Atlantic Theatre Company News

New York's OBIE Award-winning Epic TheatreEnsemble (Zak Berkman, Melissa Friedman, Ron Russell, Founding Executive Directors) has announced its 9 th Anniversary Season of new works: the world premiere of Mahida's Extra Key To Heaven by Russell Davis, and the New York Premiere of Passion Play by Sarah Ruhl. Also scheduled is Shakespeare Remix MacBeth a collaboration with Epic's unrivaled After School Shakespeare Program at Chelsea High School.

Coming off a successful two-week run, Mile Square Theatre's production of My Italy Story returns by popular demand, in conjunction with St. Ann's Feast, Hoboken'sannual Italian-American festival, presented by St. Ann's Parish.

Producer Jeffrey Finn announced today that OLEANNA, the provocative drama by Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet, will have its first-ever Broadway production as part of the 2009-2010 Broadway Season. Starring Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles and directed by Tony Award winner Doug Hughes, the play is a gripping account of a power struggle between a male university professor and one of his female students.

The stage will brighten with Philadelphia Theatre Company's mainstage season finale Grey Gardens, book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie, on May 22 - June 28 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). Directed by Lisa Peterson, the ensemble cast features Todd Almond, Cole Burden, Kim Carson, Maggie Fitzgerald, Joy Franz, James Ijames, John Jellison, Anastasia Korbal, and Hollis Resnik.

On July 20, 2009, Seattle will host a dynamic creative workshop lead by Broadway's Hunter Bell (2009 Tony nominee) and Susan Blackwell. The workshop, appropriate for individuals 16 and older, is inspired by the popular song ?Die, Vampire, Die' in the hit Broadway musical [title of show]. The song, also co-written by Susan Blackwell, defines a Vampire as 'any person, thought or feeling that stands between you and your creative self-expression'.

Goodman Theatre's Board of Trustees proudly announces Patricia Cox as the new Chairman-Elect. Cox, whose involvement with the Goodman spans two decades, is currently its Vice Chairman. A founding member of Chicago's legendary St. Nicholas Theatre Company (with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet and actors William H. Macy and Stephen Schachter), Cox was among the city's first performing arts marketing, development and management leaders to emerge under the late, great Lyric Opera impresario Danny Newman. She has since worked with and consulted for a wide range of not-for-profit arts organizations in Chicago and across the country. Cox will assume chairmanship in the fall, as current Chairman Shawn M. Donnelley concludes her two-year tenure.

The Perry-Mansfield New Works Festival (June Lindenmayer, Executive Director; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director) has announced the line-up for the 2009 summer season of music, dance and theatre at the venerable performing arts camp and school in Steamboat Springs, CO. The 12th Annual New Works Festival is scheduled June 19 - 21 with staged readings of the plays and a special dance presentation.

'Hooray for Joey Slotnick!' Director Henry Wishcamper has tapped Chicago native Joey Slotnick for the lead role of the African explorer 'Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding'-the heightened vaudevillian persona created by Groucho Marx for the 1929 stage and screen original-in Goodman Theatre's season opening musical Animal Crackers, written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, with music and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby.

TheaterWorks, Hartford's home for hot new plays, presents the Connecticut premiere of the underground hit comedy Speech & Debate, by Stephen Karam, a quirky tale of three teenagers who get tangled up in cyberspace, a debate club, and a musical version of 'The Crucible.'

This year The Tony Randall Theatrical Fund has expanded its giving guidelines beyond financial support for the production of a single classic play with The 2009 Tony Randall Theatrical Fund General Operating Support Grants, awarded to ten passionate, resourceful theatrical organizations that have continued to fulfill their artistic missions despite financial constraints.

TheaterWorks, Hartford's home for hot new plays, presents the Connecticut premiere of the underground hit comedy Speech & Debate, by Stephen Karam, a quirky tale of three teenagers who get tangled up in cyberspace, a debate club, and a musical version of 'The Crucible.'

Performed by two-time Emmy® Award-winning actor and The Guiding Light star Tom Pelphrey, Joseph Gallo?s My Italy Story is a story of a young man from Hoboken, NJ who sets out to heal the rift that divides his family, and in the process traces his roots to a remote village in Italy, returning to America to face a surprising family secret.

The Perry-Mansfield New Works Festival (June Lindenmayer, Executive Director; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director) has announced the line-up for the 2009 summer season of music, dance and theatre at the venerable performing arts camp and school in Steamboat Springs, CO. The 12th Annual New Works Festival is scheduled June 19 - 21 with staged readings of the plays and a special dance presentation.

On May 3, 2009, The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts (TBTA) will host a dynamic creative workshop led by Broadway's Susan Blackwell. The workshop, appropriate for individuals of all ages, is inspired by the popular song ?Die, Vampire, Die' in the hit Broadway musical [title of show]. The song, also penned by Blackwell, defines a Vampire as 'any person, thought or feeling that stands between you and your creative self-expression.'

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director; Mary McCann, Atlantic School Executive Director) held its 2009 Annual Spring Gala, AN EVENING OF UNEXPECTED MUSICAL ADAPTATIONS, written and directed by Atlantic Ensemble member and two-time Tony Award® nominee David Pittu on Monday, April 27th, 2009 at Gotham Hall (1356 Broadway @ 36th Street).

On May 3, 2009, The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts (TBTA) will host a dynamic creative workshop led by Broadway's Susan Blackwell. The workshop, appropriate for individuals of all ages, is inspired by the popular song ?Die, Vampire, Die' in the hit Broadway musical [title of show]. The song, also penned by Blackwell, defines a Vampire as 'any person, thought or feeling that stands between you and your creative self-expression.'

The stage will brighten with Philadelphia Theatre Company's mainstage season finale Grey Gardens, book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie, on May 22 - June 28 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). Directed by Lisa Peterson, the ensemble cast features Todd Almond, Cole Burden, Kim Carson, Maggie Fitzgerald, Joy Franz, James Ijames, John Jellison, Anastasia Korbal, and Hollis Resnik.

Magnolia, Artistic Associate ReGina Taylor's world premiere about possibility in the face of seismic social change, takes root at the Goodman with an official opening tonight, March 23rd, Magnolia runs through April 19, 2009.

The Barrow Group Theatre Company will present a studio theatre production of WHO YOU SEE HERE by Matt Hoverman, directed by Stacy Shane, with performances starting on Friday, March 6, 2009 (Opening is Saturday, March 7th, 2009). WHO YOU SEE HERE is a four-character comedy about a small town couple whose love is tested when a charismatic but troubled movie star stumbles into their local AA meeting.

The 2nd North American tour of the worldwide smash WICKED will land at the Tulsa Chapman Music Hall from July 15-August 9, 2009.