Studio Theatre News

Second Generation Productions (2g), a major incubator and producer of Asian American theater, announced today that Julian Cihi (Romeo and Juliet, Classic Stage Company) and Diane Phelan (Bernarda Alba, Lincoln Center) lead the cast of 2g's commissioned musical, Galois, by Sung Rno and Aaron Jones, directed by Victor Maog and produced by Jane Jung. The creative team also includes Music Director J. Oconer Navarro (The Adding Machine), Choreographer Camille A. Brown (tick, tick...BOOM!) and Fight Director Jacob Grigolia-Rosenbaum (Peter and the Starcatcher).

Samuel French has announced a talented roster of judges for the Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival (OOB Festival), the nation's premiere short play competition, running from August 5th-10th at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre.

Broadway veterans Sean McDermott and Sarah Litzsinger will join a cast of seasoned performers in The New York Musical Theatre Festival's (NYMF) The Music Box, An Evening of Lady Composers on July 23. Performances will take place at 6 and 9 PM at the Ford Foundation Studio Ford Foundation Studio Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center.

Founded in 2014, Bluebird Arts is a Non-Equity company established in Chicago by Luda Solomon, who will serve as Artistic Director. The nonprofit organization's purpose is to enrich, educate and entertain the community by sharing intimate stories, which focus on the genuine problems of real people. Dale Goulding, former Artistic Director of the European Repertory Company (ERC) will serve as Executive Director, and Jaimelyn Gray of TUTA Theatre Chicago will serve as Managing Director.

The Berkshire Playwrights Lab, continues its 2014 season of readings of innovative and exciting new plays with a presentation of Jennifer Maisel's Out of Orbit at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center (14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA) on July 30 at 7:30 p.m.

It's a lively, fun, yet moving musical that fits that needed niche between the young marrieds in "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" and the older "Menopause: The Musical" ladies.

Internationally-acclaimed playwright Conor McPherson's period drama The Veil is given its US premiere at Quotidian Theatre Company. The New York Times called McPherson 'the finest playwright of his generation'. The Veil made its world premiere at National Theatre in a production Evening Standard called 'atmospheric and haunting'. Quotidian has staged six prior productions of McPherson's work. The US premiere production runs through August 17 at The Writer's Center in downtown Bethesda.

Piece of My Heart: The Bert Berns Story, a new musical based on the life and songs of legendary songwriter Bert Berns, produced by Merged Work Productions (lead producers) and Jack Thomas (Executive Producer), opens tonight, July 21, 2014, at the The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center.

A dark comedy about a present-day Hitler lookalike who is abducted by two gay pastry chefs. Soon, they make him the idol of a Hitler-worshipping cult in a cathedral below the Queens-bound F Train. Playwright Assurbanipal Babilla was forced to flee Iran overnight because of a death warrant due to his controversial writing. In 2006, he was awarded a Hellman/Hammett grant in recognition of his courage in the face of political persecution. Assurbanipal Babilla (Bani) passed away in New York on March 30, 2011 during our previous NYC run at the Brick Theatre's Iranian Theatre Festival.. He dedicated his body to the Westchester Medical Center. The play was originally produced by David Cote with the Author starring in 1998.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) launches its first ever autism friendly series, in consultation with the Theatre Development Fund's Autism Theatre Initiative, the first of its kind for a festival.

As one of the largest theatrical events in the world, The New York International Fringe Festival boasts an impressive roster of world premieres yearly. Of them, Los Angeles native Joshua Metzger's new play Sitting Shiva will see its first three dimensional presentation this August. Christopher Scott will direct the 90 minute play. The Broadway and Regional vet cast includes Eddie Boroevich*, Neal Mayer*, and Jeffery Plunkett*. The Production Stage Manager is Katy Moore*, and the production will be designed by Joan Racho-Jansen. *Appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association. Sitting Shiva is an AEA-approved showcase.

The Warner Theatre has announced its 2014-2015 MetOpera: Live in HD Season which will feature 10 operas, 9 of which will be streaming live from the Metropolitan Opera, and 1 encore performance.

The greatest thing about THE SHADOW OF THE HUMMINGBIRD is seeing South African theatre legend, Athol Fugard, back on stage. It is an event that I never thought I would see come to pass in my lifetime; that it happened is something for which I will always be grateful.

t, by creators Shenelle Williams, Spencer Williams and Whitney Rhodes, has extended its run at The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF). This will be the first time in the history of the festival that a reading will add an additional performance to its run. They will be performing a concert version of this new original musical tonight, July 18, 2014 at 9pm at Ford Foundation Studio Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036).

The Warner Theatre Jazz Series will continue tonight, July 18th with the Arti Dixson Group performing in the Nancy Marine Studio Theatre at 8 pm. Arti is a seasoned performance artist whose list of achievements spans a rich and diverse spectrum of both venue and genre. It was studying with Jack DeJohnette that inspired Arti to pursue a musical career.

In support of the current exhibition of work by acclaimed photographer Vivian Maier, the MAC's Cleve Carney Art Gallery, located at College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd. in Glen Ellyn, hosts “An Afternoon with Vivian Maier,” a film screening/panel discussion/book signing ticketed event Sunday, July 27 from 1 - 4 p.m.

SILENT WITNESSES find their voices in a return engagement at the 2014 United Solo Festival. Written and performed by Stephanie Satie and based on interviews with child survivors of the Holocaust, SILENT WITNESSES is an encore production set for one performance on Sunday, October 19 at 4PM.

NYMF's most popular presentation, FABLE will play at Ford Foundation Studio Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center Tuesday, July 22 through Sunday, July 27. NYMF has begun adding performances. Today, July 24 at 5:00pm is the first; Sunday, July 27 at 1:00pm is the second; with more to follow. Composer/Lyricist Christopher Anselmo has been selected as a participant in the prestigious 2014 NYMF/ASCAP Musical Songwriting Workshop, which runs in New York from Monday, July 14 through Sunday, July 20. Mr. Anselmo and Mr. Kaufman (Book) have been scooped up by 54 Below (254 West 54 Street) where they will perform their FRIENDSHIP, FABLES AND FUN: A NIGHT WITH CHRIS AND HARRISON for one night only - Today, July 17 at 11:30pm.

And Toto too Theatre Company opens its production of Who Will Sing For Lena by Janice L. Liddell.

Adam Lowe Theatrical and New York Musical Theatre Festival will present the US premiere of the Australian hit musical, Oprahfication. Oprahfication is written by and stars awarding winning performer Rachel Dunham with an original score by Shanon D. Whitelock and directed by Dirk Hoult. Beginning performances tonight, July 17, the show will run through July 24 at Ford Foundation Studio Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street).