Ars Nova News

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Evans Haile, Interim Executive Director) and its acclaimed NEO Developmental Reading Series presents the new musical Afterland, with music and lyrics by Benjamin Velezand book and lyrics by Kathryn Hathaway for one performance only, Thursday, February 11, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's (619 Lexington Avenue, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).  The readings are open to the public with a suggested donation of $5.00. 

?The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater to continue the Winter/Spring 2016 season on Sunday, February 21 at 9:30 PM. The Meeting* has been called "delicious and delightfully droll" by The New York Post and "hilarious and sardonic" by The Village Voice. A story for Slate.com called the evening "so deliciously icy that it left me shivering with fear and delight." The 2014-2015 season sold out after a profile in The New York Times "Arts & Leisure" section. The February show will honor the iconic musical "Cabaret" with special guests to be announced. Tracy Stark serves as the show's Music Director.

The Old Globe presents the West Coast premiere of THE METROMANIACS by supremely clever playwright David Ives (All in the Timing, Time Flies). This uproarious new 'translaptation' of a classic French farce, Alexis Piron's La Metromanie, will be directed by one of America's most renowned stage directors, Michael Kahn, presented in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company.

59E59 Theaters will welcome Project Y with the New York premiere of CONNECTED, written by Lia Romeo and directed by Michole Biancosino.

American Theater Group, New Jersey's newest professional theater, is proud to present Neil LaBute's new play THE WAY WE GET BY.

The Vilcek Foundation just announced the winners of its annual Vilcek Prizes, recognizing immigrant contributions to the American arts and sciences. The 2016 Vilcek Prize in Theatre, presented to an immigrant artist with a record of major achievement in his/her field, is awarded to Blanka Zizka, the recipient of a $100,000 prize.

String is a modern-day twist on the story of the Three Fates, who spin, measure, and snip the string of our lives and find themselves stranded on Earth. Stuck in an office building, they're not so different from the workaholic mortals around them -- except that for the Fates, juggling their jobs and an unexpected office romance might literally mean the end of the world.

Azuka Theatre continues its 16th season with its 10th World Premiere by a local playwright. Emma Goidel's Local Girls is a scream rock fantasia about searching for big-time glory in a small-time town. The play runsFebruary 24-March 13. It opens Saturday, February 27 at 7 p.m. All performances take place in the Proscenium Theatre at The Drake, 1512 Spruce Street. Tickets are available online at www.azukatheatre.org or by phone at(215) 563-1100.

Before HER REQUIM begins performances Off-Broadway at Lincoln Center's Claire Tow Theater, Robbie Collier Sublett sat down with Broadway World to chat about the new play, his work the amazing cast and comparing it to other parts he's played!

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, will present Broadway and concert hall star Daniel Reichard on Friday, February 5th, 2016 at 9:30 PM in his show, Daniel Reichard Celebrates Rodgers and Hammerstein. This one-night-only performance at New York City's popular club will highlight the songs, shows, and history of the iconic songwriting team, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Below, watch as he gives us a sneak peek of the show!

Sundance Institute today announced the seven artists selected for the 2016 Playwrights & Composers Retreat at Ucross Foundation in Wyoming, February 2-20. The retreat is one of the 25 residency Labs the Institute hosts each year for independent artists in theatre, film, new media and episodic content, and is made possible through the generosity of the Ucross Foundation. Over 90 Sundance artists have benefitted from time at Ucross Foundation including Charlayne Woodard, Jeanine Tesori, Doug Wright, Annie Baker, Adam Guettel, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Tanya Saracho.

In Episode 403 of 'Something New' -- a podcast that interviews theatre artists and premieres original songs -- award-winning musical theatre writer Joel B. New sat down with director/choreographer Katharine Pettit.

The Old Globe today announced the complete cast and creative team for the West Coast premiere of THE METROMANIACS by supremely clever playwright David Ives (All in the Timing, Time Flies). This uproarious new 'translaptation' of a classic French farce, Alexis Piron's La Metromanie, will be directed by one of America's most renowned stage directors, Michael Kahn, presented in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company.

Azuka Theatre continues its 16th season with its 10th World Premiere by a local playwright. Emma Goidel's Local Girls is a scream rock fantasia about searching for big-time glory in a small-time town. The play runs February 24-March 13. It opens Saturday, February 27 at 7 p.m. All performances take place in the Proscenium Theatre at The Drake, 1512 Spruce Street.  Tickets are available online at www.azukatheatre.org or by phone at (215) 563-1100.

Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC), presenters of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival and recipients of the 2015 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater, announce the debut of a new works reading series, iambic lab, presented Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13 at 7:30pm and Sunday, February 14 at 2pm at Independent Studio in the Atwater Crossing Arts + Innovation Complex, 3191 Casitas Ave., #168 in Atwater Village.

The Amoralists present the world premiere of UTILITY, written by Emily Schwend and directed by Jay Stull. UTILITY runs from January 28 - February 20, 2016 in a limited engagement at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, located at 224 Waverly Place between Perry & West 11th Streets in New York City. Previews begin January 28 for a February 1 opening.

The Sheen Center, New York's new downtown cultural venue at 18 Bleecker Street, presents beloved, rising Broadway star and Tony Award nominee Kate Baldwin (Finian's Rainbow, Songbird) in a two-night concert series, KATE BALDWIN & FRIENDS.

Molly Pope (Found), Christopher Rice (The Book of Mormon), & Bret Shuford (Cirque Du Solei's Paramour) will be joining the line up of amazing performers who will be singing at Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, in Broadway Babylon 101: Everything Old Is New Again, Sunday, January 31st at 9:30 P.M.

Theatreworks USA (Barbara Pasternack, Artistic Director; Ken Arthur, Producing Director) will continue its 2016 weekend family performance series this Sunday, January 31st, with The Lightning Thief, a musical adapted from the book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. The Lightning Thief features a book by Joe Tracz with music, lyrics, & orchestrations by Rob Rokicki. The Off-Broadway premiere of The Lightning Thief was nominated for Outstanding Musical by the Lortel Awards in 2015. This 60-minute musical is recommended for audiences age 8 and up.

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has announced 10 Finalists for its prestigious playwriting award, the oldest and largest prize awarded to women playwrights.