Tracy Letts News

Knowing chuckles sputter throughout the audience during the world premiere of Will Eno's THE REALISTIC JONESES at Yale Rep. The story is about everything - and nothing - just like the dialogue, but sooner or later you recognize a character you know, or perhaps yourself, and suddenly the seemingly pointless conversation hits home like it was fired at a bullseye.

American Theatre magazine, published by Theatre Communications Group (TCG), has released its annual May/June international issue, featuring an in-depth exploration of Canadian theatre. The special section, "Northern Lights: Canadian Theatre Now," introduces readers to the diverse names and places at the forefront of Canadian theatremaking.

Nominations for the Chicago-based Non-Equity Jeff Awards were announced today; Theo Ubique leads with 14 nominations

The Jeff Awards today announced 124 nominations in 25 categories for Non-Equity Jeff Awards for productions that opened between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2012. The Non-Equity Awards honor excellence in Chicago theatres not under a union contract. Jeff Awards judges covered opening nights of 154 productions offered by 71 Non-Equity producing organizations. The judges recommended 64 of those shows, making them eligible for Non-Equity Jeff Award nominations. Thirty-two theatre companies received nominations.

KILLER JOE is a killer show! I only regret not being able to see this show until I'd returned from my vacation, effectively eliminating my chance to laud the show properly in order to drive an audience to it. My sincerest apologies, because I'm a fan of playwright Tracy Letts, and, not having seen this show before, I was unprepared for its sheer rawness. It's a hilarious pulpy send-up on the classic idea of hiring a hitman to off someone in order to benefit monetarily from the situation, and the St. Louis Actors' Studio have outdone themselves with an excellent rendering of this early work. The direction and acting of the entire ensemble is fearless and superb.

Playwrights Foundation and Cultural Services of the Consulate General of France/SF is spear-heading a major new international exchange project, Des Voix...Found In Translation, that supports the translation of vanguard French and American playwrights and promotes their work to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. The San Francisco festival will feature translations of new plays by three emerging playwrights working in France today. Plays by Marion Aubert (pink picture), Nathalie Fillion (blue picture), and Samuel Gallet (yellow picture) will be performed in English during a Festival, scheduled from May 25-27, 2012, in a producing partnership with Z Space, a theater located in San Francisco's vibrant, cutting-edge Mission District and Deborah Taylor/FireMused Productions, LLC.

WaterTower Theatre's August: Osage County, running March 30 - tonight, April 22, 2012 at the Addison Theatre Centre, features Pam Dougherty as Violet Weston; Cliff Stephens as Beverly Weston; Sherry Jo Ward as Barbara Fordham; James Crawford as Bill Fordham; Ruby Westfall as Jean Fordham; Kristin McCollum as Ivy Weston; Jessica Cavanagh as Karen Weston; Nancy A. Sherrard as Mattie Fae Aiken; Tom Lenaghen as Charlie Aiken; Clay Yocum as Little Charles Aiken; Sasha Truman-McGonnell as Johnna Monevata; Chris Hury as Steve Heidebrecht and Stan Graner as Sheriff Deon Gilbeau.

RUINED is directed by Barry Feinstein, who directed the highly acclaimed Seafarer last season, as well as FPCT's 2010 season opener, Fool for Love. In addition, he also directed The Miser, The Homecoming and Tracy Letts' Bug for our 2009-2010 Season. Barry is a certified Speech Pathologist, who also teaches our very popular acting workshops and works with FPCT's "Ann Street Players," (formerly known as "The Challenged Ensemble").

Fells Point Corner Theatre will present RUINED by Lynn Nottage in a production directed by Barry Feinstein from Friday, May 4th to Sunday, June 3rd, 2012.

Theatre Exile will present the final show of their 15th season with the Philadelphia premiere of A Behanding in Spokane by Martin McDonagh. Directed by Exile's Artistic Director Joe Canuso and starring Pearce Bunting, Amanda Schoonover, Matt Pfeiffer and Reuben Mitchell, A Behanding in Spokane will be running from April 19th to May 13th , with the official press opening on the 25th of April. Honorary producers for the show are June and Steve Wolfson.

With the fourth show of the 2011-12 season, American Repertory Theater of WNY presents the Americana psycho-drama, KILLER JOE at the Buffalo East, 1410 Main Street from April 13th to May 5th. This hyper-active story of destain, desperation, murder and Texas is written by Tracy Letts, who is best recognized for his 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY.

Tracy Letts's script is brought to life by a small, intimate cast sprinkled with local performers.

With the fourth show of the 2011-12 season, American Repertory Theater of WNY presents the Americana psycho-drama, KILLER JOE at the Buffalo East, 1410 Main Street from April 13th to May 5th. This story of destain, desperation, murder and Texas is written by Tracy Letts, who is best recognized for his 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY. Check out the production photos below!

Geva Theatre Center's 2011-2012 Season continues with Tracy Letts' play, Superior Donuts, which begins performances on April 3 and runs in the Elaine P. Wilson Mainstage through April 29.

2nd Story Theatre presents the Rhode Island premiere of "August: Osage County" by Tracy Letts, directed by Ed Shea through April 1.

WaterTower Theatre today announced the cast for August: Osage County, running March 30 - April 22, 2012 at the Addison Theatre Centre.

Due to a sell out of the regular run, 2nd Story Theatre has scheduled three additional performances of Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize-winning tragicomedy, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY.