South Coast Repertory News

Aurora Theatre Company continues its 21st season with the World Premiere of OUR PRACTICAL HEAVEN from acclaimed playwright Anthony Clarvoe (Pick Up Ax, Show and Tell, Ambition Facing West). This family drama, which originated as one of Aurora Theatre Company's Global Age Project (GAP) finalists in 2011, is the third main stage production to develop from the GAP. OUR PRACTICAL HEAVEN plays January 25 through March 3 at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley.

Black Swan State Theatre Company presents The Motherf**ker with the Hat by Stephen Adly Guirgis, 17 January - 3 February 2013.

Performances of Steppenwolf Theatre Company's highly anticipated production of The Motherf**ker with the Hat by Stephen Adly Guirgis start in just two weeks. Ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro directs following the Tony Award-nominated Broadway premiere, with an all-star ensemble cast featuring Sandra Delgado, Sandra Marquez, Gary Perez, John Ortiz and Jimmy Smits and members of the original design team: scenic designer Todd Rosenthal, lighting designer Donald Holder and composer Terence Blanchard.

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.