Ayad Akhtar News

Manhattan Theatre Club announces the lineup for the 2019 Ted Snowdon Reading Series.

This week, New York Theatre Workshop hosted its NYTW 2019 Gala celebrating 40 Years!  The evening featured performances from Alice Ripley (Next to Normal); Anthony Rapp (RENT), Daphne Rubin-Vega (RENT), Amber Gray (Hadestown); Nathaly Lopez (What's It All About); Cristina Monet ("Disco Clone") plus members of the original casts of RENT; Bright Lights, Big City; What's It All About; Hadestown and more.  See photos from the evening below!

On February 11, New York Theatre Workshop is celebrating 40 years of bringing the work of visionary artists to adventurous audiences. Each season, from its home in New York's East Village, NYTW presents four new productions, over 80 readings and numerous workshop productions for over 45,000 audience members. NYTW supports artists in all stages of their careers by maintaining a series of workshop programs, including work-in-progress readings, summer residencies and artist fellowships.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the full company for Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and author Ayad Akhtar's (Arena's Disgraced) timely tale Junk. Inspired by the real junk bond giants of the 1980s, Akhtar explores how the riveting, hostile takeover of a family-owned manufacturing company paved the way to expose the rise of greed, power, race and wealth that led to reshaping the rules of Wall Street and the world. Directed by Jackie Maxwell, Junk runs April 5 - May 5, 2019 in the Fichandler Stage.

The new season includes a world premiere, two hot-button dramas, a classic children's fantasy, a rock concert/music-theatre mash-up, and a party you won't want to miss. Alberta Theatre Projects announced their 48th season line-up that will run from September 2019 to May 2020. With a return to a six-play season and longer show runs, the season is the first programmed by ATP's Executive and Artistic Director Darcy Evans.

The League of Professional Theatre Women (Kelli Lynn Harrison and Catherine Porter, Co-Presidents), an organization which has been leading the gender parity conversation and championing women in the professional theatre for over 35 years, will present the 2019 Theatre Women Awards at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (18 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012) on Monday, March 25 at 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm). For more information on the 2019 Theatre Women Awards, and to purchase tickets, please visit www.theatrewomen.org. 

At the opening night performance of Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar at Elmwood Community Playhouse in Nyack, NY New York, State Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee (D-Suffern) presented a $125,000.00 check from New York State's Community Capital Assistance Program (CCAP) to Elmwood vice president Lisa Spielman.

In a revival version never before staged on the West Coast, David Henry Hwang's audacious, Tony Award-winning M. BUTTERFLY - inspired by a bizarre true story of illusion, obsession and betrayal - will open at ArtsWest on January 24. Performances will run Today through Sunday until February 17.

Ahktar has a knack for writing real people with real flaws, and for taking a hard look at tough, often-uncomfortable issues in our society. Per a WUWM interview, Akhtar asserts that Junk is not pessimistic, just real. "It's bleak but it's realistic, unfortunately," he says. "If you're coming to the play and you're expecting something uplifting, just be prepared."

Street Corner Arts will bring Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of DISGRACED, Ayad Akhtar's JUNK (Nominated for 2 Tony Awards in 2018; Best Play, Best Lighting Design). Inspired by the junk bond scandal of the 80s and set in the manic high-stakes trading shark tank of Wall Street, JUNK takes you on whirlwind ride at the genesis of debt financing which was the root cause of the recent housing crisis in this country.

Elmwood Community Playhouse, Inc. has announced that it has secured $125,000 in Capital Funding from New York State Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee (D-Suffern) for improvements to their 99-seat theater, lobby and backstage.

Elmwood Playhouse of Nyack NY will be presenting 'Disgraced', written by Ayad Akhtar and directed by Omar Kozarsky. 'Disgraced' is the Pulitzer Prize winning play about race, freedom of speech, and religion. 'Disgraced' runs January 18th 2019 thru February 9th 2019 Todays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm with an additional Thursday performance on February 7th 2019 at 8pm and an additional matinee on Saturday February 9th 2019 at 2pm. Tickets are $26 / $23 Seniors and Students.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents Junk, the hit Broadway play by Milwaukee native and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar in the Quadracci Powerhouse now through February 17, 2019.  Since its Broadway premiere at Lincoln Center last year, Ayad Akhtar along with Artistic Director Mark Clements have continued to hone Junk to bring Milwaukee audiences a new, two hour no intermission riveting story set in the financial world of the 1980s.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents Junk, the hit Broadway play by Milwaukee native and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar in the Quadracci Powerhouse now through February 17, 2019.  Since its Broadway premiere at Lincoln Center last year, Ayad Akhtar along with Artistic Director Mark Clements have continued to hone Junk to bring Milwaukee audiences a new, two hour no intermission riveting story set in the financial world of the 1980s.

A group of nationally renowned playwrights will present public readings of their newest scripts at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis' Ignite! Festival of New Plays, running March 27 - April 4, 2019 in The Rep's Emerson Studio Theatre.

In a revival version never before staged on the West Coast, David Henry Hwang's audacious, Tony Award-winning M. BUTTERFLY - inspired by a bizarre true story of illusion, obsession and betrayal - will open at ArtsWest on January 24. Performances will run Thursday through Sunday until February 17.

Elmwood Playhouse of Nyack NY will be presenting 'Disgraced', written by Ayad Akhtar and directed by Omar Kozarsky. 'Disgraced' is the Pulitzer Prize winning play about race, freedom of speech, and religion. 'Disgraced' runs January 18th 2019 thru February 9th 2019 Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm with an additional Thursday performance on February 7th 2019 at 8pm and an additional matinee on Saturday February 9th 2019 at 2pm. Tickets are $26 / $23 Seniors and Students.

Natasha Sinha will join Signature Theatre as Director of Artistic Programs, the company announced today. Ms. Sinha has previously worked as LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater's Associate Director and Barrington Stage Company's Associate Producer.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater is pleased to announce the complete cast and creative team for the Midwest premiere of Junk by Milwaukee native and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar. Since its Broadway premiere at Lincoln Center last year, Ayad Akhtar along with Artistic Director Mark Clements have continued to hone Junk to bring Milwaukee audiences a new, two hour no intermission riveting story set in the financial world of the 1980s.

Meghan Lantzy will become the new General Manager at Signature Theatre (Paige Evans, Artistic Director; Harold Wolpert, Executive Director; James Houghton, Founder), the company announced today. Ms. Lantzy comes to Signature from Lincoln Center Theater, where she has worked for more than 12 years.