Alabama Shakespeare Festival News

A new theatrical incarnation of the iconic television series, Designing Women, penned by creator Linda Bloodworth Thomason, has been selected to open the fall season of TheatreSquared (T2).  Performances will run August 12 through September 13 at the company's architecturally distinctive new home in downtown Fayetteville, Arkansas. Earlier this morning, The New York Times broke the news of the planned premiere.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival presents Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones on the Octagon Stage March 5 through March 22, 2020. Directed by ASF Artistic Director Rick Dildine, this production brings home a play that was inspired by true events from 1959 Montgomery and was created on this very soil. Rich with all the complexities of human nature, this tale from Alabama history remains stunningly relevant to today's world.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival presents Ruby: The Story of Ruby Bridges on the Festival Stage March 6 through March 22, 2020. Produced in collaboration with Montgomery Public Schools, the play is adapted by Christina Ham, who penned last season's Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963 and Nina Simone: Four Women, with music by Gary Rue.

Avenue Q and Sesame Street's Jennifer Barnhart returns to The Laurie Beechman Theatre on Sunday March 8th at 7pm, with a final encore performance of her critically acclaimed debut cabaret show. 'It's About Time'

Alabama Shakespeare Festival will present And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank by James Still on the Festival Stage for a limited run on February 9 and 15, 2020. Directed by Addie Gorlin, this multimedia play combines videotaped interviews of Holocaust survivors Ed Silverberg and Eva Schloss with live actors recreating scenes from their lives during World War II, including their memories of Anne Frank.

Asolo Rep continues its 2019-20 season with George Brant's INTO THE BREECHES! Helmed by Cleveland Play House Artistic Director Laura Kepley, this bright new comedy, set during World War II, puts the women on the front lines. INTO THE BREECHES! previews February 12 and 13, opens February 14 and runs in rotating repertory through March 21 in the Mertz Theatre, located in the FSU Center for the performing Arts.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival presents The Agitators: The Story of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass by Mat Smart on the Octagon Stage January 30 a?" February 13, 2020. Directed by Logan Vaughn, this new production explores the real-life friendship between two American champions of freedom and equality a?" Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass.

Boston Playwrights' Theatre (BPT) concludes its 2019-20 season of new plays with Deal Me Out by MJ Halberstadt. The comic drama runs from February 13 to March 1 and is directed by Shana Gozansky.

Gulfshore Playhouse, Naples' premier professional regional theatre will present the Florida premiere of 'The Lady Demands Satisfaction.' The comedy by Arthur M. Jolly will be on stage Feb. 15 to March 15 with previews on Feb. 13 and 14.

Kathleen Culebro, Artistic Director of Amphibian Stage, today announced that Hans & Sophie, a new play created by New York-based trio Sean Hudock, Illana Stein and Deborah Yarchun, will have its world premiere at the Fort Worth, TX theatre February 5 - March 1, 2020. Illana Stein, who helmed Amphibian's regional premiere of David Davalos' A Lost Leonardo, will direct.

Asolo Rep continues its 2019-20 season with George Brant's INTO THE BREECHES! Helmed by Cleveland Play House Artistic Director Laura Kepley, this bright new comedy, set during World War II, puts the women on the front lines. INTO THE BREECHES! previews February 12 and 13, opens February 14 and runs in rotating repertory through March 21 in the Mertz Theatre, located in the FSU Center for the performing Arts.

The Tank (Meghan Finn, Artistic Director) will present the World Premiere of Birthday in the Bronx, written by Paul Hufker (Pedro Reyes' Doomocracy; Manufacturing Mischief at The Tank) and directed by Michaela Escarcega (Resident Director at The Tank) at The Tank (312 West 36th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues), February 20-March 8. Performances will be on Thursday, February 20 at 7pm, Friday, February 21 at 4pm, Friday, February 21 at 7pm, Saturday, February 22 at 7pm, Sunday, February 23 at 7pm, Monday, February 24 at 7pm, Friday, February 28 at 7pm, Saturday, February 29 at 7pm, Sunday, March 1 at 3pm, Monday, March 2 at 7pm, Thursday, March 5 at 7pm, Friday, March 6 at 4pm, Friday, March 6 at 7pm, Saturday, March 7pm, Sunday, March 8 at 3pm, and Sunday, March 8 at 7pm. Tickets ($20) are available for advance purchase at www.thetanknyc.org. The performance will run approximately 70 minutes, with no intermission.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival presents Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat on the Festival Stage January 11 – 25, 2020. Based on the 1957 book by Dr. Seuss, the play was adapted by Katie Mitchell and originally produced by the National Theatre of Great Britain.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival presents Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat on the Festival Stage January 11 a?" 25, 2020. Based on the 1957 book by Dr. Seuss, the play was adapted by Katie Mitchell and originally produced by the National Theatre of Great Britain. N.D. Seibel returns to ASF to direct the Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) production, which features this year's Fellowship Company.

The Ensemble Theatre presents the regional premiere of The Green Book, written by award-winning author Calvin Alexander Ramsey and directed by award-winning director Shirley Jo Finney with Opening Night and Media Reception Thursday, November 14, 2019, 6:30 p.m. 3535 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77002.

Arizona Theatre Company (Sean Daniels, Artistic Director; Billy Russo, Managing Director) presents Athol Fugard's powerfully haunting masterpiece, 'Master Harold' ... and the Boys from Jan. 18- Feb. 8 at the Temple of Music and Art in Tucson and from Feb. 13 to March 1 at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix.

Becoming Dr. Ruth by Mark St. Germain, produced by Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF, runs from January 8 - February 9, 2020. In this incredible one-woman performance, actress Eileen DeSandre* embodies media personality Dr. Ruth in a tell-all reflection of her extraordinary life. Becoming Dr. Ruth is presented in partnership with the Holocaust Memorial and Resource Center of Central Florida through the generous support of Jim and Valeria Shapiro. Tickets (starting at $30) are available now by phone (407) 447-1700 ext. 1, online at orlandoshakes.org, or in person at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 East Rollins Street).

A Soldier's Play is officially in previews on Broadway! A Soldier's Play opens officially on January 21, 2020. This is a limited engagement at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street). It stars David Alan Grier, Blair Underwood, Nnamdi Asomugha, Jerry O'Connell, McKinley Belcher III, Rob Demery, Jared Grimes, Billy Eugene Jones, Nate Mann, Warner Miller, J. Alphonse Nicholson and Lee Aaron Rosen.

Casting is set for Studio Theatre's production of Pipeline, playwright Dominique Morisseau's searing drama about the school-to-prison pipeline and a mother desperately trying to keep her son from becoming ensnared in it. The production runs January 15-February 16, 2020 and is directed by Awoye Timpo. Starring are DC theatre favorite Justin Weaks (Studio's Curve of Departure) as high school student Omari and Andrea Harris Smith making her Studio debut as his mother, public school teacher Nya. In its recent People Issue, Washington City Paper's called Weaks a 'standout,' going on to say: 'D.C. theater audiences love Justin Weaks. ...Weaks came to D.C. for a job about four years ago, not expecting to stay. But he kept getting cast in shows, and lucky for local theatergoers, he's still here.'