Charles L. Mee News

South Coast Repertory will present The Brand New Kid, a musical lesson in tolerance and acceptance, adapted from Emmy Award-winning author Katie Couric's book, as part of its Theatre for Young Audience (TYA) series. Directed by Shelley Butler, with book by Melanie Marnich, music by Michael Friedman and lyrics by both, The Brand New Kid will run May 29 through June 14 on the Julianne Argyros Stage. Low-priced previews are available May 29 - June 5. Opening day is June 6. Press performance is May 31 at 2:00 p.m. All children who attend the 11:00 a.m. Target Family Performance on Saturday, June 6 will receive a free gift. Tickets to The Brand New Kid may be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or in person at the SCR box office.

The Colony Theatre Company presents the fifth and final production of its 2008 - 2009 season, the Los Angeles premiere of the Off-Broadway, Smash-Hit Musical Thriller, NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY, book, music and lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen, (based on the novel by William Goldman) and co-directed by West Hyler and Shelley Butler.

South Coast Repertory will present The Brand New Kid, a musical lesson in tolerance and acceptance, adapted from Emmy Award-winning author Katie Couric's book, as part of its Theatre for Young Audience (TYA) series.

The Hartt School presents Big Love from Thursday, May 7, through Sunday, May 10, in the Kent McCray Theater at the Mort and Irma Handel Performing Arts Center, 35 Westbourne Parkway in Hartford.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, on the verge of turning the big 3-0, is excited to announce the lineup of plays for the 30th Season (2009-10). Featured are a World Premiere by Danai Gurira (In the Continuum), exciting new works from Mike Daisey (If You See Something Say Something), Rajiv Joseph (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo), and Bruce Norris (The Unmentionables), and a large-scale work by Charles L. Mee (Big Love). In addition, Woolly Mammoth?s favorite out-of-town troupe, The Neo-Futurists, returns to DC for an unprecedented fourth engagement of their hit show, Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind in December.

The Hartt School presents Big Love from Thursday, May 7, through Sunday, May 10, in the Kent McCray Theater at the Mort and Irma Handel Performing Arts Center, 35 Westbourne Parkway in Hartford.

The Colony Theatre Company presents the fifth and final production of its 2008 ? 2009 season, the Los Angeles premiere of the Off-Broadway, Smash-Hit Musical Thriller, No Way to Treat a Lady, book, music and lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen, (based on the novel by William Goldman) and co-directed by West Hyler and Shelley Butler. No Way to Treat a Lady will preview on Wednesday, April 15; Thursday, April 16 and Friday, April 17 at 8:00pm and will open on Saturday, April 18 at 8:00pm and continue through Sunday, May 17 at The Colony Theatre, 555 North Third Street (at Cypress) adjacent to the Burbank Town Center.

Upcoming Events at The Hartt School for May 2009 The Hartt School Presents Hartt Dances The Hartt School presents Hartt Dances from Friday, May 1 through Sunday, May 3 at Lincoln Theater on the University of Hartford's West Hartford campus.

The Colony Theatre Company presents the fifth and final production of its 2008 - 2009 season, the Los Angeles premiere of the Off-Broadway, Smash-Hit Musical Thriller, NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY, book, music and lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen, (based on the novel by William Goldman) and co-directed by West Hyler and Shelley Butler.

A dozen bright young stars along with renowned voices of musical theatre will come together for the La Red Launch Party, a celebration and kickoff event on Tuesday, April 14 at the Laurie Beechman Theater at 6:00 pm. The event will benefit La Red Music Theatre's first full summer season in residence in Highland Park, IL, a northern suburb of Chicago.

Columbia University School of the Arts Theatre Arts Program and Columbia Stages Present NEW VOICES NEW PLAY FESTIVAL, The final chapter of SPRING, a Series of Three Springtime Events Celebrating, Columbia's M.F.A. Playwriting Class of 2009.

A dozen bright young stars along with renowned voices of musical theatre will come together for the La Red Launch Party, a celebration and kickoff event on Tuesday, April 14 at the Laurie Beechman Theater at 6:00 pm. The event will benefit La Red Music Theatre's first full summer season in residence in Highland Park, IL, a northern suburb of Chicago.

The Colony Theatre Company presents the fifth and final production of its 2008 ? 2009 season, the Los Angeles premiere of the Off-Broadway, Smash-Hit Musical Thriller, No Way to Treat a Lady, book, music and lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen, (based on the novel by William Goldman) and co-directed by West Hyler and Shelley Butler. No Way to Treat a Lady will preview on Wednesday, April 15; Thursday, April 16 and Friday, April 17 at 8:00pm and will open on Saturday, April 18 at 8:00pm and continue through Sunday, May 17 at The Colony Theatre, 555 North Third Street (at Cypress) adjacent to the Burbank Town Center.

The Kentucky Tourism Council (KTC) has chosen Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival of New American Plays as one of the Top 10 Spring Festivals and Events alongside other popular events like the Kentucky Derby Festival and Abbey Road on the River.

U.S. PREMIERE FOR 'BAGHDADI BATH' BY JAWAD AL-ASSADI, LEADING EXPATRIATE PLAYWRIGHT OF IRAQ In a Turkish bath in Baghdad, two brothers reveal the everyday horror of surviving in a war zone. Zishan Ugurlu directs. From March 12 to 15, La MaMa E.T.C., in association with Actors without Borders-ITONY, will present the U.S. premiere of 'Baghdadi Bath' by Jawad al-Assadi, Iraq's best-known playwright and recipient of the Prince Claus Award for his dedication to freedom of cultural expression.

Is it better to die with a secret than to live with one? The Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road, in Morristown, NJ, continues its 2008-2009 Mainstage Season with Fiction, Stephen Dietz's spellbinding drama about a dying author's wish to read her author husband's journals and the unexpected tale that unfolds when secrets the couple harbors are ultimately revealed. Fiction runs March 5 through March 29.

Actors Theatre of Louisville is about to open its 33rd Humana Festival of New American Plays (March 1 - April 11) made possible by the Humana Foundation Inc. Past Humana Festival plays have gone on to win Pulitzer Prizes or receive regional theatre productions across the country and off-Broadway. Actors Theatre has been a major force in revitalizing American playwriting for the past 30 years in its presentation of the renowned Humana Festival.

Actors Theatre of Louisville is about to open its 33rd Humana Festival of New American Plays (March 1 - April 11) made possible by the Humana Foundation Inc. Past Humana Festival plays have gone on to win Pulitzer Prizes or receive regional theatre productions across the country and off-Broadway. Actors Theatre has been a major force in revitalizing American playwriting for the past 30 years in its presentation of the renowned Humana Festival.

U.S. PREMIERE FOR 'BAGHDADI BATH' BY JAWAD AL-ASSADI, LEADING EXPATRIATE PLAYWRIGHT OF IRAQ In a Turkish bath in Baghdad, two brothers reveal the everyday horror of surviving in a war zone. Zishan Ugurlu directs. From March 12 to 15, La MaMa E.T.C., in association with Actors without Borders-ITONY, will present the U.S. premiere of 'Baghdadi Bath' by Jawad al-Assadi, Iraq's best-known playwright and recipient of the Prince Claus Award for his dedication to freedom of cultural expression.

Artist Bob Rauschenberg presented new ways of looking at life, the world and the United States through groundbreaking collages - 'Combines' - that incorporated everyday objects and assorted images of people, places and things. Random at times, and deliberate at others, each collection of items told a host of stories within a single canvas