Ars Nova News

The Pearl Theatre Company is pleased to present the world premiere of The Dingdong, Mark Shanahan's adaptation of French farceur Georges Feydeau's Le Dindon. Directed by The Pearl Theatre's Artistic Director Hal Brooks, The Dindong follows the misadventures of one madcap night in a Paris Hotel, dancing us into a world where opening the wrong door in the dark of night leads to mayhem, laughter and, maybe, a few home truths about the secrets to a happy marriage. The production runs April 5-May 15 and features five actors taking on multiple roles in this breezy comedy full of romance, lust and theatricality. 

? Trinity Rep continues its 52nd season Rebels, Renegades and Pioneers with the world premiere of Arnie Louis and Bob by Katie Pearl directed by Melissa Kievman. Arnie Louis and Bob runs April 7-May 8, 2016. Tickets are on sale now by phone at (401) 351-4242, online at www.trinityrep.com, or in person at the theater's box office at 201 Washington Street, Providence.

Writers Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce the 25th Anniversary Season, the company's first full season in its new home at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe.

Director Lilleth Glimcher (The Flea Theater) stages CAENIS, a physical theater adaptation of a myth from Ovid's Metamorphoses at Pace Gallery, March 11-19. Created in collaboration with a hybrid group of multidisciplinary artists, CAENIS, merges sound, sculpture, video design, and dance.                  

Starting rehearsals at The 5th Avenue Theatre this week is the critically-acclaimed Broadway musical, A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN.

Molly Pope -- brassy belter/whiskey guzzler/benevolent lunatic -- will return with the acclaimed concert MOLLY POPE LIKES YOUR STATUS for one night only at The Duplex (61 Christopher Street) on Thursday, March 31 at 9:30 PM.

Pipeline Theatre Company has announced the addition of Natalie Gershtein, Producing Director, to their leadership team. Gershtein joins Ari Schrier, who has served as the company's Artistic Director since 2012. In this newly created position, Gershtein will work collaboratively with Schrier to oversee the company's strategic and artistic growth, which includes the presentation of the New York premiere of Jason Craig and Dave Malloy's BEARDO in the 2016-2017 season.

Due to demand, a one-week extension has been announced for The Wildness: Sky-Pony's Rock Fairy Tale, presented by Ars Nova in collaboration with The Play Company. Originally set to play through March 19, this world premiere production will now play a limited Off-Broadway engagement through March 26 at Ars Nova (511 West 54th Street). This new work, with text by Obie Award winner Kyle Jarrow and Lauren Worsham and songs by Kyle Jarrow, is directed by Tony Award nominee Sam Buntrock and choreographed by Chase Brock. The Wildness: Sky-Pony's Rock Fairy Tale features David Blasher, Lilli Cooper, Jeffrey Fernandes, Katie Lee Hill, Kyle Jarrow, Jamie Mohamdein, Sharone Sayegh, Lauren Worsham (Drama Desk Award winner and Tony Award nominee) and Kevin Wunderlich. Previews began February 16 and the show celebrated its Official Opening Night on Monday, February 29.

La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club will present the world premiere of LOVE'S REFRAIN, a new solo play by Justin Sayre from April 1-3 and 8-10. Tracing the lives of stars from nebula to supernova, Sayre extracts a fresh definition for love in his latest performance piece. Wedding personal stories with the science and poetry of astronomy, LOVE'S REFRAIN is romanticism for the modern age. The piece is directed by acclaimed visual artist Matthu Placek with costume design by Dusty Childers and a musical score by David John Sokolowski.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced today the 2016/17 Season, the first to be curated by Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro and the Steppenwolf artistic team. The new season brings many exciting changes that embrace expanded artistic offerings, flexibility and a diverse selection of experiences, featuring the ensemble in ways both familiar and new. In 2016/17, Steppenwolf will produce an expanded six-play Subscription Season, as opposed to the previous five-play season, in a new format that features four plays in the Downstairs Theatre with the opportunity for subscribers to choose between two productions in the Upstairs Theatre.

Just in! BroadwayWorld has just learned that producer Howard Kagan has announced that NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 will begin Broadway performances this October at the Imperial Theatre. Grammy-nominated multi-platinum recording artist Josh Groban will make his long-awaited Broadway debut as 'Pierre' alongside Denee Benton as 'Natasha.'

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents the latest cabaret performance from Amy Jo Jackson, host of the 54 Concert Lab and Mrs. Peacock from the 30th Anniversary Reading of CLUE..

Award-winning musical theatre writing Joel B. New is combining his loves of songwriting, performing, and Jessica Fletcher to create something unique, weird, unexpected, and very him: an EP of songs inspired by 'Murder, She Wrote'.

Sundance Institute today announced the eight new projects selected for its pilot Theatre Lab in the MENA region, held in Morocco, May 2016. The Lab is part of the Institute's international cultural exchange programs for independent artists, which include a new, multi-year commitment to support artists from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), broadening the work of its East African Theatre Exchange over the past 15 years. For the Lab, the Institute will provide promising, fresh voices from the U.S. and MENA region with a rigorous artistic retreat and new opportunities for cross-cultural discovery, artistic reflection and creative experimentation.

Theater Reconstruction Ensemble (John Kurzynowski, Artistic Director; Reed Whitney, Producing Director) proudly presents the world premiere of Rhinbecca, NY, created and performed by Theater Reconstruction Ensemble, and conceived and directed by John Kurzynowski. Rhinbecca, NY runs from March 4 - 19, 2016 in a limited engagement at The Brick, located at 579 Metropolitan Avenue between Union Avenue and Lorimer Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Scroll down to see photos from the production!

In an opium den at the turn of the 20th century, Willow sacrifices her life to pay off her father's debt by working in an occult underground society called 'The Cave.' In this musical exploration of fairy tales, myths, and spiritualism, Willow fights to find light not only in the grim and strange shadow-world around her, but also within herself.

? The American Theatre Wing announced today that the 2016 Jonathan Larson Grants recipients are Cesar Alvarez (book, music and lyrics), Nikko Benson (music and lyrics), Carson Kreitzer (book and lyrics), and Sam Salmond (book, music, and lyrics). Four prestigious grants of $10,000 each, totaling $40,000, will be presented on Monday, March 21, 2016 at a private event at the WNYC Greene Space. The event will feature special performances of the recipients' work.

59E59 Theaters will welcome the Ricochet Collective with HAPPILY AFTER EVER, written by Laura Zlatos and directed by Sherri Eden Barber. HAPPILY AFTER EVER begins performances on Wednesday, March 30 for a limited engagement through Saturday, April 16.  Press opening is Wednesday, April 6 at 7:30 PM.  The performance schedule is Tuesday - Thursday at 7:30 PM; Friday - Saturday at 8:30 PM; and Sunday at 3:30 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Tickets are $18 ($12.60 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.59e59.org. 

The Play Company's (PlayCo) Idea Lab series complements the productions in their 2016 season by bringing together artists, scholars, writers and community leaders for stand-alone events to examine themes raised in the shows. Following performances of the world premiere of The Wildness, a co-produced with Ars Nova, Playco will present three post show events over three Thursdays, March 3, 10 & 17.

Theater Reconstruction Ensemble presents the world premiere of RHINBECCA, NY, created and performed by Theater Reconstruction Ensemble, and conceived and directed by John Kurzynowski. RHINBECCA, NY runs from tonight, March 4, through March 19, 2016 in a limited engagement at The Brick, located at 579 Metropolitan Avenue between Union Avenue and Lorimer Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast in costume below!