Cheryl L. West News

Dancing and energizing music imbue life with joy in the Midwest premiere of Children's Theater Company's Last Stop on Market Street this September. Produced as a co-commission with Chicago Children's Theatre and based on the Newbery Award Winning book written by Matt de la Peña, Last Stop on Market Street charms and delights audiences. Directed by Henry Godinez, this exuberant production recreates the adventures a seven year old boy encounters when he visits his Nana for the weekend. Nana lives in a neighborhood teeming with a wide variety of personalities and new experiences CJ is unfamiliar with and often wary of--Including the reggae music and 'laying some sugar on his Nana,'which Nana then explains means to kiss her. 

Chicago Children's Theatre's education programming, unique in the city for emphasizing student authorship, youth empowerment and community leadership, is growing by leaps and bounds - literally - at the company's new West Loop home, The Station.

Children's Theatre Company is thrilled to announce single tickets for its 2018-2019 Season will go on sale Tuesday, June 26, 2018(online at midnight, phone sales at 11am). The season includes eight productions, four commissioned premieres, three musicals, and one preschool production.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) announces 18 awards granted from their National Fund for New Musicals, and five awards granted from their Innovation & Exploration Grant program. The National Fund for New Musicals (NFNM) is a major funding program to support NAMT member not-for-profit theatres in their collaborations with writers to create, develop and produce new musicals. Now in its tenth year, this year the Fund is providing grants totaling $58,000 to organizations across the country.

Chicago Children's Theatre (chicagochildrenstheatre.org), the largest professional theater company devoted exclusively to families in Chicago, has announced its 2018-19 season.

Chicago Children's Theatre's much anticipated 2017-18 season finale has arrived, and it's the hip-hop, heart-thumpin', toe-tappin' joy ride Last Stop on Market Street, a world premiere musical based on the 2016 Newbery-winning, Caldecott-honored children's book by Matt de la Peña.

With excitement and gratitude, Seattle Repertory Theatre today announced that it was granted full funding from the prestigious Elizabeth George Foundation for support of commissions for the work of three writers - Joanna Garner, Lily Houghton, and C.A. Johnson. This grant funds developmental work that will begin this fall 2018 through Seattle Rep's The Other Season. The Foundation's incredible support enables artists at the very beginning stage of their careers to have their work recognized and cultivated by institutions across the nation like Seattle Rep in the hope that these theatres become the artistic homes for the work being created.

Second Stage Theater (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director) has announced additional casting for the New York Premiere of TRACY LETTS' acclaimed play, MARY PAGE MARLOWE.

Second Stage Theater has announced that Tony Award winner BLAIR BROWN will join the previously announced EMMA GEER, TATIANA MASLANY and SUSAN POURFAR in the New York Premiere of TRACY LETTS' acclaimed play, MARY PAGE MARLOWE, directed by LILA NEUGEBAUER.

Second Stage Theater (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director) has announced that EMMA GEER will join the previously announced TATIANA MASLANY and SUSAN POURFAR in the New York Premiere of TRACY LETTS' acclaimed play, MARY PAGE MARLOWE, directed by LILA NEUGEBAUER.

San Diego Junior Theatre, with a mission to provide engaging, innovative, high-quality theatre education and productions for children of all cultural heritages, ages, abilities and levels of interest continues its 70th Anniversary with a production of AKEELAH AND THE BEE, directed by James Saba. AKEELAH AND THE BEE is written by Cheryl L. West, based on the book by Doug Atchison. The production will showcase the work of Diego Junior Theatre youth performers and youth technicians, ranging in age from 8 to18. The production runs from March 2nd - 11th.

Second Stage Theater (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director) has announced that SUSAN POURFAR will join the previously announced TATIANA MASLANY in the New York Premiere of TRACY LETTS' acclaimed play, MARY PAGE MARLOWE, directed by LILA NEUGEBAUER.

San Diego Junior Theatre, with a mission to provide engaging, innovative, high-quality theatre education and productions for children of all cultural heritages, ages, abilities and levels of interest continues its 70th Anniversary with a production of AKEELAH AND THE BEE, directed by James Saba. AKEELAH AND THE BEE is written by Cheryl L. West, based on the book by Doug Atchison. The production will showcase the work of San Diego Junior Theatre youth performers and youth technicians, ranging in age from 8 to 18. The production runs from March 2nd - 11th.

Second Stage Theater (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director) has announced that Emmy Award Winner TATIANA MASLANY, star of the hit BBC America series, "Orphan Black," will appear in the New York Premiere of TRACY LETTS' acclaimed play, MARY PAGE MARLOWE, directed by LILA NEUGEBAUER.

The 5th Avenue Theatre is a vibrant hive of musical theater activity as the projects of NextFest: A Festival of New Musicals have started rehearsals this week. A three-week musical theater intensive development cycle, NextFest has played a role in the creation of musicals ranging from Persuasion by Harold Taw and Chris Jeffries (Taproot Theatre, 2017) to  Come From Away by Irene Carl Sankoff and David Hein (Broadway). Nationally recognized for its contribution to the contemporary musical theater cannon, The 5th Avenue Theatre is a celebrated incubator for new musicals. Each year, the nationally renowned theater company connects writers at all stages of development with some of the region's most brilliant performers, giving life to the words on the page and allowing book writers, composers and lyricists to see their work in action. This year's various works are brought to life by Alexandria Henderson, Justin Huertas, Matthew Kacergis, Shaunyce Omar, Brandon O'Neill, Timothy Piggee, Hannah Schuerman, Billie Wildrick and many more.

Children's Theatre Company is proud to announce its 2018-2019 Season, which includes eight productions, four commissioned premieres, three musicals, and one preschool production. The season consists of 3 ½ more weeks of performances over last year's schedule and includes summer programming.

Flint Youth Theatre - Michigan's Professional Theatre for Young Audiences presents "Akeelah and the Bee," based on the screenplay by Doug Atchison and adapted for the stage by Cheryl L. West. Performances begin Saturday, February 10 and run through Sunday, February 25. Tickets are now on sale.

Court Theatre, under the leadership of Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell, announces the 2018 lineup for the Spotlight Reading Series, a multi-year community outreach initiative that aims to expose communities beyond Hyde Park to theatre arts, focusing specifically on works from outside of the canon of classic theater.

Flint Youth Theatre - Michigan's Professional Theatre for Young Audiences presents 'Akeelah and the Bee,' based on the screenplay by Doug Atchison and adapted for the stage by Cheryl L. West. Performances begin Saturday, February 10 and run through Sunday, February 25. Tickets are now on sale.

Second Stage Theater has announced complete casting for the world premiere of GREG PIERCE's play, Cardinal, directed by KATE WHORISKEY.