Tennessee Williams News

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting will premiere a new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's classic The Seagull, the forerunner of modern character-driven dramas with interwoven storylines such as Downton Abbey and Mad Men. Celebrated director John Gould Rubin (LAByrinth Theater Company) brings a realistic, deconstructed and more accessible version of the play to the stage with a new translation by Royston Coppenger.

The New Group presents the world premiere of Clive, written by Jonathan Marc Sherman and directed by and featuring Ethan Hawke in the title role. This production features Brooks Ashmanskas, Vincent D'Onofrio, Stephanie Janssen, Mahira Kakkar, Zoe Kazan, Aaron Krohn, Dana Lyn and Jonathan Marc Sherman, with Music and Sound Sculptures by GAINES. Clive plays a limited Off-Broadway engagement January 17 through March 9 at The New Group at Theatre Row (The Acorn Theatre / 410 West 42nd Street). Official Opening Night is Thursday, February 7 at 7:00pm.

Today in 1931, Broadway veteran James Earl Jones was born. He has won Tony awards in 1969 for The Great White Hope and in 1987 for Fences. He has acted in many Shakespearean roles: Othello, King Lear, Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Abhorson in Measure for Measure, and Claudius in Hamlet. On April 7, 2005, James Earl Jones and Leslie Uggams headed the cast in an African-American Broadway revival version of On Golden Pond, directed by Leonard Foglia and produced by Jeffrey Finn. In February 2008, he starred on Broadway as Big Daddy in a limited-run, all-African-American production of Tennessee Williams's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, directed by Debbie Allen and mounted at the Broadhurst Theatre. In October 2010, Jones returned to the Broadway stage in Alfred Uhry's Driving Miss Daisy along with Vanessa Redgrave at the Golden Theatre. In November 2011, Jones starred in Driving Miss Daisy in London's West End, and on November 12 Jones received his honorary Oscar in front of the audience at the Wyndham's Theatre, which was presented to him by Ben Kingsley.

Opening night of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starring Scarlett Johansson as Maggie, Ciarán Hinds as Big Daddy, Benjamin Walker as Brick and Debra Monk as Big Mama, directed by Rob Ashford, will begin tonight, January 17, and will play a limited engagement for 15 weeks only, through March 30, 2013 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street).

Join us at Hartford Stage for FreeView, a preview of select scenes followed by an intimate Q & A session with the actors and director of Breath & Imagination, at 12 p.m. today, January 17. There will also be a free raffle for great prizes and receive special show discounts just for attending.

John Chatterton and The Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF) have announced the Third Annual Midwinter Madness Short Play Festival, from Feb. 4 through 24, 2013. The Festival will take place at Roy Arias Studios' Stage 2, 300 W. 43rd St. 4th fl. Tickets (from $13 to $18, depending on a play's length; no discounts for seniors or students) are available at www.smartTix.com (search by play title or follow the link provided below) or by calling 212/868-4444.

Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma today announced major casting decisions for its 50th Anniversary Season in 2013, featuring new and returning national talent including Helen Hedman, Eleasha Gamble, Mel Sagrado Maghuyop, Heather Geery-Mayfield and Tom Huston Orr. Scenic Designer Adam Koch (MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET) will also return to provide set design for TARZAN and BIG RIVER.

The Katselas Theatre Company and Rogue Machine will present an extended run of the current hit, DIRTY FILTHY LOVE STORY (CRITIC'S CHOICE-LA Times). The popular Skylight Theatre is the new venue for the show as Rogue Machine and The Katselas Theatre Company prepare for their 2013 season. Due to overwhelming demand, this production will now have four performances a week, beginning January 18th.

Impro Theatre (Dan O'Connor, Artistic Director) has announced a return engagement of Jane Austen Unscripted, directed by O'Connor and Paul Rogan, with preview performances beginning on Friday, February 8 at the Carrie Hamilton Theatre (upstairs at The Pasadena Playhouse) in Pasadena. The opening night of Jane Austen Unscripted is set for Valentine's Day, Thursday, February 14, at 8:00. Performances will continue through April 14 only.

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting will premiere a new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's classic The Seagull, the forerunner of modern character-driven dramas with interwoven storylines such as Downton Abbey and Mad Men. Celebrated director John Gould Rubin (LAByrinth Theater Company) brings a realistic, deconstructed and more accessible version of the play to the stage with a new translation by Royston Coppenger.

David Kaplan, Curator of Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, is set to share the craft of Williams' monologues in an acting workshop at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. The workshop, titled 'Telling A Story: What Acting in Tennessee Williams Plays Teaches Us About Acting in All Plays' will take place on Friday, February 1, 12:30 p.m. in Hyannis, Mass.

Colt Coeur's Play Hotel reading series will present an industry reading of Justin Kuritzkes' The Sensuality Party on Monday, January 14th at 7pm at 80 Varick Street in Manhattan. Directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt (Recall, Fish Eye, Seven Minutes in Heaven), the cast includes Lily Garrison (A Thought In Three Parts), Louisa Krause (The Flick), Drigan Lee (Six Degrees of Separation), Gayle Rankin (TRIBES), Cameron Scoggins (The Big Meal), and Matt Stadelmann (Seven Minutes in Heaven).

Join us at Hartford Stage for FreeView, a preview of select scenes followed by an intimate Q & A session with the actors and director of Breath & Imagination, at 12 p.m. January 17. There will also be a free raffle for great prizes and receive special show discounts just for attending.

Producers are hunting for an undiscovered singing talent for the role of a lifetime to star as the infamous and tragic Parisian hunchback Quasimodo in the last great unproduced musical by Oliver! composer Lionel Bart.

Hartford Stage will host a post-show Clergy Panel discussion about faith with members of the Greater Hartford religious community after the performance of Breath & Imagination tonight, January 15.

On yesterday's CBS SUNDAY MORNING, Hollywood superstar and current star of Broadway's 'Cat On A Hat Tin Roof,' Scarlett Johansson revealed that she despices the nickname 'ScarJo' which she's acquired in the media as her popularity has risen. 'That's terrible,' she tells reporter Anthony Mason, laughing. 'It's so terrible.' Check out the interview in full below!

Roundabout Theatre Company's new Broadway production of Picnic, in association with Darren Bagert and Martin Massman, opens officially today, Sunday, January 13, 2013, at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street). Let's see what the critics had to say...

Hollywood superstar Scarlett Johansson, now starring in the Broadway production of "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof," tells CBS SUNDAY MORNING WITH CHARLES OSGOOD that she hates the nickname "ScarJo" which she's acquired in the media as her popularity has risen.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: CINDERELLA preps for Broadway, Blythe Danner joins NICE WORK, FLASHDANCE launches its national tour, and so much more!