Seattle Rep News

After 15 years of presenting 14 plays in 48 hours for four weekends every year, the producers of 14/48 present two new styles of the popular speed theatre festival.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) launches its 28th season tonight, July 24 when HARRISON, TX: THREE PLAYS BY HORTON FOOTE begins performances.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Theatre Communications Group (TCG) announce the inaugural round of recipients for the Leadership U[niversity] program. Six early-career theatre leaders will receive One-on-One grants for professional development via mentorships at TCG Member Theatres. Eight mid-career and veteran theatre professionals at TCG Member Theatres will receive Continuing Ed grants for learning opportunities to advance their leadership skills. The overall intent of this program is to strengthen the field by developing the individuals who are the core and the future of theatre.

Aurora Theatre Company opens its 21st season with the coveted Bay Area Premiere of Kristoffer Diaz's smart, hilarious power-slam of a play, THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY. Jon Tracy makes his main stage directing debut at Aurora with this sardonic critique of pop culture and political correctness. Featuring Rod Gnapp, Tony Sancho, Beethovan Oden, Dave Maier, and Nasser Khan, THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY plays August 24 through September 30 at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. Get a first look at the production in the photos below!

Soho Rep, in association with John Adrian Selzer, is pleased to announce that OBIE Award-winner Roberta Maxwell will join the cast of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya on Wednesday, July 25, replacing Rebecca Schull as Maria.

The Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre kicks off its new season in August with the West Coast premiere of Chinglish. David Henry Hwang won three Obies and the Tony Award for Best Play with popular scripts like M. Butterfly and FOB. Now he's back with a canny comedy of cross-cultural errors. Two-time Obie-winner Leigh Silverman returns to the Roda Theatre to stage the play.

THANK YOU FOR JUDGING, a documentary about high school Dramatic Interpretation contests, will appear as part of the 30th Annual Outfest Film Festival in Los Angeles. The film is co-directed by Broadway's Michael Urie. Get a first look at the trailer below!

Four-time Emmy Award-winner and Tony Award nominee Valerie Harper returns to Hartford to kick off the National Tour of Matthew Lombardo's madcap comedy LOOPED, January 24-February 6, 2013 at The Belding Theatre at The Bushnell. The original Broadway production will again be directed by Rob Ruggiero.

The Washington Rogues return to the Capital Fringe Festival with a bold and timely comedy that dives headfirst into one of the most controversial debates of our time, and does so with heart, humanity and healthy dose of magic. Mitzi's Abortion (A Saints Guide to Late-Term Politics in America) by Elizabeth Heffron will play five performanes between tonight, July 12 and July 25 at The Warehouse at Fort Fringe - 645 New York Ave NW.

TheatreWorks, the nationally acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, launches its 43rd season with the world premiere of UPRIGHT GRAND, a play with live music by acclaimed playwright Laura Schellhardt (Auctioning the Ainsleys). A hit at last year's New Works Festival, this tender and intelligent portrait of the complex relationship between a father and daughter will be helmed by TheatreWorks New Works Director Meredith McDonough. Dan Hiatt will star as aging songwriter "Pops," with Renata Friedman as "Kiddo" and Brett Ryback as "The Accompanist." UPRIGHT GRAND plays tonight, July 11 - August 10, 2011 (press opening July 14) at TheatreWorks at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto. For tickets ($24-$73) and information the public may call (650) 463-1960 or visit www.theatreworks.org.

Continuing its 12-year relationship with Athol Fugard, The Fountain Theatre celebrates the master playwright's 80th birthday with the U.S. premiere of his newest play. Directed by Stephen Sachs and starring Morlan Higgins, Julanne Chidi Hill and Jacqueline Schultz, The Blue Iris opens at the Fountain on August 24, with low-priced previews beginning August 18.

Tony Award® winner Judith Ivey joins Academy Award® nominee Jessica Chastain, Academy Award® nominee and Emmy® Award winner David Strathairn and the leading man of "Downton Abbey" Dan Stevens in a new production of the unforgettable drama and Tony Award® winning play The Heiress. Written by Ruth & Augustus Goetz, The Heiress will be directed by Tony Award® nominated playwright and director Moises Kaufman. The Heiress will be produced by Paula Wagner, Roy Furman and Stephanie P. McClelland.

FREUD'S LAST SESSION will feature a post-show talkback discussion with Scott Kelley, Assistant Vice President for Vincentian Scholarship in the Office of Mission and Values and Assistant Professor in the Religious Studies Department at DePaul University, and James Halstead, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at DePaul University, following the 1:00 p.m. performance on Sunday, July 29 at the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport in Chicago.