Ars Nova News

Today Artistic Director Jonathan Silverstein of the Drama Desk and Obie Award-winning Keen Company announced the Twelfth Season of Keen Teens. This season's offerings will be Winifred & Myrtle Go to High School by Leah Nanako Wrinkler, directed by Michael Goldfried; Around 2 by James Anthony Tyler, directed by Estefania Fadul; and The Caribbean Queen with book & lyrics by Jamie Cowperthwait, music & lyrics by Salomon Lerner, directed and choreographed by Ilana Ransom Toeplitz with musical direction by Salomon Lerner. An-Lin Dauber will provide scenic design, with costume design by Karen Boyer, lighting design by Kate August and sound design by Karl Berntson.

GHOSTLIGHT RECORDS has announced the release of Two-Player Game, the new album from George Salazar and Joe Iconis, in digital and streaming formats on Friday, May 11.

Founding Creative Director Elizabeth Haag is pleased to announce that The House will be the first production of Guerrilla Theater Lab and Bash Entertainment. The event will consist of a 90-minute immersive theatrical performance, preceded by a 60-minute optional happy hour with musical entertainment. The House is a one-night, Immersive Theatrical Event, to be held on May 19th, 2018, in Park Slope Brooklyn at the historic Montauk Club.

The final show in UW Drama's 2018-2019 mainstage season is Karen Hartman's hilarious, surprising, and deeply human comedy Goldie, Max and Milk.

Broken Nose Theatre, recipient of the 2018 Broadway In Chicago Emerging Theatre Award, is pleased to continue its 2018 Season with Sam Chanse's contemplative new drama THE OPPORTUNITIES OF EXTINCTION, directed by company member Jen Poulin*, playing June 2 - 30, 2018 at The Den Theatre (2A), 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets are currently available at brokennosetheatre.com. Tickets for all Broken Nose Theatre productions are available on a "pay-what-you-can" basis, allowing patrons to set their own price and ensuring theatre remains economically accessible for all audiences. The press opening is Monday, June 4 at 7:30 pm.

The Playwrights Foundation, a launchpad for exceptional plays and playwrights announces the lineup for the 2018 Bay Area Playwrights Festival (BAPF) running July 20-29, 2018. The six Playwrights were selected from more than 700 submissions nationally, 85% from outside the bay area, from more than 2 dozen states and Canada - coast to coast a very North American cohort.

In response to overwhelming demand and near universal critical acclaim, Symphonie Fantastique - the singular creation by designer, director, master puppeteer, and MacArthur "genius" Basil Twist - extends its 20th anniversary engagement to July 15. Set to Hector Berlioz's revolutionary 1830 score, Symphonie Fantastique, for the first time in New York, features live piano accompaniment by Christopher O'Riley. Hailed as a creative masterpiece when it debuted in 1998, the production, which opened on April 4, is a presentation from HERE's Dream Music Puppetry Program and a centerpiece of HERE's 25th anniversary season.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) announces a one-week extension of the New York premiere production of The Great Leap, written by Lauren Yee and directed by Taibi Magar. The production, which opens on Monday, June 4th, will now play through Sunday, June 24th, 2018 Off-Broadway at Atlantic Theater Company's Stage 2 (330 West 16th Street).

Broken Nose Theatre, recipient of the 2018 Broadway In Chicago Emerging Theatre Award, is pleased to announce casting for Sam Chanse's contemplative new drama THE OPPORTUNITIES OF EXTINCTION, directed by company member Jen Poulin*

Chimera Ensemble is proud to present the US Premiere of DON'T SMOKE IN BED, written by award-winning playwright Aurin Squire, and directed by acclaimed director Chika Ike. The production will go up June 15 - July 8 in The Pentagon Theater at Collaboraction Studios in The Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago IL 60622. There will be one preview on Friday, June 15 at 7:30 pm. Opening night, followed by a reception, will be Saturday, June 16 at 7:30 pm. 

To commemorate Mental Health Month this May, the Tony Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen will join forces with TIME and the mental health-conscious beauty brand philosophy for You Will Be Found an exclusive event to highlight contemporary mental health issues on Thursday, May 10, 2018 at 3:30 PM, it was announced today. The one-day-only event will take place at Meredith's downtown offices and will feature mental-health-focused conversations and a performance from the cast of Dear Evan Hansen.

Hit the Lights! Theater Co. is pleased to present their original shadow play WHALES at The Peoples Improv Theater (The PIT), running April 24 through May 18th, 2018.

F*It Club, the New York Innovative Award-winning film and theatre company, continues its annual series of short, commissioned world-premiere plays at the IRT Theater as part of their 3B Development Series in Manhattan's West Village with The Spring Fling: Chemistry, seven new short plays by Mario Correa (Tail! Spin!), Jahna Ferron-Smith (Ensemble Studio Theatre's Youngblood), Jon Kern (Modern Terrorism), Dan McCabe (Christina Martinez), Mara Nelson-Greenberg (Do You Feel Anger?), Erica Saleh (Channel Zero, Wisdom of the Crowd) and Amy Staats (Eddie and Dave).

In the past few weeks, we've watched the nominations roll in. Today the final crop of nominees have been revealed, all leading to next week's ultimate announcement- the 2018 Tony nominations.

Bekah Brunstetter has been in the news a lot lately as her play THE CAKE (Geffen Playhouse, Manhattan Theatre Club) sweeps the nation and for her work on NBC's hit THIS IS US. Previously acclaimed plays like BE A GOOD LITTLE WIDOW, THE OREGON TRAIL and YOU MAY GO NOW have created a growing fan base for the playwright.

Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) announces its exciting 2018/19 season: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, the Tony Award-winning play adapted by Simon Stephens based on the book by Mark Haddon, directed by Steppenwolf Artistic Producer Jonathan Berry; and the world premiere of Radical by acclaimed playwright Matthew-Lee Erlbach, inspired by the book White American Youth by Christian Picciolini, directed by SYA Artistic Director Hallie Gordon. SYA's 2018/19 Season explores the question, "When You Feel Lost, How Do You Find Your Way?"

Forward Flux Productions, along with commissioning panelists Benjamin Benne, Joshua Castille, Wesley Fruge, Chisa Hutchinson, Pilar O'Connell, Sharath Patel, Patrick Pearson and Emily Penick, is thrilled to announce the three winners of the THREE NEW AMERICAN PLAYS project. This project kicked off on January 2nd, 2018, with an open call to playwrights across North America. Over 250 playwrights submitted pitches inspired by three timely prompts, and now, after a rigorous three month process, the winning playwrights have been selected. They are: Marisa Carr, Sarah Loucks, and Charly Evon Simpson.

Lena Hall has shared on Twitter that she appeared in a reading of a musical version of the Martin Scorsese film THE KING OF COMEDY at Ars Nova this past weekend.

Amas Musical Theatre(Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer) and The Amas Musical Theatre Lab will present further staged readings of Play It by Heart, a new musical, with music by David Spangler, Jerry Taylorand Marty Dodson, lyrics byDavid Spangler, Jerry Taylor,R.T. Robinson, and Marty Dodson, and book byWilly Holtzman. Directed by Daniel Goldsteinwith music direction by Andrew Wilder, the readings (by invitation only) will be held on Thursday, May 17 at 1pm and 5pm at Opry City Stage (48th/49th& Broadway).

Honeck-Moss Productions is proud to present "In The Works." This exciting series is in it's second season was conceived as an opportunity for composers to try out new work in front of an audience and see how it plays in a supportive environment. It is also an opportunity to create community among the composers and their performers.