Ayad Akhtar News

La Jolla Playhouse will bring back its acclaimed new play development initiative, the DNA New Work Series, a two-week run of workshops and readings of new works, taking place February 17 - March 2, 2014.

Artists Repertory Theatre's 2013/14 season will continue our vision of finding and producing adventurous, provocative work that challenges audiences and artists alike. Next season's play offerings will enhance Artists Rep's role as Portland's premiere mid-size regional theatre company by offering nine of the most cutting-edge plays available today, written by internationally prestigious playwrights, guided by esteemed directors and featuring casts who will unleash these stories onto our stages.

ACT - A Contemporary Theatre under the direction of Artistic Director Kurt Beattie officially announces the 2014 mainstage season. Next year, ACT has a balance of plays that are smart and beautiful, hilarious and zany, as well as thrilling and suspenseful. Fresh from Broadway is the Seattle premiere of the Tony Award Winner for Best Play, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, by Christopher Durang. Also on deck for 2014 is the off-Broadway hit, Bethany by Laura Marks. Back from directing the Broadway opening of First Date, director Bill Berry will mount the infamous cult musical hitLittle Shop of Horrors for the intimate Falls Theatre. Heavy hitters and famous authors Sam Shepard, Steve Martin, and Woody Allen will have their one-act plays combine for a summer triple bill, and Arthur Miller's The Price will offer a look at an expertly crafted drama that remains timeless. ACT is honored to work with writer/actor Ayad Akhtar, winner of this year's Pulitzer Prize for Disgraced, on his recent play, a revised version of The Invisible Hand.

'The Game's Afoot,' a hilarious new whodunit from the master of comedy Ken Ludwig, begins performances tonight, August 14, 2013 at Peninsula Players Theatre, America's oldest professional resident summer theater and Door County, Wisconsin's theatrical icon. 'The Game's Afoot,' has a three- week run with performances Tuesday through Sunday through Sept. 1, 2013.

'The Game's Afoot,' a hilarious new whodunit from the master of comedy Ken Ludwig, begins performances August 14, 2013 at Peninsula Players Theatre, America's oldest professional resident summer theater and Door County, Wisconsin's theatrical icon. 'The Game's Afoot,' has a three- week run with performances Tuesday through Sunday through Sept. 1, 2013.

LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater will continue its Special Event series next month with an encore engagement of WE'RE GONNA DIE, the Obie-Award winning work from Young Jean Lee's Theater Company, for ten performances only tonight, August 5 through Saturday, August 17 at the Claire Tow Theater (150 West 65thStreet). The run of performances will coincide with the release of the WE'RE GONNA DIE album on August 6.

According to the New York Times, a slew of new plays are setting their sights on Broadway for the upcoming 2013-14 season. Ayad Akhtar's Pulitzer Prize-winning Disgraced might move to Broadway, starring Aasif Mandvi, who also led the LCT3 production. Additional casting is currently underway.

LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater will continue its Special Event series next month with an encore engagement of WE'RE GONNA DIE, the Obie-Award winning work from Young Jean Lee's Theater Company, for ten performances only Monday, August 5 through Saturday, August 17 at the Claire Tow Theater (150 West 65thStreet). The run of performances will coincide with the release of the WE'RE GONNA DIE album on August 6.

Lincoln Center Theater Producing Artistic Director Andre Bishop and LCT3 Artistic Director Paige Evans have announced a slate of three new works to be produced by LCT3, Lincoln Center Theater's programming initiative devoted to producing the work of new artists and developing new audiences, during the 2013-2014 season. First up will be the world premiere of LUCE, marking the professional debut of playwright JC Lee, directed by May Adrales (Saturday, October 5 through Sunday, November 17 - opening Monday, October 21). LUCE will be followed in January with a second world premiere, STOP HITTING YOURSELF, created by Rude Mechs (Monday, January 13 through Sunday, February 23, 2014 - opening Monday, January 27). The season will conclude with the New York premiere of 2013 Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Ayad Akhtar's new play THE WHO AND THE WHAT, directed by Kimberly Senior (Saturday, May 31 through Sunday, July 13, 2014 - opening Monday, June 16).

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, announces its finalized speaker line-up for the 23rd annual TCG National Conference in Dallas from tonight, June 6 to 8, 2013.

New Pulitzer Prize-winning drama starring Hari Dhillon has its UK premiere at the Bush after sell-out runs in the US: an intellectually-stimulating play about Islam, class and art and how it all fits together.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, announces its finalized speaker line-up for the 23rd annual TCG National Conference in Dallas from June 6 to 8, 2013. The line-up includes Ayad Akhtar, winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and national theatre legend Adrian Hall. This convening will bring hundreds of theater practitioners together from around the world for plenary speakers, breakout sessions, workshops and performances; as well as a chance to explore the Dallas-Fort Worth theatre community.

Five months…  FIVE MONTHS after their previous musical comedy, Jumbo, opened at the Hippodrome, the trio of Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart and George Abbott had a brand new one at the Imperial.  But far from seeming a rush job, their 1936 On Your Toes can easily be argued to be a huge step forward in refining musical comedy into a sophisticated art form.

Winner's Tally for 2 or more: Pippin 7; Kinky Boots 3; Matilda The Musical 2; My Name Is Asher Lev 2 ;The Nance 2; Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike 2;

Columbia University School of the Arts Film Program graduate Ayad Akhtar ('02) has won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in Drama for his play Disgraced.

11 - Pippin; 9 - Kinky Boots; 8 - Chaplin: The Musical, Cinderella; 6- Golden Boy, The Nance; 5- Dogfight, Matilda the Musical; 4- Here Lies Love, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Trip to Bountiful, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; 3- Bad Jews, Hands on a Hardbody, The Whale

The 97th annual Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism, Letters, Drama and Music, awarded on the recommendation of the Pulitzer Prize Board, were announced earlier today by Columbia University. For a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life, Ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

La Jolla Playhouse announces its final production for its 2013/14 season: the world premiere of The Who & The What, by Ayad Akhtar (Disgraced), directed by Kimberly Senior (The North Plan), running February 11 - March 9, 2014 in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.