Wallace Shawn News

Jason Forbach has always had music in his heart. As a child, he enjoyed listening to music with his headphones and singing along. As he grew, he knew that music was the passion he wanted to pursue.

As part of the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre's Summer Season, acclaimed US playwright Joshua Conkel makes his UK debut with the world premiere of the darkly comic The Sluts of Sutton Drive, opening at the Finborough Theatre for a strictly limited run of six Sunday and Monday performances from today, 24 June 2012 to the 9th of July.

As part of the current three-play Royal Court at the Duke of York's Season with Posh by Laura Wade, Jumpy by April De Angelis and Constellations by Nick Payne, four of the UK's leading playwrights will direct one of their all-time favourite plays in a series of one-off afternoon readings from 29 June at the Duke of York's Theatre in a special event supported by The Ambassador Theatre Group. Nick Payne, Polly Stenham, Roy Williams and David Eldridge will select their favourite plays and will have less than two days to bring their vision to life with a full cast to be announced for staged readings on Friday afternoons this summer.

Today we are talking to an actor who has appeared in over fifty feature films and starred in plays on Broadway and in the West End all about his career thus far, looking ahead to his new role as John Sculley in the forthcoming jOBS, co-starring Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs and Josh Gad as Steve Wozniak, directed by Joshua Michael Stewart - the one and only Matthew Modine. In this all-encompassing chat tracing the past to the present, Modine also manages to give us the scoop on his featured role in the final part of Christopher Nolan's BATMAN trilogy, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, and shares his candid impressions of working with Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the rest of the starry cast of the sure-to-be blockbuster of the summer. Additionally, Modine illustrates his experiences working with director Robert Altman on screen and stage projects as diverse as SHORT CUTS and STREAMERS on film, Arthur Miller's FINISHING THE PICTURE in Chicago and RESURRECTION BLUES at the Old Vic in the West End and Modine expresses his overall general enthusiasm for acting and reveals deeply probing insight into many of his most memorable and famous roles to date - ranging from roles in Stanley Kubrick's FULL METAL JACKET to Alan Parker's BIRDY to his work with Oliver Stone, Tony Richardson, Jonathan Demme, John Sayles, Mike Figgis, John Schlesinger and others. All of that, a thorough discussion of his recent roles in the theatrical productions of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and THE MIRACLE WORKER, as well as recollections of working on many of his most beloved projects to date, such as AND THE BAND PLAYED ON, THE REAL BLONDE, ORPHANS, CUTTHROAT ISLAND, BYE BYE LOVE, THE HOTEL NEW HAMPSHIRE, WEEDS - and much, much more!

Atlantic Theater Company presents world premiere of Fernanda Coppel's new play CHIMICHANGAS AND ZOLOFT, featuring Teddy Cañez, Zabryna Guevara, Alfredo Narciso, Xochitl Romero, and Carmen Zilles, directed by Jaime Castañeda.

Off-Broadway's The New Group has just announced its 2012-2013 season, featuring three world premiere productions. As the season launch in Fall 2012, Scott Elliott, Artistic Director of The New Group, directs Francine Volpe's The Good Mother, featuring Gretchen Mol. Jonathan Marc Sherman's new work Clive arrives in Winter 2013, directed by and featuring Ethan Hawke in the title role. Spring 2013 ushers in the premiere of a new musical at The New Group, Bunty Berman Presents..., by Ayub Khan Din (music, book, lyrics) and Paul Bogaev (music), directed by Scott Elliott.

Off-Broadway's Page 73 Productions will present readings of their 2012 P73 Playwriting fellow Max Posner's play SNORE AND OTHER SORTS OF BREATHING on Monday, May 21 at 7:30pm and Tuesday, May 22 at 3pm at the Roundabout Rehearsal studio (32 East 31st Street, 4th Fl). Trip Cullman (LONELY I'M NOT) will direct.

As part of the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre's Summer Season, acclaimed US playwright Joshua Conkel makes his UK debut with the world premiere of the darkly comic The Sluts of Sutton Drive, opening at the Finborough Theatre for a strictly limited run of six Sunday and Monday performances from Sunday, 24 June 2012 to the 9th of July.

Off-Broadway's Page 73 Productions presents a series of readings by their 2012 P73 Playwriting fellow Max Posner. Tonight, Monday, May 21 at 7:30pm and Tuesday, May 22 at 4pm at the Roundabout Rehearsal studio (32 E. 31st Street, 4th Fl) will be Mr. Posner's SNORE AND OTHER SORTS OF BREATHING, directed by Trip Cullman. These readings are free and open to the public; to attend please email info@page73.org.

Padua Playwrights have announced the world premiere of the latest comic meditation from poet-playwright Murray Mednick. Directed by Mednick and Guy Zimmerman, The Fool and The Red Queen opens tonight May 19 at the Lounge Theatre in Hollywood, where it will continue to run through June 24 as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Acclaimed Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) Artistic Director Michael Boyd will receive the Samuel H. Scripps Award at Theatre for a New Audience's Spring Gala Celebrating Shakespeare's 448th Birthday. The celebration, tonight, May 7, is at the Powerhouse at the American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street.

Tarragon Theatre presents the Toronto premiere of Was Spring, written and directed by the multi-talented, award-winning playwright, director, actor and filmmaker, Daniel MacIvor. Was Spring ends tonight, May 6 in Tarragon Theatre's Extra Space. Tickets range from $24-$51 (inclusive of HST) and are available by calling the box office at 416.531.1827 or by visiting www.tarragontheatre.com.

The New Group presents the world premiere of An Early History of Fire, a new play by Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe. Directed by Jo Bonney, this production features Gordon Clapp, Erin Darke, Jonny Orsini, Devin Ratray, Dennis Staroselsky, Theo Stockman and Claire van der Boom. Limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated April 5 - May 26 at The New Group @ Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). The official Opening Night was Monday, April 30 at 7:00 PM. Check out the after-party photos below featuing Meryle Streep and all the cast.

The New Group presents the world premiere of An Early History of Fire, a new play by Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe. Directed by Jo Bonney, this production features Gordon Clapp, Erin Darke, Jonny Orsini, Devin Ratray, Dennis Staroselsky, Theo Stockman and Claire van der Boom. Limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated tonight, April 30 through May 26 at The New Group @ Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Official Opening Night is tonight, April 30 at 7:00 PM. See the photos below for a first look at the production!

The Broadway play Red at to Berkeley Repertory Theatre, is staged as a valedictory by Obie Award-winner Les Waters as he departs the Bay Area to take the reins at Actors Theatre of Louisville. John Logan, the Oscar-nominated author of Aviator and Gladiator, won Tony and Drama Desk Awards for this feverish 90-minute drama. Now Waters and two exceptional actors bring this powerful play to local audiences. Red runs through tonight, April 29.

The New Group presents the world premiere of An Early History of Fire, a new play by Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe. Directed by Jo Bonney, this production features Gordon Clapp, Erin Darke, Jonny Orsini, Devin Ratray, Dennis Staroselsky, Theo Stockman and Claire van der Boom. Limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated April 5 - May 26 at The New Group @ Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Official Opening Night is set for Monday, April 30 at 7:00 PM. See the photos below for a first look at the production!