Blues diva Ma Rainey and her band have come to a Chicago studio to cut a record, but their artistic differences nearly stop the session before it starts. Full of unforgettable characters and the raw power of the blues, this 1920s installment of Wilson's groundbreaking cycle of plays confronts the issues of race, fame, and generational divides through the rhythms of the African-American South.
August Wilson (1945-2005) The most-produced African-American playwright of all time, August Wilson was a self-taught writer whose distinctive style combined poeticism and everyday slang. The plays of his remarkable Pittsburgh Cycle chronicled the black experience in America in every decade of the 20thcentury, winning two Pulitzer Prizes and redefining African-American storytelling for a generation of theatergoers.
Here are some of the familiar Broadway faces appearing in prime time tonight (Tuesday, February 19)!
Cygnet Theatre will continue its 10th Anniversary Season by presenting the San Diego Premiere of August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean. The first play, chronologically, in Wilson's epic Century Cycle, Gem of the Ocean is set to perform now through February 24th, 2013, at Cygnet's Old Town Theatre. Press Opening is scheduled for tomorrow, February 2nd, 2013. Get a first look at the production in the photos below!
Huntington Theatre Company, SpeakEasy Stage Company, and the City of Boston's Office of Arts, Tourism, and Special Events will collaborate to present Two Plays: One House: A Raisin in the Sun & Clybourne Park at Dorchester's Strand Theatre on Wednesday, February 20 at 7pm. Hosted by Karen Holmes Ward, WCVB-TV's Director of Public Affairs and Community Services and host and executive producer of "CityLine," the evening will feature performances of scenes from each of the two plays and a panel conversation moderated by Ward with directors Liesl Tommy (A Raisin in the Sun) and M. Bevin O'Gara (Clybourne Park) about the issues of racism and gentrification raised in the plays. The evening is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are encouraged at huntingtontheatre.org/StrandRSVP.
Lookingglass Theatre Company, now celebrating its 25th Anniversary announces the addition of two new Ensemble Members: Kevin Douglas and B They are both frequent performers on the Lookingglass stage and have been members of the company as Artistic Associates.
Following the huge successes of their collaboration on Tartuffe and The Hypochondriac, English Touring Theatre and Liverpool Playhouse complete a trilogy of Roger McGough adaptations of classic Molière comedies with The Misanthrope, which premieres on Tuesday 19th February before a national tour. The 'McGoughière' team will reunite McGough with Everyman and Playhouse Artistic Director Gemma Bodinetz, who will direct this co-production with ETT.
Cygnet Theatre will continue its 10th Anniversary Season by presenting the San Diego Premiere of August Wilson'sGem of the Ocean. The first play, chronologically, in Wilson's epic Century Cycle, Gem of the Ocean is set to perform January 24ththrough February 24th, 2013, at Cygnet's Old Town Theatre. Press Opening is scheduled for February 2nd, 2013.
Huntington Theatre Company will honor longtime Huntington supporters Trustee Judi Krupp and her husband Douglas and visionary Our Town director David Cromer with its highest honor, the Wimberly Award, at the 2013 Spotlight Spectacular gala on Monday, April 22, 2013. The event begins at 6pm at the Park Plaza Castle.
English Touring Theatre and Liverpool Playhouse will complete a trilogy of Roger McGough adaptations of classic Molière comedies with THE MISANTHROPE in spring 2013. The Misanthrope premières at the Liverpool Playhouse in February 2013 before a national tour.
In response to the CPS teachers' strike, Court Theatre is offering a special free performance of August Wilson's Jitney, directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson, for any CPS student (and one parent/guardian) with a valid CPS ID. This free matinee will be Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 10:30am at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue. There is no need to RSVP, simply present a valid CPS ID at the theatre.
Court Theatre kicks off its 2012-13 season with August Wilson's Jitney directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson.Jitney is the fourth play in Wilson's Century Cycle to be produced at Court Theatre under Parson's direction. The production will run tonight, September 6 - October 14, 2012 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue. The press opening will be Saturday, September 15, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.
Court Theatre kicks off its 2012-13 season with August Wilson's Jitney directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson.Jitney is the fourth play in Wilson's Century Cycle to be produced at Court Theatre under Parson's direction. The production will runSeptember 6 - October 14, 2012 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue. The press opening will be Saturday, September 15, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.
New Haarlem Arts Theatre (NHAT), the professional theater company of City College of New York (CCNY), will open its second season tonight, June 14 through July 8 with 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' by August Wilson, directed by Eugene Nesmith and starring Johnnie Mae as Ma.
The Boston Theater Critics Association previously announced its nominations for the 30h Anniversary Elliot Norton Awards. The awards, which recognize excellence in Greater Boston theater, are to be presented tonight, May 21, at 7 p.m. at the Paramount Mainstage, 559 Washington Street, Boston.
New Haarlem Arts Theatre (NHAT), the professional theater company of City College of New York (CCNY), will open its second season June 14 to July 8 with 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' by August Wilson, directed by Eugene Nesmith and starring Johnnie Mae as Ma.
The Boston Theater Critics Association has announced its nominations for the 30h Anniversary Elliot Norton Awards. The awards, which recognize excellence in Greater Boston theater, will be presented on Monday, May 21, at 7 p.m. at the Paramount Mainstage, 559 Washington Street, Boston.
The Bay Area premiere of San Jose Rep's God of Carnage begins previews tonight. This winner of the 2009 Tony Award® for Best Play was written by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton. The production runs from March 22 to April 15, 2012, with Opening Night on Wednesday, March 28 at 7:30 pm.
Joining Danny DeVito and Richard Griffiths as the ageing vaudevillian team Willie Clark and Al Lewis in Neil Simon's award-winning comedy The Sunshine Boys are Rebecca Blackstone (Miss MacKintosh), Nick Blakeley (Eddie), Peter Cadden (Voice of TV Director), Johnnie Fiori (Registered Nurse), Adam Levy (Ben Silverman) and William Maxwell (Patient).
Two-time Tony Award nominated costume designer Carrie Robbins, and scenic, lighting, costume designer and educator Lloyd Burlingame are among the 2012 TDF/Irene Sharaff Awards recipients. The awards will be presented at a ceremony on Friday, May 4, at 6:30pm, at the Hudson Theatre (145 West 44th Street). Ms. Robbins was selected to receive the 2012 TDF/Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award for costume design, and Mr. Burlingame will receive the Robert L.B. Tobin Award for Sustained Excellence in Theatrical Design.
Abingdon Theatre Company - which has produced 64 new American plays in its 18-year history - continues its 2011-2012 Season with the world premiere of LOST ON THE NATCHEZ TRACE, a new play by Jan Buttram, Artistic Director of Abingdon Theatre Company and author of the recent hit PHANTOM KILLER, playing through February 26at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex's Dorothy Strelsin Theatre (312 West 36th Street).
As part of its 30th Anniversary Season celebration, the Huntington Theatre Company brings the cast of August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom to Roxbury's Hibernian Hall to perform a reading of the play on Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 7pm. The reading is free and open to the public, but an RSVP at huntingtontheatre.org/raineyreading is encouraged, as seating is limited. Liesl Tommy, director of the Huntington's acclaimed 2011 production of Ruined, helms the production. The ensemble features "ER" cast member Yvette Freeman as the legendary blues singer Ma Rainey and local favorite Jason Bowen (Ruined, A Civil War Christmas at the Huntington) as Levee.
Abingdon Theatre Company - which has produced 64 new American plays in its 18-year history - continues its 2011-2012 Season with the world premiere of LOST ON THE NATCHEZ TRACE, a new play by Jan Buttram, Artistic Director of Abingdon Theatre Company and author of the recent hit PHANTOM KILLER, set to begin previews February 3, prior to its official press opening February 12, at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex's Dorothy Strelsin Theatre (312 West 36th Street).
Abingdon Theatre Company - which has produced 64 new American plays in its 18-year history - continues its 2011-2012 Season with the world premiere of LOST ON THE NATCHEZ TRACE, a new play by Jan Buttram, Artistic Director of Abingdon Theatre Company and author of the recent hit PHANTOM KILLER, set to begin previews February 3, prior to its official press opening February 12, at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex's Dorothy Strelsin Theatre (312 West 36th Street).
Barbara Ligeti and Wishing Well Productions by special arrangement with The Cherry Lane Theatre will present the world premiere production of Frank Strausser's PSYCHO THERAPY - a new play about couples therapy…for three.
As part of its 30th Anniversary Season celebration, the Huntington Theatre Company brings the cast of August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom to Roxbury's Hibernian Hall to perform a reading of the play on Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 7pm. The reading is free and open to the public, but an RSVP at huntingtontheatre.org/raineyreading is encouraged, as seating is limited. Liesl Tommy, director of the Huntington's acclaimed 2011 production of Ruined, helms the production. The ensemble features "ER" cast member Yvette Freeman as the legendary blues singer Ma Rainey and local favorite Jason Bowen (Ruined, A Civil War Christmas at the Huntington) as Levee.
Lou Bellamy, Artistic Director of the acclaimed Penumbra Theatre, will direct the Cleveland Play House production of Radio Golf, the Tony Award®-nominated finale of playwright August Wilson's unprecedented ten-play cycle chronicling African-American life in the 20th century. Bellamy has been described as the foremost living interpreter of work of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson, and his Penumbra Theatre is proud to have produced more of Wilson's plays than any other theatre in the world. Radio Golf, a co-production with Indiana Repertory Theatre, will begin in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare on Friday, February 10 and run through Sunday, March 4, 2012. Tickets are available at PlayhouseSquare ticket office by calling 216-241-6000 or online at www.clevelandplayhouse.com. Radio Golf is presented with support from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture and the Ohio Arts Council.
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