Ars Nova News

Justin Sayre's Play, The Click of the Lock, will be presented at The Player's Club as part of a new play reading. The cast will feature Tony Nominated Downtown Performer Justin Vivian Bond, Zachary Booth (Damages, Keep the Lights On), Rob Maitner (Urinetown, NY Fringe Festival; Bistro Award for Fairy Tales at the WPA Theater), Brian Barefoot, Jax Jackson, Grant Chapman & Chris Tyler. The reading will be held at the Players Club (16 Gramercy Park South in Manhattan) at 8:00 PM, with a cocktail reception starting at 7pm. To reserve a seat, please contact clickofthelock@gmail.com.

NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, named one of the Best Musicals of 2013 by The New York Times and one of Time Magazine's Top 10 Musicals of 2013, will close today at Kazino (45th Street between Times Square and 8th Avenue). In addition, today is the final day to give to the Kickstarter that was set up to help fund the filming of the show. The current tally, as of 8:30am, is 235 backers, who have pledged $36,899 of the $250,000 goal, with 15 hours to go.

PFP's Gay Play Weekend includes a dynamic musical about a tragedy in gay history, and a historical drama about Michelangelo. You will also see a murder mystery which takes place at a party where everyone is dressed as Joan Crawford, a fun piece about gay dating today, and a drama about abuse and healing. These are the themes of the five finalists in Pride Films and Plays' 2014 Gay Play and Musical Contest.

Kindling Theatre Company has announced the World Premiere of TAKE ME BACK, written by Emily Schwend and directed by Jay Stull. TAKE ME BACK begins performances tonight, February 28 for a limited engagement through Saturday, March 22. Opening Night is Wednesday, March 5 at 8 PM. The performance schedule is Wednesday - Saturday at 8 PM, with added performances on Monday, March 3 and Tuesday, March 4 at 8 PM. Performances are at Walkerspace (46 Walker Street, between Broadway and Church Streets).

The readings kick off Monday, March 24 and will be held on consecutive Mondays through April 7. The readings will take place at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street). All readings are free and open to the public, but space is limited and RSVPs are required. To RSVP, visit https://www.formstack.com/forms/?1685583-1KMR9JvsKh or call (212) 399-3000 x 4163.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, will present David Ives' THE HEIR APPARENT, adapted from the play by Jean-Francois Regnard, beginning performances Friday, March 28 at CSC (136 East 13th Street). Directed by John Rando, THE HEIR APPARENT will feature Suzanne Bertish (Madame Argante), Carson Elrod (Crispin), Claire Karpen (Lisette), Amelia Pedlow (Isabelle), David Pittu (Scruple), Dave Quay (Eraste) and Paxton Whitehead (Geronte). The official press opening for THE HEIR APPARENT is Wednesday, April 9. The production will play at limited engagement through Sunday, May 4.

In honor of the last week of NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, the show just invited fans to Times Square to read Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace out loud, tag-team filibuster style, to celebrate great literature that has been made in to great theater! The epic event began on Tuesday and wrapped up this afternoon, when the reading was finally completed. BroadwayWorld stopped by for the festivities and you can check out photos below!

Buzz22 Chicago has announced the casting for the World Premiere production of Laura Jacqmin's 'GHOST BIKE,' directed by Co-Artistic Director Sara Sawicki, tonight, February 27 - March 30, 2014 at Red Tape Theatre, 621 W Belmont Ave. Combining elements of Greek, African, and Chinese mythology, 'GHOST BIKE' depicts two best friends navigating the ultimate challenge to a friendship through an underworld beneath their home city of Chicago. 'GHOST BIKE' is Buzz22 Chicago's next production after their sold out and highly acclaimed production of 'She Kills Monsters' at the Steppenwolf Garage in Feb-April 2013.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will continue its engagement at JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater on Sunday, March 16 at 9:30 PM with a celebration of the celebrated TV program 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.' After a highly-successful season at 54 Below, the show has returned to its downtown roots this year with shows through May. The March show will feature special guests to be announced.

SPACE on Ryder Farm is now accepting submissions for artistic residencies for its 2014 nonprofit season, which will take place June through September in Brewster, NY.

INTAR today announced the cast for the next production of its 2013-14 season: Adoration of the Old Woman, by Academy Award-nominated and Obie Award winning Jose Rivera and directed by Patricia McGregor will star Raul Castillo (HBO's 'Looking'), Danielle Davenport, Jose Joaquin Perez, Socorro Santiago and Carmen Zilles. This limited Off-Broadway engagement begins March 13th and continues through April 6th only. Opening Night is set for Wednesday March 19th.

Artistic Director Les Waters and Managing Director Jennifer Bielstein are delighted to announce the 38th Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville, running tonight, February 26-April 6, 2014. This year's Festival program will feature (in order of opening):

Rock out at JOE'S PUB on Wednesday March 12th at 7pm with this one- night-only concert reading of MORTALITY PLAY, the new hybrid rock show/morality play by Composer Scotty Arnold and Bookwriter/Lyricist Alana Jacoby.

Performances begin tonight for Roundabout Theatre Company's third annual Roundabout Underground Reading Series. The actors involved in the series include: Pico Alexander, Fred Applegate, De'Adre Aziza, David Aaron Baker, Cassie Beck, Michael Chernus, Diane Davis, Dashiell Eaves, Ryan Eggold, Lisa Emery, Sue Jean Kim, Chad Kimball, Jessica Love, Lizbeth Mackay, Annie McNamara, Alex Mickiewicz, Aaron Clifton Moten, Olivia Oguma, Tonya Pinkins, Paul Pontrelli, Conrad Ricamora, Reg Rogers, Debra Jo Rupp, Campbell Scott and Max von Essen.

STEVE: A DOCU-MUSICAL, written and performed by Colin Summers and directed by Nessa Norich, will play the 2014 Frigid New York Festival - today, February 22 at 2:05 p.m.; February 23 at 6:50 p.m.; February 27 at 8:40 p.m.; March 3 at 7:05 p.m. and March 9 at 3:40 p.m.

Horse Trade Theater Group will present Less Than Rent Theatre's (2013 Indie Theatre Now People of the Year) World Premiere of LITTLE MAC, LITTLE MAC, YOU'RE THE VERY MAN! written by Sean Patrick Monahan (Diva at the 2013 United Solo Festival) and James Presson (Words, Razors, and the Wounded Heart), April 3-27 at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue and Bowery). The production will be directed by Charlie Polinger (Independents; 'Best Musical' 2013 FringeNYC) and feature Tom Sanchez (Independents, 'effortlessly hilarious'--The New York Times) in the title role with Sarah Daniels (Legally Blonde), Rachel B. Joyce (Desire! A Varsouviana), Cory Asinofsky (Puppet Hamlet), Ben Diserens, Jillian Rorrer, Joseph Flynn, and Alex Kramer among others. Arrangements and original music by Mark Levy of The Academy Blues Project. This production will mark Less Than Rent's tenth full production since its inception in 2010.

Nylon Fusion Theatre Company presents two thoughtful and poignantly funny takes on the meaning of trying to define yourself in the world, and the nature of performance in life, on film and on stage with the world premiere of Don Nigro's noir comedy A Snowfall in Berlin (running March 12 - April 5) alternating with the revival of John Patrick Shanley's seldom-seen The Big Funk: A Casual Play (running March 13 - April 6). The plays will be presented in repertory at separate performances at Teatro LaTea @ Clemente Soto Velez, located at 107 Suffolk Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company is proud to present Buyer & Cellar as a part of its STC Presentation Series. Written by Jonathan Tolins and directed by Stephen Brackett, Buyer & Cellar will launch its North American tour in Chicago in May before coming to D.C. Buyer & Cellar had its world premiere in April 2013 at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, where it received rave reviews and played a sold-out, extended run before transferring to the Barrow Street Theatre where it opened June 24, 2013. Buyer & Cellar stars Michael Urie (Ugly Betty) as a struggling (and recently fired) L.A. actor named Alex More, who finds himself taking an odd job working in the Malibu basement of a Hollywood mega-star (and though her name is not mentioned, there are numerous similarities to Barbara Streisand). When the A-lister makes a rare appearance one day, the comedy launches into an outrageous look at fame and the price that accompanies it. Buyer & Cellar will run from June 20-29, 2014, at STC's Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW).