Brian D. Coats News

Two River Theater (Artistic Director John Dias, Managing Director Michael Hurst) presents August Wilson's King Hedley II, directed by Brandon J. Dirden. The extended five-week run opens to the press on Friday, November 16 at 7pm and continues through Sunday, December 16 in Two River's Marion Huber Theater, 21 Bridge Avenue, Red Bank, NJ.  Tickets are available from 732.345.1400 or tworivertheater.org.

Marking the halfway point in its commitment to present all 10 plays of August Wilson's American Century Cycle, Two River Theater announces the complete cast and creative team for its production of Wilson's "exhilarating" (The New York Times) and incendiary drama King Hedley II, directed by Brandon J. Dirden. For the first time, the theater will be presenting one of Wilson's plays in its intimate 110-seat Marion Huber Theater, with performances beginning on November 10 and continuing for an extended five-week run through Sunday, December 16. The opening night performance is Friday, November 16 at 7pm. Tickets are available from 732.345.1400 or tworivertheater.org. The production sponsors are Monmouth University and Collex Collision Experts.

Ensemble Studio Theatre is currently hosting the world premiere of Travisville by William Jackson Harper. Brian D. Coats took a moment to speak with BroadwayWorld about the complicated issues at play and his role both in the play and in its development over the years.

ENSEMBLE STUDIO THEATRE (EST) (William Carden, Artistic Director, Sarah McLellan, Executive Director) is proud to present the world premiere of Travisville, a new play by William Jackson Harper ("The Good Place") and directed by Steve H. Broadnax III (The Hip-Hop Project). This marks the playwriting debut of Harper, who has been developing the piece with EST over the past 8 years. Travisville will begin previews at EST's Curt Dempster Theatre (549 W. 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019) on October 3, 2018, with opening night set for October 12, for a limited engagement through October 28, 2018.

Marking the halfway point in its commitment to present all 10 plays of August Wilson's American Century Cycle, Two River Theater announces the complete cast and creative team for its production of Wilson's "exhilarating" (The New York Times) and incendiary drama King Hedley II, directed by Brandon J. Dirden. For the first time, the theater will be presenting one of Wilson's plays in its intimate 110-seat Marion Huber Theater, with performances beginning on November 10 and continuing for an extended five-week run through Sunday, December 16. The opening night performance is Friday, November 16 at 7pm. Tickets are available from 732.345.1400 or tworivertheater.org. The production sponsors are Monmouth University and Collex Collision Experts.

Florida Repertory Theatre is pleased to announce directors for its 2018-2019 Season and complete casting for five of its upcoming productions. The theatre's 21st season is set to open to previews Sept. 18 with the moving, one-woman comedy, Becoming Dr. Ruth, which kicks off a nine-show season in the theatre's two venues.

ENSEMBLE STUDIO THEATRE (EST) (William Carden, Artistic Director, Sarah McLellan, Executive Director) is proud to announce its 50th Anniversary season. The season will commence in October 2018 with the world premiere of TRAVISVILLE a new play by William Jackson Harper ("The Good Place") and directed by Steve H. Broadnax III (The Hip-Hop Project). This marks the playwriting debut of Harper, who has been developing the piece with EST over the past 8 years.

InProximity Theatre Company (Jolie Curtsinger, Laurie Schaefer Fenton, Co-Artistic Directors) is proud to announce the cast for this year's second annual PROJECT W Theatre Festival which includes work by Darcy Parker Bruce, Mathilde Dratwa, Christina Gorman, Donna Hoke, Kara Emily Krantz and recently added Ann Marie Shea.PROJECT W Theatre Festival will take place June 4-9, 2018 with readings starting June 5, and will kick-off with an opening night, invite-only party on June 4, 2018 at Town Stages  (5 White Street).  Tickets are FREE to attend but reservations are strongly recommended. More information can be found at www.inproximitytheatre.org.

InProximity Theatre Company (Jolie Curtsinger, Laurie Schaefer Fenton, Co-Artistic Directors) is proud to announce the cast for this year's second annual PROJECT W Theatre Festival which includes work by Darcy Parker Bruce, Mathilde Dratwa, Christina Gorman, Donna Hoke, Kara Emily Krantz and recently added Ann Marie Shea. PROJECT W Theatre Festival will take place June 4-9, 2018 with readings starting June 5, and will kick-off with an opening night, invite-only party on June 4, 2018 at Town Stages (5 White Street). Tickets are FREE to attend but reservations are strongly recommended. More information can be found at www.inproximitytheatre.org.

InProximity Theatre Company (Jolie Curtsinger, Laurie Schaefer Fenton, Co-Artistic Directors) is proud to announce the cast for this year's second annual PROJECT W Theatre Festival which includes work by Darcy Parker Bruce, Mathilde Dratwa, Christina Gorman, Donna Hoke, Kara Emily Krantz and recently added Ann Marie Shea. PROJECT W Theatre Festival will take place June 4-9, 2018 with readings starting June 5, and will kick-off with an opening night, invite-only party on June 4, 2018 at Town Stages (5 White Street).

Casting has been announced for The Trial, the next play in the Politics of the Absurd reading series presented by Christopher Maring/ CM Stage Productions. Joining the reading will be Krysta Rodriguez (What We're Up Against, "Trial & Error", Spring Awakening), Mamoudou Athie ("The Get Down", Patti Cake$,), Brian Wiles ("Public Morals", "Turn"), Brian D. Coats (Jitney, "Boardwalk Empire"), John Rothman (Ghostbusters, "One Mississippi") Sam Breslin Wright ("Madame Secretary", The Beaver), and Tony nominee Kristine Neilson (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, You Can't Take it With You). The Trial, adapted by Steven Berkoff from the novel by Franz Kafka, and directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt (What We're Up Against, Dry Land), will take place at the Baruch Performing Arts Center on March 5, 6, and 7.

Casting has been announced for Rhinoceros, the first play in the Politics of the Absurd reading series presented by Christopher Maring/ CM Stage Productions. Joining the reading will be Blake DeLong (Illyria; Othello; Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812), Larry Owens (Gigantic, FAT CAMP, Grease at the MUNY), Colby Minife (Six Degrees of Separation, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Jessica Jones ) Daniel K. Isaac ( Billions , Search Party , Underland), Brian D. Coats (Jitney, Boardwalk Empire , The Merry Wives of Windsor), Deirdre Madigan (Sweat, Daredevil , Exit Strategy), and Natalie Walker (Puffs, Search Party , Clockwork). Rhinoceros, written by Eugene Ionesco and directed by Srda Vesiljevic (Dust Can't Kill Me, When I Started Dating Men), will take place at the Baruch Performing Arts Center on February 5, 6, and 7.

It was a swell family affair at Two River Theater last night as a searing and powerful production of Lorraine Hansberry's American classic A Raisin in the Sun, helmed by Carl Cofield and starring Brandon J. Dirden as Walter Lee Younger, his wife Crystal A. Dickinson as Ruth Younger, his father Willie Dirden as Bobo, Brenda Pressley as Lena Younger, Jasmine Batchelor as Beneatha Younger, Nat DeWolf as Karl Lindner, Charlie Hudson III as Joseph Asagai, Owen Tabaka as Travis Younger, York Walker as George Murchison, with Andrew Binger and David Joel Rivera as the Moving Men, celebrated opening night.

PlayMakers Repertory Company kicks off its 2017/18 season with the world premiere of 'Count,' in the first production of its PRC2 second-stage series. This docu-drama written by Lynden Harris is co-produced with the North Carolina based collective, Hidden Voices. The production is directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams, member of the PlayMakers resident acting company, in her PlayMakers directorial debut. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Today's big news: JITNEY's Jerome Preston Bates, Brian D. Coats, Brandon J. Dirden, and Ray Anthony Thomas set for performance and Q&A at Queens Library tonight!

Four cast members from August Wilson's Jitney (the 2017 Tony Winner for Best Revival of a Play) will perform select readings from the show, followed by a Q&A with the audience, at Queens Library on Monday, August 7, at 6:30 p.m.

Join Classix as they expand their collective knowledge of the classical canon with an exceptional group directors and actors for this unique series-curated by Awoye Timpo as "an exhibition of rarely seen Black classic plays,' in collaboration with The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center.

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center, located at The Graduate Center, CUNY, will present readings of rarely seen plays by Black playwrights on Monday, May 22 and Tuesday, May 23. The readings are free and open to the public on a first come, first served basis.

The Apollo Theater presents The Classical Theatre of Harlem's production of THE FIRST NOEL from tonight, December 10, through December 18, 2016.