South Coast Repertory News

On your marks for the original amazing race! International City Theatre's 28th season gets off to a flying start with Around the World in 80 Days, adapted by Mark Brown from the visionary, classic adventure story by Jules Verne. For a taste of exotic locales, daring exploits, narrow escapes and great fun, head over to International City Theatre at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center between January 25 and February 17, or take in a low-priced preview on January 23 or 24.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival continues to expand its ongoing commitment to the development and production of new work with five new commissions. American Revolutions: the United States History Cycle adds Ayad Akhtar, Kirsten Greenidge, Stephen Karam, Lisa Loomer and Karen Zacarias to its list of commissioned writers.

La Jolla Playhouse announces two additional productions for its 2013/2014 season. Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley (Glengarry Glen Ross, Memphis) will direct His Girl Friday, John Guare's (Six Degrees of Separation, The House of Blue Leaves) acclaimed adaptation of the Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur play The Front Page and the Howard Hawks film His Girl Friday, with screenplay by Charles Lederer, produced by Columbia Pictures. The production will kick off the season in June/July in the Mandell Weiss Theatre.

Welcome to middle age... proceed with caution! Diane Cary, Jane Kaczmarek and Sharon Sharth star as three successful women who challenge themselves to find love and personal fulfillment in the middle years of life. Steven Robman directs the ensemble cast, which also includes Gregory Harrison, James Lancaster and Joel Polis, in the world premiere of The Snake Can by Kathryn Graf (Hermetically Sealed). Performances run January 19 through February 24, presented by Indie Chi Productions at the Odyssey Theatre in West Los Angeles.

The Flea Theater presents the New York premiere of Restoration Comedy by Pultizer Prize-finalist Amy Freed. It will be directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, a 2012 Drama Desk Award nominee for These Seven Sicknesses, and stars The Bats, the resident Acting Company at The Flea. The production opened last night, December 10. Check out photos from the opening night party below!

The Flea Theater presents the New York premiere of Restoration Comedy by Pultizer Prize-finalist Amy Freed. It will be directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, a 2012 Drama Desk Award nominee for These Seven Sicknesses, and stars The Bats, the resident Acting Company at The Flea. The production opened last night, December 10, and BroadwayWorld has a first look at the show in the photos below!

Berkeley's acclaimed Aurora Theatre Company, along with GAP Producer M. Graham Smith and GAP Associate Producer Deborah Taylor, announces the four plays chosen as finalists by a committee of local directors for the eighth annual Global Age Project (GAP), the company's new works initiative that promotes the creation of forward-looking theater. The selected GAP plays will be presented as staged readings in a four-week festival at the Aurora Theatre, Mondays, February 4-25 at 7:30PM.

From the author of Pride and Prejudice comes this heartwarming, humorous tale of two sisters struggling to move past a family disaster. Sensible, reserved Elinor and passionate, impulsive Marianne find the road to true love beset with dashing suitors and well-meaning relatives, devoted friends and devious rivals, and scandalous secrets and unexpected twists in a period-perfect adaptation that captures all of the deliciousness, flirtation and folly of Jane Austen's well-loved novel.

The Araca Group has announced a biannual series of new play readings will return for the fifth time for an abbreviated edition today, December 10th and the 13th.

Angelinos looking for a unique and satisfying "family-friendly-experience" in American music, featuring some of the best talent in the Los Angeles musical theatre world, are in for a real treat! This revised production of YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN will open at Theatre Banshee, Burbank, on January 18th thru February 10th, 2013. Produced by John Peters for J & J Productions, this warmhearted musical comedy based on the "Peanuts" comic strip, welcomes Television, Movie, Broadway Musical Theatre, & Award-Winning Stars: Carla Jimenez, Eymard Cabling, Colette Peters, Chris Duir, Chaz Feuerstine, Frankie Marrone, James Oronoz, Adam Trent, & Jennifer Strattan.

'Deceit' is a suspenseful and compelling play by Richard Ploetz that reveals how far some people are willing to take their lies to protect the fragile nature of 'being normal.' Theater for the New City will present the piece, directed by Andreas Robertz, January 10 to 27 in its Cino Theater.

South Coast Repertory, in partnership with six Southland theatre groups, will present Studio SCR, a series of eclectic, contemporary theatre productions at SCR in December, February, May and June.

Wendy Kaplan, President of MadKap Productions, will present the Chicago Premiere of SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE…, written by former Seinfeld writer Marc Jaffe and Emmy nominated playwright Eric Coble, previewing January 4, opening Friday, January 11 at 8 p.m., and running through February 10, 2013 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 North Lincoln Avenue.

The Araca Group has announced a biannual series of new play readings will return for the fifth time for an abbreviated edition on December 10th & 13th.

Rosalind Productions Inc.'s Off-Broadway premiere of Jennifer Maisel's The Last Seder is set to open tonight, Tuesday December 4th (7pm). This Off-Broadway limited engagement at Theater Three (311 West 43rd Street) began December 1st and has been extended to January 13th. The show runs 100 minutes without an intermission.

America Ferrera, joined by cast members Emily Ackerman, Kristin Griffith, Ken Marks, Tobias Segal and Myra Lucretia Taylor, begins rehearsals today for Women's Project Theater's world premiere dark comedy Bethany by Laura Marks. Directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch, Ms. Ferrera stars as a financially-strapped woman who discovers just how far she'll go to regain what she has lost.

Round House Theatre offers swashbuckling fun for the entire family this holiday season with the world premiere of Young Robin Hood by Jon Klein, which runs November 28 thru December 30. Derek Goldman directs this stirring new take on the legendary adventure story. Opening night is tonight, December 3, 2012.

South Coast Rep has announced its schedule of performances from December 2012-March 2013.

Rosalind Productions Inc. will present the Off-Broadway premiere of Jennifer Maisel's The Last Seder. This Off-Broadway limited engagement at Theater Three (311 West 43rd Street) begins tonight, December 1st and continues through December 20th only. Opening Night is set for Tuesday December 4th (7pm). The show runs 90 minutes without an intermission.

David Ives' THE SCHOOL FOR LIES honors the comedic and linguistic mastery of Moliere's THE MISANTHROPE in a hip, hilarious update that exploits the English language to the maximum. This ribald comedy opens in preview tonight, November 29th and runs through December 15th.