Sam Waterston News

If Hamlet is the reward an actor gets for showing great promise in his youth, King Lear is the thank you he receives in the latter years of a distinguished career.  At age 35, Sam Waterston's Hamlet became one of the iconic performances to come out of the New York Shakespeare Festival.  Now, at 71, The Public Theater's gift for his decades of admirable stage work is the opportunity to essay the maddening royal whose rages against a perceived betrayal by the mosT Loving of his three daughters sets in motion the bloody collapse of a monarchy.  Unfortunately, the gift has not been wrapped very attractively.

Manhattan Theatre Club's Broadway premiere of VENUS IN FUR, the new play by David Ives, directed by Walter Bobbie opened on November 8 at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street). The production stars Tony Award nominee Nina Arianda and Emmy Award nominee Hugh Dancy. VENUS IN FUR is a limited 10 week engagement with tickets on sale through Sunday, December 18 only. So, what did the critics have to say? Let's find out!

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere of HORSEDREAMS, a new play written by and featuring award-winning and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Dael Orlandersmith. The third production of the company's 17th season, performances of HORSEDREAMS will begin Wednesday, November 9th at Rattlestick Theater (224 Waverly Place - off Seventh Avenue South, between Perry & West 11th Streets). The official opening night is set for Thursday, November 17th. The production is scheduled to run through December 11th. Gordon Edelstein directs.

Sonnet Repertory Theatre will present their Tenth Annual Benefit and Cabaret on Monday, November 14, bringing together a diverse and talented group of performers and composers at Joe's Pub to honor award-winning director and teacher, Gerald Freedman.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere of HORSEDREAMS, a new play written by and featuring award-winning and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Dael Orlandersmith. The third production of the company's 17th season, performances of HORSEDREAMS will begin Wednesday, November 9th at Rattlestick Theater (224 Waverly Place - off Seventh Avenue South, between Perry & West 11th Streets). The official opening night is set for Thursday, November 17th. The production is scheduled to run through December 11th. Gordon Edelstein directs.

The Public Theater is now presenting previews for KING LEAR, directed by James Macdonald. KING LEAR will run through Sunday, November 20 in The Public's Newman Theater with an official press opening on Tuesday, November 8. Production shots have been released and BroadwayWorld brings you a look below!

The Huffington Post snapped a shot of actress Isla Fisher, in full costume, on the set for Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatbsy today. Fisher plays Myrtle, mistress to Joel Edgerton's Tom Buchanan.

The onetime Broadway musical It Girl is about to open in her 4th play off-Broadway this year.

With one of the most refreshingly unique career trajectories in recent show business history, the quirky late-80s/early-90s film star known for her outlandish John Waters comedies - HAIRSPRAY, CRY-BABY and SERIAL MOM included - parlayed her big screen success to a decade-long running eponymous talk-show in the 90s and early 00s that is still talked about to this day - look no further than Nicki Minaj's verse on the remix of Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" for proof - and, now, with news of the 2012 syndicated return of a new iteration of her show, a new memoir, as well as her current compelling casting on the new season of DANCING WITH THE STARS, Ricki Lake has clearly reached a new career high. Imparting her contagious energy and enthusiasm and amply displaying why she is the foremost queen of gab, Lake generously shares her thoughts on a range of topics - Broadway, Hollywood, GLEE, Sondheim, BOOK OF MORMON and much more included - and reveals details about her many upcoming projects and passion, as well as her ongoing star turn on TV's hottest reality competition, DANCING WITH THE STARS. While in rehearsal on Friday night, talking to me from the backstage costume fitting for DANCING/STARS - tutu included - and on the road back to her LA home - before attending Chaz Bono's party later that evening - Lake and I cover it all and she shows why she has been a TV fixture in millions of homes for twenty years and most likely will continue to be so for the next twenty or more - if we are lucky, that is. Plus, she also happens to be a big BroadwayWorld fan, to boot! Who could ask for anything more?

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere of HORSEDREAMS, a new play written by and featuring award-winning and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Dael Orlandersmith. The third production of the company's 17th season, performances of HORSEDREAMS will begin Wednesday, November 9th at Rattlestick Theater (224 Waverly Place - off Seventh Avenue South, between Perry & West 11th Streets). The official opening night is set for Thursday, November 17th. The production is scheduled to run through December 11th. Gordon Edelstein directs.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere of HORSEDREAMS, a new play written by and featuring award-winning and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Dael Orlandersmith.

The Public Theaterhas just announced the final line-up for its two upcoming fall Public Forum events. The 2011-2012 Public Forum season will continue on October 23 with 'The Legacy of Steve Jobs,' a provocative discussion with Mike Daisey, the creator and performer of The Agony and The Ecstasy of Steve Jobs; Robert Krulwich, the science correspondent of NPR and co-host of Radiolab; and Dan Lyons, the technology editor at Newsweek Daily Beast and creator of 'Fake Steve Jobs,' the persona behind the notorious tech blog The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs. Single tickets, priced at $25, are on sale now.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. announced today that it will release Baz Luhrmann's Leonardo DiCaprio starrer The Great Gatsby on Dec. 25, 2012 , the same day DiCaprio's Django Unchained is set to open.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Interim Executive Director Joey Parnes) will begin previews for KING LEAR, directed by James Macdonald, on Tuesday, October 18. KING LEAR will run through Sunday, November 20 in The Public's Newman Theater with an official press opening on Tuesday, November 8.

Sonnet Repertory Theatre presents their Tenth Annual Benefit and Cabaret on Monday, November 14, bringing together a diverse and talented group of performers and composers at Joe's Pub to honor award-winning director and teacher, Gerald Freedman.

Sonnet Repertory Theatre presents their Tenth Annual Benefit and Cabaret on Monday, November 14, bringing together a diverse and talented group of performers and composers at Joe's Pub to honor award-winning director and teacher, Gerald Freedman.

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's feature, 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix. Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to the West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more! For last week's biggest events: visit THIS WEEK IN PICTURES: September 24-30!