Suzan-Lori Parks News

Back in June of 2007, I reviewed a very enjoyable production at the Paper Mill Playhouse titled, Pirates! (or Gilbert and Sullivan plunder'd).  It was, as I wrote then, 'a fast and rowdy adaptation of the English duo's irreplaceable The Pirates Of Penzance conceived by Nell Benjamin (additional book and lyrics), Gordon Greenberg (director) and John McDaniel (music supervision, new arrangements and orchestrations).

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's new feature, 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix. Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to the West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more! For last week's biggest events: visit THIS WEEK IN PICTURES: August 6- 12 !

Off-Broadway's The New Group proudly announces that Lily Rabe will star in the company's world premiere of David Rabe's An Early History of Fire. Directed by Jo Bonney, this production opens in April 2012 at The New Group @ Theatre Row as part of the company's 2011-2012 Season.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, Interim Executive Director Joey Parnes) starts the 2011-2012 season with the return of NEW WORK NOW!, the popular reading series that allows audiences an opportunity to experience new work by a diverse selection of established and emerging theater artists.

The Public Theater starts the 2011-2012 season with the return of NEW WORK NOW!, the popular reading series that allows audiences an opportunity to experience new work by a diverse selection of established and emerging theater artists. NEW WORK NOW! runs September 7-18 in The Public's Martinson Theater (425 Lafayette Street). All readings are free and open to the public. Member tickets are available now and single ticket reservations will be available on Monday, August 22 by contacting the box office at (212) 967-7555.

Mac Wellman will present 3 2's; or AFAR on Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays, October 6-8, 13-15, 20-22, 27-29 at 7:30 pm at Dixon Place (161A Chrystie Street New York, NY 10002). Tickets cost $15 in advance and $18 at door. For more information, visit online at www.dixonplace.org or call 212 219-0736.

In The Blood, Suzan-Lori Parks harrowing drama about homelessness and hypocrisy, will be presented by the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts at the University of the Arts as part of the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe.

A.R.T. American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) will present The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, opening the A.R.T.'s 2011-2 season tonight, August 17 at the Loeb Drama Center. The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin, is adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks and Diedre Murray, and directed by A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane Paulus. Check out the first production shots below!

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.), under the artistic direction of Diane Paulus, is pleased to announce the productions that will be part of the A.R.T.'s 2011/12 Season.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.), under the artistic direction of Diane Paulus, is pleased to announce the productions that will be part of the A.R.T.'s 2011/12 Season.

A.R.T. American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) will present The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, opening the A.R.T.'s 2011-2 season on August 117 at the Loeb Drama Center. The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin, is adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks and Diedre Murray, and directed by A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane Paulus.

The MacDowell Colony, one of the nation's leading artist residency programs, will present its 52nd Edward MacDowell Medal to renowned playwright Edward Albee on Sunday, August 14th. Since 1960, The MacDowell Medal has been awarded annually to an individual artist who has made an outstanding contribution to his/her field. The award is rotated among the seven artistic disciplines practiced at MacDowell; this will be the third time the Medal has been awarded to a playwright. Albee joins an impressive list of past Medal recipients, including playwrights Thornton Wilder (1960) and Lillian Hellman (1976), visual artist Georgia O'Keeffe (1972), composer Leonard Bernstein (1987), architect I.M. Pei (1998), filmmaker Stan Brakhage (1989), interdisciplinary artist Merce Cunningham (2003), and writer Alice Munro (2006).

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's new feature, 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix. Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to the West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more!

THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin has been re-imagined by A.R.T.'s Artistic Director Diane Paulus, Pulitzer prize-winning writer Suzan-Lori Parks, and two-time Obie winner Diedre Murray, and is heading to Broadway in December. In response to a recent article in the New York Times that explained director Diane Paulus' new vision for the production, theatre legend Stehen Sondheim wrote in to share his thoughts earlier this week.

On Twitter Watch, Audra McDonald wrote 'Here's what I think...to quote the greatest musical theater composer of our time... 'Art isn't easy' THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin has been re-imagined by A.R.T.'s Artistic Director Diane Paulus, Pulitzer prize-winning writer Suzan-Lori Parks, and two-time Obie winner Diedre Murray, and is heading to Broadway in December. In response to a recent article in the New York Times that explained director Diane Paulus' new vision for the production, theatre legend Stehen Sondheim wrote in to share his thoughts. Sondheim wrote: 'The article by Mr. Healy about the coming revival of 'Porgy and Bess' is dismaying on many levels. To begin with, the title of the show is now 'The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess.' I assume that's in case anyone was worried it was the Rodgers and Hart 'Porgy and Bess' that was coming to town. But what happened to DuBose Heyward? Most of the lyrics (and all of the good ones) are his alone ('Summertime,' 'My Man's Gone Now') or co-written with Ira Gershwin ('Bess, You Is My Woman Now'). If this billing is at the insistence of the Gershwin estate, they should be ashamed of themselves. If it's the producers' idea, it's just dumb.' To read Sondheim's full letter, click here. '

THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin has been re-imagined by A.R.T.'s Artistic Director Diane Paulus, Pulitzer prize-winning writer Suzan-Lori Parks, and two-time Obie winner Diedre Murray, and is heading to Broadway in December. In response to a recent article in the New York Times that explained director Diane Paulus' new vision for the production, theatre legend Stehen Sondheim wrote in to share his thoughts.

THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin has been re-imagined by A.R.T.'s Artistic Director Diane Paulus, Pulitzer prize-winning writer Suzan-Lori Parks, and two-time Obie winner Diedre Murray, and is heading to Broadway in December. In response to a recent article in the New York Times that explained director Diane Paulus' new vision for the production, theatre legend Stehen Sondheim wrote in to share his thoughts.