American Playwrights News

Bob Marley's Three Little Birds will be presented by Bay Area Children's Theatre as part of Marin Theatre Company's Theater Series for Young Audiences. Adapted by Michael J. Bobbitt; based on the story by Cedella Marley, with music by Bob Marley; additional music and lyrics by John L. Cornelius, II, the show will be directed by Michael Mohammed and runs March 7 - March 15, 2015.

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Artistic Director Blake Robison announced today that Obie Award-winning director Eric Ting will be added next season to the theatre's Associate Artists program, which was launched by Robison in 2013 for his second season at the Playhouse. Ting will join current associate artists Timothy Douglas, Michael Evan Haney and KJ Sanchez, who have served the Playhouse in that capacity for the past two years.

A Jewish Theater Company and New York's first one dedicated to Sabbath-observant artists, will present A DYBBUK FOR TWO PEOPLE, Bruce Myers's acclaimed two person adaptation of S. Ansky's classic Jewish play THE DYBBUK directed by 24/6's Co-Founding Artistic Director, Yoni Oppenheim. The production will play on December 28th at 3:00 pm, at the JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Avenue at 76th Street New York, NY 10023. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.jccmanhattan.org/cat-content.aspx?catid=2856&progid=31569 or by calling the JCC at 646-505-5708. On the day of the show, tickets will be available at the door.

Artistic Director Les Waters and Managing Director Jennifer Bielstein are pleased to announce the lineup of The Tens, an evening of world premiere ten-minute plays. The Tens runs January 13 - 17, 2015 in the Victor Jory Theatre.

Step into the dusk of the Ancien Regime, as icons tumble, gossips rumble, and musicians hurl their slings. Arrows fly between the fans of French harmony and Italian melody in this site-specific music-theater piece based on the Philosophe's play of opposites.

MSG Entertainment (MSGE) announced today that Whoopi Goldberg will be lending her extraordinary voice to narrate New York Spring Spectacular as the character of The Statue of Liberty. Whoopi Goldberg is one of only twelve elite artists to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award, along with several other accolades in entertainment to her name, and was born and raised in New York City.

MSG Entertainment (MSGE) announced today that Tony Award-winning actress Laura Benanti and Emmy Award-winning choreographer Mia Michaels will be choreographing the opening number of the NewYork Spring Spectacular, presented by Chase, at Radio City Music Hall, to debut in March.

Luna Stage and StrangeDog Theatre Company are proud to present the world premiere of Tilt the Unlit Candle, a brand new holiday play by Ben Clawson. Tilt the Unlit Candle opens to previews tonight, Decemeber 4, 2014 and runs Thursdays through Sundays through December 21st. Opening night is Friday December 5th at 8pm. Select performances followed by Talkbacks with the creative team.

Many people in Toronto's arts communities, especially theatre, are still grieving the loss of TheatreBooks after the venerable bookstore closed its doors forever this July after 39 years. Now, many are lost when needing scripts or monologues for auditions. And others feel the same who just love to read about the performing arts.

This December, Marin Theatre Company continues its 48th Season with a presentation of Reduced Shakespeare Company performing their The Complete History of Comedy (abridged), starring writer/directors Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, with Dominic Conti. The "Bad Boys of Abridgement" will leave no joke untold as they deconstruct the entire history of comedy in a dizzying night's entertainment.

Step into the dusk of the Ancien Regime, as icons tumble, gossips rumble, and musicians hurl their slings. Arrows fly between the fans of French harmony and Italian melody in this site-specific music-theater piece based on the Philosophe's play of opposites.

Playwrights Horizons' production of POCATELLO, the world premiere of a new play by Obie, Drama Desk and Lortel awards winner and 2014 MacArthur Foundation 'Genius' grantee Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale at PH, The Few, A Bright New Boise), is directed by Davis McCallum (The Whale at PH, The Few, London Wall, A Bright New Boise, Water by the Spoonful). The play is the third production of the theater company's 2014/2015 Season. The production will begin previews tonight, November 21 with an opening night set for Monday, December 15. The limited engagement will play through Sunday evening, January 4, 2015 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Inis Nua Theatre Company isn't taking a breather after this fall's production of Ciphers and five recent Barrymore wins.

Just last night, the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust hosted the 2014 Steinberg Playwright Awards at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater to honor Stephen Adly Guirgis. The event featured readings by Ellen Burstyn, Kevin Corrigan, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Yul Vazquez, Felix Solis, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Ron C. Jones and Neil Tyrone Pritchard. BroadwayWorld brings you photos form the special event below!

Playwrights Horizons today announced the launch of its new Resident Company program. As a writer's theater dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers and lyricists and to the production of their new work, this new initiative will subsidize office, rehearsal and performance space for smaller theater companies who share an interest in American writers and who, like Playwrights Horizons, demonstrate a commitment to producing new plays. In the future, resident companies will also receive performance space in one of Playwrights Horizons' venues.

Award-winning cabaret, theater, and concert star Carolyn Montgomery-Forant will be a special guest at select performances of 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue' at the 13th Street Repertory Theater (50 W. 13th Street, NYC). Montgomery-Forant-who has won the MAC Award, the Bistro Award, and the New York Nightlife Award--will take time out from her own concert schedule to make guest appearances in the revue at the following performances: Sunday, November 16th at 3 pm and 7 pm, and Sunday November 23rd at 3 p.m.

Playwrights Horizons' world premiere production of GRAND CONCOURSE, a new play by playwright and two-time Obie Award-winning actress Heidi Schreck (author of There Are No More Big Secrets, Creature, Showtime's 'Nurse Jackie'), opens tonight, November 11, 2014.

Marin Theatre Company presents Around the World in 80 Days by Toby Hulse, based on the book by Jules Verne, as part of MTC's Theater Series for Young Audiences. Directed by Daunielle Rasmussen, the production runs January 9 - 18, 2015.

Marin Theatre Company artistic director Jasson Minadakis, managing director Michael Barker and director of new play development Margot Melcon announced today the winners of MTC's two new American play prizes, a program now in its seventh year. Skeleton Crew by Dominique Morisseau won the 2014 Sky Cooper New American Play Prize and Martyna Majok won the 2014 David Calicchio Emerging American Playwright Prize for her play Ironbound. The winners were selected from over 900 eligible submissions.

With a $38 million project under construction, a world premiere adaptation, a visit from England and the continuation of the Complete the Canon and History Cycle initiatives, the Utah Shakespeare Festival showed no signs of slowing down in 2014, its 53rd season. Producing 235 performances in rotating repertory in three theatres for 17 weeks is no easy feat, but through countless hours, a dedicated group of artists has pulled off another artistically successful year. Scroll down for photos from the 2014 season!