Bare F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company announces the Boston Premiere of Bare, a musical by Damon Intrabartolo and John Hartmere. Bare opens for the press on Friday, July 25, 2008 at 8:00 and plays through Saturday, August 2, 2008. “We love to be able to present Boston Premieres,” says F.U.D.G.E. President and Bare Director, Joe DeMita. “After the success of both I Sing, and I Love You Because, it is clear that Boston audiences love seeing new productions.” DeMita and the F.U.D.G.E. crew love to create productions that have not been seen in the Boston area. Audiences have no pre-conceived notions of what the show “should” look like or “should” feel like giving the company a lot of enjoyed artistic freedom. DeMita also mentions several important issues that Bare addresses – homosexuality and the catholic church, teen pregnancy, drug use, and suicide – to name a few! The show explores the pains and pleasures of five high school seniors at a co-ed Catholic boarding school as they struggle to grow up in these complicated, conflicted, contemporary times. Each of them question where they are in their lives. Answers are sought in the church confessional and in less formal venues including a stage, a rave, and a well-locked dorm room. “These issues are all prevalent in today’s society, and Bare addresses them in a poignant and thought-provoking way. Bare is a very nice close to a season that did not deal with too much heavy material!” The F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company, Inc.’s production of Bare features Trevor Croft, Samuel Moscoso, Ashley Yarnell, Keri-Ann Maguire and Andrew Mackin. The F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company, Inc. provides quality, affordable theatre productions to the people in the greater Boston area, cultivating an appreciation for and understanding of the arts, and providing a learning opportunity for those interested in a genuine theatre experience. Joe DeMita (Director/Artistic Director) is one of the founders of The F.U.D.G.E Theatre Company, Inc. Directing credits include Jake's Women (Stonehill Theatre Company), Company (Winthrop Playmakers), and the F.U.D.G.E. productions of Once On This Island, Working, Rumors, Urinetown, Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams, I Sing!, The House of Blue Leaves, Into the Woods, Bat Boy: The Musical, I Love You Because, and Fuddy Meers. Joe has also served as the directing intern to Rob Ruggiero at TheatreWorks Hartford on productions of The Exonerated (featuring TV/Film star Kim Fields) and the world premiere musical Ella: Off the Record (starring Broadway's Tina Fabrique). In the Boston area, Joe served as the assistant director to Adam Zahler on the Lyric Stage's production of Talley's Folly. Music Directing credits include Just So, Urinetown, Working, A New Brain, and Once On This Island. Jason Whiting (Music Director) Previous productions as Music Director include: I Love You Because (F.U.D.G.E.), The Music Man (Riverside Theatre Works), Batboy: The Musical! (F.U.D.G.E.), The Last Five Years (The Player’s Ring), Nunsense! (Bentley College), and Songs For A New World (Emmanuel College). CTH Presents Van Peebles' 'Ain't Supposed To Die' Outdoors The Classical Theater of Harlem (CTH) will present their critically acclaimed production of AIN’T SUPPOSED TO DIE A NATURAL DEATH outdoors in city parks throughout New York City. This will be the first time that Melvin Van Peebles' landmark musical will be performed in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Performances will be on July 25th & 26th at Von King Park (Brooklyn), July 29th, August 1st & 2nd in Marcus Garvey Park (Manhattan), August 8th & 9th at East River Park (Manhattan) and August 15th & 16th in St. Mary's Park (the Bronx). All performances are free to the public. The show is part of the third season of City Parks Foundation’s (CPF) CityParks Theater Presented by Time Warner. A totally unique fiction form, AIN’T SUPPOSED TO DIE A NATURAL DEATH is a gutsy, lusty narrative of Black street life that explores every aspect of ghetto life. Peopled by junkies, pimps, drag queens, crooked cops, lovers, and dreamers, Van Peebles' play is considered a tradition-shattering and trend-setting work that spawned the choreopoem, spoken word, and rap music. AIN’T SUPPOSED TO DIE was a huge hit on Broadway in its original inception, where it was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.  The recent off-Broadway revival at the Classical Theatre of Harlem garnered 7 AUDELCO Awards and received a Drama Desk nomination for Best Revival of a Musical.  The show has been touring the country and is now returning to New York, the city where it is set. The press was unanimous in their praise of this new production of AIN’T SUPPOSED TO DIE A NATURAL DEATH when it ran off-Broadway in 2006. The New York Times said, “This early precursor to hip-hop, rap and poetry slams is a get-down, roiling depiction of ghetto life” and goes on to say that the show, “explodes like a round of mini-riots... [a] streetwise lava flow… this funky assault on the senses retains its raucous bite several decades after its first incarnation.” The Amsterdam News said that “AIN’T SUPPOSED TO DIE A NATURAL DEATH is kicking butt and taking numbers… sit down and wait to be mesmerized.” The Black Star News wrote, “Van Peebles takes his audience on a real life journey through a subliminal time machine, masterfully luring his unsuspecting subjects – the audience – into the regurgitating belly of the beast which is Black street life in the early 1970s.” And Show Business Weekly said, “In a climate of mostly tame musical theatre, this Natural remedy for the Broadway blues couldn’t be more timely.” "This play couldn't be more timely," said Alfred Preisser, Artistic Director of the Classical Theatre of Harlem and the director of this production. "The Sean Bell shooting incident that recently tore the city apart is distressingly similar to the centerpiece of AIN'T. Many of the problems discussed in the show are still very much a part of daily life in New York." CTH is bringing the play directly to the people that will be depicted on stage, and offering it to them free of charge. The cast for AIN’T SUPPOSED TO DIE includes Charles Browning, Andrea Cosley, Cherrye Davis, Keith Jamal Downing, Tracy Jack, Kimberly Dalton Mitchell, Taharaqua Patterson, Libya Pugh, James Singletary, Chazz Reuben, Willie Teacher, and Reji Woods. Melvin Van Peebles is best known as the “godfather of independent film and modem black cinema,” and he has also distinguished himself in an impressive list of other mediums, including the theater, where his work has garnered nine Tony Award nominations, seven of them for the original Broadway production of AIN’T SUPPOSED TO DIE.  A new documentary about his life, “How To Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (And Enjoy It)” premiered at the Film Forum on January 20th and will soon be released in theaters nationwide.  Mr. Van Peebles' latest film, Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-Itchyfooted Mutha, premiered at the TriBeca Film Festival last month and is now touring the country. Since being co-founded in 1999 by Alfred Preisser and Christopher McElroen, the Classical Theatre of Harlem has staged thirty-six productions, which have included numerous works by Shakespeare, Melvin Van Peebles’ AIN’T SUPPOSED TO DIE A NATURAL DEATH and Jean Genet’s seminal political drama, THE BLACKS: A CLOWN SHOW. The Classical Theatre of Harlem is dedicated to producing theatre that truly reflects the diversity of ideas and racial tapestry of New York City. Their long list of awards includes 5 OBIE Awards, 2 Lucille Lortel Awards, a Drama Desk Award and the Edwin Booth Award for Artistic Excellence, among many others.  Their most recent work includes Langston Hughes’ BLACK NATIVITY presented by the New 42nd Street and a site specific production of Samuel Beckett’s WAITING FOR GODOT staged outdoors in the Lower Ninth Ward and Gentilly neighborhoods of New Orleans. CityParks Theater Presented by Time Warner was offered for the first time in 2006, beginning an annual summertime presentation of free theater in city parks. For the 2008 season, CPF is working with several New York City theater groups to create “park residencies” offering performances and hands-on workshops for adults and children. For more information visit www.CityParksFoundation.org or call (212) 360-8290. City Parks Foundation is the only independent, nonprofit organization to offer programming in parks throughout the five boroughs of New York City. By creating free arts, sports and educational programs in over 700 public parks, and by encouraging community development within public parks as a focal point, City Parks Foundation helps to revitalize not only parks but also the neighborhoods that surround them. Its programs and community-building initiatives now reach more than 600,000 New Yorkers each year contributing to the renewal of neighborhoods throughout New York City with a particular focus on some of the city's most underserved areas. The Classical Theatre of Harlem is pleased to be part of the third season presented by Time Warner. For more information on City Parks Foundation, visit their web site at www.CityParksFoundation.org. AIN’T SUPPOSED TO DIE A NATURAL DEATH will begin performances on Friday, July 25th, and will continue through Saturday, August 16th. Tickets are free.  For more information, visit their web site at www.classicaltheatreofharlem.org. AIN’T SUPPOSED TO DIE A NATURAL DEATH A musical by Melvin Van Peebles Directed by Alfred Preisser Outdoors and FREE to the public SCHEDULE: July 25th & 26th at Von King Park (Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn) July 29th, August 1st & 2nd in Marcus Garvey Park (Harlem, Madison Avenue and 123rd Street) August 8th & 9th at East River Park (Manhattan, Lower East Side) August 15th & 16th in St. Mary's Park (the Bronx, East 143rd Street) All performances are at 8pm For more information please visit www.classicaltheatreofharlem.org Cynthia Nixon and Julianne Moore Join Beckett Readings 7/26,27 Actresses Julianne Moore and Cynthia Nixon will join Ralph Fiennes, Barry McGovern and Liam Neeson onstage this Saturday and Sunday (July 26 and 27) at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College for hour-long poetry and prose readings by Samuel Beckett, as Gate|Beckett ends its acclaimed run at the Lincoln Center Festival. The actors will read from a selection of extracts from Beckett's novels and poetry, as well as his shorter prose and dramatic works.  The reading on Saturday, July 26th at 2 p.m. features Julianne Moore, Barry McGovern and Liam Neeson. Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Barry McGovern and Cynthia Nixon read on Sunday, July 27th at 2 p.m. Tickets, priced at $20 and $40, may be purchased at the Avery Fisher Hall box office, through CenterCharge, 212/721-6500 or online at LincolnCenter.org. Remaining tickets for the Gate|Beckett performances are also available at these outlets. The one-man  plays are Eh Joe (with Neeson), which was written for television in 1965; I'll Go On (with McGovern), adapted from the 1950s novels Molloy, Malone Dies, and The Unnamable; and First Love (with Fiennes), based on a 1965 novella. Happy Sunshine Kung Fu Flower @ Zipper Factory HAPPY SUNSHINE KUNG FU FLOWER, with Special Guest, First Lieutenant Paul Rieckhoff, author of Chasing Ghosts, founder of IAVA, and nationally recognized authority on the War in Iraq will be July 26 at 10.30pm at The Zipper Factory. Called 'Shocking, Engaging, Funny, and Totally Original,' by Rachel Maddow of MSNBC/Air America, Happy Sunshine Kung Fu Flower is a multimedia socio-political satire centering on a group of outsourced Japanese Ninjas hired by China to infiltrate the American Psyche by taking on roles in the Media, Pop Culture, and Politics. The savvy show, now at The Zipper Factory, began at Lotus and later moved to Comix and Ars Nova, gaining recognition and a cult following in NYC for integrating political pundits, celebrities, journalists, and music from the NYC underground scene into its raw comedy format. Past guests have included Mo Rocca, Amy Goodman, Rachel Maddow, Rachel Sklar, and Michael Musto, among others. HAPPY SUNSHINE KUNG FU FLOWER is written by Matthew-Lee Erlbach (Till the Break of Dawn), directed by Darren Katz (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), with music arrangements by Ian Wehrle, and features Lynn Andrews (Annie), Tarik Davis (Boom Chicago), Kevin R Free (TMLMTBGB), Brooke Ishibashi, Stephen Sheffer, and Stephen Reyes. Heath Calvert (The Huffington Post) serves as contributing writer and creative consultant, Kelli Jo Claxton (Countdown with Keith Olbermann) is Production Manager, and Wendy Harris is the General Manager. PAUL RIECKHOFF, 33, is theExecutive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans ofAmerica (IAVA). A nonpartisan, non-profit founded in 2004 with tens ofthousands of members in all 50 US states, IAVA is America's first andlargest Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans group. Rieckhoff was a FirstLieutenant and infantry rifle platoon leader in the Iraq war from2003-2004. He is now a nationally recognized authority on the war inIraq and issues affecting troops, military families and veterans. Honored by Esquire magazine as one of "America's Best and Brightest" in2004, Rieckhoff has appeared on hundreds of radio and televisionprograms. Recent appearances include: ABC's documentary "To Iraq andBack: Bob Woodruff Reports," The Charlie Rose Show, 60 Minutes, TheNewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Paula Zahn Now, This Week With GeorgeStephanopoulos, Good Morning America, Anderson Cooper 360, Countdownwith Keith Olbermann, Hardball with Chris Matthews, The NBC NightlyNews, ABC World News Tonight, The CBS Evening News, Hannity and Colmes,The Big Story with John Gibson, BBC World, NPR's Morning Edition, AllThings Considered, Fresh Air, and The Colbert Report. Rieckhoff has had opinion pieces printed by The New York Times, theInternational Herald Tribune, Knight-Ridder and The New York DailyNews, and is a regular blogger for The Huffington Post andMilitary.com. He has been featured in The Associated Press, U.S. Newsand World Report, Newsweek, The New York Times, GIANT Magazine,Washington Post, L.A. Times, Army Times, Wall Street Journal, Reuters,The New York Post, and Newsday. Rieckhoff's first book, a critically acclaimed account of hisexperiences in Iraq and activism afterwards, titled Chasing Ghosts, waspublished by Penguin in May 2006 and released in paperback in May 2007. Rieckhoff enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves on September 15, 1998 andcompleted Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training atFort McClellan, Alabama. He then served in the U.S. Army Reserves, as aSpecialist with the 812th Military Police Company. While working onWall Street at J.P. Morgan in 1999, Rieckhoff transferred to the NewYork Army National Guard, graduating from Officer Candidate School inJune 2001. He was named a Distinguished Military Graduate. Rieckhoffselected infantry as his branch and joined A Company, 1/105th INF(Light). Rieckhoff left Wall Street on September 8, 2001 with plans to traveland complete additional military schooling. Those plans would changedramatically. On the morning of September 11, Rieckhoff was at hisapartment on 24th Street in Manhattan when the first plane hit theWorld Trade Center. He saw the smoke from his rooftop, and immediatelyjoined scores of volunteers serving in the rescue effort at GroundZero. His unit was formally activated for rescue and securityoperations later that evening. In February 2002, Rieckhoff began Infantry Officers Basic Course atFort Benning, Georgia. He graduated in June of 2002 and immediatelyvolunteered for active duty and a place in the pending war in Iraq. In January, 2003, Rieckhoff got the call to go to Iraq. Two days later,he was on a plane to join the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart,Georgia. Rieckhoff was then assigned as a Platoon Leader for 3rdPlatoon, B Company, 3/124th INF (Air Assault) FLNG. The unit was attached to 1st Brigade, 3ID and spent almost a yearconducting combat operations in Iraq, centered in the Adamiyah sectionof Baghdad on the Eastern bank of the Tigris River. Third Platoonconducted over 1,000 dismounted and mounted combat patrols. 3/124th INFwas the first reserve component unit in the Army to be awarded theCombat Infantryman Badge since the Korean War. All thirty-eight of themen in Rieckhoff's platoon returned home alive. Rieckhoff was released from active duty on March 2004 and now serves asan infantry officer in the New York Army National Guard. He is astaunch political independent, and his organization is tied to nopolitical party or candidate. A 1998 graduate of Amherst College,Rieckhoff now lives in New York City. Long Day's Journey One of America's greatest plays by one of its greatest playwrights, Eugene O'Neill's masterpiece, LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, opens at The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum on July 26, joining the Summer Repertory Season that continues through the end of September. Heidi Helen Davis directs Theatricum artistic director Ellen Geer; Aaron Hendry; William Dennis Hunt; and Jim LeFave in O'Neill's autobiographical exorcism of his own personal demons that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1957. O'Neill's searing drama about his home life remains one of the most challenging and moving theatrical experiences and is one of the most enduring works of art of the last century. In August, 1912 the four Tyrones gather in their summer home in New London, Connecticut, where they embark on an extraordinary psychological journey over the course of one long, hot summer day. Each family member battles his own past in four remarkable personal struggles that reveal the family's downward spiral of alcoholism and drug addiction. The play is so personal and revealing that O'Neill forbade it to be published or performed until after his death. "We live in a society where most of us have been touched in some way by substance abuse," commented Geer. "Here is a writer who explores it to the core and anyone who sees this production will be affected by how addiction shapes a family's life. I feel strongly that this play needs to be seen, especially today. Perhaps it will spark viewers' recognition and start them thinking. As Mary Tyrone says in the play, 'The past is the present, isn't it? It's the future, too.' " Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953) began his life surrounded by theater, as his father, James O'Neill, was an extremely popular actor. O'Neill did not begin writing however, until 1912, when, bedridden with tuberculosis, he was inspired by the plays that he read to keep himself occupied. At the time of its writing, Long Day's Journey into Night was so intensely personal to O'Neill that he sealed the manuscript and stipulated that it not be published until 25 years after his death. His widow contravened the order and the play was published in 1955, two years after his death, and performed on Broadway a year later - winning the Pulitzer for O'Neill posthumously. The playwright called it a play of "old sorrow, written in tears and blood," finding, in this most personal artistic expression, the courage to write with "deep pity and understanding" and to finally find forgiveness. Through that journey of forgiveness, he left a lasting mark on American literature and changed the face of American theater. Hailed by many as America's premier playwright, O'Neill wrote 45 plays during his lifetime, four of which were awarded the Pulitzer Prize -the other three were Beyond the Horizon, Anna Christie and Strange Interlude. In 1936, O'Neill was the first playwright ever awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. On Monday night, August 4 from 7-9 pm, playgoers will have a chance to explore the language and themes of LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT more deeply and intimately with director Heidi Helen Davis and members of the cast. The evening is part of a new event series called Herta's Roundtables; with all proceeds from the separate admission fee going to benefit the Herta Ware Scholarship Fund. The beginnings of the Theatricum Botanicum can be traced to the early 1950s when Will Geer, a victim of the McCarthy-era blacklist (before he became known as the beloved Grandpa on TV's "The Waltons") opened a theater for blacklisted actors and folk singers on his property in Topanga. Since 1973, the Theatricum has presented Shakespeare and the classics in repertory in its scenic, outdoor amphitheater in rustic Topanga Canyon. The Theatricum Botanicum is a recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle's highest honor, the prestigious Margaret Harford Award for "Sustained Excellence in Theater," and Artistic Director Ellen Geer was presented with the LA Weekly Career Achievement Award in 1999. LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT runs in rotating repertory with As You Like It, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth and The School for Scandal. Performances of LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT take place on Fridays at 8 pm on August 1; September 5, 12, 19 & 26; and Saturdays at 8 pm on July 26 (Opening Night); August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30;and September 6, 13, 20 & 27. Tickets are $20.00 (upper tier) and $28.00 (lower tier); seniors, students, Iraq war veterans and members of Equity pay only $15 and $20. Audiences at the Friday, September 5 performance are invited to participate in a pre-show discussion beginning at 7 pm. A Herta's Roundtable Discussion takes place on Monday, August 4 from 7-9pm (separate $15.00 admission fee to benefit the Herta Ware Scholarship Fund). The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 North Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Topanga, midway between Malibu and the San Fernando Valley. For tickets and information, call (310) 455-3723 or visit online at www.theatricum.com. Marilyn Sokol and Ultra Violet to be Part of Benefit Watch out, folks. From the outer reaches of the galaxy come two supernovas hurtling toward the Grand Theatre of the Producers Club on July 25th to receive their Honorary Golden Pineapples! NY Artists Unlimited has corralled stage-film-TV actress Marilyn Sokol and Factory veteran Ultra Violet for this year's Fairies & Phantasies Benefit as part of the Bad Musicals Festival '08. The Carmen Miranda Closing Benefit on August 10 promises more stars, but we're not telling yet! A familiar face on television and in films, Marilyn Sokol is perhaps best known for her work on the stage. Sokol has appeared in many Broadway productions including "The Great God Brown," "Don Juan," and "Conversations with My Father." Off-Broadway credits include "The Beggar's Opera" and "Merry Wives of Windsor." She has been described by The New York Times as "an entertainer with a deep streak of old vaudevillian merriment." An actress of tremendous range, Sokol has been honored with Emmy, Bistro, Obie Awards… and even a Razzie, which is much in keeping with the spirit of the International Cringe: the company 's umbrella for their Bad Plays, Bad Musicals, and soon to come Bad Films Festivals. Ultra Violet appeared in Andy Warhol's The Life of Juanita Castro (1965) and I, a Man (1967) before her cameo inclusions in other now-cult films. Her best-selling 1988 autobiography Famous for Fifteen Minutes: My Years with Andy Warhol detailed her rise in celebrity. A visual artist with political and spiritual overtones, Ultra Violet's mixed-media works have been displayed worldwide. She opened an art studio in Nice in 1990, creating a movement called "L'Ultratique," and published two manifestos in the early 1990's. Her work was included in the Audart exhibition that commemorated the tenth anniversary of Warhol's death. A bi-continental resident, Ultra Violet currently divides her time between her studio in Nice and her penthouse apartment in Manhattan. The Fairies & Phantasies Benefit ($25 additional to attend benefit; $20 if you come in costume) will be after the show on July 25. Benefit attendees are encouraged to come in costume as a zany version of their favorite children's character, and to bring a toy/book to donate to needy children. There will be costume prizes and raffles. Co-chairing this event are playwright Jean Hart and Kimberly Kopera, assistant to artistic director Melba LaRose. In keeping with the bad children's theatre theme that night, there will be lunchbox specials: finger sandwiches (including P&J!), cupcakes, cake, cookies, penny candy, punch, and more. On August 10, the Carmen Miranda Closing Benefit brings presentation of the Fruit Cup Awards: Golden Pineapple, Silver Tomato, and Bronze Banana (by audience vote). New this year will be the Jack Lemons for best bad actor & actress. Costumes are encouraged and there will be prizes. Come dressed as your favorite fruit! There will be a special award for the Best Carmen. $25 per person ($20 if you come in costume) benefits the company's work with under-served children & families, seniors & elderly. There will be entertainment, food, booze, and lots of fruit! The Bad Musicals are back -- and with great devilish glee! Just kidding, they're not bad -- they're really GOOD plays that are delightfully naughty -- politically incorrect, political satire, explicit, bad language/ puns, or utterly zany -- and don't we all need that in these times? The Bad Musicals Festival, in its third year, is "movin' on up" to the Grand Theatre at the Producers Club in the Times Square/theatre district, July 21-August 10. Mon.-Sat. at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2, musicals are huddled under a theme umbrella for one all-inclusive price per evening/matinee. IS THAT A GUN IN YOUR POCKET? (7/21, 7/26, 7/31, 8/5) featuring: Charlie Chang and the Mysterious Salami, book & lyrics by Anne Berlin, music by Andy Cohen, directed by Tony Spinosa, and Henry & Hyde, book by James M. Eisenman & Thomas Adams, lyrics by James M. Eisenman, music by Thomas Adams, directed by Maryna Harrison. FOREIGN & FAMILIAR BODIES (7/22, 7/27, 8/1, 8/6) featuring: Falling in Love Again by J. Boyer, directed by Anita Brown, Too Much Love, lyrics by Douglas M. Parker, music by Denver Casado, directed by Tom Amici, and OBGYNia, a Sci-Fi Musical Romp!, book & lyrics by Justine Lambert & Kenneth Nowell, music by Kenneth Nowell, directed by Tom Amici. POLITICS & POOPSY (7/23, 7/28, 8/2, 8/7) featuring: The Virgin Dictator: A Love Story Starring Kim Jong Il by Itai Grunfeld, directed by Brady Amoon, and Daffodils in Deutschland by Dray Rigg, directed by Kenny Wade Marshall. CRIMINALLY INSANE PUPPETS (7/24, 7/29, 8/3, 8/8) featuring: Pinokenstein, music & lyrics by Mark LaPierre, libretto/puppets/puppeteering by Chris McLaughlin, directed by Diane Englert, and The Dependents, book by Bebe McGarry, lyrics by Debra M. Gussin, and music by Michael Paul Girard, directed by Sara B. Ware. IT AIN'T KANSAS ANYMORE! (7/25, 7/30, 8/4, 8/9) featuring: Stranded!, book & lyrics by Raymond Bokhour, music by Ilann Maazel, directed by Leslie C. Nemet, Grimm Late Night, book & lyrics by Mark LaPierre, music by Jodi Eichelberger, directed by Nikki Rothenberg, and The Great Plastic Surgeon of Oz by Zurbon Gish, directed by Robyne Parrish. For descriptions of each play: www.NYartists.org. Tickets $25 at door; $20 advance sale (deadline July 1); $15 students with ID. Reservations are strongly recommended. Online tix available at www.Theatermania.com or by calling 212-242-6036 (reservations by check/m.o.). Grand Theatre at the Producers Club, 358 W. 44 St., betw. Eighth/Ninth Aves., July 21-August 10. The show runs a max of 2 hours, including a short intermission. Entertaining between short plays and some intermissions will be Bronze Fondue, the bad house band of wacky NYU professors; Jessica Delfino, who plays and sings naughty original songs, and Zero Boy, a wildly brilliant sound effects comedian. This festival is supported by grants from the Dramatists Guild Fund and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. Proceeds go to support our dedicated mission of taking professional theatre to under-served audiences throughout NYC and the Northeast. Myer to Be Presented Golden Pineapple Multi-MAC & Bistro award-winning Sidney Myer will be presented with an Honorary Golden Pineapple on Friday, July 25, at the Fairies & Phantasies Benefit at the Producers Club. He joins two other luminaries honored that night: Emmy, Bistro, Obie & Razzie-winning Marilyn Sokol and Warhol/Dali muse Ultra Violet. The benefit, which has an ambiance of naughty children's theatre, is part of Bad Musicals Festival '08, running July 21-August 10. The theme that evening is "It Ain't Kansas Anymore!" featuring 3 short musicals: Stranded!, Grimm Late Night, and The Great Plastic Surgeon of Oz. Curtain is at 8; benefit at 10. The festival is the brainchild of NY Artists Unlimited and is part of what they like to call The International Cringe, including bad plays, bad musicals, and soon bad films. At last fall's Bad Plays Festival, legendary director Tom O'Horgan (Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar) was honored. The Fairies & Phantasies Benefit is $25 ($20 if you come in costume) and all proceeds go to support the company's 25 year mission of taking professional theatre to under-served children & family audiences. Attendees are encouraged to dress as a zany version of a favorite children's character and to bring a toy or book for a needy child. There will be costume prizes, games and raffles. In keeping with the children's theatre scheme, there will be lunchbox specials: finger sandwiches (including P&J!), snacks, cupcakes, cake, cookies, penny candy, punch, and more. Co-chairing this event are playwright Jean Hart and Kimberly Kopera, assistant to artistic director Melba LaRose. Sidney Myer has been dubbed "an engagingly mischievous dispenser of musical comedy repartee” by Stephen Holden of The New York Times. He can be seen weekly in the award-winning Poole Party Comedy/Variety Show at Don’t Tell Mama. In addition to numerous appearances Off-Broadway, in film/TV, he is a regular on the Joey Reynolds Show on radio. Sidney has performed in countless NY clubs, as well as nationally/ internationally at Cabaret Conventions produced by The Mabel Mercer Foundation. A familiar face on television and in films, Marilyn Sokol is perhaps best known for her work on the Broadway stage: "The Great God Brown," "Don Juan," and "Conversations with My Father." Off-Broadway: "The Beggar's Opera" and "Merry Wives of Windsor." She has been described by The New York Times as “an entertainer with a deep streak of old vaudevillian merriment.” Ultra Violet appeared in Andy Warhol’s The Life of Juanita Castro (1965) and I, a Man (1967) before cameos in other now-cult films. Her best-selling 1988 autobiography Famous for Fifteen Minutes: My Years with Andy Warhol detailed her rise to fame. A visual artist with political and spiritual overtones, Ultra Violet’s mixed-media works have been exhibited worldwide. On August 10 at 6 pm (no show that night), the festival wraps up with the Carmen Miranda Benefit & Fruit Cup Awards for best plays by audience vote: Golden Pineapple, Silver Tomato, and Bronze Banana. New this year will be the Jack Lemons for best bad actor & actress. There will be surprise celebrity honorees that night as well, but we're not telling yet! Costumes are encouraged and there will be prizes, games & raffles. Come dressed as your favorite fruit! There will be a special award for the Best Carmen. $25 per person ($20 if you come in costume) benefits the company's work with under-served children & families, seniors & elderly. There will be entertainment, food, Brazilian punch, and lots of fruit! The Bad Musicals Festival, in its third year, plays at the Grand Theatre of the Producers Club in the Times Square/ theatre district, July 21-August 10. Mon - Sat 8 pm; Sun @ 2 pm. The musicals in the festival are alternately: politically incorrect, political satire, explicit or utterly zany -- and don't we all need that these days? Renowned composers, writers, and directors participating: Ilann Maazel, Raymound Bokhour, Tony Spinosa, Denver Casado, Kenny Wade Marshall, and more. Musicals are huddled under a theme umbrella for one all-inclusive price per evening or matinee. There will be surprise appearances by Huck DeMilo of Bronze Fondue, naughty singer-songwriter Jessica Delfino, and sound effects comedian extraordinaire Zero Boy. The show runs a max of 2 hours, including a short intermission. For descriptions of each theme evening and play: www.NYartists.org. The event is supported by grants from the Dramatists Guild Fund, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and individual donors. Festival tickets $25 per night or matinee; $15 students with ID; TDF vouchers accepted. Additional charge for benefits. Reservations strongly recommended. Online tix available at www.Theatermania.com or by calling 212-242-6036 (check/m.o.). Grand Theatre at the Producers Club, 358 W. 44 St., betw. Eighth/Ninth Aves. Melba LaRose, Artistic Director, NY Artists Unlimited, 212 West 14 St. (OFFICE), Suite #2A, NYC 10011, phone: 212-242-6036, fax: 212-989-8864, e-mail: nyartunltd@aol.com www.nyartists.org Prairie Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls Wilder on NBC's long-running "Little House on the Prairie" series, will return to that work this summer. Gilbert will play Ma in the musical version of Prairie at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. The cast will also feature Steve Blanchard (Beauty and the Beast, Frankenstein) as Pa, Carnegie Mellon graduate Kara Lindsay as Laura, Jenn Gambatese (Tarzan, Is He Dead?) as Mary, Sara Jean Ford (The Phantom of the Opera) as Nellie and Kevin Massey (Big River, Tarzan) as Almanzo Wilder. Rawstock The Central Heating Lab at ACT continues to crank up the heat with the Summer RAWSTOCK film festival Light & Dark, July 25 at 8:45 pm. Off the heels of the wildly successful Winter and Spring RAWSTOCK festivals, this Summer festival goes from Light…to Dark and promises to be the most unpredictable RAWSTOCK thus far. Heavy with local filmmakers, Light & Dark is unique in its structure and content: 20 all-new films in one night; split into two mini-screenings, one with Light themes, one with very Dark themes. The mini-screenings will be separated by an intermission featuring a surprise local musical talent. Light & Dark includes the world premieres of Shawn Telford's A Night In The Sunlight, his follow up to the audience favorite Gimme Music, Gimme Shelter; Jason Reid's Waiting In Line To Die, a controversial meditation on America's favorite amusement park; and Darrius Schieder's Rinse Cycle, the continued saga of one man's love...for a hand-towel. Featured Seattle premieres include: Calvin Lee Reeder's Rambler, a disturbing yarn that thrilled Sundance filmgoers this year; ES Wochinskey's Shiner, revenge…redneck-style; and Steve Fogell's Engagement, an all-Seattle cast lead by local comedic tour-de-force, John Hildenbiddle. RAWSTOCK perennial favorite Mitch Magee will return, after his Springtime premiere, with a second episode of Welcome To My Study. Doors open at 8:00 and the show begins at 8:45 pm. *WARNING: some films in the "Dark" portion of the evening contain graphic violence and shocking images. For ages 21 and older. This festival is sponsored by Bulleit Bourbon, Wishlisting.com and Rockstar Energy Drink. Tickets for Summer RAWSTOCK: Light & Dark are $15 and are available at the ACT Ticket Office, 700 Union Street, Downtown Seattle, (206) 292-7676 or online at www.acttheatre.org. Sacred is the New Profane "The truth will set you free, but first it's really gonna piss you off," Cheryl Harnest says in her funny, poignant, and deadly serious solo show SACRED IS THE NEW PROFANE. Written and performed by Harnest, SACRED IS THE NEW PROFANE is told stylistically: mixing stand-up, story-telling and character driven scenes, Harnest portrays a breakdown that transformed into a break-through. Directed by Jeremy Bloom, the show begins performances on Friday, July 25th at Stage Left Studio, located at 438 W. 37th Street as part of the Ninth Annual Midtown International Theatre Festival. Cheryl takes the audience on her personal trek to replace life's moaning with meaning. Most significantly, she quits taking the antidepressants she's been on for 13 years -"If religion is the opiate of the masses, then what does that make Prozac - the gateway drug?" Her beloved assists her, as only a heavenly lover can, in realizing that she reflects the Divine. But when the affair falters, an indigenous Australian shaman "who's so plugged in she knows the Dalai Lama AND Madonna" comes to her aid with some spiritual electro-shock! Along the way she journeys to Buddhism and New Age, but it's the inner city kids she teaches who lead her to the real meaning of karma. Through her journey, Cheryl learns that until she can accept what already is (depression, war, or President Bush) - she can't begin to change the situation. "Acceptance is our nature…like, cats don't think 'if only I'd been born a Persian instead of a tabby- I look terrible in stripes!" That's when she is able to see beyond the opposition of dualities such as good OR bad and sacred OR profane - to the inherent interdependence within them and that they are all a part of us. The spawn of a sex-educator mother and a reverend father, Cheryl Harnest is a performer, writer, teacher and coach. She wrote and performed the solo show MotherLoad in Los Angeles and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Of the show, the LA Weekly said "Harnest single-handedly redeems the wrung-out one-woman genre…she stripes her victims with comic skid marks." An MFA graduate of the NYU Dramatic Writing Program, Cheryl's full length-play Scared Clouds was presented in Ensemble Studio Theater's Octoberfest as well as Naked Angel's Writer's Forum. She has written and performed stand up comedy at various clubs in New York and Los Angeles. Cheryl is a teaching artist and has worked with organizations such as the Jewish Community Center and Periwinkle National Theatre. Among Jeremy Bloom's favorite directing credits are his original work, A Mikvah (NYFringe), The Wendy Complex (with Vagabonds and now remounted at MITF), and Speaking Boheme (on a rooftop), as well as ...and the rain (NYU Grad). He has served as assistant to Mary Zimmerman (Metropolitan Opera), Jim Simpson (The Flea), Lee Breuer (Mabou Mines), and Will Patton on Dennis Johnson's Des Moines (Evenstar). Jeremy is also a recent alum of Northwestern's Performance Studies program. Running through Sunday, August 3rd, SACRED IS THE NEW PROFANE will be performed at Stage Left Studio, located at 438 West 37th Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues), Suite 5-A, as part of the Ninth Avenue Midtown International Theatre Festival. Show times are Friday, July 25th at 8:30pm; Saturday, July 26th at 4pm; Friday, August 1st at 8pm, Saturday, August 2nd at 2pm, and Sunday August 3rd at 2:30pm. Tickets are $18.00, $15.00 for students and seniors. Reservations: 212-279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com. Information: www.midtownfestival.org. San Francisco Children’s Theater Festival to be 7/27 The fifth annual San Francisco Children’s Theater Festival, a one-day free event with 20 shows for children will be held Sunday, July 27th, 11:00 am-4:30 pm at Yerba Buena Gardens and the Zeum Theater. All admissions are free. The SF Children’s Theater Festival presents magicians, jugglers, fairytales, musicians, circus, storytelling—a wonderful lineup of professional entertainers and performing youngsters in a one-day annual event. Performers include Comedy magician Robert Strong, Zappo the Magician, magician Brian Scott, Juggler comic Fred Anderson, Solano Youth Theatre, Unique Derique, Tye the Magic Guy, Boswick the Clown, Golden Thread Fairytale Players, SF Circus, CalShakes Conservatory, and Oakland Public Conservatory of Music's Youth Marimba Band. Plus Storytelling Assoc. of Alta California, juggler David Hirata, Pi: The Physical Comedy Troupe, SF Circus, Et Ceteras, and SF Sound Wave Chorus. The children’s festival is held in conjunction with the SF Theater Festival, which includes 80 additional shows. Many of the performances in the SF Theater Festival are also family friendly. The festival takes place at Yerba Buena Gardens and the Zeum. Yerba Buena Gardens is located between Mission & Folsom, Third & Fourth Streets, in downtown San Francisco. Zeum is at Howard and 4th Street. Easy to reach by MUNI and BART. “This is the chance to introduce youngsters to live performances of all kinds, to see professionals as well as other young people performing. This can be inspiring to young people,” said producer Bill Schwartz. The children’s theater festival is presented in partnership with the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and Zeum and in association with The Buddy Club. Information: www.sftheaterfestival.org, 415-543-1718

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story-Closing Cynthia Nixon and Julianne Moore Join Beckett Readings 7/26,27 Actresses Julianne Moore and Cynthia Nixon will join Ralph Fiennes, Barry McGovern and Liam Neeson onstage this Saturday and Sunday (July 26 and 27) at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College for hour-long poetry and prose readings by Samuel Beckett, as Gate|Beckett ends its acclaimed run at the Lincoln Center Festival. The actors will read from a selection of extracts from Beckett's novels and poetry, as well as his shorter prose and dramatic works.  The reading on Saturday, July 26th at 2 p.m. features Julianne Moore, Barry McGovern and Liam Neeson. Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Barry McGovern and Cynthia Nixon read on Sunday, July 27th at 2 p.m. Tickets, priced at $20 and $40, may be purchased at the Avery Fisher Hall box office, through CenterCharge, 212/721-6500 or online at LincolnCenter.org. Remaining tickets for the Gate|Beckett performances are also available at these outlets. The one-man  plays are Eh Joe (with Neeson), which was written for television in 1965; I'll Go On (with McGovern), adapted from the 1950s novels Molloy, Malone Dies, and The Unnamable; and First Love (with Fiennes), based on a 1965 novella. Dead Man's Cell Phone- Closing Desdemona The Mill Kicks Off Season with A Night of Burlesque Featuring Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief and a Fundraising Party at Feed The Mill presents an evening of burlesque performance concluding with Desdemona, Paula Vogel's satiric look at The Last Days of the Shakespearean heroine. Desdemona opens Sunday, July 27, 2008 at 8pm at Stage Left Theatre, 3408 N. Sheffield Ave. in Chicago. Run time is approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. Desdemona will run Thursdays through Sundays at 8 PM until Saturday, August 23, 2008, with two additional Saturday performances at 3pm on Saturday August 16th and 23rd. Preview performances will be held on 7/25 and 7/26 at 8 PM. Opening night tickets on 7/27 are $30 and cover admission to the show, pre-show cocktails, and the reception following which includes a chance to mingle with the cast and crew. Regular tickets are $20. Preview tickets are $15 (or $5 for industry members with resume/headshot/ business card). All students and senior tickets are $15 with ID - groups of seven or more are $15 per ticket. Industry tickets are offered for $10 every Thursday. Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets, or through HotTix Locations. The Mill Presents A Night of Burlesque Featuring Desdemona It turns out Cassio might be the only guy Dessie hasn't shagged. This bawdy re-imagining is a raucous romp filled with unexpected twists. The Mill's production draws inspiration from the structure of early burlesque, using original songs and skits poking fun at Othello and gender politics to make up the first act of the performance and finishing with Vogel's parody of one of Shakespeare's great plays. The Mill Celebrates its Inception This production is of special meaning to The Mill. In 2003, founder and Artistic Director Jaclyn Biskup found herself in a challenging position. She had been hired to direct Desdemona, and after many weeks of rehearsal, the producing theatre decided to cancel the production. As Biskup saw it there was only one acceptable solution to this unexpected problem, produce the show herself. This forever changed the direction and ambitions of Experimental Theatre Chicago, later to be re-named The Mill. Remounting and re-imagining this piece is a way of paying tribute to The Mill's origin and celebrating the artistic and organizational growth of the company. Come Kick Off The Mill's Sixth Season With a Hootenanny On Sunday, June 22 The Mill will get its 2008-2009 Season started with a bang at Feed restaurant in Humboldt Park, 2803 W. Chicago Ave. From 5pm to 9pm stop by Feed's charming patio to eat some delicious grub, swig refreshing libations, and enjoy the musical styling of Vernon Tonges, Stephanie Sherline, and MaryBeth Brennan aka Baggy Time. The Mill will be raffling off a case of wine, a season subscription, and more. Support creative, local theatre while getting into the swing of summer. Happy Sunshine Kung Fu Flower @ Zipper Factory HAPPY SUNSHINE KUNG FU FLOWER, with Special Guest, First Lieutenant Paul Rieckhoff, author of Chasing Ghosts, founder of IAVA, and nationally recognized authority on the War in Iraq will be July 26 at 10.30pm at The Zipper Factory. Called 'Shocking, Engaging, Funny, and Totally Original,' by Rachel Maddow of MSNBC/Air America, Happy Sunshine Kung Fu Flower is a multimedia socio-political satire centering on a group of outsourced Japanese Ninjas hired by China to infiltrate the American Psyche by taking on roles in the Media, Pop Culture, and Politics. The savvy show, now at The Zipper Factory, began at Lotus and later moved to Comix and Ars Nova, gaining recognition and a cult following in NYC for integrating political pundits, celebrities, journalists, and music from the NYC underground scene into its raw comedy format. Past guests have included Mo Rocca, Amy Goodman, Rachel Maddow, Rachel Sklar, and Michael Musto, among others. HAPPY SUNSHINE KUNG FU FLOWER is written by Matthew-Lee Erlbach (Till the Break of Dawn), directed by Darren Katz (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), with music arrangements by Ian Wehrle, and features Lynn Andrews (Annie), Tarik Davis (Boom Chicago), Kevin R Free (TMLMTBGB), Brooke Ishibashi, Stephen Sheffer, and Stephen Reyes. Heath Calvert (The Huffington Post) serves as contributing writer and creative consultant, Kelli Jo Claxton (Countdown with Keith Olbermann) is Production Manager, and Wendy Harris is the General Manager. PAUL RIECKHOFF, 33, is theExecutive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans ofAmerica (IAVA). A nonpartisan, non-profit founded in 2004 with tens ofthousands of members in all 50 US states, IAVA is America's first andlargest Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans group. Rieckhoff was a FirstLieutenant and infantry rifle platoon leader in the Iraq war from2003-2004. He is now a nationally recognized authority on the war inIraq and issues affecting troops, military families and veterans. Honored by Esquire magazine as one of "America's Best and Brightest" in2004, Rieckhoff has appeared on hundreds of radio and televisionprograms. Recent appearances include: ABC's documentary "To Iraq andBack: Bob Woodruff Reports," The Charlie Rose Show, 60 Minutes, TheNewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Paula Zahn Now, This Week With GeorgeStephanopoulos, Good Morning America, Anderson Cooper 360, Countdownwith Keith Olbermann, Hardball with Chris Matthews, The NBC NightlyNews, ABC World News Tonight, The CBS Evening News, Hannity and Colmes,The Big Story with John Gibson, BBC World, NPR's Morning Edition, AllThings Considered, Fresh Air, and The Colbert Report. Rieckhoff has had opinion pieces printed by The New York Times, theInternational Herald Tribune, Knight-Ridder and The New York DailyNews, and is a regular blogger for The Huffington Post andMilitary.com. He has been featured in The Associated Press, U.S. Newsand World Report, Newsweek, The New York Times, GIANT Magazine,Washington Post, L.A. Times, Army Times, Wall Street Journal, Reuters,The New York Post, and Newsday. Rieckhoff's first book, a critically acclaimed account of hisexperiences in Iraq and activism afterwards, titled Chasing Ghosts, waspublished by Penguin in May 2006 and released in paperback in May 2007. Rieckhoff enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves on September 15, 1998 andcompleted Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training atFort McClellan, Alabama. He then served in the U.S. Army Reserves, as aSpecialist with the 812th Military Police Company. While working onWall Street at J.P. Morgan in 1999, Rieckhoff transferred to the NewYork Army National Guard, graduating from Officer Candidate School inJune 2001. He was named a Distinguished Military Graduate. Rieckhoffselected infantry as his branch and joined A Company, 1/105th INF(Light). Rieckhoff left Wall Street on September 8, 2001 with plans to traveland complete additional military schooling. Those plans would changedramatically. On the morning of September 11, Rieckhoff was at hisapartment on 24th Street in Manhattan when the first plane hit theWorld Trade Center. He saw the smoke from his rooftop, and immediatelyjoined scores of volunteers serving in the rescue effort at GroundZero. His unit was formally activated for rescue and securityoperations later that evening. In February 2002, Rieckhoff began Infantry Officers Basic Course atFort Benning, Georgia. He graduated in June of 2002 and immediatelyvolunteered for active duty and a place in the pending war in Iraq. In January, 2003, Rieckhoff got the call to go to Iraq. Two days later,he was on a plane to join the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart,Georgia. Rieckhoff was then assigned as a Platoon Leader for 3rdPlatoon, B Company, 3/124th INF (Air Assault) FLNG. The unit was attached to 1st Brigade, 3ID and spent almost a yearconducting combat operations in Iraq, centered in the Adamiyah sectionof Baghdad on the Eastern bank of the Tigris River. Third Platoonconducted over 1,000 dismounted and mounted combat patrols. 3/124th INFwas the first reserve component unit in the Army to be awarded theCombat Infantryman Badge since the Korean War. All thirty-eight of themen in Rieckhoff's platoon returned home alive. Rieckhoff was released from active duty on March 2004 and now serves asan infantry officer in the New York Army National Guard. He is astaunch political independent, and his organization is tied to nopolitical party or candidate. A 1998 graduate of Amherst College,Rieckhoff now lives in New York City. O'Neil to Host McCourt Cup On Sunday, July 27, 2008, the O'Neill Theater Center will host the McCourt Cup, founded by renowned Irish-American author Frank McCourt and his brother Malachy McCourt. The spectacular lawns of the O'Neill on the Long Island Sound will provide the backdrop for the croquet tournament. The local public is invited to play, though space is limited, and reservations are necessary. Ticket prices are $35/person, and include the morning instruction; the opportunity to compete; lunch; and admission to opening remarks by Frank McCourt and a closing song by Malachy McCourt. The day is co-sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut. The day will begin at 10:30am with instruction for croquet novices; a boxed lunch will be served during Mr. McCourt's talk at 11:30am, and tournament play will begin at approximately 12:45pm. Teams composed of the McCourts, the O'Neill's writers and artists in residence for the National Playwrights Conference, and local guests will compete for the Cup. The day will conclude at 5:15pm with an optional reading of the 2008 Irish play, Without You, by Ursula Rani Sarma of Dublin, which will also conclude the 2008 National Playwrights Conference. Tickets for participants are available at a discount of $15. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Suzanne Hendrix at 860.443.5378 (ext 217) or at shendrix@theoneill.org. The McCourt Cup is an invitational doubles tournament overseen by sanctioned officials from the United States Croquet Association (USCA). The tradition was started in 2000 after Mike Gibbons, a member of the USCA Hall of Fame, and his wife, Cynthia, a ranked Croquet Association champion, read Malachy's memoir, "A Monk Swimming," in which he describes his surprising victory in a croquet tournament in Central Park in 1986. For the McCourt Cup, contestants play "golf croquet," in which two-person teams try to be the first to hit their balls through six wickets and against a peg. The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center advances the American Theater through programs that encourage creative excellence and develop diverse voices and new work. It has been home to more than 1,000 new works for the stage and 2,500 emerging artists since its founding in 1964. Scores of projects developed at the O'Neill have gone on to full productions at other theaters around the world, including Broadway, off-Broadway and major regional theaters, garnering every major award for theatrical excellence. The O'Neill has been honored with a Tony Award, the Jujamcyn Award for Theater Excellence, the National Opera Award and the Arts and Business Council Encore Award. The O'Neill's programs include the National Playwrights Conference, National Music Theater Conference, Puppetry Conference, Cabaret & Performance Conference, National Critics Institute, and the National Theater Institute, which includes semester-long, fully accredited intensive theater-training programs and a six-week accredited summer program, Theatermakers. In addition, the O'Neill owns and operates the Monte Cristo Cottage, a National Historic Landmark and the childhood home of Nobel Prize-winning and four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Eugene O'Neill. For more information, please visit the O'Neill website at www.theoneill.org or call 860-443-5378. Prairie Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls Wilder on NBC's long-running "Little House on the Prairie" series, will return to that work this summer. Gilbert will play Ma in the musical version of Prairie at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. The cast will also feature Steve Blanchard (Beauty and the Beast, Frankenstein) as Pa, Carnegie Mellon graduate Kara Lindsay as Laura, Jenn Gambatese (Tarzan, Is He Dead?) as Mary, Sara Jean Ford (The Phantom of the Opera) as Nellie and Kevin Massey (Big River, Tarzan) as Almanzo Wilder. San Francisco Children’s Theater Festival to be 7/27 The fifth annual San Francisco Children’s Theater Festival, a one-day free event with 20 shows for children will be held Sunday, July 27th, 11:00 am-4:30 pm at Yerba Buena Gardens and the Zeum Theater. All admissions are free. The SF Children’s Theater Festival presents magicians, jugglers, fairytales, musicians, circus, storytelling—a wonderful lineup of professional entertainers and performing youngsters in a one-day annual event. Performers include Comedy magician Robert Strong, Zappo the Magician, magician Brian Scott, Juggler comic Fred Anderson, Solano Youth Theatre, Unique Derique, Tye the Magic Guy, Boswick the Clown, Golden Thread Fairytale Players, SF Circus, CalShakes Conservatory, and Oakland Public Conservatory of Music's Youth Marimba Band. Plus Storytelling Assoc. of Alta California, juggler David Hirata, Pi: The Physical Comedy Troupe, SF Circus, Et Ceteras, and SF Sound Wave Chorus. The children’s festival is held in conjunction with the SF Theater Festival, which includes 80 additional shows. Many of the performances in the SF Theater Festival are also family friendly. The festival takes place at Yerba Buena Gardens and the Zeum. Yerba Buena Gardens is located between Mission & Folsom, Third & Fourth Streets, in downtown San Francisco. Zeum is at Howard and 4th Street. Easy to reach by MUNI and BART. “This is the chance to introduce youngsters to live performances of all kinds, to see professionals as well as other young people performing. This can be inspiring to young people,” said producer Bill Schwartz. The children’s theater festival is presented in partnership with the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and Zeum and in association with The Buddy Club. Information: www.sftheaterfestival.org, 415-543-1718 Sporknotes Sporknotes is a 45-Minute set of intellectual mockery and literary blasphemy, set in motion by audience suggestions of both Classic & Obscure Literature, the troupe of improvisers and actors bring the stories to life with little to no knowledge of the story line, guided only by online student study guides!

Alicia Witt To Perform At Joe's Pub On 7/28 Actress/singer/songwriter ALICIA WITT will be singing and performing a set of her original songs with piano and full band at the Public Theater’s JOE’s PUB on Monday, July 28th at 9:30 PM.  Alicia is an award-winning classical pianist. With special guests Josiah Early, Jeff Fiorello and Lady Rizo of Lady Rizo and the Assettes.   Recently on television, Witt was last seen on USA Network/NBC drama “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” as detective Nola Falacci opposite Chris Noth in an eight episode arc.  Alicia, known for such films as “The Upside of Anger,” “Two Weeks Notice,” and “Mr. Holland’s Opus.”  Witt was recently seen opposite Al Pacino in Screen Gems’ psychological thriller “88 Minutes.” Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story-Closing Confessions of a Mormon Boy CONFESSIONS OF A MORMON BOY written and performed by Steven Fales plays 28 July to 30 August at New End Theatre, 27 New End, Hampstead London NW3 1JD (www.newendtheatre.co.uk). CONFESSIONS OF A MORMON BOY is Steven Fales’ compelling, humorous and inspiring true story about how he - a gay man - went from being a Mormon boy in Utah to a high-priced call boy in New York City. His provocative tale takes the audience through his excommunication from the Mormon church, marriage, having children, divorce, prostitution and drug abuse, as he struggles to reclaim himself, his children and his ‘Donny Osmond’ smile. The play was written to help end spiritual violence against gays and lesbians in churches, synagogues and mosques. Fales says ‘I wrote the play so that my children would some day be able to understand their gay father” and he adds “ I kept thinking that if I were to die, there wasn’t anyone I could fully trust to tell my kids who their ‘wicked’ gay dad really was and how much I loved them.” CONFESSIONS OF A MORMON BOY received the 2008 Oscar Wilde Award Nomination for Outstanding New Writing in the Theatre at the Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival, a New York Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance and an Overall Excellence Award at the 2004 New York International Fringe Festival. The book of the play, Confessions of a Mormon Boy was a recent finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. Steven Fales is a classically trained actor with an MFA in acting from the University of Connecticut. He turned to writing and stand-up when his perfect Mormon world fell apart. Born in Provo, Utah, Fales began performing as a young boy singing solos in church. Credits include leading roles at the Utah Shakespearean Festival, Pioneer Theatre Company, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Sundance Theatre and has worked in film and television. He is currently touring his cabaret show MORMON AMERCIAN PRINCESS and is writing his second book OXY-MORMON MEMOIRS. Fales’ former mother-in-law is celebrated Mormon poet Carol Lynn Pearson whose autobiography ‘Good-bye, I Love You’ (Random House 1986), poignantly recounts her relationship with her gay ex-husband who died of AIDS in her home. Steven Fales married their oldest daughter, Emily and together they have two children whom they raise in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dead Man's Cell Phone- Closing Desdemona The Mill Kicks Off Season with A Night of Burlesque Featuring Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief and a Fundraising Party at Feed The Mill presents an evening of burlesque performance concluding with Desdemona, Paula Vogel's satiric look at The Last Days of the Shakespearean heroine. Desdemona opens Sunday, July 27, 2008 at 8pm at Stage Left Theatre, 3408 N. Sheffield Ave. in Chicago. Run time is approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. Desdemona will run Thursdays through Sundays at 8 PM until Saturday, August 23, 2008, with two additional Saturday performances at 3pm on Saturday August 16th and 23rd. Preview performances will be held on 7/25 and 7/26 at 8 PM. Opening night tickets on 7/27 are $30 and cover admission to the show, pre-show cocktails, and the reception following which includes a chance to mingle with the cast and crew. Regular tickets are $20. Preview tickets are $15 (or $5 for industry members with resume/headshot/ business card). All students and senior tickets are $15 with ID - groups of seven or more are $15 per ticket. Industry tickets are offered for $10 every Thursday. Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets, or through HotTix Locations. The Mill Presents A Night of Burlesque Featuring Desdemona It turns out Cassio might be the only guy Dessie hasn't shagged. This bawdy re-imagining is a raucous romp filled with unexpected twists. The Mill's production draws inspiration from the structure of early burlesque, using original songs and skits poking fun at Othello and gender politics to make up the first act of the performance and finishing with Vogel's parody of one of Shakespeare's great plays. The Mill Celebrates its Inception This production is of special meaning to The Mill. In 2003, founder and Artistic Director Jaclyn Biskup found herself in a challenging position. She had been hired to direct Desdemona, and after many weeks of rehearsal, the producing theatre decided to cancel the production. As Biskup saw it there was only one acceptable solution to this unexpected problem, produce the show herself. This forever changed the direction and ambitions of Experimental Theatre Chicago, later to be re-named The Mill. Remounting and re-imagining this piece is a way of paying tribute to The Mill's origin and celebrating the artistic and organizational growth of the company. Come Kick Off The Mill's Sixth Season With a Hootenanny On Sunday, June 22 The Mill will get its 2008-2009 Season started with a bang at Feed restaurant in Humboldt Park, 2803 W. Chicago Ave. From 5pm to 9pm stop by Feed's charming patio to eat some delicious grub, swig refreshing libations, and enjoy the musical styling of Vernon Tonges, Stephanie Sherline, and MaryBeth Brennan aka Baggy Time. The Mill will be raffling off a case of wine, a season subscription, and more. Support creative, local theatre while getting into the swing of summer. Friends With Benefits 5 Friends with Benefits 5 A Benefit for BC/EFA Hosted by MAC winner Amy Wolk and Mamma Mia's Gerard Salvador Musical Direction by Mark Hartman!!! with performances from.... Cathryn Basile Jeff Blumenkrantz Natalie Douglas Adam Jacobs Leigh Ann Larkin Matty Price Pearl Sun Josh Scheer Kirsten Wyatt and more... MAKE A RESERVATION! 212-206-0440 $20 cover, 2 drink minimum All proceeds go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Laurie Beechman Theatre Welcomes Becca Ayers 7/28 The Laurie Beechman Theatre is very pleased to welcome Broadway’s Becca Ayers for a one night only concert that will feature her own music, as well as a special guest appearance from her sister, Heather Ayers. This one night only concert takes place on Monday, July 28 @ 7pm. There is a $15 cover, as well as a $15 food or beverage minimum (a full bar and dinner menu is available). The Laurie Beechman Theatre is located at 407 West 42nd St. (@ 9th Ave), in the heart of New York’s theatre district. For reservations, which are recommended, please call 212 695 6909. BECCA AYERS is currently in the original cast of the first revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center. She was also understudied Madame Thenardeir in Les Miserables and Kate/Lucy, Mrs. T/Bear in Avenue Q on Broadway. She was the title role in Sarah, Plain and Tall Off-Broadway and understudied Lucy in the tour of Jekyll and Hyde. Becca also recently wrapped the film Clear Blue Tuesday which is now in post-production. Her song, “Taste” was used for the pilot of television’s “Temps” which was an official selection for the New York Television Festival in 2006. She is working on solo material as well as songs with band partners Bradley Dean Whyte (myspace.com/ayerswhyte) and Russ Rowland (myspace.com/babygoesbang). Becca and Russ are anticipating completion of their Baby Goes Bang cd. Listen to her latest releases at www.myspace.com/beccaayers.   Voices From the Great White Way continues with: August 11th Hollywood Arms/Sweeney Todd’s Donna Lynne Champlin August 17th (9:30pm) and 24th (7pm) Taboo/South Pacific’s Liz McCartney August 25th Chicago and Jekyll & Hyde’s Luba Mason September 8th Falsettos/Hairspray/Company’s Barbara Walsh September 15th My Fair Lady/Oklahoma/The Scarlet Pimpernel’s Christine Andreas September 22nd The Producers/The Little Mermaid’s John Treacy Egan September 29th The Secret Garden/Gypsy’s Alison Fraser         October 13th In The Heights/The Ritz/The Full Monty’s Andrea Burns October 20th Xanadu/42nd Street/On The Town’s Mary Testa October 27th Sweeney Todd/Les Miserables/Sunday in the Park with George’s Alexander Gemignani November 3rd Mamma Mia/Chess’s Marcy & Zina Show @ Birdland Jim Caruso's Cast Party and TheaterMania.com, the leading source for exclusive theater information and live-events tickets nationwide, are proud to announce celebrated and honored songwriting and performing team of Marcy Heisler (bookwriter/lyricist) and Zina Goldrich (composer), in "The Marcy & Zina Show", Monday, July 28, 2008 at 7:00pm, as part of the long-running, Nightlife Award-winning concert series Broadway at Birdland. The Marcy & Zina Show will feature the duo's best-loved songs written for theater and cabaret, as well as introduce new songs from the upcoming Broadway production of Ever After. Raves David Finkle of The Village Voice, HEISLER and GOLDRICH "sing the songs they write with the kind of wit and intelligence of the Dorothy Parkers and Fields… [They] have been turning out smart lyrics and sophisticated melodies for some time. Keep in mind they're the ones whose nifty love song rhymed 'quesadilla' with 'IKEA.' The team's strength lies in making the intelligent hummable – something predecessors like Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and the Gershwin Brothers were always able to do." Heisler and Goldrich, who have been collaborating since 1993, were recently voted "Best Knocking on Broadway's Door Songwriting Team" in the Village Voice's Best of NYC edition, as well as the 2002 recipients of ASCAP's Richard Rodgers New Horizons Theatre Award. They have toured both domestically and internationally, performing their music at some of the world's most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, Canada's "Juste Pour Rire" comedy festival and the Kennedy Center. Their song "Taylor, the Latte Boy" has been recorded by Christiane Noll and Susan Egan, and is featured on Kristin Chenoweth's album on the Sony label. Their body of work has garnered much respect as well as several songwriter awards, including 4 MAC Awards, 2 Bistro Awards, and several musical theatre grants. Their 32-song folio, Goldrich and Heisler Vol. 1, was published last year and is already in its second printing. In 2004, Heisler and Goldrich authored Junie B. Jones for Theatreworks USA, which enjoyed a six-week run at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, as part of New York's Free Summer Theatre Program and is currently touring the country. Tickets are $30.00 + $10.00 Food/Drink Minimum (Per Person). Tickets can be purchased Online: www.BIRDLANDJAZZ.com; or by Telephone: 212.581.3080. O'Neil to Host McCourt Cup On Sunday, July 27, 2008, the O'Neill Theater Center will host the McCourt Cup, founded by renowned Irish-American author Frank McCourt and his brother Malachy McCourt. The spectacular lawns of the O'Neill on the Long Island Sound will provide the backdrop for the croquet tournament. The local public is invited to play, though space is limited, and reservations are necessary. Ticket prices are $35/person, and include the morning instruction; the opportunity to compete; lunch; and admission to opening remarks by Frank McCourt and a closing song by Malachy McCourt. The day is co-sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut. The day will begin at 10:30am with instruction for croquet novices; a boxed lunch will be served during Mr. McCourt's talk at 11:30am, and tournament play will begin at approximately 12:45pm. Teams composed of the McCourts, the O'Neill's writers and artists in residence for the National Playwrights Conference, and local guests will compete for the Cup. The day will conclude at 5:15pm with an optional reading of the 2008 Irish play, Without You, by Ursula Rani Sarma of Dublin, which will also conclude the 2008 National Playwrights Conference. Tickets for participants are available at a discount of $15. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Suzanne Hendrix at 860.443.5378 (ext 217) or at shendrix@theoneill.org. The McCourt Cup is an invitational doubles tournament overseen by sanctioned officials from the United States Croquet Association (USCA). The tradition was started in 2000 after Mike Gibbons, a member of the USCA Hall of Fame, and his wife, Cynthia, a ranked Croquet Association champion, read Malachy's memoir, "A Monk Swimming," in which he describes his surprising victory in a croquet tournament in Central Park in 1986. For the McCourt Cup, contestants play "golf croquet," in which two-person teams try to be the first to hit their balls through six wickets and against a peg. The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center advances the American Theater through programs that encourage creative excellence and develop diverse voices and new work. It has been home to more than 1,000 new works for the stage and 2,500 emerging artists since its founding in 1964. Scores of projects developed at the O'Neill have gone on to full productions at other theaters around the world, including Broadway, off-Broadway and major regional theaters, garnering every major award for theatrical excellence. The O'Neill has been honored with a Tony Award, the Jujamcyn Award for Theater Excellence, the National Opera Award and the Arts and Business Council Encore Award. The O'Neill's programs include the National Playwrights Conference, National Music Theater Conference, Puppetry Conference, Cabaret & Performance Conference, National Critics Institute, and the National Theater Institute, which includes semester-long, fully accredited intensive theater-training programs and a six-week accredited summer program, Theatermakers. In addition, the O'Neill owns and operates the Monte Cristo Cottage, a National Historic Landmark and the childhood home of Nobel Prize-winning and four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Eugene O'Neill. For more information, please visit the O'Neill website at www.theoneill.org or call 860-443-5378. Searching For Peter and Mary Jane: Spiderman Holds Open Casting Call  The upcoming Broadway bound musical Spiderman will be holding an open call for the roles of Peter Parker, Mary Jane, and one female ensemble member on July 28th at the Knitting Factory from 10am 5pm. The casting call states they are looking for the following: Peter Parker: male, 16-20’s, great Rock voice, can be nerdy with understated sex appeal, good sense of humor Mary Jane: female, 16-20’s, beautiful girl next door, strong pop/rock singing voice Principal Woman: female, 25-35 years old, Amazing Rock vocals, think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern /Bulgarian/Greek/ twist.  Foreign, world music types are great, foreign accents are great!  All ethnicities Marvel Comic executive Peter Cuneo confirmed that the musical version of the popular comic and film Spider-Man is "definitely a go". They are still waiting on a venue to announce show dates and location. Film site IESB.net reports that Marvel's Peter Cuneo says they are, "very pleased with our Broadway show. The show is done, it's being directed by Julie Taymor who of course won the Tony for Lion King. The music has been done by Bono and The Edge. A late '09 launch or a 2010...actually it's a challenge to find a theater on Broadway right now. These things are all scheduled, as you might imagine, well in advance. So the timing is more related to getting a theater than it is to the progress of the show." According to recent reports Julie Taymor is confirmed to direct and Bono and The Edge are writing the lyrics and score. Rumor has it that the musical could open as early as early 2009. Cuneo went on to state that the creative direction and execution of the show is already in progress and very solid, they are only waiting on a theater to seal the deal. "Spider-Man (Peter Benjamin Parker) is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero, created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko. The character first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962), and has since gone on to become one of the most popular, enduring and commercially successful superheroes worldwide, and is arguably Marvel's most famous character. When Spider-Man first appeared in the early 1960s, teenagers in superhero comic books were usually relegated to the role of sidekick to the series' main character. The Spider-Man series broke ground by featuring Peter Parker, a teenage high school student to whose "self-obsessions with rejection, inadequacy, and loneliness" young readers could relate.[1] Spider-Man has since appeared in various media, including several animated and live-action television series, syndicated newspaper comic strips and a successful series of films starring actor Tobey Maguire as the character. Marvel has featured Spider-Man in several comic book series, the first titled The Amazing Spider-Man. Over the years, the Peter Parker character has developed from shy high school student to troubled college student to a married teacher and a member of the superhero team the New Avengers," state press notes. Taymor, who won a Tony Award for directing the Broadway musical The Lion King and who is also known for equally visually imaginative films such as Titus and Frida, helmed the recent Metropolitan Opera production of The Magic Flute, as well as productions such as Juan Darien, The Tempest, and Oedipus Rex. Sporknotes Sporknotes is a 45-Minute set of intellectual mockery and literary blasphemy, set in motion by audience suggestions of both Classic & Obscure Literature, the troupe of improvisers and actors bring the stories to life with little to no knowledge of the story line, guided only by online student study guides! [title of show] Performs At Splash Bar On Monday, July 28th, at 11:30pm, "Scott Nevins' Curtain Call" with have as their special guests the cast of Broadway's  [title of show] at Splash. The new Broadway hit "Title of Show" now playing at the Lyceum Theatre. Tonight, directly following the video madness of "Musical Mondays", cast members from everyone's favorite new Broadway show about putting on a Broadway show (!) will be performing live and giving away free tickets - all hosted by Scott Nevins! So, get there early to grab a seat to watch those legendary musical numbers on the screens, and then sit tight as the cast of [title of show] performs live in person! Admission is free until 10pm, $5 after. Must be 21 w/ id. Splash - 50 west 17th st (b/w 5th and 6th).

Alicia Witt To Perform At Joe's Pub On 7/28 Actress/singer/songwriter ALICIA WITT will be singing and performing a set of her original songs with piano and full band at the Public Theater’s JOE’s PUB on Monday, July 28th at 9:30 PM.  Alicia is an award-winning classical pianist. With special guests Josiah Early, Jeff Fiorello and Lady Rizo of Lady Rizo and the Assettes.   Recently on television, Witt was last seen on USA Network/NBC drama “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” as detective Nola Falacci opposite Chris Noth in an eight episode arc.  Alicia, known for such films as “The Upside of Anger,” “Two Weeks Notice,” and “Mr. Holland’s Opus.”  Witt was recently seen opposite Al Pacino in Screen Gems’ psychological thriller “88 Minutes.” Broadway On Randolph: August 1st- Cabaret Chicago Cabaret Professionals in collaboration with the City Of Chicago Department Of Cultural Affairs present Broadway on Randolph At the Storefront Theater 66 East Randolph Street Chicago, IL 60601 WHAT: Chicago Cabaret Professionals (CCP) in collaboration with the City Of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs salute the Great American Songbook with two musical theater revues featuring tunes by Richard Rogers and Stephen Schwartz. Don’t miss this one-weekend only event which showcases many of Chicago’s finest singers. The Sweetest Sounds--The Music of Richard Rodgers Directed by: John Eskola Musical Director: Patricia Rusk Featuring: Elizabeth Doyle, John Eskola, Paul Marinaro, Allen Nichols and Kat Taylor. Friday, August 1, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, August 2, 2:00 p.m. The timeless music of Richard Rodgers has enhanced our lives for generations. Beginning with his partnership with Lorenz Hart, his passionate, rhythmic and innovative music continued through his Pulitzer-Prize winning collaboration with Oscar Hammerstein. The Sweetest Sounds offers beautiful, evocative melodies. Songs include:” Manhattan,” “Blue Moon,” “My Funny Valentine,” “If I Loved You,” “ This Nearly Was Mine” and more. Music To Do--The Magic of Stephen Schwartz Directed by: Tracy Adams Musical Director: Beckie Menzie Featuring: Tracy Adams, Laura Freeman, Gillian Kelly, KT McCammond, Beckie Menzie, Tom Michael, Bradford Thacker, and Todd Vitale. Saturday, August 2, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, August 3, 2:00 p.m. Explore the unique music and fascinating characters created by Stephen Schwartz. Schwartz’s songs appear in stage musicals and films including Wicked, Pippin, Godspell, The Baker’s Wife, Disney’s Pocahonatas, Magic Show, and many more. Those three witches are only the beginning! WHERE:: Chicago DCA Theater’s Storefront Theater, 66 East Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601 TICKETS: |Box Office: 312-742-TIXS or visit www.dcatheater.org to purchase tickets.  Tickets are $15   More information on CCP and Chicago DCA Theater can be found at www.dcatheater.org and  www.chicagocabaret.org Claassen Plays Legendary Edith Head In UK's Conversation Arizona-based actress SUSAN CLAASSEN stars on London’s West End as legendary Hollywood designer Edith Head in “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD”. Anthony Field Associates presents this West End premiere at the Arts Club at the Arts Theatre from Tuesday, July 29 through Sunday, August 31, 2008. The intimate portrait was written by Paddy Calistro and Susan Claassen. The press opening will be on Thursday, July 31 at 8 PM. “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD”, based on the book Edith Head’s Hollywood by Edith Head & Paddy Calistro, is a behind-the-scenes feast of great movie legends and delicious stories that provide an insight into Hollywood’s legendary costume designer. In her six decades of costume design, she worked on over eleven hundred films; dressed the greatest stars of Hollywood; received 35 Academy Award® nominations, and won an unprecedented eight Oscars®. Edith Head’s story is as fascinating as the history of the film industry itself, filled with humor, frustration and, above all, glamour. This diva of design helped to define glamour in the most glamorous place in the world - Hollywood! Edith Head was a Hollywood costume designer for more than 60 years. 44 of those years were spent at Paramount Studios, where she worked with the most famous actors of the time, from Mae West and Clara Bow to Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Bette Davis. When Paramount failed to renew her contract in 1967, Alfred Hitchcock stepped in and Ms. Head was invited to join Universal Studios. At Universal she costumed Robert Redford and Paul Newman in “The Sting” and won the first-ever Oscar® for a film without a female lead. Her eight Academy Award® celebrated her artistry in “The Heiress” (her first Oscar®), “Samson & Delilah”, “All About Eve”, “A Place in the Sun”, “Roman Holiday”, “Sabrina”, “The Facts of Life” and “The Sting”. Edith Head died in October 1981, still under contract to Universal Studios, having just completed working on the Steve Martin film, “Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid”. Susan Claassen was inspired to write and star in “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD” while watching a TV biography of Ms. Head. The petite, dark-haired actress immediately imagined herself playing Edith Head, “…a perfect fit,” as Claassen describes it. “Not only do I bear a striking resemblance to Edith, but we share the same love for clothes and fashion. Edith did what no woman did in the history of film. She survived the boy’s club world of Hollywood to enjoy a 60-year career, during which she worked on a staggering 1,131 films, earned 35 Oscar nominations and won eight. She stitched Dorothy Lamour into her sarong; put Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in kilts in “The Road to Bali”; created Bette Davis’ glamorous Margo Channing; made teenage girls swoon over Elizabeth Taylor’s white ballgown in “A Place in the Sun”; dressed Ingrid Bergman in “Notorious”, Grace Kelly in “To Catch A Thief”, Kim Novak in “Vertigo”, Gloria Swanson in “Sunset Boulevard” and Sean Connery in “The Man Who Would Be King”. There are many myths about her but she was a discreet, tenacious personality. She knew whose hips needed clever disguising and made sure those legendary stars always looked the part. Our show gives the inside scoop on Edith and the Golden Age of Hollywood.” “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD” premiered at the Invisible Theatre in Tucson, Arizona in January, 2002 and was subsequently presented in Chicago; Key West, FLA; at the American Film Institute in Silver Spring, MD; Hartford; San Francisco; Nantucket, and Scottsdale, as well as in Tbilisi in the Republic of Georgia and a ‘sold out’ engagement at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe (Out of the 2,000 shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival only 200 were officially designated ‘Sold Out’ engagements.) Up-coming performances of “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD” include an engagement on March 5-8, 2009 at The Invisible Theatre in Tucson, Arizona. www.invisibletheatre.com As an actress, some of Susan’s most memorable roles have been Bella in “LOST IN YONKERS” Alice B. Toklas in “GERTRUDE STEIN AND A COMPANION” Hannah in “CROSSING DELANCEY”, Shirley in “SHIRLEY VALENTINE” and Trudy in “THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE”. In addition to her work with the Invisible Theatre she has been a consultant and director for the Waterfront Playhouse and The Red Barn Theatre in Key West, Florida, and directed Steve Ross in “I WON’T DANCE” at New York’s famed Rainbow and Stars Cabaret and St. Paul's prestigious Ordway Theatre. As Managing Artistic Director of The Invisible Theatre in Tucson, Arizona, Susan has produced more than 335 productions and directed more than 50. She is the recipient of the 1985 Governor’s Award for Women Who Create; the 1993 Humanitarian Torch Award for her efforts on behalf of people living with AIDS, and a 1996 Distinguished Service Award from the State Federation for Exceptional Children for her commitment to arts education for special populations. Susan was the 1999 City of Hope “Spirit of Life” recipient (as was Edith Head in 1976), and performs as a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. She was recently selected as one of Tucson Lifestyle’s 10 Most Admired Women and will be honored by The Jewish Federation in 2009 as one of Tucson’s 13 most remarkable women. Much of the dialogue in “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD” comes directly from the famed designer. When she was asked to write the authorized posthumous autobiography, Edith Head’s Hollywood, Paddy Calistro acquired more than 13 hours of recollections recorded by Edith Head – including her own snippy “Edithisms” as Ms. Head referred to her own sayings, such as: "I hate modesty, don't you?" and "Good clothes are not a matter of good luck." The show also features insights from Hollywood insiders who knew Ms. Head best: costume designer Bob Mackie, who once worked as Ms. Head's sketch artist; her dear friend Edie Wasserman, wife of the late Universal Studio head Lew Wasserman, and Art Linkletter, award-winning host of TV’s “House Party”, who brought Edith Head into the homes of America. Edith would stroll through the studio audience with Linkletter, offering brutally critical fashion, diet and grooming advice - all this half a century before the current mania for on-screen makeovers. "Go on a diet!" she would instruct an overweight woman, while instantly making her look ten pounds slimmer by pulling her shirt out of her trousers, whipping a belt around her middle and swapping her cheap gold jewelry for her own signature pearls. Young fans of Pixar’s “The Incredibles” will recognized the superhero outfitter Edna Mode as an affectionate tribute to the legendary Hollywood costume designer. “A CONVERSATIONWITH EDITH HEAD” is produced by Anthony Field Associates through special arrangement with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Motion Picture & Television Fund. Co-author Paddy Calistro is one of the leading authorities on the life and work of Edith Head and is the co-author of Edith Head's posthumous autobiography, Edith Head’s Hollywood. She was selected as Ms. Head’s official biographer based on her experience as a fashion journalist. A former fashion and beauty writer for the Los Angeles Times, Paddy wrote the weekly “Looks” column in the LA Times Magazine for four years. She was the West Coast reporter for Allure and has written for Glamour, Mademoiselle, House Beautiful, Elle, Four Seasons Magazine, Fitness and Los Angeles Magazine. For more than a decade Paddy was the lead interior design writer for LA Magazine, and was also the editor of American Style, a bilingual fashion magazine sold in Mexico and South America. The co-founder of Angel City Press, an independent book publishing company based in Santa Monica, she currently serves as its Publisher and Editor-in-chief. For additional information about “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD” go to www.edithhead.biz. Confessions of a Mormon Boy CONFESSIONS OF A MORMON BOY written and performed by Steven Fales plays 28 July to 30 August at New End Theatre, 27 New End, Hampstead London NW3 1JD (www.newendtheatre.co.uk). CONFESSIONS OF A MORMON BOY is Steven Fales’ compelling, humorous and inspiring true story about how he - a gay man - went from being a Mormon boy in Utah to a high-priced call boy in New York City. His provocative tale takes the audience through his excommunication from the Mormon church, marriage, having children, divorce, prostitution and drug abuse, as he struggles to reclaim himself, his children and his ‘Donny Osmond’ smile. The play was written to help end spiritual violence against gays and lesbians in churches, synagogues and mosques. Fales says ‘I wrote the play so that my children would some day be able to understand their gay father” and he adds “ I kept thinking that if I were to die, there wasn’t anyone I could fully trust to tell my kids who their ‘wicked’ gay dad really was and how much I loved them.” CONFESSIONS OF A MORMON BOY received the 2008 Oscar Wilde Award Nomination for Outstanding New Writing in the Theatre at the Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival, a New York Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance and an Overall Excellence Award at the 2004 New York International Fringe Festival. The book of the play, Confessions of a Mormon Boy was a recent finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. Steven Fales is a classically trained actor with an MFA in acting from the University of Connecticut. He turned to writing and stand-up when his perfect Mormon world fell apart. Born in Provo, Utah, Fales began performing as a young boy singing solos in church. Credits include leading roles at the Utah Shakespearean Festival, Pioneer Theatre Company, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Sundance Theatre and has worked in film and television. He is currently touring his cabaret show MORMON AMERCIAN PRINCESS and is writing his second book OXY-MORMON MEMOIRS. Fales’ former mother-in-law is celebrated Mormon poet Carol Lynn Pearson whose autobiography ‘Good-bye, I Love You’ (Random House 1986), poignantly recounts her relationship with her gay ex-husband who died of AIDS in her home. Steven Fales married their oldest daughter, Emily and together they have two children whom they raise in Salt Lake City, Utah. Friends With Benefits 5 Friends with Benefits 5 A Benefit for BC/EFA Hosted by MAC winner Amy Wolk and Mamma Mia's Gerard Salvador Musical Direction by Mark Hartman!!! with performances from.... Cathryn Basile Jeff Blumenkrantz Natalie Douglas Adam Jacobs Leigh Ann Larkin Matty Price Pearl Sun Josh Scheer Kirsten Wyatt and more... MAKE A RESERVATION! 212-206-0440 $20 cover, 2 drink minimum All proceeds go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Laurie Beechman Theatre Welcomes Becca Ayers 7/28 The Laurie Beechman Theatre is very pleased to welcome Broadway’s Becca Ayers for a one night only concert that will feature her own music, as well as a special guest appearance from her sister, Heather Ayers. This one night only concert takes place on Monday, July 28 @ 7pm. There is a $15 cover, as well as a $15 food or beverage minimum (a full bar and dinner menu is available). The Laurie Beechman Theatre is located at 407 West 42nd St. (@ 9th Ave), in the heart of New York’s theatre district. For reservations, which are recommended, please call 212 695 6909. BECCA AYERS is currently in the original cast of the first revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center. She was also understudied Madame Thenardeir in Les Miserables and Kate/Lucy, Mrs. T/Bear in Avenue Q on Broadway. She was the title role in Sarah, Plain and Tall Off-Broadway and understudied Lucy in the tour of Jekyll and Hyde. Becca also recently wrapped the film Clear Blue Tuesday which is now in post-production. Her song, “Taste” was used for the pilot of television’s “Temps” which was an official selection for the New York Television Festival in 2006. She is working on solo material as well as songs with band partners Bradley Dean Whyte (myspace.com/ayerswhyte) and Russ Rowland (myspace.com/babygoesbang). Becca and Russ are anticipating completion of their Baby Goes Bang cd. Listen to her latest releases at www.myspace.com/beccaayers.   Voices From the Great White Way continues with: August 11th Hollywood Arms/Sweeney Todd’s Donna Lynne Champlin August 17th (9:30pm) and 24th (7pm) Taboo/South Pacific’s Liz McCartney August 25th Chicago and Jekyll & Hyde’s Luba Mason September 8th Falsettos/Hairspray/Company’s Barbara Walsh September 15th My Fair Lady/Oklahoma/The Scarlet Pimpernel’s Christine Andreas September 22nd The Producers/The Little Mermaid’s John Treacy Egan September 29th The Secret Garden/Gypsy’s Alison Fraser         October 13th In The Heights/The Ritz/The Full Monty’s Andrea Burns October 20th Xanadu/42nd Street/On The Town’s Mary Testa October 27th Sweeney Todd/Les Miserables/Sunday in the Park with George’s Alexander Gemignani November 3rd Mamma Mia/Chess’s Marcy & Zina Show @ Birdland Jim Caruso's Cast Party and TheaterMania.com, the leading source for exclusive theater information and live-events tickets nationwide, are proud to announce celebrated and honored songwriting and performing team of Marcy Heisler (bookwriter/lyricist) and Zina Goldrich (composer), in "The Marcy & Zina Show", Monday, July 28, 2008 at 7:00pm, as part of the long-running, Nightlife Award-winning concert series Broadway at Birdland. The Marcy & Zina Show will feature the duo's best-loved songs written for theater and cabaret, as well as introduce new songs from the upcoming Broadway production of Ever After. Raves David Finkle of The Village Voice, HEISLER and GOLDRICH "sing the songs they write with the kind of wit and intelligence of the Dorothy Parkers and Fields… [They] have been turning out smart lyrics and sophisticated melodies for some time. Keep in mind they're the ones whose nifty love song rhymed 'quesadilla' with 'IKEA.' The team's strength lies in making the intelligent hummable – something predecessors like Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and the Gershwin Brothers were always able to do." Heisler and Goldrich, who have been collaborating since 1993, were recently voted "Best Knocking on Broadway's Door Songwriting Team" in the Village Voice's Best of NYC edition, as well as the 2002 recipients of ASCAP's Richard Rodgers New Horizons Theatre Award. They have toured both domestically and internationally, performing their music at some of the world's most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, Canada's "Juste Pour Rire" comedy festival and the Kennedy Center. Their song "Taylor, the Latte Boy" has been recorded by Christiane Noll and Susan Egan, and is featured on Kristin Chenoweth's album on the Sony label. Their body of work has garnered much respect as well as several songwriter awards, including 4 MAC Awards, 2 Bistro Awards, and several musical theatre grants. Their 32-song folio, Goldrich and Heisler Vol. 1, was published last year and is already in its second printing. In 2004, Heisler and Goldrich authored Junie B. Jones for Theatreworks USA, which enjoyed a six-week run at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, as part of New York's Free Summer Theatre Program and is currently touring the country. Tickets are $30.00 + $10.00 Food/Drink Minimum (Per Person). Tickets can be purchased Online: www.BIRDLANDJAZZ.com; or by Telephone: 212.581.3080. NYPL Hosts Kenn Duncan Retrospective Starting 7/30 Photographs of an effervescent Bette Midler twirling barefoot in a summer dress, a sensual Alexander Gudonov staring intently into the camera, a youthful Diane Keaton with the cast of Hair, and an ethereal portrait of transgender Andy Warhol superstar Candy Darling wrapped in furs are all part of a comprehensive exhibition featuring materials from the archive of renowned portrait and fashion photographer Kenn Duncan. Focus on the 70s: The Fabulous Photography of Kenn Duncan is on display in the Donald and Mary Oenslager Gallery of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, located at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, from July 30, 2008 through October 25, 2008. Admission is free.     This retrospective of Duncan's 20-year career features approximately 400 photographs and includes his iconic images of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Eartha Kitt, Angela Lansbury, Peter Martins, Bette Midler, the cast of Hair, as well as selections of his nudes, his fashion portfolios, and his work with hundreds of celebrities including shock rock legend Alice Cooper, Al Pacino, and Christopher Walken.     "Kenn Duncan's camera captured the decade of the carefree 70s. It's been said that if you remember the 70s, then you weren't really there and, yes, the decadence did seem pervasive. But through Kenn Duncan's lens, everything was beautiful," says Bob Taylor, curator of the Billy Rose Theatre Division. "And through his photographs, as this exhibition shows, he captured the supreme artists of the 1970s: the actors, dancers, choreographers, fashion designers and their models, the shows of Broadway and Off-Broadway, the musicians and singers both pop and classical – all the beautiful people. And the exhibition features what Duncan is perhaps best remembered for: his nudes." Kenn Duncan, whose assortment of subjects speak to his acute curiosity about the human form both in action and in repose, was a prominent force in the photography world of the late 1960s through the early 1980s. He worked as a principal photographer for the entertainment magazine After Dark and for Dance Magazine, which chronicles the world of dance. Duncan's photographs also regularly appeared in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Life, Time, and Newsweek.of In addition, he photographed a score of Broadway shows, including Hair, Applause, The Elephant Man, and Sophisticated Ladies, and published three volumes his photographs: Red Shoes, Nudes, and More Nudes. His gift for capturing the idiosyncrasies and dynamism of each of his subjects made him an obvious choice to photograph such celebrated performers as Peter Allen, Carol Channing, Judith Jamison, Eartha Kitt, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Plummer, Chita Rivera, Tommy Tune and Twiggy, and for leading dance companies such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, the Bolshoi Ballet, and the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Kenn Duncan's complete archive was acquired by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in 2003 and is held jointly by the Billy Rose Theatre Division and the Jerome Robbins Dance Division. The exhibition includes selections of Duncan's studio work, his stage production shots, commercial fashion photography, posters, and silk screens as well as, surprisingly, his delightful work with children. Kenn Duncan (1928-1986) was born in New Jersey and became a roller-skating champion at an early age. In order to perfect his form, he took ballet lessons and eventually abandoned skating for a dance career. The injury that put an end to his dancing career set him on a new course that eventually won him international acclaim as a portrait and fashion photographer. He was the recipient of such recognition as a National Endowment for the Arts grant and the International Brotherhood and Peace Award. Kenn Duncan is represented in the collections of major museums and libraries around the world, including The Brooklyn Museum, the Chicago Historical Society, the Dance Library of Israel, the Harvard Libraries, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the International Center of Photography, the Parsons School of Design, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts houses the world's most extensive combination of circulating, reference, and rare archival collections in its field. Its divisions are the Circulating Collections, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, Music Division, Billy Rose Theatre Division, and the Rodgers & Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound. The materials in its collections are available free of charge, along with a wide range of special programs, including exhibitions, seminars, and performances. An essential resource for everyone with an interest in the arts, whether professional or amateur, the Library is known particularly for its prodigious collections of non-book materials such as historic recordings, videotapes, autograph manuscripts, correspondence, sheet music, stage designs, press clippings, programs, posters, and photographs. Searching For Peter and Mary Jane: Spiderman Holds Open Casting Call  The upcoming Broadway bound musical Spiderman will be holding an open call for the roles of Peter Parker, Mary Jane, and one female ensemble member on July 28th at the Knitting Factory from 10am 5pm. The casting call states they are looking for the following: Peter Parker: male, 16-20’s, great Rock voice, can be nerdy with understated sex appeal, good sense of humor Mary Jane: female, 16-20’s, beautiful girl next door, strong pop/rock singing voice Principal Woman: female, 25-35 years old, Amazing Rock vocals, think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern /Bulgarian/Greek/ twist.  Foreign, world music types are great, foreign accents are great!  All ethnicities Marvel Comic executive Peter Cuneo confirmed that the musical version of the popular comic and film Spider-Man is "definitely a go". They are still waiting on a venue to announce show dates and location. Film site IESB.net reports that Marvel's Peter Cuneo says they are, "very pleased with our Broadway show. The show is done, it's being directed by Julie Taymor who of course won the Tony for Lion King. The music has been done by Bono and The Edge. A late '09 launch or a 2010...actually it's a challenge to find a theater on Broadway right now. These things are all scheduled, as you might imagine, well in advance. So the timing is more related to getting a theater than it is to the progress of the show." According to recent reports Julie Taymor is confirmed to direct and Bono and The Edge are writing the lyrics and score. Rumor has it that the musical could open as early as early 2009. Cuneo went on to state that the creative direction and execution of the show is already in progress and very solid, they are only waiting on a theater to seal the deal. "Spider-Man (Peter Benjamin Parker) is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero, created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko. The character first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962), and has since gone on to become one of the most popular, enduring and commercially successful superheroes worldwide, and is arguably Marvel's most famous character. When Spider-Man first appeared in the early 1960s, teenagers in superhero comic books were usually relegated to the role of sidekick to the series' main character. The Spider-Man series broke ground by featuring Peter Parker, a teenage high school student to whose "self-obsessions with rejection, inadequacy, and loneliness" young readers could relate.[1] Spider-Man has since appeared in various media, including several animated and live-action television series, syndicated newspaper comic strips and a successful series of films starring actor Tobey Maguire as the character. Marvel has featured Spider-Man in several comic book series, the first titled The Amazing Spider-Man. Over the years, the Peter Parker character has developed from shy high school student to troubled college student to a married teacher and a member of the superhero team the New Avengers," state press notes. Taymor, who won a Tony Award for directing the Broadway musical The Lion King and who is also known for equally visually imaginative films such as Titus and Frida, helmed the recent Metropolitan Opera production of The Magic Flute, as well as productions such as Juan Darien, The Tempest, and Oedipus Rex. Whoopi Goldberg to Join Xanadu Whoopi Goldberg announced this morning on 'The View' that she will be joining the cast of 'Xanadu' for the month of August. She will be replacing Jackie Hoffman. The cast of the cast is Kerry Butler, Cheyenne Jackson, Tony Roberts, Mary Testa and Jackie Hoffman and features Curtis Holbrook, Anika Larsen, Kenita Miller and Andre Ward. Xanadu has book by Douglas Carter Beane, music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar and is directed by Christopher Ashley, with choreography by Dan Knechtges. Eric Stern is musical director. Based on the film of the same name, Xanadu centers on a Greek muse who is sent to earth to inspire Californians during the 1980s. While on earth, she meets and falls in love with an artist and helps him realize his dreams. Whoopi Goldberg is one of a very elite group of artists who have won the Grammy (“Whoopi Goldberg,” 1985), the Academy Award (“Ghost,” 1991), the Golden Globe (“The Color Purple,” 1985 and “Ghost,” 1991), the Emmy (as host of AMC’s “Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel,” 2002) and a Tony (Producer of “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” 2002), as well as countless other awards and honors as an actor, producer, host and author. She currently moderates “The View.” [title of show] Performs At Splash Bar On Monday, July 28th, at 11:30pm, "Scott Nevins' Curtain Call" with have as their special guests the cast of Broadway's  [title of show] at Splash. The new Broadway hit "Title of Show" now playing at the Lyceum Theatre. Tonight, directly following the video madness of "Musical Mondays", cast members from everyone's favorite new Broadway show about putting on a Broadway show (!) will be performing live and giving away free tickets - all hosted by Scott Nevins! So, get there early to grab a seat to watch those legendary musical numbers on the screens, and then sit tight as the cast of [title of show] performs live in person! Admission is free until 10pm, $5 after. Must be 21 w/ id. Splash - 50 west 17th st (b/w 5th and 6th).

Broadway On Randolph: August 1st- Cabaret Chicago Cabaret Professionals in collaboration with the City Of Chicago Department Of Cultural Affairs present Broadway on Randolph At the Storefront Theater 66 East Randolph Street Chicago, IL 60601 WHAT: Chicago Cabaret Professionals (CCP) in collaboration with the City Of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs salute the Great American Songbook with two musical theater revues featuring tunes by Richard Rogers and Stephen Schwartz. Don’t miss this one-weekend only event which showcases many of Chicago’s finest singers. The Sweetest Sounds--The Music of Richard Rodgers Directed by: John Eskola Musical Director: Patricia Rusk Featuring: Elizabeth Doyle, John Eskola, Paul Marinaro, Allen Nichols and Kat Taylor. Friday, August 1, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, August 2, 2:00 p.m. The timeless music of Richard Rodgers has enhanced our lives for generations. Beginning with his partnership with Lorenz Hart, his passionate, rhythmic and innovative music continued through his Pulitzer-Prize winning collaboration with Oscar Hammerstein. The Sweetest Sounds offers beautiful, evocative melodies. Songs include:” Manhattan,” “Blue Moon,” “My Funny Valentine,” “If I Loved You,” “ This Nearly Was Mine” and more. Music To Do--The Magic of Stephen Schwartz Directed by: Tracy Adams Musical Director: Beckie Menzie Featuring: Tracy Adams, Laura Freeman, Gillian Kelly, KT McCammond, Beckie Menzie, Tom Michael, Bradford Thacker, and Todd Vitale. Saturday, August 2, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, August 3, 2:00 p.m. Explore the unique music and fascinating characters created by Stephen Schwartz. Schwartz’s songs appear in stage musicals and films including Wicked, Pippin, Godspell, The Baker’s Wife, Disney’s Pocahonatas, Magic Show, and many more. Those three witches are only the beginning! WHERE:: Chicago DCA Theater’s Storefront Theater, 66 East Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601 TICKETS: |Box Office: 312-742-TIXS or visit www.dcatheater.org to purchase tickets.  Tickets are $15   More information on CCP and Chicago DCA Theater can be found at www.dcatheater.org and  www.chicagocabaret.org Claassen Plays Legendary Edith Head In UK's Conversation Arizona-based actress SUSAN CLAASSEN stars on London’s West End as legendary Hollywood designer Edith Head in “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD”. Anthony Field Associates presents this West End premiere at the Arts Club at the Arts Theatre from Tuesday, July 29 through Sunday, August 31, 2008. The intimate portrait was written by Paddy Calistro and Susan Claassen. The press opening will be on Thursday, July 31 at 8 PM. “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD”, based on the book Edith Head’s Hollywood by Edith Head & Paddy Calistro, is a behind-the-scenes feast of great movie legends and delicious stories that provide an insight into Hollywood’s legendary costume designer. In her six decades of costume design, she worked on over eleven hundred films; dressed the greatest stars of Hollywood; received 35 Academy Award® nominations, and won an unprecedented eight Oscars®. Edith Head’s story is as fascinating as the history of the film industry itself, filled with humor, frustration and, above all, glamour. This diva of design helped to define glamour in the most glamorous place in the world - Hollywood! Edith Head was a Hollywood costume designer for more than 60 years. 44 of those years were spent at Paramount Studios, where she worked with the most famous actors of the time, from Mae West and Clara Bow to Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Bette Davis. When Paramount failed to renew her contract in 1967, Alfred Hitchcock stepped in and Ms. Head was invited to join Universal Studios. At Universal she costumed Robert Redford and Paul Newman in “The Sting” and won the first-ever Oscar® for a film without a female lead. Her eight Academy Award® celebrated her artistry in “The Heiress” (her first Oscar®), “Samson & Delilah”, “All About Eve”, “A Place in the Sun”, “Roman Holiday”, “Sabrina”, “The Facts of Life” and “The Sting”. Edith Head died in October 1981, still under contract to Universal Studios, having just completed working on the Steve Martin film, “Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid”. Susan Claassen was inspired to write and star in “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD” while watching a TV biography of Ms. Head. The petite, dark-haired actress immediately imagined herself playing Edith Head, “…a perfect fit,” as Claassen describes it. “Not only do I bear a striking resemblance to Edith, but we share the same love for clothes and fashion. Edith did what no woman did in the history of film. She survived the boy’s club world of Hollywood to enjoy a 60-year career, during which she worked on a staggering 1,131 films, earned 35 Oscar nominations and won eight. She stitched Dorothy Lamour into her sarong; put Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in kilts in “The Road to Bali”; created Bette Davis’ glamorous Margo Channing; made teenage girls swoon over Elizabeth Taylor’s white ballgown in “A Place in the Sun”; dressed Ingrid Bergman in “Notorious”, Grace Kelly in “To Catch A Thief”, Kim Novak in “Vertigo”, Gloria Swanson in “Sunset Boulevard” and Sean Connery in “The Man Who Would Be King”. There are many myths about her but she was a discreet, tenacious personality. She knew whose hips needed clever disguising and made sure those legendary stars always looked the part. Our show gives the inside scoop on Edith and the Golden Age of Hollywood.” “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD” premiered at the Invisible Theatre in Tucson, Arizona in January, 2002 and was subsequently presented in Chicago; Key West, FLA; at the American Film Institute in Silver Spring, MD; Hartford; San Francisco; Nantucket, and Scottsdale, as well as in Tbilisi in the Republic of Georgia and a ‘sold out’ engagement at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe (Out of the 2,000 shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival only 200 were officially designated ‘Sold Out’ engagements.) Up-coming performances of “A CONVERSATION WITH EDITH HEAD” include an engagement on March 5-8, 2009 at The Invisible Theatre in Tucson, Arizona. www.invisibletheatre.com As an actress, some of Susan’s most memorable roles have been Bella in “LOST IN YONKERS” Alice B. Toklas in “GERTRUDE STEIN AND A COMPANION” Hannah in “CROSSING DELANCEY”, Shirley in “SHIRLEY VALENTINE” and Trudy in “THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE”. In addition to her work with the Invisible Theatre she has been a consultant and director for the Waterfront Playhouse and The Red Barn Theatre in Key West, Florida, and directed Steve Ross in “I WON’T DANCE” at New York’s famed Rainbow and Stars Cabaret and St. Paul's prestigious Ordway Theatre. As Managing Artistic Director of The Invisible Theatre in Tucson, Arizona, Susan has produced more than 335 productions and directed more than 50. She is the recipient of the 1985 Governor’s Award for Women Who Create; the 1993 Humanitarian Torch Award for her efforts on behalf of people living with AIDS, and a 1996 Distinguished Service Award from the State Federation for Except