Will Power News

The McCarter Lab Fall Festival 2012 will feature some of the leading and emerging playwrights of the American theater from October 29 through November 4, in a series of unstaged readings and special events in celebration of the artist's work. All events are FREE, but seating is limited and reservations are encouraged. To reserve seats, call (609) 258-2787.

The McCarter Lab Fall Festival 2012 will feature some of the leading and emerging playwrights of the American theater from tonight, October 29 through November 4, in a series of unstaged readings and special events in celebration of the artist's work. All events are FREE, but seating is limited and reservations are encouraged. To reserve seats, call (609) 258-2787.

In their first co-producing endeavor, HERE and the Hip-Hop Theater Festival in association with Collective Consciousness Theatre present the world premiere of How to Break, a new play fueled by human beat-boxing, breaking, popping and locking, linguistic flow and multimedia graffiti art. This production will play a limited engagement at HERE, opening tonight, October 23rd and running through November 4, 2012. Get a first look at the production in the photos below!

In their first co-producing endeavor, HERE and the Hip-Hop Theater Festival in association with Collective Consciousness Theatre present the world premiere of How to Break, a new play fueled by human beat-boxing, breaking, popping and locking, linguistic flow and multimedia graffiti art. This production will play a limited engagement at HERE from tonight, October 18 - November 4, with Official Opening set for Tuesday, October 23 at 7:00pm.

The McCarter Lab Fall Festival 2012 will feature some of the leading and emerging playwrights of the American theater from October 29 through November 4, in a series of unstaged readings and special events in celebration of the artist's work. All events are FREE, but seating is limited and reservations are encouraged. To reserve seats, call (609) 258-2787.

Green Mountain Energy Company is pleased to announce that Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts will become the first performing arts center in New York City to be powered by 100% wind energy. The wind energy to support Lincoln Center will be purchased by Green Mountain in the form of renewable energy certificates (RECs). This purchase compliments the completion of Lincoln Center's recent $1.2 billion transformation, which includes a new U.S. Green Building Council LEED® Gold certified building, the David Rubenstein Atrium. "Our ambitious transformation to make Lincoln Center more open and accessible involves not only updating our world-class facilities, but also significantly developing our public spaces, and maximizing efficiency for the campus," said Tim Hassett, Lincoln Center's Vice President for Concert Halls & Operations. "Sustainability is important to Lincoln Center artists, students, and visitors, as well as our staff."

The deadline for submissions will be October 1 for Hartford Stage's Annual Young Playwrights' Competition, Write On, for students in grades 9-12.

The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles (SCLA) presents its 22(nd) annual Simply Shakespeare reading of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' September 27 at the Freud Playhouse, UCLA Campus. This event features a star-studded tie-dyed cast of hilarious hippies for an evening filled with peace, love reading a psychedelic 1960's adaptation of Shakespeare's play that includes iconic music of the era. Directed by SCLA's Artistic Director Ben Donenberg, the groovy participants include Billy Crystal, William Shatner, Martin Short, Topher Grace, Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Redmayne, Cedric the Entertainer, Paul Dooley, Olivia Thirlby, Alan Tudyk and co-chairs Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks and more!

In their first co-producing endeavor, HERE and the Hip-Hop Theater Festival in association with Collective Consciousness Theatre present the world premiere of How to Break, a new play fueled by human beat-boxing, breaking, popping and locking, linguistic flow and multimedia graffiti art. This production will play a limited engagement at HERE from October 18 - November 4, with Official Opening set for Tuesday, October 23 at 7:00pm.

Stage and screen star Sanaa Lathan (A Raisin in the Sun, Contagion) returns to the title role in Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage's By the Way, Meet Vera Stark for its West Coast premiere at the Geffen Playhouse. Lathan, who originated the character of Vera Stark in the critically acclaimed New York run, will once again take the stage as the 1930's era maid turned movie star, reunited with original cast member Kimberly Hebert Gregory (Spike Lee's Red Hook Summer) reprising her role as fellow aspiring African American actress Lottie. Broadway vet and Geffen alum Merle Dandridge (Spamalot, Rent, Aida) will take on the spicy role of Anna Mae, who fakes a Brazilian accent for a slice of fame, and former leading lady of ABC's Man Up, Amanda Detmer, will portray Gloria Mitchell, the white starlet dubbed "America's little sweetie pie" and Vera's first employer. Helmed by award-winning director Jo Bonney, the West Coast premiere cast also features Kevin Carroll (Paid in Full, Being John Malkovich), Spencer Garrett (Iron Man 3, Air Force One) and Geffen alum Mather Zickel (Extraordinary Chambers, Rachel Getting Married).

Original Works Publishing has just released two imaginative comedies, The Arctic Circle and Trog and Clay. Copies may be purchased via the OWP website, www.originalworksonline.com. Kindle editions for all titles are available now via the Amazon Kindle Store.

The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles (SCLA), under the artistic direction of Ben Donenberg, returns after 16 years to The Japanese Garden on the grounds of the VA West Los Angeles Healthcare Center Campus with a summer production of William Shakespeare's romantic comedy "As You Like It," directed by Royal Shakespeare Company artist Kenn Sabberton - tonight, July 10 to July 29.

A national spotlight shone on Los Angeles-based 24th Street Theatre at the 2012 TCG (Theatre Communications Group) National Conference in Boston when the 15-year-old theater was honored with the Peter Zeisler Memorial Award for"Outstanding Achievement In The American Theatre."

In May and June 2012, Impact Broadway and Godspell joined forces to give high school students a chance to see Godspell on Broadway. The Youth Impact Broadway Project, Inc. is a socially and technology driven youth audience development program which engages African-American and Latino high school students from the five NYC boroughs in the Broadway experience.

Main Street Theater's next production is the regional premiere of Liz Duffy Adams' DOG ACT, which is a post-apocalyptic comedy. The plot follows Zetta Stone and her companion Dog, who is voluntarily undergoing a species demotion, as the travel across The Remains of the United States with their vaudeville troupe. In preparation for this fantastic production, Liz Duffy Adams took a few moments of her time to talk to me abut the genesis of DOG ACT, her writing process, advice for other artists, and women artists in general.

Today we are talking to a Tony Award-winning legend famous for his performances starring in the original Broadway productions of PIPPIN and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, as well as his celebrated turns in stage and screen projects as diverse as ALL THAT JAZZ, SWEET CHARITY, CHICAGO, FOSSE, WICKED, GRIND, ROOTS, I'M NOT RAPPAPORT, GOLDEN BOY, IDLEWILD, FUNNY LADY, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and many more - the simply incredible Ben Vereen. Discussing many of his most fondly remembered roles and recounting his experiences working with many legendary directors and collaborators - Bob Fosse, Hal Prince, Tom O'Horgan, Herbert Ross, Ann Reinking, Dan Sullivan, Sammy Davis, Jr., Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and many more among them - Vereen paints a vivid picture of a bygone Broadway and reminisces about many of the most significant theatrical creators of the past fifty years and his roles in their stage and film projects. Additionally, Vereen fills us in on what we can expect from his upcoming solo spotlight show - a career retrospective - that will be kicking off at 54 Below on July 10 for a two-week engagement before an even larger, Broadway-bound mounting later this year at Princeton. Also, Vereen elaborates on the causes closest to his heart, shares thoughts on GLEE and SMASH, future plans and much, much more!