Andrew W. Mellon News

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) opens The Little Foxes tonight, September 21, 2010, at 7:00pm. The production runs through October 31, 2010.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) announced complete casting today for the world premiere of THAT HOPEY CHANGEY THING, written and directed by Richard Nelson.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company kicks off its 2010-2011 season with Detroit, a new play by Lisa D'Amour, directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton. Detroit features an all-ensemble cast including Kevin Anderson, Kate Arrington, Ian Barford, Robert Breuler and Laurie Metcalf.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company kicks off its 2010-2011 season with Detroit, a new play by Lisa D'Amour, directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton. Detroit features an all-ensemble cast including Kevin Anderson, Kate Arrington, Ian Barford, Robert Breuler and Laurie Metcalf. Detroit plays September 9 - November 7, 2010 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. The press performances are: Saturday, September 18 at 3 pm and Tuesday, September 21 at 7:30 pm.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present a major international loan exhibition devoted to the art of the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368)-one of the most dynamic and culturally rich periods in Chinese history-beginning September 28.

Signature Theatre Company's production of Tony Kushner's ANGELS IN AMERICA: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, began performances Tuesday, September 14. The first New York revival of Kushner's Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning play is directed by Michael Greif. The production, originally slated to run through December 19, has been extended a second time through February 20, 2011. Click below to hear clips of Kushner talk all things ANGELS and this newest revival.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents the world premiere of WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE, September 17-October 9, at the University Theatre (222 York Street).

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents the world premiere of WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE, September 17-October 9, at the University Theatre (222 York Street).

Advance press materials for this late October presentation will be available at the press preview for The Spanish Manner: Drawings from Ribera to Goya on Monday, October 4, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Velázquez's portrait of Philip IV will be on view briefly that morning after 11:30am. The Frick Collection, 1 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10021; RSVP: (212) 547-6844

The new musical Long Season by Chay Yew and Fabian Obispo will be read Thursday, September 16 at 12pm as part of the Huntington Theatre Company's Breaking Ground reading series. The reading, located at the Roy Arias Studio, is free and open to the public, though reservations are required as seating is extremely limited.

The Joyce Theater Foundation is pleased to present Jane Comfort and Company's re-staging of Faith Healing, October 27-31, as part of its American Masterpieces Series which takes place at Joyce SoHo.

The new musical Long Season by Chay Yew and Fabian Obispo will be read Thursday, September 16 at 12pm as part of the Huntington Theatre Company's Breaking Ground reading series. The reading, located at the Roy Arias Studio, is free and open to the public, though reservations are required as seating is extremely limited.

The general public contributed in excess of $150,000 to the "Save the Inside/Out Stage" public fundraising campaign during the 2010 Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, far exceeding the organization's original $100,000 goal. More than one thousand people donated during the Festival and gifts ranged from one dollar bills donated by children too short to see over the top of the donation baskets, to multi-thousand-dollar pledges from private donors. The Inside/Out stage hosts more than 40 free public dance performances each season in the Pillow's outdoor Marcia and Seymour Simon Performance Space. Described by The New Yorker as "a breathtaking outdoor stage overlooking the lush Berkshire hills," Inside/Out has become a tradition for audiences from Berkshire County and around the world. "The outpouring of public support we received during this initiative is inspiring, and very moving. We've shot past our goal and the donations are still coming in," comments Ella Baff, Executive Director of Jacob's Pillow. "We had members of the community who gave every time they attended a performance, children donated their allowances, tourists and newcomers to dance were inspired to give, alumni of The School at Jacob's Pillow and our Intern Program contributed online from across the country and around the world, entire families pooled donations together to honor the memory of loved ones with named benches and picnic tables, and countless others." Baff continues, "Thanks to the amount of public support we have received we will be able to begin construction of the new stage in the spring. Any funds not needed for construction will be reserved for the stage and site's ongoing maintenance, equipment, and free dance programming. This will ensure that free performances will continue at Inside/Out for generations to come." Originally built in 1981 to provide additional rehearsal space for The School at Jacob's Pillow, the Inside/Out stage does not meet today's construction standards and must be completely rebuilt in order to be in operation next season. A new foundation, steel framing, and complete reconstruction of the stage and dance surface are required. The rebuild also enables improvements in stage size, entrances, a dressing area for the artists, and a musician's platform. In addition, the seating area will be re-graded and the existing benches re-set for better sightlines. Care is being taken in planning these changes to ensure that the site's beloved simplicity and natural charm is maintained. Construction is slated to start in the spring and be completed by June 2011. Inside/Out is a public stage which features free performances by emerging and established dance companies from all over the world and showings by dancers of The School every Wednesday through Saturday during the Festival. This season, the Inside/Out series included performances by hip-hop group Rennie Harris RHAW, contemporary company Yesid Lopez Contemporary Dance, Czech choreographer Dušan Týnek, and many others. The 2010 Inside/Out series attracted more than 17,500 audience members, marking the highest audience numbers in Inside/Out history and exceeding last season's audiences by 3,000 people. The Save the Inside/Out Stage initiative to raise $100,000 launched in June and ran throughout the 2010 Festival to the end of August. After each of the 40 free public dance performances offered on the Inside/Out stage, various members of the community, including past performers, faculty of The School at Jacob's Pillow, local politicians, Pillow Board members, and other community leaders spoke passionately about what the stage and its free performances meant to them, and the urgent need to rebuild it. Audience members responded generously with donations on the spot and via mail, by phone, and online. The funds raised during the Save the Inside/Out Stage initiative complete a $1.1 million fundraising effort to improve selected amenities and facilities at the Pillow. The reconstruction of the Inside/Out stage is part of a $400,000 Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund matching grant. Jacob's Pillow celebrated its 78th anniversary in 2010 and is home to a renowned international dance Festival, presenting and commissioning works of artists and companies from throughout the world. The School at Jacob's Pillow encompasses a professional training program in the diverse disciplines of Ballet, Cultural Traditions, Contemporary Traditions, Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance, and a Choreographers Lab, as well as an Intern Program in arts administration and production. The Pillow's extensive Archives, open year-round to the public free of charge, chronicle more than a century of the often ephemeral art form of dance in photos, print, video, and more. Jacob's Pillow's year-round Community Programs enrich the lives of children and adults including Jacob's Pillow Curriculum-in-Motion® a nationally-recognized program for educational settings, and the Creative Development Residency and commissioning programs support artists as they create work. In 2003, Jacob's Pillow was declared a National Historic Landmark and is the first and only dance entity in the U.S. to achieve this honor. As of August 2010, major support for Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival has been provided by: Asian Cultural Council; The Cricket Foundation; The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation; Frances Alexander Family Fund; The Howard Gilman Foundation; The Harkness Foundation for Dance; The Geoffrey C. Hughes Foundation, Inc.; The Leir Charitable Foundations, In Memory of Henry J. Leir; The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Mertz Gilmore Foundation; New England Foundation for the Arts; Leading for the Future Initiative, a program of the Nonprofit Finance Fund, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation; Bessie Pappas Charitable Foundation, Inc.; The Prospect Hill Foundation; The Roxe Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; The Spingold Foundation, Inc.; The Walbridge Fund, Ltd.; Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency; MassDevelopment; National Endowment for the Arts; National Endowment for the Arts as part of American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; Save America's Treasures; CEC ArtsLink and the Open World Leadership Center; ALEX®; Capezio/Ballet Makers Dance Foundation; Greylock Federal Credit Union; The Legacy Banks Foundation; Quality Inn; Rodeway Inn; The Pillow Business Alliance; and Jacob's Pillow Members. Major endowment support is provided by The Barrington Foundation, Inc.; The William Randolph Hearst Foundation; The Leir Charitable Foundations, In Memory of Henry J. Leir; The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Onota Foundation; The Prospect Hill Foundation; Talented Students in the Arts Initiative, a collaboration of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Surdna Foundation; and Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Dancing Earth, which Rulan Tangen founded in 2004, reflects both the cultural heritage and the contemporary identity of native peoples. The company boasts an entirely indigenous creative team of nine dancers and more than a dozen composers, costumers, filmmakers, visual artists and stage crew.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company kicks off its 2010-2011 season with Detroit, a new play by Lisa D'Amour, directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton. Detroit features an all-ensemble cast including Kevin Anderson, Kate Arrington, Ian Barford, Robert Breuler and Laurie Metcalf. Detroit plays September 9 - November 7, 2010 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. The press performances are: Saturday, September 18 at 3 pm and Tuesday, September 21 at 7:30 pm.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director William Russo have announced that The Little Foxes, written by Lillian Hellman, and directed by Ivo van Hove, will begin performances Friday, September 10, at 8pm, at NYTW, 79 East 4th Street, between Second Avenue and Bowery. Opening night is scheduled for Monday, September 21, 2010, at 7:00pm. The production runs through October 31, 2010.

The New York Theatre Workshop has announced the complete cast for its upcoming production of Lillian Hellman's THE LITTLE FOXES. In addition to the previously announced Elizabeth Marvel as Regina Giddens, the production will feature Tina Benko, Marton Csokas, Lynda Gravatt, Cristin Milioti, Thomas Jay Ryan, Greig Sargeant, Sanjit De Silva, Christopher Evan Welch, and Nick Westrate.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) announced the line-up today for the 2010-2011 Public LAB season.

New York City Center's FREE DanceTalks, held in conjunction with the acclaimed Fall for Dance Festival, features dance artists and experts discussing current topics in the dance world.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company kicks off its 2010-2011 season with Detroit, a new play by Lisa D'Amour, directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton.