Brien Lang News

The Wilbury Theatre Group's Founding Artistic Director Josh Short has announced the Group's 2015-16 season, including a new drama from one of New York's most promising young playwrights, the world premiere of a new play by Wilbury playwright-in-residence Ben Jolivet, two of the most acclaimed off-Broadway musicals of the last few years, an irreverent new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, and the New England premiere of Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem.

The Wilbury Theatre Group's Founding Artistic Director Josh Short has announced the Group's 2015-16 season, including a new drama from one of New York's most promising young playwrights, the world premiere of a new play by Wilbury playwright-in-residence Ben Jolivet, two of the most acclaimed off-Broadway musicals of the last few years, an irreverent new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, and the New England premiere of Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem.

For theater aritsts and theater lovers, few things compare to watching the genesis of a new piece of theater. The creation and development of a new work, from initial staged readings and workshops to final performance, is a thrilling process. Of course, there are many steps along the way and not all of them are successful. Not every aspect of the play found in the first version of the script will make it to the final version. Not every beloved moment or great-idea-at-the-time will end up making the grade when all is said and done. Still, it's a process that is vital to the present and future of theater. Vital because new blood and new life must be created and injected into the theatrical world and it's up to theater artists everywhere to make sure that happens. In our region, one of the companies doing just that is The Wilbury Group, currently presenting the second iteration of a new work, Roadhouse: The Musical.

Celebrities, famous folks and iconic figures are often enigmatic, especially those who lived in bygone days, long before the internet and social media. To most of us, they are a mystery. From their exalted and distant perches far above the ordinary, average citizen, they alter and impact our lives. At the same time, they remain shrouded in secrecy, their true lives unknown or unrevealed. This can be said of the famous figure at the center of Wilbury Group's second play fo the season, A Public Readng of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney. You may think you know something about the man behind the mouse, as he's sometimes referred. On the other hand, this play sets out to offer a different view, one that's decidedly darker.

The Wilbury Theatre Group proudly announces the New England premiere of A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney by one of America's fastest rising young playwrights, Lucas Hnath. Longtime Wilbury Group collaborator Brien Lang (We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay!) directs Vince Petronio (The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity) in this fascinating examination into the last days of one of the greatest icons America has even known as his success was peaking, and his personal life floundering. A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay about the Death of Walt Disney runs November 6-21 at The Wilbury Theatre Group, 393 Broad Street, Providence RI.

The Wilbury Theatre Group opens Season 5 with the New England premiere of This Beautiful City, written by Steven Cosson and Jim Lewis, with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman. Wilbury Group Founding Artistic Director Josh Short directs with music direction by the team of Brien Lang and Milly Romanzi, this fascinating a new documentary-style play with music that details the explosion of America's evangelical Christian movement. This Beautiful City runs tonight, September 18 through October 12 at The Wilbury Theatre Group, 393 Broad Street, Providence RI.

The Wilbury Theatre Group opens Season 5 with the New England premiere of This Beautiful City, written by Steven Cosson and Jim Lewis, with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman. Wilbury Group Founding Artistic Director Josh Short directs with music direction by the team of Brien Lang and Milly Romanzi, this fascinating a new documentary-style play with music that details the explosion of America's evangelical Christian movement. This Beautiful City runs September 18 through October 12 at The Wilbury Theatre Group, 393 Broad Street, Providence RI.

Since the earliest shows produced by The Wilbury Group, the company has grown by leaps and bounds, becoming a force in the Rhode Island theater scene. They've established themselves a fine young professional theater company and arrive now at the end of a theatrical season they can and should be proud of. On the other hand, their final show of this season seems to be a bit of a step backwards. Or, perhaps, a missed opportunity, as their production of the classic musical Cabaret is surprisingly and disappointingly safe and rather dull.

The Wilbury Group presents the RI premiere of the award-winning rock musical, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman, and a book by Alex Timbers, tonight, July 12 through July 28 2012 in a new performance space at the beautifully restored Butcher Block Mill Building, 25 Eagle Street, Providence.

The Wilbury Group will present the RI premiere of the award-winning rock musical, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman, and a book by Alex Timbers, July 12-28 2012 in a new performance space at the beautifully restored Butcher Block Mill Building, 25 Eagle Street, Providence.

The Wilbury Group has announced the world premiere of Destefano on the Air!, a hilarious new radio by Providence playwright Cyrus Leddy, April 12-22 at 95 Empire Street, formerly home of the Perishable Theater.