Tony Kushner News

Tonight's 57th Annual Village Voice Obie Awards will be presented by Eric McCormack, Grace Gummer, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce, Juliet Rylance, Justin Bartha, Leslie Odom Jr., Lily Rabe, Michael McKean, Tonya Pinkins, Topher Grace, and Tracee Chimo. The event will feature live performances from David Patrick Kelly of ONCE, Joshua Henry and Sumayya Ali of PORGY & BESS, and Ethan Lipton and His Orchestra of NO PLACE TO GO.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director William Russo have announced that Kathleen Chalfant will lead the cast of NYTW's production of Red Dog Howls, written by Alexander Dinelaris. Ken Rus Schmoll will direct the production, which opens the 2012-13 season, beginning performances September 4, 2012. Full casting will be announced at a later date.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director William Russo just announced that the theatre will honor New York Theatre Workshop Board Chair Barbara Warner Howard and Disney Theatrical Group and its president Thomas Schumacher at its 2012 Spring Gala on Tuesday, May 22 at the Plaza Hotel.

Diversionary Theatre announced the company's 2012-2013 productions and presentations at an event this past Saturday. The season will include the previously announced world-premiere of Harmony, Kansas, a new musical; an imaginative staging of Pippin; the first full-scale production of the new play, when last we flew; a comedy about family, Birds of a Feather; and, the hilarious farce, The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabbler.

After breaking the house record at the Barrymore Theatre six times during its run with a seven-performance-a-week schedule, Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN will recoup its $3.1 million capitalization this week. The critically acclaimed limited engagement opened March 15. Despite the show's success, there will no extension.

Playhouse on the Square announces its 2012-2013 season of plays and musicals. Reservations and ticket information can be found at http://www.playhouseonthesquare.org/boxoffice/ or by calling (901) 726-4656. The Box Office is located inside Playhouse on the Square at 66 South Cooper Street, Memphis, TN 38104.

With a revival of Arthur Miller's masterpiece, Death of a Salesman, now running on Broadway, come hear Tony Kushner lead a group of his contemporaries in a discussion of the play. The 92nd Street Y will host this special event on Wednesday, May 23, at 8pm. Tickets are still available so purchase yours today!

92YTribeca will present a reading and panel discussion of Handbook for an American Revolutionary, written and performed by actor, playwright, and Puffin Grant recipient Matthew-Lee Erlbach, whose work Rachel Maddow has called "shocking, engaging, funny, and totally original."

The 2012 Drama Critics Circle aAards were presented at a cocktail reception last night, May 14, at Angus McIndoe Restaurant. Sons of the Prophet, written by Stephen Karam, won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award (NYDCC) for Best Play of the 2011-2012 season. The award for Best Foreign Play went to Tribes, written by Nina Raine. Once received the award for Best Musical. BroadwayWorldd brings you photos from the ceremony below!

The Ensemble Studio Theatre honors two of its most distinguished members, the acclaimed actress Lois Smith and two-time Board chair G.H. 'Denny' Denniston, Jr with its 2012 Distinguished Member Award at a "Fun-Raiser" benefit celebration this evening, May 14.

The songbook of Grammy Award winners David Hidalgo sand Louie Perez of Los Lobos drives Evangeline, the Queen of Make-Believe, a multimedia play with music by Theresa Chavez, Louie Perez and Rose Portillo that takes its title from the group's 1985 rocker "Evangeline." Chavez and Portillo co-direct the world premiere production for About Productions, opening at the Bootleg Theater tonight, May 12 for a limited, three-week engagement through May 27. Low-priced previews take place May 3-11.

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting announced today that the Seventh Annual Stella by Starlight Benefit Gala will be held May 20th at the Players Club in New York City. This year's honorees include Harry Belafonte, James Earl Jones, Daryl Roth, Ed Schultz and Masa Tanaka.

The Herb Alpert Foundation and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) have awarded the 18th annual Alpert Award in the Arts to five exceptional mid-career artists. The award, a prize of $75,000, recognizes past performance and future promise to artists working in Dance, Film/Video, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts.

The Ensemble Studio Theatre will honor two of its most distinguished members, the acclaimed actress Lois Smith and two-time Board chair G.H. 'Denny' Denniston, Jr with its 2012 Distinguished Member Award at a "Fun-Raiser" benefit celebration Monday evening, May 14.

Seattle-based theater ensemble The Wrecking Crew presents Pugilist Specialist, an award winning political theatre piece by Adriano Shaplin, starting tonight, Friday, May 11th. The production will run through Saturday, May 19th, 2012 at Stone Soup Theatre's DownStage on 4029 Stone Way North (between Fremont and Wallingford).

Three playwrights stand poised to find out which of them will win the prestigious STAGE International Script Competition for the best new play about science and technology.

The Veteran Center for the Performing Arts presents an evening exploring the soldiers experience through the timeless words of William Shakespeare - CRY HAVOC conceived by Stefan Wolfert and directed by Eric Tucker & Bruce Cervi. CRY HAVOC will open on Saturday, May 26th and run through Monday, June 4th at The Shakespeare Center LA - Studio Space, 1238 West 1st Street in Downtown Los Angeles.