Richard Easton News

The Shakespeare Society (Michael Sexton, Artistic Director) has announced that Dances with Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night?s Dream, a collaboration with the New York City Ballet (NYCB), will take place on Monday, June 8, at 7:00pm at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, East 68 Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues. All tickets $25. For single tickets call the Kaye Playhouse at (212) 772-4448. For information about The Shakespeare Society, membership and member tickets, call 212-967-6802 or visit www.shakespearesociety.org. The evening is made possible by the generous support of the Jerome Robbins Foundation.

Cause Célèbre, a not-for-profit theater dedicated to causes and charity, proudly announces the launch of Part-Time Productions and its inaugural presentation, A Battle of Wills: Internal and External.

The Wilma Theater will bring its 30th Anniversary Season to a spirited finish with the East Coast Premiere of Hysteria, written by Terry Johnson and directed by the Wilma's co-Artistic Director Jiri Zizka.

Cause Célèbre, a not-for-profit theater dedicated to causes and charity, proudly announces the launch of Part-Time Productions and its inaugural presentation, A Battle of Wills: Internal and External. This debut production, presented in association with The New Group, is an evening of three one-act playsfeaturing award-winning actors, writers and directors. Performances will run consecutive Sundays from May31 - June 21 at The Acorn @ Theatre Row. Complete schedule and cast line-up is listed below.

The Shakespeare Society (Michael Sexton, Artistic Director) has announced that the Shakespeare Birthday Marathon, a FREE five-hour celebration of the Bard's 445th birthday, will take place Sunday, April 26, 3:30 - 8:30pm at Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street. There will be free general admission and no reservations are taken.

The Wilma Theater will bring its 30th Anniversary Season to a spirited finish with the East Coast Premiere of Hysteria, written by Terry Johnson and directed by the Wilma's co-Artistic Director Jiri Zizka.

The Shakespeare Society (Michael Sexton, Artistic Director) has announced that the Shakespeare Birthday Marathon, a FREE five-hour celebration of the Bard's 445th birthday, will take place Sunday, April 26, 3:30 - 8:30pm at Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street. There will be free general admission and no reservations are taken.

Due to snow and travel conditions, the March 2 program did not take place.. It has been re-scheduled for Wednesday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts presents Kathleen Chalfant, Richard Easton, Philip Bosco, Harold Holzer 'O, My Offense Is Rank': Lincoln's Favorite Shakespeare Speeches

Due to snow and travel conditions, the March 2 program did not take place.. It has been re-scheduled for Wednesday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts presents Kathleen Chalfant, Richard Easton, Philip Bosco, Harold Holzer 'O, My Offense Is Rank': Lincoln's Favorite Shakespeare Speeches

On Monday, March 2, 2009, 6:00 P.M. in the Bruno Walter Auditorium, the The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts presents 'O, My Offense Is Rank': Lincoln's Favorite Shakespeare Speeches: Excerpts from Hamlet, Henry IV, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Othello, and other plays. The event is part of the series 'Mystic Chords of Memory': Abraham Lincoln and the Performing Arts.

On Monday, March 2, 2009, 6:00 P.M. in the Bruno Walter Auditorium, the The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts presents 'O, My Offense Is Rank': Lincoln's Favorite Shakespeare Speeches: Excerpts from Hamlet, Henry IV, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Othello, and other plays. The event is part of the series 'Mystic Chords of Memory': Abraham Lincoln and the Performing Arts.

BAM and The Old Vic announce The Bridge Project Benefit, celebrating the inaugural year of repertory co-productions from BAM, The Old Vic, and Neal Street Productions. The February 17 event begins at 6pm with cocktails and dinner onstage at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House followed by an 8pm performance of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale at the BAM Harvey Theater, directed by Sam Mendes and featuring a star-studded, transatlantic cast including Simon Russell Beale, Sin?ad Cusack, Richard Easton, Rebecca Hall, Josh Hamilton, and Ethan Hawke. The evening concludes with a post-performance dessert reception with the cast onstage at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. Benefit tickets can be purchased though BAM Patron Services at 718.636.4182.

BAM and The Old Vic announce The Bridge Project Benefit, celebrating the inaugural year of repertory co-productions from BAM, The Old Vic, and Neal Street Productions. The February 17 event begins at 6pm with cocktails and dinner onstage at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House followed by an 8pm performance of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale at the BAM Harvey Theater, directed by Sam Mendes and featuring a star-studded, transatlantic cast including Simon Russell Beale, Sin?ad Cusack, Richard Easton, Rebecca Hall, Josh Hamilton, and Ethan Hawke. The evening concludes with a post-performance dessert reception with the cast onstage at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. Benefit tickets can be purchased though BAM Patron Services at 718.636.4182.

UNDER THE RADAR- A Festival Tracking New Theater All tix at The Public $15! Now thru Sun Jan 18 $15 TICKETS: 212-967-7555 or PUBLICTHEATER.ORG Seating is general admission for all UTR shows at The Public. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Latecomers are seated at the discretion of house management, so arrive early.

South Coast Repertory today announced the cast and creative team for Michael Frayn's ingenious comedic masterpiece, Noises Off. Directed by Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award winner Art Manke, Noises Off will run from Feb. 6 through March 8 on the Segerstrom Stage. Low-priced previews are available from Feb. 6 through Feb. 12. Opening night is Feb. 13. Press night is Saturday, Feb. 14 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets to Noises Off may be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or in person at the SCR box office. Noises Off follows the on-and off-stage antics of an inept acting troupe as they stumble from bumbling dress rehearsal to disastrous closing night. Everything that can go wrong does, as actors desperately try to hang on to their lines, their performances and the furniture. Add a slippery plate of sardines and many slamming doors, and you have the most hilarious backstage farce ever written. Art Manke received his fifth Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for directing SCR's West Coast premiere of Bach at Leipzig in 2006. Other work with SCR includes last season's Taking Steps, the world premiere musical version of The Wind in the Willows and choreography for numerous productions. Elsewhere in Southern California, Manke has directed The Constant Wife, Private Lives and the American premiere of Noel Coward's Star Quality for Pasadena Playhouse and the world premiere of The Ice-Breaker at Laguna Playhouse. Manke was a co-founder and artistic director (1991-2001) of A Noise Within where he directed the works of Shakespeare, Moli?re, Wilde, Coward and Sophocles. Other credits include work with Denver Center Theatre Company, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Old Globe Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, American Players Theatre, among others. The cast features Nancy Bell (Belinda Blair), Bill Brochtrup (Garry Lejeune), Kandis Chappell (Dotty Otley), Winslow Corbett (Poppy Norton-Taylor), Kaleo Griffith (Lloyd Dallas), Brian Hostenske (Tim Allgood), Timothy Landfield (Frederick Fellows), Jennifer Lyon (Brooke Ashton) and Nick Ullett (Selsdon Mowbray). The creative team for Noises Off includes John Iacvelli (Set Design), Angela Balogh Calin (Costume Design), York Kennedy (Lighting Design), Vincent Olivieri (Sound Design), Ken Merckx (Movement Consultant), David Newell (Dialect Coach), Linda Sullivan Baity (Dramaturg) and Jamie Tucker (Stage Manager). Dee and Larry Higby are the Honorary Producers of Noises Off. OC Metro is the Media Partner. Associated events taking place during the run of Noises Off include: POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS Wednesday, Feb. 18 & Tuesday, Feb. 24 Discuss the play with members of the Noises Off cast during free post-show discussions led by South Coast Repertory's literary team after the 7:30 p.m. performances on Feb. 18 and Feb. 24. INSIDE THE SEASON: Noises Off Saturday, Feb. 21, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. $12 Inside the Season is a series of interactive classes that provide a comprehensive inside look at the theatrical production process. Each two-hour class is led by School and Community Programs Director Linda Sullivan Baity and features creative personnel from South Coast Repertory's current production. Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (714) 708-5555. (Tickets to Noises Off are sold separately.) TICKETS to Noises Off can be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or by visiting the box office at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. Performances begin on Feb. 6 and continue through March 8. Ticket prices range from $20 to $64. Low-priced preview performances are available from Feb. 6 to Feb. 12. Performance times: Previews: Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 7 at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 8, Tuesday, Feb. 10 and Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m.; and Thursday, Feb. 12 at 8:00pm. Regular Performances: Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.; and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 25 years of age and under, educators, seniors and groups of 15 or more. There will be a 'Pay-What-You-Will' performance on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. ($10 Minimum) and an ASL-interpreted performance on Saturday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m.

UNDER THE RADAR- A Festival Tracking New Theater All tix at The Public $15! Now thru Sun Jan 18 $15 TICKETS: 212-967-7555 or PUBLICTHEATER.ORG Seating is general admission for all UTR shows at The Public. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Latecomers are seated at the discretion of house management, so arrive early.

The Bridge Project's inaugural 2009 season, which pairs a new version of The Cherry Orchard by Tom Stoppard with The Winter's Tale begins tonight, January 2nd with the first performance of The Cherry Orchard.

Sam Mendes directs a transatlantic company of actors in a double-bill of classic works for The Bridge Project's inaugural 2009 season, which pairs a new version of The Cherry Orchard by Tom Stoppard with The Winter's Tale. A formidable transatlantic company and creative team will mount these two new productions for seven internationally renowned theaters. Simon Russell Beale leads the British/American cast, playing Lopakhin in The Cherry Orchard and Leontes in The Winter's Tale. He is joined by Sin?ad Cusack as Madame Ranevskaya and Paulina, Richard Easton as Firs and Old Shepherd, Rebecca Hall as Varya and Hermione, Josh Hamilton as Yasha and Polixenes, Ethan Hawke as Trofimov and Autolycus, and Paul Jesson as Gaev and Camilo.

The New Group proudly presented a benefit evening honoring Ethan Hawke with the third annual Michael Mendelson Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Theater. The event took place Monday, November 10th at Chelsea Piers.

The Shakespeare Society (Michael Sexton, Artistic Director) will present Liev Schreiber, Richard Easton, and Professor David Scott Kastan in Politics, Prince Hal, and the Making of a Leader on Monday, November 3 at 6:30pm at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, East 68 Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues.