Colt Coeur News

After the lauded World Premiere of The Boy Who Danced On Air, Diversionary is proud to produce the World Premiere of another groundbreaking new musical.

Martyrs, written by Romana Soutus and developed with and directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh, will premiere at The Downstairs at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, April 19 - May 6, Thursday to Saturday at 7 PM, Sunday at 2 PM. A devised ensemble piece performed by a female cast of nine, Martyrs dives into the dynamics of martyrdom, sainthood, self-worth, and desire.

On Friday, March 16 The League of Professional Theatre Women (Kelli Lynn Harrison & Lisa Rothe, Co-Presidents) presented the 2018 Theatre Women Awards at The TimesCenter, hosted by Florencia Lozano. The League of Professional Theatre Women's annual Theatre Women Awards are the only awards dedicated to honoring the theatrical work of women and their contributions to the field, across all disciplines. Actress Phylicia Rashadwas the recipient of the LPTW's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award; playwright Rohina Malik received the Lee Reynolds Award; director Emily Joy Weiner the Josephine Abady Award; Colt Coeur artistic director Adrienne Campbell-Holt the LPTW Lucille Lortel Award; drama critic Linda Winer received the LPTW Special Award; and sound designer Cricket S. Myers the Ruth Morley Award.

The Orchard Project (Artistic Director, Ari Edelson) announced the eleven writers, composers, directors and companies for its 2018 New York City Greenhouse. In its first year, the Orchard Project NYC Greenhouse is a new NYC-based accelerator for directors, writers, composers and other generative artists to seed ambitious and unexpected work, form new relationships and develop a new generation of theater. For the Orchard Project, it aims to parlay the strength of support that has set the organization apart and transform it into a resource for its growing network of artists.

La Jolla Playhouse is pleased to bring back for a sixth year its acclaimed new play development initiative, the DNA New Work Series, a weekend of readings of new works, taking place March 22 - 25, 2018 in the Playhouse's Rao and Padma Makeneni Play Development Center. Tickets for the DNA New Work Series are free but reservations are required by calling (858) 550-1010 or visiting LaJollaPlayhouse.org.

About Face Theatre is pleased to announce casting for its Midwest premiere of Bryna Turner's comedy BULL IN A CHINA SHOP, based on the true story of revolutionary academics and lovers Mary Woolley and Jeanette Marks.

The Public Theater announced the fifth season of PUBLIC STUDIO today, which will present two new plays this spring. Continuing The Public's commitment to nurturing new playwrights, the two plays will run in succession in The Public's Shiva Theater and be presented as pared-down productions with the low ticket price of $15. This vital program continues The Public's mission of making new work by emerging artists accessible to all audiences.

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica presents Bedlam, the acclaimed New York based theatre company, with a fresh kinetic look at two plays with four actors, playing 49 characters in William Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw's most famous creations, side by side, Hamlet and Saint Joan, in repertory April 5 to 15 at The Broad Stage. This engagement will be the company's West-Coast debut.

Zoetic Stage (@ZoeticStageMIA) and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@ArshtCenter) are proud to present the South Florida premiere of DANCING LESSONS, Mark St. Germain's insightful, poignant, witty and hilarious romantic comedy. Playing March 8 - March 25, 2018 in the intimate Carnival Studio Theater (Ziff Ballet Opera House), DANCING LESSONS continues Zoetic Stage's 2017-2018 season at the Arsht Center as part of the Center's Theater Up Close Series.

BEDLAM (Eric Tucker, Artistic Director; Kimberly Pau Boston, Managing Director) returns to the work of George Bernard Shaw with their new production of PYGMALION featuring Rajesh Bose as Mr. Doolittle, Annabel Capper, Nigel Gore, Edmund Lewis, Vaishnavi Sharma as Eliza Doolittle, and Eric Tucker as Professor Henry Higgins.

The epic story returns. Tony Kushner's two-part play, ANGELS IN AMERICA makes its way back to Broadway tonight! A cast led by Tony nominee Andrew Garfield and two-time Tony winner Nathan Lane will begin previews tonight at the Neil Simon Theatre with Part 1: Millennium Approaches. Get to know the cast below as they begin Broadway performances!

The League of Professional Theatre Women (Kelli Lynn Harrison & Lisa Rothe, Co-Presidents) will present the 2018 Theatre Women Awards at The TimesCenter (242 West 41st Street between 7th and 8th Avenues) on Friday, March 16 beginning at 6:30PM. Tickets ($65-$250) are available for advance purchase at www.theatrewomen.org. 

Newly announced 2018 Jonathan Larson Grant Recipients ZOE SARNAK (music & lyrics) and EMILY KACZMAREK (book) are bringing their new, original musical AFTERWORDS to the stage, as part of the Beta Series at Village Theatre, a leading producer of musical theatre in the Pacific Northwest. 

Victory Gardens Theater continues its 43rd season with BREACH: a manifesto on race in america through the eyes of a black girl recovering from self-hate, written by Antoinette Nwandu and directed by Lisa Portes. BREACH runs February 9 - March 11, 2018, with the press performance on Friday, February 16, 2018 at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

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.

WP Theater (formerly known as Women's Project Theater), under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Lisa McNulty and Managing Director Michael Sag, is thrilled to announce the lineup for the second biennial Pipeline Festival, showcasing the work of the celebrated WP Lab residency for playwrights, directors and producers from March 29 - April 28 at WP Theater (2162 Broadway & 76th Street.)

PAGE 73 PRODUCTIONS (Page 73) (Michael Walkup, Producing Artistic Director; Jenny Lagundino, Managing Director; Liz Jones and Asher Richelli, Founding Directors) has named C.A. Johnson the 2018 P73 Playwriting Fellow. Selected from over 400 applicants, Johnson will receive a $10,000 award and additional $10,000 budgeted for developing several new plays over the course of the year.

Cherry Lane Theatre has announced casting for the first production of the Obie award-winning MENTOR PROJECT now in its 20th season. Kate Cortesi's A PATRON OF THE ARTS, is being presented at Cherry Lane (38 Commerce St.) from March 1- 10, 2018, it has been announced by Seri Lawrence and Janio Marrero, Cherry Lane's Co-Artistic Directors.  Angelina Fiordellisi is Cherry Lane's Founding Artistic Director. Ms. Cortesi is mentored by Guggenheim, a Whiting, an Alpert, PEN/Laura Pels award winner Anne Washburn.

The League of Professional Theatre Women (Kelli Lynn Harrison & Lisa Rothe, Co-Presidents) will present the 2018 Theatre Women Awards at The TimesCenter (242 West 41st Streetbetween 7th and 8th Avenues) on Friday, March 16 beginning at 6:30PM. Tickets ($65-$250) are available for advance purchase at www.theatrewomen.org.

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has announced 10 Finalists for its prestigious playwriting award, the oldest and largest prize awarded to women playwrights writing in the English language. Chosen from over 150 nominated plays, the Finalists are: