Branden Jacobs-Jenkins News

Kathleen Chalfant and Kate Mulgrew will host the Vineyard Theatre's annual Emerging Artists Luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 3 from noon to 2 p.m. at the National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South) in Manhattan. The event will feature the presentation of the 2013 Paula Vogel Playwriting Award to Christopher Chen, a San Francisco-based playwright whose works include THE HUNDRED FLOWERS PROJECT and other plays. Ms. Vogel will be in attendance and present the award.

Signature Theatre will present an evening of cocktails and a special one-night-only concert starring one of Broadway's living legends, Betty Buckley, on Monday, September 30 in The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 W. 42nd Street) to support the Legacy Program in honor of Horton Foote. Buckley will be singing some of musical theatre's most iconic songs, including songs she's sung in her sold-out national concert appearances. Tickets start at $150 for both the pre-show cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m. and the concert at 7:30 p.m. A limited number of $75 concert only tickets are now available. To purchase tickets and for more information, please call 646-388-8118 or email sjohnson@signaturetheatre.org (for the $75 ticket offer, mention code BB75).

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is pleased to announce the East Coast premiere of Appropriate, an audacious comic drama written by native Washingtonian Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and directed by Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed). Jacobs-Jenkins' brazen reimagining of the classic Southern family drama will continue Woolly's season-long excavation of the secrets that lie beneath America's sunny exterior.

Signature Theatre will present an evening of cocktails and a special one-night-only concert starring one of Broadway's living legends, Betty Buckley, on Monday, September 30 in The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 W. 42nd Street) to support the Legacy Program in honor of Horton Foote. Buckley will be singing some of musical theatre's most iconic songs, including songs she's sung in her sold-out national concert appearances. Tickets start at $150 for both the pre-show cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m. and the concert at 7:30 p.m. A limited number of $75 concert only tickets are now available. To purchase tickets and for more information, please call 646-388-8118 or email sjohnson@signaturetheatre.org (for the $75 ticket offer, mention code BB75).

Christopher Chen -- a San Francisco-based playwright whose works include THE HUNDRED FLOWERS PROJECT and other plays - is the 2013 recipient of the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, presented annually by Vineyard Theatre to an emerging playwright of exceptional promise, it has been announced by Douglas Aibel, Vineyard Theatre's Artistic Director and Sarah Stern, Co-Artistic Director.

PRELUDE allows the public to experience work-in-progress presentations, open rehearsals and discussions by dozens of NYC's most exciting theater and performance artists -- for FREE -- including Taylor Mac, Nature Theater of Oklahoma, Big Dance Theater, Big Art Group, Cesar Alvarez & Sarah Benson, Annie Baker, David Levine, Cynthia Hopkins, 600 HIGHWAYMEN, Jay Scheib & Co., Elastic City, PearlDamour, ANIMALS, Katherine Brook / Tele-Violet, Woodshed Collective, Daniel Fish, Andrew Ondrejcak, James Monaco & Jerome Ellis and more.

Perhaps the defining characteristic of Soho Rep, under the artistic direction of Sarah Benson, is the institution's commitment to artists creating surprisingly big theatrical events in its very small space on Walker Street. Soho Rep's 2013-14 season, announced today, provides ample evidence of that commitment, comprising two shows that are among the biggest the organization has ever produced: the New York premiere of David Adjmi's Marie Antoinette, directed by Rebecca Taichman and featuring Marin Ireland (Blasted); and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' An Octoroon, directed by Benson.

Victory Gardens Theater announces the first play of its 2013-14 Season: the Co-World Premiere of Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins,directed by Gary Griffin. Appropriate is presented in association with Actors Theatre of Louisville and was developed, in part, by IGNITION 2012. Appropriateruns November 8-December 8, with the press performance on November 15, 2013, at Victory Gardens Theatre, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

As part of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company's ongoing initiative to 'ignite an explosive engagement between theatre artists and the community,' Woolly has announced the House Lights Up events for its upcoming production of The Second City's AMERICA ALL BETTER!! Following sell-out runs of BARACK STARS, BARACK STARS: THE WRATH OF RAHM, A GIRL'S GUIDE TO WASHINGTON POLITICS, and SPOILER ALERT: EVERYBODY DIES, Chicago's The Second City returns to Woolly today, July 9 through August 4, 2013.

As part of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company's ongoing initiative to "ignite an explosive engagement between theatre artists and the community," Woolly is pleased to announce the House Lights Up events for its upcoming production of The Second City's AMERICA ALL BETTER!! Following sell-out runs of BARACK STARS, BARACK STARS: THE WRATH OF RAHM, A GIRL'S GUIDE TO WASHINGTON POLITICS, and SPOILER ALERT: EVERYBODY DIES, Chicago's The Second City returns to Woolly July 9 through August 4, 2013.

Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Artistic Director; Jeremy Blocker, Managing Director) is now accepting applications for Play Group, a vibrant and eclectic group of emerging writers who gather twice a month at Ars Nova to share new work and get peer feedback. The group offers members the chance to develop their plays with peer support; to be inspired by each other's work; to form collaborative relationships; and to build a strong sense of community within Ars Nova. All emerging playwrights are eligible for membership. If selected, new members will be invited to join for a period of two years beginning in January of 2014.

Expanding on its history of developing new plays and cultivating new voices for the American theater, The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) is now accepting applications for its fifth cycle of the Emerging Writers Group¸ an initiative that seeks to target playwrights at the earliest stages in their career, creating an artistic home, support, and resources for a diverse group of up-and-coming playwrights.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is thrilled to announce the May 2, 2013, purchase of its dynamic, 30,000 square foot facility, securing its future and rooting the theatre in the heart of downtown DC as a resource for artists and audiences in perpetuity.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced a one week extension today for the new Public Lab musical VENICE, with book by Eric Rosen, music by Matt Sax, lyrics by Matt Sax and Eric Rosen, additional music by Curtis Moore, and choreography by Chase Brock. Directed by Eric Rosen, VENICE began performances on Tuesday, May 28 and was originally scheduled to close on Sunday, June 23. It will now run an additional week through Sunday, June 30.

SPACE on Ryder Farm, a not-for-profit artist workshop space announces its 3nd season. Housed on an organic farm in picturesque Brewster, NY, SPACE will host over 100 artists as they develop 40 projects.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company has announced the promotion of Miriam Weisfeld from Director of Artistic Development to Associate Artistic Director, an evolution reflective of Woolly's ongoing effort to unify its literary and production activities. In her new role-a position instituted only a few times in Woolly's 34-year history-Weisfeld will continue to manage Woolly's artistic programming from commissions and season selection to implementation, and now also provide oversight of casting, Connectivity, and other initiatives.

When a group of actors gathers to give a presentation on a distant genocide, they realize that summaries are not enough. In their attempt to delve into history, they struggle with stereotype, fear and their own personal histories, uncovering the potential for brutality in all of us. Joseph Stern and The Matrix Theatre Company present the West Coast premiere of a brave, chilling and very funny new work by Jackie Sibblies Drury."We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as South-West Africa, From the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884-1915" opens on June 8.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director William Russo have announced the new 2050 Fellowship Program to begin with the 2013/14 season.

Signature Theatre has announced a change to the theatre's Legacy Program for the 2013-14 All-Premiere Season: the theatre will produce the World Premiere of Horton Foote's THE OLD FRIENDS, directed by Michael Wilson and featuring Betty Buckley, Hallie Foote and Lois Smith. THE OLD FRIENDS replaces the previously announced EDWARD ALBEE'S LAYING AN EGG, which Signature remains committed to premiering in a future season.

HighTide Festival Theatre will announce full casting for its 2013 season (see below for full details). Also HighTide is pleased to announce further 'In Conversation' events with writer and director Stephen Poliakoff CBE, and playwright and novelist Michael Frayn. Author and broadcaster Kate Mosse will conduct the conversation with Michael Frayn, whilst television presenter Rick Edwards will hostconversations with Stephen Poliakoff and (previously announced) Roger Michell.