Anna-Deavere Smith News

Philadelphia Theatre Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Kathleen Kund Nolan as Interim Managing Director. Nolan replaces Diane Claussen who has moved to Chicago to assume the position of Managing Director at Northwestern University's Theatre and Interpretation Center.

Second Stage Theatre will present the New York premiere of Rajiv Joseph's (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo) Gruesome Playground Injuries featuring Pablo Schreiber and Jennifer Carpenter in 2011, the New York Times reveals today. Scott Ellis will direct. Preview will begin on January 5, 2011, with an opening night scheduled for January 31, 2011.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in Southwest D.C. officially opens to the public Saturday, October 23 with the Homecoming Grand Opening Celebration.

After more than a decade of planning and two and a half years of construction, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in Southwest D.C. returns to the neighborhood with a ribbon cutting ceremony and Homecoming Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, October 23, 2010.

After more than a decade of planning and two and a half years of construction, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in Southwest D.C. returns to the neighborhood with a ribbon cutting ceremony and Homecoming Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, October 23, 2010.

Arena Stage's inaugural season at the Mead Center for American Theater opens with three productions featuring three powerful leading ladies - E. Faye Butler in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! in the company's renovated, iconic Fichandler Stage; Phylicia Rashad in playwright Marcus Gardley's world premiere of Every Tongue Confess in the brand new 200-seat Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle; and Anna Deavere Smith in her one-woman play, Second Stage's production of Let Me Down Easy, which begins its national tour in the freshly refurbished Kreeger Theater.

Philadelphia Theatre Company spells F-U-N when it opens its 35th Anniversary mainstage season with the multiple Tony Award winner The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin, and conceived by Rebecca Feldman, running November 12-December 12 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets).

The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. (NEC) will present a reading of THE VISITOR by Carol K. Mack and directed by NEC's Artistic Director Charles Weldon Tuesday, October 19th at 7:30 pm at the June Havoc Theatre at the Abingdon Theatre Complex (312 West 36th St., between 8th & 9th Ave.).

Philadelphia Theatre Company kicks off its 35th Anniversary Season with PTC@PLAY, a new play festival running October 5-21 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). The Festival, with staged readings of works by established playwrights as well as new voices, features Casa Cushman, by Leigh Fondakowski in conjunction with the Tectonic Theater Project, Strongman's Ghost by Jeffrey Hatcher, What We're Up Against by Theresa Rebeck, How To Write A New Book For The Bible by Bill Cain and Milk Like Sugar by Kirsten Greenidge. All readings are free with curtain time at 7:00 PM.

August Wilson, Lorraine Hansberry, Langston Hughes. These were the names that easily rolled off of the tongue when you thought of the African-American playwright. However, now in the Tyler Perry generation, you struggle to find African-americans who have knowledge of those playwrights let alone more recent ones such as Lynn Nottage and Anna Deavere- Smith. Fortunately, the times are a-changing.

Philadelphia Theatre Company kicks off its 35th Anniversary Season with PTC@PLAY, a new play festival running October 5-21 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). The Festival, with staged readings of works by established playwrights as well as new voices, features Casa Cushman, by Leigh Fondakowski in conjunction with the Tectonic Theater Project, Strongman's Ghost by Jeffrey Hatcher, What We're Up Against by Theresa Rebeck, How To Write A New Book For The Bible by Bill Cain and Milk Like Sugar by Kirsten Greenidge. All readings are free with curtain time at 7:00 PM.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in Southwest D.C. officially opens to the public Saturday, October 23 with the Homecoming Grand Opening Celebration.

Philadelphia Theatre Company (PTC) announced today that Diane Claussen, Managing Director of the Company, will leave the organization next month to assume the role of Managing Director at Northwestern University's Theatre and Interpretation Center. She will also teach Arts Management in Northwestern's Department of Theatre.

This fall marks the fifth year of the successful partnership between Arena Stage-now home in its expanded venue the Mead Center for American Theater in Southwest D.C.-and the Georgetown University Theater and Performance Studies Program.

This fall, some of the brightest names in film, television, theater, books, popular music, technology and culinary arts are sitting down with New York Times journalists for TimesTalks events at TheTimesCenter. Yesterday evening, September 20, TimesTalks hosted James Earl Jones, the award-winning actor in conversation with the New York Time's Patrick Healy. Jones is returning to Broadway in October in 'Driving Miss Daisy' alongside Vanessa Redgrave, and discussed his work in theater, film and TV. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the photo op and brings you coverage below!

August Wilson, Lorraine Hansberry, Langston Hughes, and James Baldwin. There was once a time that these were the names to roll easily off of the tongue when considering the contemporary African-American playwright.

Philadelphia Theatre Company is pleased to announce that SCOTT ZIGLER will direct their production of David Mamet's hit Broadway play Race, running January 21-February13 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets).

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting will hold its 5th annual Harold Clurman Festival of the Arts this fall, bringing artists and activists together to discuss the relationship between art and social activism. Events will take place beginning on September 20th and end on October 1st.

Producer Daryl Roth announces that following a sold out developmental run last spring, THE DIVINE SISTER, the new comedy written by and starring Charles Busch, directed by Carl Andress, will transfer to the SoHo Playhouse (15 Vandam Street) featuring the entire original company: Alison Fraser, Amy Rutberg, Jennifer Van Dyck, Jonathan Walker, and Julie Halston.

This fall, some of the brightest names in film, television, theater, books, popular music, technology and culinary arts will sit down with New York Times journalists for TimesTalks events at TheTimesCenter, 242 West 41st Street in New York City.