Stephen Rich News

On Monday, July 22, single tickets go on sale for Center Stage's 2013-14 Season. With directors lined up and casting underway, Season 51: Theater for the Heart brings together a roster of remarkable theater artists and stunning stories-from classic masterpieces of comedy to cutting edge work by some of America's most talked-about playwrights.

Celebrating its 50th Anniversary, and its first full season under the combined leadership of Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah and Managing Director Stephen Richard, CENTERSTAGE drew national attention and local acclaim for its groundbreaking stage work, including two World Premieres; special artistic initiatives; and innovative community programs-raising the bar for the Theater's next 50 years.

On Wednesday, May 8, CENTERSTAGE begins previews of the World Premiere production of Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah's new play, Beneatha's Place. The production, playing in rotating repertory with Clybourne Park, forms the second half of The Raisin Cycle. Opening Night for Beneatha's Place will be on Wednesday, May 15.

Superb cast makes CLYBOURNE PARK a hit at Center Stage.

CENTERSTAGE has announced the honorees for this years' Young Playwrights Festival, an annual competition that welcomes student playwrights around the state to submit their original works. This year, more than 400 Maryland students in grades K-12 submitted plays. The honored plays that were selected will be showcased with workshops, in-school performances, and select pieces will be staged at CENTERSTAGE at the annual Young Playwrights Festival performance at CENTERSTAGE on Monday, May 6, at 7 pm.

CENTERSTAGE announces the Baltimore Premiere of Bruce Norris' highly acclaimed Clybourne Park, the first of two landmark plays slated to run in rotating repertory this spring as The Raisin Cycle. The Baltimore Premiere of Clybourne Park begins previews April 10, and the World Premiere of CENTERSTAGE Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah's Beneatha's Place begins May 8.

This spring CENTERSTAGE presents two landmark plays, each a response to the legacy of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun: the Baltimore Premiere of the award-winning Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris, and the World Premiere of CENTERSTAGE Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah's Beneatha's Place. The two plays will be produced in rotating repertory as The Raisin Cycle, using a single company of actors and a shared design team, under the direction of Derrick Sanders.

This spring, CENTERSTAGE will present the World Premiere production of Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah's Beneatha's Place. The production, slated to begin previews May 8, will play in rotating repertory with Bruce Norris' acclaimed Clybourne Park.

Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah and Managing Director Stephen Richard announced this week CENTERSTAGE's 2013-14 Season, Theater for the Heart.

Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah and Managing Director Stephen Richard announce today CENTERSTAGE's 2013-14 Season, Theater for the Heart. Season 51 brings together a roster of remarkable theater artists and stories. Featuring classic masterpieces of comedy as well as plays by some of America's most talked-about playwrights, it's a season of music, poetry, and adventure.

The National Civil War Project, a radical multi-city, multi-year collaboration between four universities and five performing arts organizations to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, launched today and includes the state theater and the flagship university of the state of Maryland. CENTERSTAGE in Baltimore and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland are collaborating on this national project, commissioning several original theatrical productions and creating new arts-integrated academic programs. CENTERSTAGE and the Clarice Smith Center are one of four regional pairings participating in this national partnership.

Baltimore audiences love Katori Hall's magical play The Mountaintop, directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah. One of the highest grossing plays in the theater's 50 year history, CENTERSTAGE is adding an additional performance on Sunday, February 24, at 7:30 pm to accommodate demand. Unfortunately the show must end on February 24 due to scheduling conflict

Exciting news as CENTERSTAGE gears up for its annual auction-just two weeks away: The online fundraising site, BiddingForGood, has just released their listing of "10 Auctions That Rocked 2012," and in 2012 The Baltimore Sun Auction for CENTERSTAGE made the list.

Throughout the run of The Mountaintop, CENTERSTAGE encourages audiences to join the conversation with a series of pre- and post-show discussions. These events will take place on performances scheduled with the regular AfterThoughts Series, but will be enhanced by pre-show conversations and special post-show guest speakers from civic organizers continuing Dr. King's legacy of advocacy and activism within our own community. Events begin tonight, Thursday, January 24, and continue throughout the run.

This week rehearsals begin for Katori Hall's magical new play, The Mountaintop. Already a worldwide sensation-winner of London's Olivier Award and recently hailed in a star-studded Broadway production-the play receives its highly anticipated Baltimore premiere tonight, January 9, 2013.

In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, CENTERSTAGE will be having a special performance of The Mountaintop at 7:30 pm. In order to make this performance affordable and accessible, 100 Pay What You Can tickets for that performance will be made available on January 4 and 5.

In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, CENTERSTAGE will be having a special performance of The Mountaintop at 7:30 pm. In order to make this performance affordable and accessible, 100 Pay What You Can tickets for that performance will be made available on January 4 and 5.

This week rehearsals begin for Katori Hall's magical new play, The Mountaintop. Already a worldwide sensation-winner of London's Olivier Award and recently hailed in a star-studded Broadway production-the play receives its highly anticipated Baltimore premiere on January 9, 2013. Tickets are selling quickly, with some performances nearly sold out.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman announced Wednesday that CENTERSTAGE is one of 832 non-profit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant for its Spring 2013 Raisin Cycle. The announcement comes on the heels of CENTERSTAGE Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah's own Beneatha's Place, penned for the Cycle, receiving the Edgerton New American Play Award.