American Playwrights News

Tickets are now on sale for the Alliance Theatre's 2013-14 Season.

From super powers to a super granny, death, a disappearance and the apocalypse, the 8th annual Artists' Exchange One Act Play Festival rollicks through plots and genres leaving no stone unturned. Presented in two 2 week "waves," these thirteen plays offer a refreshingly brief and varied sampling of emerging and established American playwrights. Local playwrights include Epic Theatre Company's Kevin Broccoli (Wave I), Trinity Repertory Company Member Alexandar Platt (Wave II) and Ben Jolivet (Wave I & II).

Abingdon Theatre Company-which has produced 81 new American plays in its 20-year history-concluded its 2012-2013 season with the annual presentation of its AB*IE AWARDS, an awards program to acknowledge the contributions of their artists and the essential role their audiences serve in the development of new American plays. Scroll down for a photo of the award recipients!

TACT/The Actors Company Theatre has announced its 2013/2014 Season, which will include two treasures from iconic American playwrights. The critically-acclaimed and Drama Desk nominated Off-Broadway company 'dedicated to presenting neglected or rarely produced plays of literary merit,' will present the family drama Natural Affection by William Inge and the comedy Beyond Therapy by Christopher Durang, Off-Broadway at The Beckett Theatre (410 West 42nd Street - between 9th & 10th Avenues) on Theatre Row. Neither play has been seen in NYC since their original productions.

Actor Khalil Kain, who is known for edgy character roles on film and for the TV series 'Girlfriends,' will make his stage directing debut with Sam Shepard's 'Buried Child,' to be presented by Aaron Davis Hall as an Equity LORT/LOA production from July 11 to August 3. The production uses a multi-racial cast to reinterpret the underlying symbols of Shepard's landmark play, in which the misfortunes of a Midwestern farming family reveal both the demise and endurance of the American Dream.

Second Stage Theatre's (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) upcoming 35th Anniversary Season will kick off with the previously announced new musical LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, by James Lapine and William Finn, and will continue with the New York premiere of Quiara Alegria Hudes' THE HAPPIEST SONG PLAYS LAST, the follow-up to last season's acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-winning, Water by the Spoonful, and the final play in Ms. Hudes' Elliot trilogy, directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. The season will also include the New York Premiere of Laura Eason's provocative play,SEX WITH STRANGERS, directed by David Schwimmer.

In keeping with American Repertory Theater of WNY's mission statement of supporting a new generation of American playwrights, ART is proud to announce, through the Erie Canal Harbor Development, the Young Playwright showcase July 2013 as part of the summer programming on Canalside.

Cowboy Versus Samurai, Michael Golamco's hit comedy inspired by Cyrano de Bergerac, will make its Los Angeles debut at The Rosenthal Theater at Inner-City Arts with an opening night on Saturday, September 28, 2013.

Last night was the premiere of FADE TO BLACK, an innovative 10 minute play festival promoting and supporting original works created by African-American artists. This showcase is the creative brainchild of Denise O'Neal of WMGE, LLC and Leighza Walker of LeighzaLand Productions, and it is a true first for the Houston theater community. Thankfully, these extraordinary women have already placed FADE TO BLACK on next year's calendar with the intentions of creating an annual event that centers around encouraging and producing new works written by African-American playwrights.

Olney Theatre Center Artistic Director Jason Loewith announced the company would scrap its traditional subscription format while producing an ambitious slate of three seasons and nine productions for the Theatre's 2014 76th Anniversary Season. Three "mini-seasons" will feature Rolling World Premieres, 20th century American classics, four extraordinary musicals and an outdoor Shakespeare production beneath the stars.

Titled 'Lost on the Natchez Trace,' written by Jan Buttram, the award-winning Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company is giving this provocative new play it's New Jersey premiere, opening today, June 12 , and running through July 20. There are four shows a week, Todays through Saturdays, except there is no show on Thursday, July 4 and an added show on Sunday, July 7. All curtain times are 8:30p.m.

Marin Theatre Company's artistic director Jasson Minadakis, managing director Michael Barker and Board of Directors' Development Committee chair Fred Taylor announced today that the company received a two-year $350,000 challenge grant from an anonymous Marin couple. The grant will match dollar-for-dollar all donations from supporters who have not previously contributed to MTC. The grant will also match each dollar given above the amount a returning donor gave in 2012. Gifts doubled by 2012 donors will be matched in full, doubling the impact of their contributions.

Thirty years after directing and choreographing the Odyssey Theatre's award-winning West Coast premiere, and following a wildly successful off-Broadway revival at the York Theatre last season, Bill Castellino reunites with musical director Gerald Sternbach to charm audiences with a revitalized, updated version of Ionescopade at the Odyssey Theatre, beginning May 31. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities below!

Looking Glass Theatre, celebrating 20 years, brings back for a very limited run Frankie Little Hardin's East of the Sun, West of the Moon, a new children's play directed by Julia Sterling Martin and Naima Warden. East of the Sun, West of the Moon performs today, June 1 and Saturday June 8 at 2 p.m at Richmond Shepard Theatre, located at 309 East 26th Street, at 2nd Avenue.

Native Voices at the Autry, America's leading Native American theatre company, continues its tradition of excellence, developing plays by new and established Native American Playwrights at its highly regarded PLAYWRIGHTS RETREAT AND FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS, and culminating in free staged public readings of three intriguing new works today, May 29, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, May 30, 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, May 31, 2013, 7:30 p.m., at the Autry National Center's Wells Fargo Theater in Los Angeles.

Titled 'Lost on the Natchez Trace,' written by Jan Buttram, the award-winning Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company is giving this provocative new play it's New Jersey premiere, opening on Wednesday, June 12 , and running through July 20. There are four shows a week, Wednesdays through Saturdays, except there is no show on Thursday, July 4 and an added show on Sunday, July 7. All curtain times are 8:30p.m.

Artisitic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah successfully adds his play to the 'Raisin Cycle'.

Seduction and power, desire and sex are themes of David Ives' dark comedy Venus in Fur, receiving its Philadelphia premiere at Philadelphia Theatre Company tonight, May 24-June 23 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). Directed by Kip Fagan, the two-person cast features Mark Alhadeff and Jenni Putney.

The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh will play Marin Theatre Company, directed by Mark Jackson and featuring Joy Carlin,* Rod Gnapp,* Joseph Salazar and Beth Wilmurt (* member, Actor's Equity Association), from May 23 to June 16, 2013. Opening night is Tuesday, May 28, with previews tonight, May 23 - Sunday, May 26.

In keeping with American Repertory Theater of WNY's mission statement of supporting a new generation of American playwrights, ART/WNY is proud to announce, through the Erie Canal Harbor Development, the second annual Young Playwright Festival July 19th, 20th & 21st as part of the diverse and exciting 2013 summer programming on Buffalo's beautiful Canalside on the Lake Erie waterfront.