Tennessee Williams News

'I murdered Mozart!' rings out across Europe from Composer Antonio Salieri on his death-bed. Salieri had been the toast of Europe. He had been a devout Catholic all his life. He made a pact with God that he would be the vessel through which God's music would spring. All was good until Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart arrives in Vienna. In horror Salieri determines that it is Mozart instead who is his God's chosen voice. Mozart's music proves it; God had broken their pact. Salieri now makes a terrible new vow: to block God on earth and teach Him a lesson, using Mozart as the means to that end.

The Geffen Playhouse's second cast of Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron's Love, Loss, and What I Wore will include Lucy DeVito, Conchata Ferrell and Rhea Perlman. Devito, who is best known for her stints Off-Broadway as well as spots on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has appeared in many casts of the New York production. Joining DeVito is her mother, four-time Emmy Award winner Rhea Perlman.

Writers' Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce the extension of Tennessee Williams' critically-acclaimed A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by David Cromer.

Festival Stage of Winston-Salem (FSWS), the city's new professional Equity theatre company, will hold general auditions for its upcoming 2010-2011 season on Monday, June 28, from 10:00am - 4:00pm at 521 N. Liberty Street (Artists on Liberty Building), Winston-Salem, NC 27101.

The Fugitive Kind (Michael Page, Artistic Director, Laura Caufield & Susan Molloy, Producers), in association with the Barrow Street Theatre, Burton T. Frey Jr., and Heather Levine, will present a new solo show, Gay Blues, by Matthew Cleaver for three performances only: July 2nd & 3rd at 10:00 p.m. and July 5th at 7:30 p.m. at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street)

Tony, Grammy & Golden Globe Award winner Bernadette Peters and Tony & Emmy Award winner Elaine Stritch will return to Broadway in Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's Tony Award-winning masterpiece A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, directed by Tony Award-winner Trevor Nunn.

The New York Public Library presents John Waters as part of the 'LIVE Fron NYPL' series on June 7. Waters will be in conversation about his new memoir entitled 'Role Models.'

McCarter Theatre has announced the complete casting and creative team for the American premiere of Take Flight, a new musical by Richard Maltby Jr, David Shire and John Weidman that blends fact and fiction to tell the interweaving stories of three pioneers of aeronautics: the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart.

Producing Artistic Director Michael Stebbins announces the lineup for the 18th season of Rep Stage, the award-winning professional theatre in residence at Howard Community College (HCC). The new season features rarely seen plays produced with the creative and quality staging that Rep Stage audiences have come to expect.

The Open Fist Theatre Company presents the third show in their 2010 season, a new adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's classic THE GOOD WOMAN OF SETZUAN, translated by Eric Bentley with original music by Elizabeth Swados (Runaways), musical direction by Dean Mora and directed by Charles Otte (The Devil with Boobs).

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Entertainment present the fifth and final production of La Mirada Theatre's 2009-2010 season, the Pulitzer Prize-winning DINNER WITH FRIENDS, written by Donald Margulies and directed by La Mirada Theatre's Producing Artistic Director Brian Kite (Proof, Steel Magnolias).

As part of the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, New York City's premiere eco-friendly theatre festival, the Coal Free Future Project will perform '4 1/2 Hours: Across the Stones of Fire, ' a timely and groundbreaking multimedia theatre production that brings the frontline controversies of the coalfields to the New York City stage, on June 4-13 at the Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street, Manhattan.

Second Story Theatre presents ST. NICHOLAS, written by Tony Award-winning playwright Conor McPherson (The Seafarer, The Weir), directed by Scott Paulin (Getting Frankie Married, The Roads to Home) and performed by Michael McGee. ST. NICHOLAS will open on Friday, June 18 at 8pm and will run for six weeks through Sunday, July 25th (there will be no performances the Fourth of July weekend) at the SFS Theatre, 5636 Melrose Ave.

About Face Theatre Board President Bill Michel today announced the appointment of Jason Held as AFT's new Executive Director. Held brings his experience as a lawyer, political fundraiser and advocate for LGBTQ youth to AFT, most recently working for the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance.

The Faith & Politics Institute will present the Long Wharf Theatre production of HAVE YOU SEEN US?, written by master playwright Athol Fugard, in a one-night only staged reading Wednesday, June 9 at 6 p.m. at Folger Theatre, located at 201 East Capitol Street, Washington, D.C. The reading will be followed by a panel discussion with Mr. Fugard, director Gordon Edelstein, and the cast. The evening's Honorary Host is the Honorable Rep. Rosa DeLauro and NPR's legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg will moderate the panel discussion.

Tanghalang Pilipino (TP), the theatre company that recently staged Anton Chekhov's 'Three Sisters' and Tennessee Williams' 'A Streetcar Named Desire', will hold auditions for scholarship on June 30, 2010, 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the CCP Amado Hernandez, Upper Basement, Tanghalang Pambansa, CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Manila.

Theatrical advertising giant Frank 'Fraver' Verlizzo announced that he is launching FraverDesign. A new concept in theatrical advertising, FraverDesign will offer theatre producers the opportunity to obtain vital advertising 'creative' and create the 'key art' for their shows, either in conjunction with an advertising agency, or in the very early stages of production before an agency is brought on board.

Long Wharf Theatre's THE GLASS MENAGERIE Plays Taper Forum 9/1-10/17

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey begins its 2010 season with one of William Shakespeare's most popular comedies - The Taming of the Shrew. Directed by Bonnie J. Monte, who is celebrating her 20th Anniversary Season as artistic director of The Shakespeare Theatre, The Taming of the Shrew begins performances on June 2 and continues through June 27.

Roundabout Theatre Company's (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) limited engagement of The Glass Menagerie will play its final performance on Sunday, June 13th at 2:00 PM. Tennessee Williams' play The Glass Menagerie, is directed by Gordon Edelstein with Patch Darragh (Tom Wingfield), two-time Tony® Award winner Judith Ivey (Amanda Wingfield), Keira Keeley (Laura Wingfield) and Michael Mosley (Jim O'Connor).