Shakespeare Theatre Company News

Nigel Lindsay and Lindsay Lohan in David Mamet's SPEED-THE-PLOW at London's Playhouse Theatre from tonight 24th September for a strictly limited run. A high-octane modern classic, SPEED-THE-PLOW is a brilliantly satirical portrayal of Hollywood filled with Mamet's trademark wit and mesmerizing dialogue.

Folger Theatre launches its 2014/15 season in Rome with William Shakespeare's enduring political tragedy, Julius Caesar from October 28 - December 7, 2014. Robert Richmond (Richard III and Henry V at Folger) directs the epic portrait of the battle between ambition and honor, conspiracy and loyalty, leading an outstanding ensemble including Anthony Cochrane (Broadway's War Horse and Folger's Henry VIII) as the honorable Marcus Brutus, and Maurice Jones, making his Folger Theatre debut as Caesar's closest ally, Mark Antony.

Making its Off-Broadway debut at The New Victory Theater from November 1 - November 9, Isango Ensemble's Young Vic production of The Magic Flute: Impempe Yomlingo reimagines Mozart's masterpiece opera with a South African context. Featuring township percussion, an orchestra of marimbas and a cast of more than thirty vibrant voices from the townships surrounding Cape Town, and winner of the 2008 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival and a Globes de Cristal for Best Opera, this Magic Flute dazzles with drama, comedy and the sublime joy of finding true love.

Upcoming Equity Auditions from Sunday, September 21, 2014.

Hypokrit Theatre Company's inaugural production is the timeless love story Romeo and Juliet, re­imagined with a Bollywood aesthetic. The production will premiere in 2015 at the Access Theater.

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for Dracula, the Original Vampire Play, the second production in the 'Alley Theatre @ UH' season. Featuring iconic costume and set designs by Edward Gorey, the Alley's production is based on the original 1927 adaptation of the classic thriller that marvelously balances the menace of the horror tale with sophisticated satire.

Offering a South African spin on Mozart's beloved opera, the Isango Ensemble brings simple stagecraft and a unique musical flair to Washington for a limited run. Performing in repertory with Shakespeare's VENUS AND ADONIS for a limited run, Isango displays their expert ensemble in a must-see production. THE MAGIC FLUTE - IMPEMPE YOMLINGO distills the characters, story and music from one of the most popular operas in the Western repertoire.

Series Director, Bruce Dow (Dora Award Winner for PIG, and Of A Monstrous Child, Helen Hayes Nominee for his work with the Tony-winning Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington, D.C., 4 season Broadway and 12 season Stratford Festival veteran); Associate Series Director, Jeff Madden (Dora Award Winner for JERSEY BOYS, JERSEY BOYS Toronto and Australia, and 8 season veteran of The Shaw Festival); and Musical Director, Mark Selby (producer, AIR FARCE NEW YEAR'S EVE, CBC) have selected 5 recent theatre school graduates for the creation of a series of unique cabaret evenings to run through the fall and winter at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

The Isango Ensemble, brought to Washington as part of The Shakespeare Theatre Company's Presentations Series focusing on works from around the world, is based in Cape Town, South Africa, and is made up of performers from the surrounding area, who were sought out and brought together in 2000 by Director and co-founder Mark Dornford-May. Isango looks at Western works through an African lens, and what they bring to this 400 year old classic work is both ancient and contemporary, simple and lush, quiet and thunderous, straightforward and nuanced. Weaving the African rhythms, music, vocalizations and instrumentation with Venus and Adonis, uses a deeply human, very grounded style to tell a vaunted story of the love of a goddess for a mere mortal.

Virginia's Signature Theatre has appointed Joe Calarco to the new position of Resident Director/Director of New Works. In this position, Calarco will continue to strengthen Signature's commitment to new work by shepherding the development of new musicals and plays and actively seeking the work of original and diverse voices. Calarco will also direct 1-2 shows per season and will continue his work with Signature in The Schools, Signature's flagship education program.

The Shakespeare Theatre presents the New Jersey premiere of the award-winning play WITTENBERG by David Davalos, in which he ingeniously manipulates time and space to unite an unusual trio-Doctor Faustus, Martin Luther, and Hamlet-for a witty and provocative debate about faith, fate, existence, and tennis. The 'big questions,' the enigmas that eternally puzzle mankind, are given clever and delightfully quirky forum in this contemporary riff on the age-old and eternal conudrums. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Signature Theatre has announced the cast of Elmer Gantry, a musical version of Sinclair Lewis' best-selling novel, directed by Signature's Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer (Broadway's Follies, Million Dollar Quartet). Schaeffer collaborated on the last production of Elmer Gantry at Marriott's Lincolnshire Theatre in Chicago with authors John Bishop (book), Mel Marvin (music) and Bob Satuloff (lyrics) in 1998; the show has not been produced since then. This will be the 5th production in the show's history. Running in the MAX Theatre October 7 - November 9, Signature's production will include several brand new songs by Mel Marvin and Bob Satuloff and a reimagined script that John Bishop worked on until his death in 2006.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) has selected John Hurt, Stacy Keach and Dame Diana Rigg as the 2014 recipients of The William Shakespeare Award for Classical Theatre (Will Award), which recognizes artists who have made significant contributions to classical theatre in America. The Beech Street Foundation will be awarded the Sidney Harman Award for Philanthropy in the Arts. The awards will be presented at the Harman Center for the Arts Annual Gala on Sunday, October 5, 2014, hosted by STC at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW) and the National Building Museum (440 G Street NW).

The Shakespeare Theatre Company announces its 2014-2015 ReDiscovery Series with a selection of five plays by significant women playwrights of the early 20th Century, directed by local D.C. directors. The first reading to kick off the series will be Chains of Dew by Susan Glaspell, directed by Holly Twyford, on Monday, September 15.

Pink House Productions previously announced the New York City premier of YOU, ME AND THAT GUY, a hilarious 80 minute comedy about a recent college grad who uses the magic of a mystical open mic to heal her relationships with her technology saturated family and friends. Written by Stephen Sanow*, YOU, ME AND THAT GUY will open the 2014 Araca Project.

Hypokrit Theatre Company's inaugural production is the timeless love story Romeo and Juliet, re­imagined with a Bollywood aesthetic. The production will premiere in 2015 at the Access Theater.

The Boston engagement of Disney's The Lion King. Boston's most eagerly awaited stage production returns to the Boston Opera House stage runs today, September 9 to October 12 as part of the 2014-2015 Lexus Broadway In Boston Season.

For those who didn't have the opportunity to meet the cast of the award-winning Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company's "Within the Law" at the opening night after-show party at Aleathea's Restaurant on September 17th, another chance is to be had on Friday, September 26 at an after-show Q&A. It's a wonderful opportunity for patrons to ask such questions as "why do they do what they do?" and "how does one find these scripts?"

Rep Stage, the regional theatre in residence at Howard Community College (HCC), opens its 22nd season with David Ives' "Venus in Fur", directed by Joseph Ritsch, Rep Stage's co-producing artistic director.

Today, September 6th, Everyman Theatre welcomes seasoned theatrical professionals for its panel discussion entitled 'Waiting in the Wings.' The panel is a part of the discussion series, The World of the Play, which began during the 2013/14 season.