearsals kicked off today for Steppenwolf Theatre Company's highly anticipated world premiere comedy, The Doppelganger (an international farce) written by Chicagoland native Matthew-Lee Erlbach (Showtime's Masters of Sex, Off-Broadway's Handbook for an American Revolutionary).

Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents the Chicago premiere production of Guards at the Taj by acclaimed playwright Rajiv Joseph, directed by ensemble member Amy Morton. A stunning tale about the search for beauty in desperate circumstances, the Steppenwolf production will feature the original cast members, Omar Metwally (Humayun) and Arian Moayed (Babur), whom Amy Morton directed in the Off-Broadway world premiere which received rave reviews when it premiered in 2015 and won the 2016 Obie Award for Best New American Play.

Just last night, Atlantic Theater Company presented their Annual Gala at The Plaza (768 Fifth Avenue). Composers' Choice paid tribute to celebrated composers of the stage with a fabulous evening of unexpected songs, honoring Orin Wolf, John Styles, and John Hart for their contribution to American musical theater.

Artistic Director Edward Hall announces Hampstead Theatre's spring/summer season. The UK premiere of Rajiv Joseph's darkly comic post-truth play Describe the Night will be directed by Lisa Spirling. The world premiere of Jemma Kennedy's blisteringly entertaining Genesis Inc. will be directed by Laurie Sansom. The world premiere of Fiona Doyle's haunting and provocative new drama The Strange Death of John Doe will be directed by Artistic Director Edward Hall for Hampstead Downstairs. The production is a Hampstead Theatre commission and a finalist for The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Under 30s can access Priority Booking for all shows via The Downstairs Club - Hampstead's free membership scheme to allow better access to the cheaper seats.

The One-Minute Play Festival (1MPF) (Dominic D'Andrea, Producing Artistic Director & Caitlin Wees, Associate Producer) and Perseverance Theatre (Art Rotch, Executive Artistic Director) continue their dynamic partnership for The 5th Annual Alaska One-minute Play Festival with part of the proceeds to benefit The Alaska Native Voices Project, dedicated to serving and uplifting native Alaskan artists.

Underground Railway Theater is proud to present Rajiv Joseph's Guards at the Taj from March 1 to April 1, 2018 and is directed by Gabriel Vega Weissman. The press performance is Monday, March 5 at 7:30PM.

Theatre enthusiasts packed the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts tonight to hear Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley and Executive Director Phil Santora of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley reveal the lineup for the company's 49th season, which launches this summer. Among the exhilarating works announced were: the World Premiere of a new piece by Hershey Felder on Claude Debussy, an acclaimed Tony-winning musical, a thrilling political prizefight, and an array of Regional Premieres that include a hit comedy that sends up suburban values, a gospel/rhythm & blues musical developed at TheatreWorks, a heart-stirring musical for the holidays, a comic drama about one of the key historical events in the last century, a searing look at an unsung American hero, plus the return of the grown-up holiday hit The Santaland Diaries. For more information or to purchase subscriptions ($143 - $583) the public can call 650-463-1960 or visit theatreworks.org. Subscriptions are on sale now; single tickets will go on sale in spring 2018. Special pricing is available for seniors (65+), educators, and patrons 35 and under.

Artistic Director Mark Clements and Managing Director Chad Bauman are thrilled to announce Milwaukee Repertory Theater's 65th Anniversary Season which will be the largest season in over a decade featuring 15 productions across four venues with nearly 700 performances including expanded programming in the Stiemke Studio.

Huntington Theatre Company in partnership with Roxbury Community College presents a free community event on Thursday, February 15 at 7pm in conjunction with the Huntington's upcoming production of the highly acclaimed hit Off Broadway play Skeleton Crew.

HANGMEN, which is directed by Matthew Dunster, officially opened last night, February 5, and will play a limited engagement through Wednesday, March 7, 2018, Off-Broadway at Atlantic Theater Company's Linda Gross Theater (336 West 20 Street).

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director; Mary McCann, School Executive Director) will present their Annual Gala on Monday, February 26, 2018 at The Plaza (768 Fifth Avenue). Composers' Choice will pay tribute to celebrated composers of the stage with a fabulous evening of unexpected songs, honoring Orin Wolf, John Styles, and John Hart for their contribution to American musical theater.