Anna-Deavere Smith News

American Express will sponsor the upcoming Second Stage Theatre production of Let Me Down Easy, conceived, written and performed by Anna Deavere Smith.

As previously announced, Fela!, the new musical based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, will arrive on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street) where performances will commence on Monday, October 19 with an official opening set for Monday, November 23.

Producers Angelo Fraboni and Daryl Roth have announced that the New York premiere of Vigil, written by Morris Panych and directed by Stephen DiMenna, will begin performances Sunday, September 20, at 3pm at the DR2 Theatre, 103 East 15 Street, east of Union Square. The opening is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29 at 7pm.

It's that time of year again, when the city officially turns into the NY intelligencia's playground. Yes, I am referring to the New Yorker Festival, which takes place over the October 16 - October 18 weekend. Among the highlights: panel discussions an Q & As with stage and screen stars Stanly Tucci, Christine Baranski and Tilda Swinton, among others.

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting will be holding its 4th 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 18th and end on September 28th.

Channeling a dramatic range of interview subjects, from artists and athletes to doctors and those they treat, LET ME DOWN EASY is a virtuosic and moving exploration of the power of the body and the resilience of the human spirit, featuring first person accounts from a wide variety of sources, including Lance Armstrong, and former Texas Governor Ann Richards.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) will launch its 31st season this fall with the New York premiere of Anna Deavere Smith's LET ME DOWN EASY. Conceived, written, and performed by Ms. Smith and directed by Leonard Foglia, LET ME DOWN EASY will begin preview performances on Tuesday, September 15 and will officially open on Wednesday, October 7 at 6:45pm.

Dael Orlandersmith takes Chicago audiences on an electrifying journey through the spirit and soul of Harlem in her explosive solo piece Stoop Stories at Goodman Theatre. Hailed a 'triumph' (Washington City Paper) in its world premiere at Washington, D.C.'s Studio Theatre this past spring, Stoop Stories comes to Chicago directed by Obie Award-winner Jo Bonney.

Women's Project, truly on a roll in its 32nd year (and not looking a day over 29!) of producing plays written and directed by women, has signed Maggie Siff, one of the acclaimed ensemble of actors in the hit, third-season TV series 'Mad Men,' to play Aphra Behn in Liz Duffy Adams's three-hander Or, directed by Wendy McClellan.

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting will be holding its 4th 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 18th and end on September 28th.

Following a sold-out 3-week Paris engagement in July, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT), will return to Europe to perform in Copenhagen, Denmark(,) from September 15 - 20; and Athens, Greece, from September 24 - 27.

Following a sold-out 3-week Paris engagement in July, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT), will return to Europe to perform in Copenhagen, Denmark(,) from September 15 - 20; and Athens, Greece, from September 24 - 27.

Fela!, the critically acclaimed musical that had audiences on their feet during its world premiere last summer at Off-Broadway?s 37 Arts, will arrive on Broadway this fall where it begins performances at the Eugene O?Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street) on Monday, October 19. The official opening is set for Monday, November 23.

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting will be holding its 4th 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 18th and end on September 28th.

The Off-Broadway League, the official trade organization for Off-Broadway theatres, producers and productions, is proud to highlight its member shows for the upcoming Fall 2009 season in the vibrant diverse landscape of Off-Broadway theatre.

Channeling a dramatic range of interview subjects, from artists and athletes to doctors and those they treat, LET ME DOWN EASY is a virtuosic and moving exploration of the power of the body and the resilience of the human spirit, featuring first person accounts from a wide variety of sources, including Lance Armstrong, and former Texas Governor Ann Richards.

Dael Orlandersmith takes Chicago audiences on an electrifying journey through the spirit and soul of Harlem in her explosive solo piece Stoop Stories at Goodman Theatre. Hailed a 'triumph' (Washington City Paper) in its world premiere at Washington, D.C.'s Studio Theatre this past spring, Stoop Stories comes to Chicago directed by Obie Award-winner Jo Bonney.

Meet gossip columnists MR. & MRS. FITCH. When the social circuit no longer provides any scandalous news, they find that great celebrity can appear out of thin air. Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane's wicked new comedy is a scathing look at who is in, who is out and who may not even exist at all.

Tony® Award-winner Lillias White will join the cast of Fela!, the new Broadway musical based on the life and music of African composer and performer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, playing the role of the iconic artist's mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.

Producers Angelo Fraboni and Daryl Roth have announced that the New York premiere of Vigil, written by Morris Panych and directed by Stephen DiMenna, will begin performances Sunday, September 20, at 3pm at the DR2 Theatre, 103 East 15 Street, east of Union Square. The opening is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29 at 7pm.