Berrilla Kerr News

A Jewish, Midwestern, Chekhovian comic drama for the 21st century will be the third offering in The Echo Theater Company's 2015 seaason at Atwater Village Theatre, the company's new permanent home. Jennifer Chambers directs the world premiere of Better, a gentle examination of family and mortality by Jessica Goldberg, opening tonight, Oct. 4.

The Nora Theatre Company will present Lauren Gunderson's Emilie: La Marquise du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight. The piece will be the Boston acting debut for Lee Mikeska Gardner in the title role. Ms. Gardner was appointed Artistic Director of The Nora Theatre Company in November 2013 following a national search. The press performance is Monday, September 8 at 7:30PM.

A Jewish, Midwestern, Chekhovian comic drama for the 21st century will be the third offering in The Echo Theater Company's 2015 seaason at Atwater Village Theatre, the company's new permanent home. Jennifer Chambers directs the world premiere of Better, a gentle examination of family and mortality by Jessica Goldberg, opening Oct. 4.

The Nora Theatre Company will present Lauren Gunderson's Emilie: La Marquise du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight. The piece will be the Boston acting debut for Lee Mikeska Gardner in the title role. Ms. Gardner was appointed Artistic Director of The Nora Theatre Company in November 2013 following a national search. The press performance is Monday, September 8 at 7:30PM.

Washington National Opera (WNO) today announced details for the third season of the American Opera Initiative, its comprehensive commissioning program that brings contemporary American stories to the stage while fostering the talents of rising American composers and librettists. Three teams of new opera composers and librettists—John Liberatore and Niloufar Talebi, Jake Runestad and David Johnston, and Rene Orth and Jason Kim—will premiere new 20-minute operas, each based on a contemporary American story, in a semi-staged concert performance on November 21, 2014 in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater.

Washington National Opera (WNO) today announced details for the third season of the American Opera Initiative, its comprehensive commissioning program that brings contemporary American stories to the stage while fostering the talents of rising American composers and librettists. Three teams of new opera composers and librettists—John Liberatore and Niloufar Talebi, Jake Runestad and David Johnston, and Rene Orth and Jason Kim—will premiere new 20-minute operas, each based on a contemporary American story, in a semi-staged concert performance on November 21, 2014 in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater.

Following a critically-acclaimed third season, Stark Naked Theatre Company opens its fourth season on September 5th with the southwest regional premiere of The God Game, written by award-winning playwright Suzanne Bradbeer. Critics praised The God Game in its world premiere earlier this year, calling it "a superb new drama" and "the sort of new work that theatre fans long to see." And just in time for election season, Houston audiences will likewise be enthralled with Stark Naked's production of this exciting political drama. The God Game is a relevant and thought-provoking new play that deftly examines the role of faith on the national political stage. Running through September 20th at Stark Naked Theatre's STUDIO 101, The God Game is directed by Jennifer Dean and features perennial favorites Justin Doran, Philip Lehl, and Kim Tobin-Lehl in the lead roles.

Beth Morrison Projects (BMP) and HERE have announced programming for the third annual PROTOTYPE: Opera/Theatre/Now festival, running January 7-17, 2015, in New York City.

Abingdon Theatre Company -- which has produced 83 new plays in its 21-year history -- launches its 2014-2015 Season with three new plays, beginning this fall with IT HAS TO BE YOU by Drama Desk nominee Catherine Butterfield (JOINED AT THE HEAD), set to begin previews October 3, at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex's Dorothy Strelsin Theatre (312 West 36th Street). Drama Desk nominee Stuart Ross (ENTER LAUGHING, FOREVER PLAID) is set to direct.

It's 1967. Lyndon B. Johnson is in office, Jackie Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis have just become an "item," protests against the Vietnam war are going strong - and Judge Francis Biddle, former Attorney General under FDR and Chief Judge at the Nuremburg Trials, is 81 years old. Trying, the award-winning play inspired by the real-life experiences of playwright Joanna McClelland Glass as personal secretary to Biddle during the last year of his life, opens at International City Theatre on Aug. 22, directed by John Henry Davis and starring Tony Abatemarco and Paige Lindsey White.

Throughline Artists will present SUMMER SHORTS 2014, their eighth annual festival of new American short plays from established and emerging writers, at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street). Performances will begin Friday July 18th, and continue through Saturday August 30th only.

NOMADS, written by Julia Jarcho and directed by Alice Reagan, will perform May 30-June 15, 2014 at 8pm, Saturday June 6 at 2pm & 8pm; Sunday June 15 at 5pm & 8pm.

Geva Theatre Center's 2014 Fielding Studio Series continues with the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of I and You by Lauren Gunderson. This production comes to Geva from the Olney Theatre in Maryland and is directed by Eleanor Holdridge. I and You begins performances on April 10 and runs in the Fielding Nextstage through April 27.

Olney Theatre Center, a Maryland destination for professional theater performance and education, will present the National New Play Network (NNPN) Rolling World Premiere of I And You by playwright Lauren Gunderson today, February 26 - March 23, 2014 in the Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab. Ms. Gunderson's play was just last week selected as a finalist for the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Award.

Steppenwolf Theatre co-founder Jeff Perry (Scandal) directs the Los Angeles premiere of a riveting drama by Keith Huff (Mad Men, House of Cards) that will have audiences on The Edge of their seats. A Steady Rain opens tonight, Feb. 22 at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A. for an eight-week run through April 20.

Olney Theatre Center, a Maryland destination for professional theater performance and education, will present the National New Play Network (NNPN) Rolling World Premiere of I And You by playwright Lauren Gunderson February 26 - March 23, 2014 in the Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab.

A trailblazing pioneer at the nexus of technology, a celebrated NASA mission scientist, and a digital media marketing visionary will take center stage at TheatreWorks Leading Ladies, an event celebrating the confluence of arts and innovation in Silicon Valley.

Playwrights Theatre's will present a free reading at the Madison Public Library, 39 Keep Street, Madison, NJ of THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT by Suzanne Bradbeer. The reading will begin at 7:00pm on February 27, 2014, and will be followed by a discussion with the playwright. This reading is part of Playwrights Theatre's FORUM new play reading series. Any patron who purchased a FORUM pass for the December reading series, that pass is valid for this reading.