Susan Smith News

Chance Theater presents the fifth show of its 15th Anniversary Season - a family-friendly holiday offering The Secret Garden - The Musical with book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Marsha Norman, music by Tony Award nominee Lucy Simon, and directed by Casey Long and KC Wilkerson. The Secret Garden - The Musical will preview on November 29 and 30, open November 30 and continue through December 29 at Chance Theater.

Hampstead Theatre has announced its New Year programme of two UK Premieres: Rapture, Blister, Burn by Gina Gionfriddo, starring Emilia Fox and Good People by David Lindsay-Abaire, starring Imelda Staunton.

Jeremy Herrin announces his plans as Artistic Director of Headlong with new work from some of theatre's most exciting and original voices; Anya Reiss, Jennifer Haley, Jack Thorne and Duncan Macmillan, who will be joining the company as a Literary Associate.

Playwrights Horizons has announced initial casting for the New York premiere production of STAGE KISS, a new play marking the eagerly-awaited return of two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl(Dead Man's Cell Phone at PH; The Clean House, In the Next Room...) to the theater company. Directed by Rebecca Taichman (Milk Like Sugar at PH; the current Marie Antoinette, Orlando, The Scene, Luck of the Irish), the production will begin previews Friday evening, February 7 at 8PM with an Opening Night set for Sunday, March 2 at 7PM. The limited engagement will play through Sunday evening, March 23 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Common Wealth Endeavors announces the US Premiere of MANY MOONS by Alice Birch. The show debuted on November 7th 2013 at Common Ground Theatre, Durham NC. Check out a first look below!

Common Wealth Endeavors announces the US Premiere of MANY MOONS by Alice Birch. The show will debut tonight, November 7th 2013 at Common Ground Theatre, Durham NC.

Aurora Theatre Company continues its 22nd season with the Bay Area Premiere of Johnna Adams' (2011 Princess Grace Award recipient, finalist for the 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize) incendiary new play GIDION'S KNOT. A parent/teacher conference begins with a concerned mother wanting answers as to why her son was suspended from his 5th grade class. Was he a bully? A victim? A protector? Their discussion develops into a dramatically charged, volatile exploration of personal responsibility, freedom of expression, the failure of our school system, bullying, and blame.

Hampstead Downstairs/The Peter Wolff Trust present GODCHILD by Deborah Bruce, directed by Michael Attenborough and designed by Francesca Ready, with lighting design by Oliver Fenwick and sound design by John Leonard. The show runs tonight, 31 October - 30 November 2013. Pearl Chandra, Michael Shaeffer and Chook Sibtain join Tracy-Ann Oberman in Deborah Bruce's dark comedy.

With seven premieres on its stages this year, Artists Rep's 2013/14 season reinforces the theatre's longstanding commitment to producing new plays in Portland. With the U.S. premiere of Foxfinder starting tonight, October 29, Artists Rep aims to give this play national recognition and offer West Coast audiences the first look at this up-and-coming playwright.

"Sounds of Desire" is as play that features monologues by nine highly distinctive Iraqi women, all played by one in a tour-de-force, highly reviewed actress. "Sounds" tells a story of what it means to be a woman in a strongly-Muslim country - torn apart by war -- with views different form our own of a woman's place in society. Ms. Raffo will be performing the concert version of this play which was originally commissioned and performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. During this performance, she will be accompanied by acclaimed Middle Eastern instrumentalists and vocalists. The one-night-only and only-in-Lancaster performance is scheduled for Tuesday, November 5, 2013 at 7:30 p.m., the Ware Center, 42 North Prince Street, Lancaster.

99 Histories is a powerful story about the bond between mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts across three generations. 29-year-old Korean American violin prodigy Eunice comes home pregnant and unmarried, and tries to mend her estranged relationship with her very Korean mother. Haunted by memories of a violent past, Eunice must confront her ghosts before she can move forward. This is a riveting and poignant drama of memory, legacy and home - what is remembered is made up, the only homelands that exist are the imaginary.

Playwrights Horizons presents its New York premiere production of Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, a new play by Anne Washburn, with music by Obie Award winner Michael Friedman. Directed by Steve Cosson, the Obie Award-winning Artistic Director of The Civilians, Mr. Burns is being presented as the first production of Playwrights Horizons' 2013/2014 Season.

With seven premieres on its stages this year, Artists Rep's 2013/14 season reinforces the theatre's longstanding commitment to producing new plays in Portland. With the U.S. premiere of Foxfinder starting October 29, Artists Rep aims to give this play national recognition and offer West Coast audiences the first look at this up-and-coming playwright.

Common Wealth Endeavors announces the US Premiere of MANY MOONS by Alice Birch. The show will debut on November 7th 2013 at Common Ground Theatre, Durham NC.

On Sunday, September 22 New Georges held their BIG Benefit at Seamen's House, a private townhouse in Chelsea. The fundraiser featured a special performance by Eisa Davis and short plays and songs written specifically for the event by Laura Eason, Boo Killebrew, Julie Kramer, Rachel Peters and Charise Castro Smith, featuring Heidi Schreck, Maria-Christina Oliveras, Amy Wilson, Stephanie Wright Thompson, Eric Clem and others. Scroll down for photos from the festivities!

The production opened last night to critical acclaim - the Evening Standard called it 'wickedly funny'; The Independent praised 'Indhu Rubasingham's excellent production'; and the Daily Telegraph said, 'If ever a fringe show looked a dead cert for a West End transfer it is this one.'

AMY HERZOG, a finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her acclaimed play 4000 Miles, has joined the cast of the forthcoming benefit reading of Craig Lucas's play RECKLESS on October 28th, directed by Kate Whoriskey (Ruined).

At a benefit event held for New Georges on Sunday, September 22, Producing Artistic Director Susan Bernfield and board member Michael Osso announced a new program at New Georges, The Audrey Residencies, and the artists and projects chosen for 2013-14, the program's inaugural year. Sunday's event also featured the premiere showing of a video about New Georges produced by tdf for tdfSTAGES' Meet the Theatre series and directed by Mark Blankenship, tdf's online content editor, to be released in early November.

Hampstead Downstairs/The Peter Wolff Trust present GODCHILD by Deborah Bruce, directed by Michael Attenborough and designed by Francesca Ready, with lighting design by Oliver Fenwick and sound design by John Leonard. The show runs 31 October - 30 November 2013.