American Playwrights News

Following critical acclaim and popular demand, Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) has announced a three-week extension for the World Premiere of THIS, the new play by Obie Award winner Melissa James Gibson (Suitcase, [sic]). Directed by Obie Award winner Daniel Aukin ([sic], eight seasons as Artistic Director of Soho Rep), the production opened Wednesday, December 2. Originally set to run through Sunday, December 13, the limited engagement will now play through Sunday, January 3, 2010 at the theater company's Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street). This date represents the latest extension possible for the show.

Transport Group, the winner of a special 2007 Drama Desk Award and a 2007 Obie Award, has announced that its 2009 Gimme A Break! benefit will honor playwright Terrence McNally and director Joe Mantello on Monday, December 7 at 6:30pm, at Asia Society and Museum, 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street.

Cate Blanchett's powerful turn as Blanche DuBois in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' at the Bam Harvey Theatre is not only winning over theatre critics and patrons, but has also managed to impress peers the likes of Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman, and Alan Cumming.

Arena Stage, in partnership with Georgetown University's Theatre and Performance Studies Program, presents a series of symposiums with industry leaders to discuss issues currently affecting American theater and the development of new works. Each will feature both a private meeting of theater professionals and a public presentation. These symposiums are part of Arena's AVNPI and will be hosted on the Georgetown campus.

The romance of Florence comes to life on stage as Philadelphia Theatre Company continues its 2009-2010 season with the hit Broadway musical The Light in the Piazza with book by Craig Lucas and music and lyrics by Adam Guettel on November 13 - December 6. Directed by Joe Calarco, the ensemble cast features Whitney Bashor, Sherri Edelen, Joe Guzman, Ken Krugman, Kyra Miller, Fran Prisco, Matthew Scott, and Maureen Torsney-Weir.

Marin Theatre Company is delighted to present the comedy BOOM by award-winning Marin native Peter Sinn Nachtrieb.

Arena Stage, in partnership with Georgetown University's Theatre and Performance Studies Program, presents a series of symposiums with industry leaders to discuss issues currently affecting American theater and the development of new works. Each will feature both a private meeting of theater professionals and a public presentation. These symposiums are part of Arena's AVNPI and will be hosted on the Georgetown campus.

Arena Stage, in partnership with Georgetown University's Theatre and Performance Studies Program, presents a series of symposiums with industry leaders to discuss issues currently affecting American theater and the development of new works. Each will feature both a private meeting of theater professionals and a public presentation. These symposiums are part of Arena's AVNPI and will be hosted on the Georgetown campus.

Liv Ullmann, living legend of cinema and theater, has just directed a production of A Streetcar Named Desire that stars Cate Blanchett and opens at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in November. While Ullmann was preparing that production, a documentary, The Sealed Orders of Liv Ullmann, captured her mentoring young actors through scenes from this same Tennessee Williams play. The Paley Center will premiere this film by four-time Academy Award nominees Kirk Simon and Karen Goodman, on December 14 at 6:30pm at The Paley Center for Media.

Liv Ullmann, living legend of cinema and theater, has just directed a production of A Streetcar Named Desire that stars Cate Blanchett and opens at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in November. While Ullmann was preparing that production, a documentary, The Sealed Orders of Liv Ullmann, captured her mentoring young actors through scenes from this same Tennessee Williams play. The Paley Center will premiere this film by four-time Academy Award nominees Kirk Simon and Karen Goodman, on December 14 at 6:30pm at The Paley Center for Media.

Following an acclaimed original sold-out run, Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) proudly announces a limited return engagement of the company's recent World Premiere production of CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION, the new hit play by Annie Baker ('An original voice' - Daily News; 'A playwright to know' - Newsday). Directed by Sam Gold ('A magic-fingered director' - Variety; 'An uncommonly observant eye and ear' - The New York Times), the original engagement opened Tuesday, October 13 to across-the-board rave reviews and was ultimately extended twice by critical and audience demand through Saturday, November 21. The return limited engagement will begin performances Tuesday, December 15 at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater with tickets on sale through Sunday, January 17, 2010.

Berkeley's acclaimed Aurora Theatre Company has announced the four plays chosen as finalists by a committee of local directors for the Global Age Project (GAP), the company's new works initiative that promotes the creation of forward-looking theater: A Guide for the Perplexed by Joel Drake Johnson; The Serving Class by Garret Groenveld; Miss Lily Gets Boned by Bekah Brunstetter; and Collapse by Allison Moore.

Frank Scheck of the New York Post has an interview up today on the Post's web site with the legendary Liv Ullmann, in which she talks about directing Cate Blanchett in one of the greatest parts of all time (and one of the few that Ullmann herself would have liked to play and never did.) Click here to read the full story about the production which comes to Brooklyn starting on Friday.

Penumbra Theatre Company, the nation's preeminent African American theatre, announced today that their production of Radio Golf will travel to The August Wilson Center for African American Culture in Pittsburgh, PA to participate in the 'Aunt Ester Cycle.' The cycle will run November 10 - 22, 2009.

Native Voices at the Autry, America's leading Native American theater company, launches its 2009-10 main stage play series with the world premiere of CARBON BLACK by Terry Gomez. The humor-tinged suspenseful psychological drama, directed by Native Voices Founder/Producing Artistic Director Randy Reinholz, runs Saturday, November 7 to Sunday, November 22, 2009 (previews begin Wednesday, November 4). Gripping and enigmatic, the play vividly portrays the relationship between an agoraphobic mother and her precocious son, who claims to have witnessed a horrific murder. The mother's refusal to acknowledge the tale and her crippling dependence on sensationalized media coverage of violence around the globe serve to hold them both hostage and isolated. The award-winning cast includes actress Tonantzín Carmelo, Sheila Tousey, Stephan Wolfert and Michael Drummond.

Responding to the popular demand for tickets, Philadelphia Theatre Company is extending its production of the multiple Tony Award-winning musical, The Light in the Piazz, until Sunday, December 13.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) has announced a two-week extension for the World Premiere of CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION, a new play by Annie Baker ('An original voice' - Daily News; 'A playwright to know' - Newsday) that has just opened to across-the-board rave reviews. Directed by Sam Gold ('A magic-fingered director' - Variety; 'An uncommonly observant eye and ear' - New York Times), the production opened Tuesday, October 13. Originally set to run through Sunday, November 1, the limited engagement will now play through Sunday, November 22 at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Responding to the popular demand for tickets, Philadelphia Theatre Company is extending its production of the multiple Tony Award-winning musical, The Light in the Piazz, until Sunday, December 13. Performances for the extension week will follow the current schedule, with shows on Tuesdays at 6:30, Wednesdays at 1:00 and 7:00, Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00, Saturdays at 2:00 and 8:00, and Sundays at 3:00.

Transport Group, the winner of a special 2007 Drama Desk Award and a 2007 Obie Award, has announced that its 2009 Gimme A Break! benefit will honor playwright Terrence McNally and director Joe Mantello on Monday, December 7 at 6:30pm, at Asia Society and Museum, 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street.

Playwright Edward Albee, best known for Who's Araid of Virginia Woolf?, gave a rare public interview at the Sydney Theatre Company, and had not too many complimentary things to say about the state of theater production today, according to a report in moreintelligentlife.com.