Charise Castro Smith News

Why am I already hopeful for a stage version?

Disney has dropped the first teaser trailer for its new animated musical, Encanto, featuring a new score from Tony and Pulitzer Prize- winner Lin-Manuel Miranda!

Wesleyan Universitya??'s a??Theater Departmenta?? presents a??'Re-Evaluating the Ground on Which We(s) Stand(s): An Evening of August Wilson with Broadway's Crystal Dickinson and Brandon Dirden,' on a??Friday, September 25, 2020 at 4:30pm on Zoom. Registration is required for access to this free virtual event.

Regional Tony Award-winner Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces its 35th Anniversary Season with a dynamic line-up of artistic offeringsa?"both ina?'person and virtuala?"including plays written and inspired by Shakespeare, new musicals, a timely contemporary opera, and engaging digital content for audiences, students, and teachers.

Asolo Rep proudly presents an FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training touring production of one of the greatest love stories of all time: William Shakespeare's ROMEO & JULIET. This fresh and fast 45-minute adaptation will be adapted and directed by Tyler Dobrowsky, who streamlined past touring production of The Tempest and Julius Caesar. The 10th annual educational touring production will travel to schools and community venues throughout the state of Florida from September 24 through November 24. There will also be a special performance for educators and press on Friday, September 27 at 6pm in the Cook Theatre, located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts.

Goodman Theatre and the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA) present the Midwest premiere of Daughter of a Cuban Revolutionary, written and performed by L.A.-based artist Marissa Chibas, October 8 -13. 

Paula Vogel's INDECENT has already begun its previews at the Ahmanson Theatre. Vogel and director Rebecca Taichman continue their collaboration, from the workshops and the Broadway run (for which Rebecca won her Tony Award directing INDECENT), to this co-production between the Center Theatre Group and the Huntington Theatre Company. I had the opportunity to delve into the inner creative workings of the man portraying Sholem Asch - Joby Earle.

'Indecent,' by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel, opened on June 9 at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre. Directed by Rebecca Taichman in a co-production with Huntington Theatre Company, the Tony Award-nominated 'Indecent' will run through July 7, 2019.

The Sol Project, the national theater initiative dedicated to amplifying Latinx voices and building a body of work for the new American theater, is proud to announce dates for the second annual SolFest: A Latinx Theater Festival, produced in partnership with Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (Pregones/PRTT). The festival will run from June 17 - 19 at PRTT (304 West 47th Street, New York, NY 10036).

The OCP has announced the titles and events for their 2019/20 Alternative Programming Series, which will run from August 2019 through May 2020. Alternative Programming events are free and open to the public with an opportunity for donations. No tickets or reservations are necessary. Alternative Programming events are intended for mature audiences.

The Omaha Community Playhouse (OCP) has announced the titles and events for their 2019/20 Alternative Programming Series, which will run from August, 2019 through May, 2020.

New Georges presents the co-world premiere of Leap and the Net Will Appear, by Chana Porter, and directed byTara Ahmadinejad. Leap and the Net Will Appear will play June 16-30, 2019 in The Sam at The Flea Theater (20 Thomas Street New York, NY 10007), with opening night set for June 18, 2019. New Georges is an Anchor Partner at The Flea.

The School of Drama at The New School's College of Performing Arts is thrilled to be partnering with the Cherry Lane Mentor Project again this spring for the 2019 Graduating MFA Playwrights Festival.

The script spins out a fast funny farce that reminds me of a politically informed Monty Python skit. Even though the premise sounds like a stuffy costume drama, this is more SOUTH PARK meets 1500s Spain.

From the moment you set foot inside the theater at 12th Ave Arts to catch Washington Ensemble Theatre's current production of Charise Castro Smith's "Feather's and Teeth" you'll be struck with two things. First, the desperately trying to be idyllic 1970's family home that's slightly off kilter from the brilliant set by Pete Rush, and second, the earworm of Nancy Sinatra's insistent "It's Such a Pretty World Today" boring its way into your head thanks to the pitch perfect sound design from Maggie L. Rogers, both setting a delightfully askew tone for what's about to happen. And both setting up the fantastic journey with a fantastic design team and fantastic actors and fantastic staging making for a … say it with me … a wonderfully creepy show. (I told you things were a little off, right? Don't expect the expected.)

Washington Ensemble Theatre has announced the cast for the Seattle premiere of Feathers and Teeth, the twisted horror comedy by Charise Castro Smith that grapples with the power of grief and the dangers of the other side. WET members Rachel Guyer-Mafune (WET: Teh Internet Is Serious Business, ACT: The Wolves, Book-It: Howl's Moving Castle) and Samie Spring Detzer (WET: Teh Internet Is Serious Business, Revolt. She said. Revolt again.) return to the WET stage to star as the creepy cool daughter/stepmother duo, Chris and Carol. Brandon J. Simmons (WET: Sextet, The Seagull Project: The Cherry Orchard, The Three Sisters) joins the cast as Arthur and James Schilling (ArtsWest: Peter and the Starcatcher, The Horse in Motion: The Great Noise) makes his WET debut as Hugo. WET's Associate Artistic Director Bobbin Ramsey directs. This is the second play by Castro Smith to be produced by WET; the world premiere of The Hunchback of Seville was the company's final play produced at The Little Theater on 19th Avenue East before moving to its current home, 12th Avenue Arts

The Jeff Awards meeting on Monday, February 18, 2019 at the Greenhouse Theater will include a panel discussion on Latinx Theatre.  This is a rescheduled panel from Jan. 28. Latinx groups are dedicated to education, advocacy and community among Latinx performers.  In Chicago, one of the most visible of these groups is ALTA (The Alliance of Latinx Theater Artists of Chicago).

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) will present the world premiere of GOOD FAITH: Four Chats about Race and the New Haven Fire Department, a new play by Karen Hartman, directed by Kenny Leon, February 1-23, 2019.

245 Acts of Unspeakable Evil, a play by award-winning playwrights Paula Zelaya Cervantes and Ana Gonzlez Bello born out of their curiosity and anger as Mexicans and women who are powerless to change things in Americas current social and political situation, has won Arizona Theatre Companys 2018 National Latino Playwriting Award.With a unique, uproarious style,245 Acts of Unspeakable Evilis a spunky one-woman play about the powerless daughter of a powerful superhero.

The Sol Project (Jacob G. Padron, Artistic Director), the national theater initiative dedicated to amplifying Latinx voices and building a body of work for the new American theater, is proud to announce that founding member and artistic producer David Mendizabal will become the Associate Artistic Director, beginning immediately. Rebecca Martinez and Julian Ramirez will also join the company as members of the artistic collective.