American Playwrights News

Philadelphia Theatre Company shines a hot spotlight on comedy by offering some cool entertainment this summer. PTC collaborates with the legendary Second City comedy theatre to create a world premiere revue running July 8 through August 2, 2009. The improv troupe's lauded wit, irreverence and audience interaction will be showcased in a hilarious spoof of all things 'Philadelphia'.

Philadelphia Theatre Company shines a hot spotlight on comedy by offering some cool entertainment this summer. PTC collaborates with the legendary Second City comedy theatre to create a world premiere revue running July 8 through August 2, 2009. The improv troupe's lauded wit, irreverence and audience interaction will be showcased in a hilarious spoof of all things 'Philadelphia'.

Native Voices at the Autry proudly presents the world premiere of Wings of Night Sky, Wings of Morning Light by musician, poet, songwriter, and playwright Joy Harjo (Mvskoke). The play is a deeply compelling journey of struggle, displacement, self-discovery, and healing. Invoking spoken word, storytelling, music, and song, Harjo takes us on a wild theatrical ride where she tells it like it is with spirit and a mean jazz sax. An allegorical work of tremendous power, Wings demonstrates how theater and art can bring life full circle.

Native Voices at the Autry proudly presents the world premiere of Wings of Night Sky, Wings of Morning Light by musician, poet, songwriter, and playwright Joy Harjo (Mvskoke). The play is a deeply compelling journey of struggle, displacement, self-discovery, and healing. Invoking spoken word, storytelling, music, and song, Harjo takes us on a wild theatrical ride where she tells it like it is with spirit and a mean jazz sax. An allegorical work of tremendous power, Wings demonstrates how theater and art can bring life full circle.

Playwrights Foundation (PF) welcomes an unprecedented group of national and regional playwrights and directors for the development of new works as part of the In The Rough Reading Series 2009, or ROUGH. This year's selections include: Meat by Samuel D. Hunter, directed by Mark Rucker; Language Rooms by Yussef El Guindi, directed by Mark Routhier; Job by Thomas Bradshaw, directed by Jonathan Spector; Defiant by George Brant, directed by Marissa Wolf; This Is Not a Torture or an Engine by Erin Bregman, directed by Molly Aaronson-Gelb; Assisted Living by Deirdre O'Connor, directed by Jon Tracy; Natasha and the Coat by Deborah Stein, directed by Sean Daniels; and The Verizon Play by Lisa Kron, directed by Amy Mueller. Readings will take place from Mar. 30 -- May 19, every Monday and Tuesday.

Palm Beach Dramaworks and Aspen Theater Masters are proud to announce the formation of a new play development program, New Bridges Fest. The two organizations, which have been working together since summer 2008, will present Equity staged-readings of four new plays by emerging American playwrights on March 8th and 9th at 7:30pm in Aspen, Colorado at the Black Box Theatre, and March 23rd and 24th at 3pm and 7pm in Palm Beach, at Dramaworks' downtown theatre. Two plays will be presented at each reading, followed by brief post-show discussions with the playwrights and artistic team. The playwrights are winners of past Theater Masters' competitions.

Keen Company (Artistic Director Carl Forsman, Executive Director Wayne Kelton) is thrilled to present John Cullum, Jonathan Hogan and Tony Roberts in the New York premiere of Heroes, by G?rald Sibleyras with a translation by Tom Stoppard and directed by Carl Forsman. Heroes received the 2006 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. Performances begin on Tuesday, February 24 and run through April 11 at The Clurman Theatre / Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues. Opening is scheduled for Sunday, March 8.

The Unseen is notable writer of stage and television Craig Wright's (TV's 'Lost', 'Dirty, Sexy Money', and the theatre's Recent Tragic Events and The Pavilion, et al) psychological potboiler about two prisoners trying to crack the code of their cryptic imprisonment by a brutal, totalitarian regime. Only familiar to each other by their voices, the two men keep each other mentally and emotionally going through the cell walls as they share stories of their interrogations and torture, putting the pieces together about who their captors are and what it would take to get out. The puzzle is further complicated with the introduction of a new prisoner placed near them who only poses more questions than answers.

The Fire Dept Artistic Directors Erica Gould and Audrey Rosenberg have announced that the return of the company's Salon Series-staged readings of new plays, presented in non-proscenium environments that encourage an intimacy between audience and performer, followed by a discussion with the artists and noted guest speakers whose life experiences speak to the issues raised by the material-will begin with The Minotaur by Anna Ziegler (BFF), directed by Erica Gould (Neil LaBute's autobahn and Stand Up), and starring Mario Cantone (Sex and the City), Jill Clayburgh (Dirty Sexy Money, An Unmarried Woman), Campbell Scott (Dying Young, Singles, Longtime Companion), and Jeremy Webb (The Glorious Ones, Kander & Ebb's The Visit) on Friday, March 27 at 7 pm at the historic Players Club, 16 Gramercy Park South at 20th Street. The event will be produced by Audrey Rosenberg (Infamous with Sandra Bullock, upcoming documentary about Barack Obama).

World Premiere of INKED BABY, a new play by 2007 Susan Smith Blackburn nominee Christina Anderson in her Off-Broadway playwriting debut. INKED BABY begins previews on Thursday, March 5 at 7:30 PM at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

The American Actor's Company (The Traveling Lady) is proud to present the Off-Broadway premiere of The Unseen by Craig Wright. Performances of this limited Off-Broadway engagement will be at the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce St) beginning previews March 5th, Opening March 8th and closing March 28th. Performances run Tuesdays ? Sundays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 2 PM, Sundays at 3 PM. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased by calling Telecharge at 212-239-6200 or by going to www.telecharge.com. For more information please visit www.unseentheplay.com.

Palm Beach Dramaworks and Aspen Theater Masters are proud to announce the formation of a new play development program, New Bridges Fest. The two organizations, which have been working together since summer 2008, will present Equity staged-readings of four new plays by emerging American playwrights on March 8th and 9th at 7:30pm in Aspen, Colorado at the Black Box Theatre, and March 23rd and 24th at 3pm and 7pm in Palm Beach, at Dramaworks' downtown theatre. Two plays will be presented at each reading, followed by brief post-show discussions with the playwrights and artistic team. The playwrights are winners of past Theater Masters' competitions.

The Bull presents a pulp revival of Fool for Love wherein two lovers, Eddie and May, trapped in a motel room that only exists on the horizon of the desert, battle to the death of their love in order to escape their lurid past. Fool for Love is arguably the hippest love story to hit the stage in three decades...yet recent renditions have lacked the comedy needed to lighten the weighty themes this play provides. We prefer to take it one step further into the brutal surrealism the play already offers. The characters in our version of Fool for Love are just that, characters.

Native Voices at the Autry proudly presents the world premiere of Wings of Night Sky, Wings of Morning Light by musician, poet, songwriter, and playwright Joy Harjo (Mvskoke). The play is a deeply compelling journey of struggle, displacement, self-discovery, and healing. Invoking spoken word, storytelling, music, and song, Harjo takes us on a wild theatrical ride where she tells it like it is with spirit and a mean jazz sax. An allegorical work of tremendous power, Wings demonstrates how theater and art can bring life full circle.

Philadelphia Theatre Company will present the world premiere of Terrence McNally's newest play The Golden Age as part of its 2009-2010 season. Following its run in Philadelphia, the PTC production will move to the Kennedy Center as part of its 'Terrence McNally's Nights at the Opera' Festival.

Acclaimed Off-Broadway theater company Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) will hold its annual Spring Gala Benefit on Monday evening, April 27th at Guastavino's (409 East 59th Street).

Acclaimed Off-Broadway theater company Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) will hold its annual Spring Gala Benefit on Monday evening, April 27th at Guastavino's (409 East 59th Street).

Desire Under the Elms at Goodman Theater opens tonight. Rumors have spread that the show has Broadway in its sights, and hopes to come to New York next spring. The show has been extended before opening night, as it will now play through March 1. Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls and renowned actor Brian Dennehy bring their artistic partnership to new heights with Eugene O'Neill's haunting drama, Desire Under the Elms-marking their fifth collaboration on O'Neill's work over two decades. Falls' cast includes stage and screen stars Carla Gugino (Entourage, Spy Kids, Sin City) Pablo Schreiber (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Awake and Sing!), Boris McGiver (The Wire) and Daniel Stewart Sherman (Broadway's Cyrano de Bergerac). The centerpiece production of Goodman Theatre's two-month 'A Global Exploration: Eugene O'Neill in the 21st Century,' Desire Under the Elms appears January 17 - March 1 in the Goodman's 856-seat Albert Ivar Theatre. Tickets are $25 - 82; a full Exploration calendar, including dates, times and ticket prices, appears at the end of the release. Allstate is the Corporate Sponsor Partner of Desire Under the Elms and The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation is the Sponsor Partner. UBS is the Lead Corporate Sponsor for 'A Global Exploration: Eugene O'Neill in the 21st Century' and The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is the Sponsor Partner. Motorola Foundation is the Corporate Sponsor Partner. American Airlines is the Exclusive Airline of Goodman Theatre.

Transport Group, the winner of a special 2007 Drama Desk Award and a 2007 Obie Award, will present the world premiere of Being Audrey, music and lyrics by Ellen Weiss; book by James Hindman; additional book and lyrics by Cheryl Stern; developed with Jack Cummings III and Adam R. Perlman; musical direction, arrangements, and orchestrations by Lanny Meyers; musical staging and choreography by Scott Rink; and directed by Jack Cummings III, beginning Friday, March 27, at 8:00pm at 220 East 4 Street, between Avenues A and B. The opening is set for Sunday, April 5, at 3pm.

Starting tomorrow, Wednesday, February 25 at 10:00 AM, Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) will be accepting entries for its popular LIVEforFIVE online lottery for $5 tickets to its next production, the World Premiere of INKED BABY, a new play by 2007 Susan Smith Blackburn nominee Christina Anderson in her Off-Broadway playwriting debut. A total of 40 tickets will be available via the online lottery.