The Public Theatre News

When Jerry Herman was pegged by producer Gerard Oestreicher to write the score for a Broadway musical set in the fledgling State of Israel, he was a 28-year-old composer/lyricist mostly known for writing clever lyrics and snazzy tunes for Greenwich Village topical reviews like Nightcap and Parade.  But now, instead of writing for hip, downtown performers like Charles Nelson Reilly and Dody Goodman, he'd be penning a romantic score for opera stars Mimi Benzell and Robert Weede, with special comic relief material for Yiddish Theatre legend Molly Picon.

When we first meet Rita Lyons, she's sitting in a hospital room casually thumbing through a furniture catalogue, asking her husband, Ben, who lies in bed, dying of cancer, to help her come up with ideas for redecorating the living room after he's gone.

Sonnet Repertory Theatre presents their Tenth Annual Benefit and Cabaret on Monday, November 14, bringing together a diverse and talented group of performers and composers at Joe's Pub to honor award-winning director and teacher, Gerald Freedman.

The Colony Theatre is thrilled to present the fourth production of its 37th season of shows - the Los Angeles Premiere of TRAVELS WITH MY AUNT, written by Graham Greene, adapted for the stage by Giles Havergal, and directed by David Dean Bottrell.

RABBIT HOLE ENSEMBLE will present the world premiere of THE TALE OF FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER written by Resident Playwright/NYITA* nominee Stanton Wood, and directed by Rabbit Hole Ensemble Artistic Director/NYITA winner Edward Elefterion.

RABBIT HOLE ENSEMBLE, lauded as 'riveting' by The Village Voice, is pleased to present the world premiere of THE TALE OF FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER

Theater for the New City presents world premiere of Shulman's first puppet play November 10 to December 4.

According to the Chinese Almanac, Tuesday, October 11th is a good day for starting a business. So the producers of CHINGLISH, the new comedy about an American businessman doing business in China by Tony Award-winning and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly), have decided to start performances today. Find out how well you know Chinglish below!

According to the Chinese Almanac, Tuesday, October 11th is a good day for starting a business. So the producers of CHINGLISH, the new comedy about an American businessman doing business in China by Tony Award-winning and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly), have decided to start performances today.

In October 1998, Joe's Pub opened at the Public Theatre near Astor Place in New York City. Thirteen years later, it's an institution -- and this week it opened again.

Hermitage Artist Retreat has announced that its first community program event for 2011-2012 will feature work by playwrights and artists-in-residence Tracey Scott Wilson and D. Rubin Green.

Upcoming Theatre Communication Group Member Shows - 10/09 for Maine

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes Starry Night Theater with the New York premiere of THE BUS, written by James Lantz and directed by John Simpkins.

Sweet Tea will play close in Signature's intimate ARK Theatre on October 9, 2011.

Sugar Valley Theatricals , in association with Isaac H. Suggs, Jr. is pleased to announce its production of MUNCHED by Kim Porter, a groundbreaking play dealing with Munchhausen Syndrome by Proxy and a young woman's reluctant search for the gory details of life with her mother.

The Community Theatre of Little Rock Fall presents if production of 'The Dixie Swim Club'

Previews begin tomorrow, 8 October, for the West End return of Jerusalem at the Apollo Theatre. Following record-breaking sold-out runs at the Royal Court and the Apollo Theatres in 2009 and 2010 respectively, Ian Rickson's Royal Court Theatre production of Jez Butterworth's multi award-winning play is running at the Apollo Theatre until 14 January 2012.

Auditions will be held on Saturday, October 15th at 2:00 pm and Sunday, October 16th at 5:00 pm. Auditions will be held at The Public Theatre, 616 Center Street. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. Directed by Mark Troillett and Susan Andrews.

With a grant funded by the Brazilian government, award-winning, multimedia Brazilian artist Michel Melamed has created SEEWATCHLOOK, a world premiere public play of short poetic and comic scenes to be held on the corner of Tenth Avenue and 17th Street and viewed (or SEEWATCHLOOKED) from the elevated stands and windows of the High Line's 10th Avenue Square.