Roundabout Theatre Company - Page 4

Dear Audience Members and Supporters, I'm happy to share that last week Roundabout's Board of Directors adopted a refreshed mission statement, core values and a commitment to improve in the areas of equity, diversity and inclusion.

In Ugly Lies the Bone, Jess's injuries-severe burns sustained from an IED explosion-are indicative of the unique costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As of February 2013, these two conflicts had resulted in over 6,500 deaths, nearly half of them from IEDs. IEDs, or Improvised Explosive Devices, are homemade bombs, constructed at a relatively low cost with readily accessible combustive materials (fertilizer, gunpowder, hydrogen peroxide). Occasionally packed with sharp materials (glass, nails, metal) to increase the likelihood of shrapnel-like injuries, the bombs are often buried along the roadside, to be detonated remotely or automatically when troops walk or drive over the sites. When IEDs first appeared in combat zones, in early 2002, the military didn't know how to categorize the deaths that were occurring as a result of seemingly unmanned explosions. The first death immediately (rather than retroactively) classified as resulting from an IED explosion occurred on November 14, 2003. In the following decade, IEDs came to be common knowledge in both the military and the media, and their results have left a lasting legacy-not only in deaths, but also in (far more common, and just as devastating) injuries.

The Roundabout family mourns the loss of Brian Friel. This gifted playwright gave so many beautiful stories to the world, and we will treasure those that we were able to bring to life with him. Brian always wrote with great depth, whether through his unmatched sense of language, surprising humor, righteous anger, or incredible heart. His commitment to bringing stories of his Irish homeland, often through the town of Ballybeg that he created and populated with so many memorable tales and characters, was admirable.

Harold Pinter was born in Hackney, in London's East End, in October of 1930. An only child, he was born to Jewish parents of very moderate means; his father, a tailor, and his mother, a homemaker, were first-generation descendants of Eastern European immigrants. Like many of his contemporaries, Pinter's childhood was shaped by the onslaught of World War II; at the age of nine, he was evacuated from London through Operation Pied Piper and resettled in a town in Cornwall. The sense of isolation he felt in Cornwall would come to influence his work, as would the changed London to which he returned during the Blitz, where he was witness to, as his 2008 Guardianobituary put it, 'the dramatic nature of wartime life - the palpable fear, the sexual desperation, the genuine sense that everything could end tomorrow.'

Ted Sod spoke to Sarah Steele on her role as Brigid Blake in Stephen Karam's The Humans. ?TED SOD: Where were you born? Where were you educated? When did you decide you wanted to become an actor?

Ted Sod spoke to Helen Edmundson about the process of her writing her stage adaptation of Emile Zola's novel Therese Raquin.

Therese Raquin, a stunning play by Helen Edmundson adapted from Emile Zola's classic novel, makes its Broadway debut October 1 as the first production at Studio 54 in this 50th Anniversary season.

The New York premiere of Stephen Karam's The Humans, a new play directed by Joe Mantello begins previews September 30 as the first production at the Laura Pels Theatre in this 50th Anniversary season.

Education dramaturg Ted Sod speaks to Stephen Karam about his process of writing The Humans. TED SOD: The Humans is the third play of yours to be produced at Roundabout. Previously, we have presented Speech & Debate at Roundabout Underground and Sons of the Prophet on the Pels stage in the Steinberg Center. What do you find exciting about having your work produced here? Do you consider Roundabout your artistic home?

Ted Sod, Education Dramaturg, spoke with actor Clive Owen about Old Times and his role as Deeley. Ted Sod: Why did you choose to play the role of Deeley in Harold Pinter's Old Times? What do you think the play is about?

Education dramaturg Ted Sod discusses Old Times with Director Douglas Hodge.  Ted Sod: American audiences know you primarily as an actor, but you're also a director and a composer. How and why did you decide to direct for the theatre?

The first ever Broadway revival of Harold Pinter'sOld Times, directed by Douglas Hodge begins previews September 17 at the American Airlines Theatre to kick off our 50th Anniversary season.

We are pleased to announce the first?ever nationwide world premiere of a new play! PROSPECT HIGH: BROOKLYN, written by Daniel Robert Sullivan and a team of New York City teenagers, was developed in partnership with Education at Roundabout and the Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowships.

I'm excited to announce complete casting for our upcoming production of Therese Raquin, directed by Evan Cabnet. Joining the previously announced Keira Knightley, Gabriel Ebert, Matt Ryan, and Judith Light, I'm thrilled to welcome David Patrick Kelly (Michaud), Jeff Still (Grivet), Mary Wiseman (Suzanne), Glynis Bell (Ensemble), Alex Mickiewicz (Ensemble), Sara Topham (Ensemble), and Ray Virta (Ensemble) to the cast.

? Education dramaturg Ted Sod speaks to Mamie Gummer about her role as Jess in Ugly Lies the Bone.

Teachers and Arts Educators converged at our annual Theatrical Teaching Institute (TTI) last week - a six-day professional development opportunity. Participants experienced, practiced, and then demonstrated Roundabout's Theatrical Teaching Framework as they created lesson plans they will take into their classrooms. Our mission: Use theatre to enhance teacher practice and deepen student learning. The outcome: Fully engaged teachers who are ready to transform their classrooms.

Education dramaturg Ted Sod speaks to Patricia McGregor about directing Ugly Lies the Bone. Ted Sod: Where were you born and educated? When and how did you realize you wanted to become a theatre director?  Did any teachers have a profound influence on you?

Education Dramaturg Ted Sod speaks with Lindsey Ferrentino, playwright of our upcoming Roundabout Undergroud production Ugly Lies the Bone.

How can you put yourself in the shoes of a person experiencing pain? The answer comes in the form of a simple bucket of ice.