Craig Lucas News

Today, as Berkeley Repertory Theatre holds its final rehearsal for the West Coast premiere of Chinglishand prepares this production for a trip to Hong Kong, the show's celebrated author has earned another honor. The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust announced this morning that David Henry Hwang will receive the Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award, a biennial prize that recognizes and encourages the artistic excellence and achievement of an American playwright whose body of work has made significant contributions to the American theatre.

Multi-Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan has announced that she will compose music for KING KONG, which has set a June 2013 opening night in Melbourne.

For its 14th season of never playing it safe, Custom Made Theatre Company announces a line-up of eye-opening and audacious plays. Three are San Francisco Premieres, and one is a Bay Area Premiere.

Winning the prestigious Woodward/Newman Award for best play, while being developed at Rogue Machine for their 2012 season, brought with it a fully funded production mounted at the Bloomington Play Project in Indiana. It turned out to be one of their most successful projects to date. A Holland New Voices Award came shortly afterwards, and now playwright Henry Murray is ready for its close-up at Rogue Machine, known for staging new works. This will be a West Coast Premiere in one of the country's most vibrant cities for new plays, Los Angeles, opening September 15, 2012.

South Coast Repertory was founded 49 years ago in Orange County with the belief that theatre is an art form with a unique power to illuminate the human experience, and the commitment to advance the art of theatre in the service of their community, and the aim to extend that service through educational, intercultural, and outreach programs that harmonize with their artistic mission. Over the past five decades they have become one of the most celebrated and honored regional theatre companies in America. Their string of awards include 83 Distinguished Achievement Awards from The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle (including a Special Award for Continued Excellence on their 30th Anniversary in 1994), 470 Drama-Logue Awards, 19 Backstage West Garland Awards, 29 OC Weekly Awards, a 1995 Theatre LA Lifetime Achievement Award for Founders David Emmes and Martin Benson, and The 1998 Tony Award for Distinguished Achievement by a Regional Theatre.

The Drama Desk and Obie Award-winning Keen Company (Jonathan Silverstein, Artistic Director/Damon Chua, Executive Director) today announced that Lauren Molina and Jason Tam will star in Marry Me A Little, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, conceived by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene, directed by Keen Artistic Director Jonathan Silverstein. Marry Me A Little kicks off their 2012 - '13 season and will be followed by a newly revised version of the 1991 play, The Old Boy by A.R. Gurney.

Kef theatrical productions presents the New York premiere of Steven Strafford's METHTACULAR!, directed by kef theatrical productions' Artistic Director Adam Fitzgerald, with music Supervision and Arrangements by Grammy and two-time Emmy Award winner John McDaniel. Preview performances of METHTACULAR! begin Off-Broadway on August 30th prior to an official press opening of Sunday, September 2nd at the Playroom Theatre (151 West 46th Street) in Manhattan.

Sideshow Theatre Company has announced its full 2012/13 Season, which brings to light lingering secrets and apocalyptic preparations.

Rogue Machine is extending Enda Walsh's THE NEW ELECTRIC BALLROOM. Beginning August 10th and running 8pm Fridays, 5pm Saturdays, 7pm Sundays, and 8pm Mondays, the show will now close on September 2nd with a 3pm and 7pm show on that Sunday only.

The Drama Desk and Obie Award-winning Keen Company (Jonathan Silverstein, Artistic Director/Damon Chua, Executive Director) today announced that their 2012 - '13 season will begin with their first musical - Marry Me A Little, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, conceived by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene, directed by Keen Artistic Director Jonathan Silverstein. It will be followed by a newly revised version of the 1991 play, The Old Boy by A.R. Gurney.

Theater Latté Da announced today that a season of fourmusicals and the launch of a major new work development program will comprise its 15th Anniversary Season.

Rogue Machine is extending Enda Walsh's THE NEW ELECTRIC BALLROOM. Beginning August 10th and running 8pm Fridays, 5pm Saturdays, 7pm Sundays, and 8pm Mondays, the show will now close on September 2nd with a 3pm and 7pm show on that Sunday only.

On the heels of their 2011 Best Production Awards sweep (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, LA Weekly, Ovation, and Garland Awards) for Small Engine Repair, which launched Rogue Machine's "Off The Clock" series last season, HOUSE will take the first late night slot this season tonight, July 6th.

Jesse Eisenberg, the actor and playwright who's best known for his Oscar-nominated turn in THE SOCIAL NETWORK and whose play ASUNCION played the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater last year, will bring a new play to the 2012-13 Rattlestick season.

piece by piece productions, Rising Phoenix Repertory, and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater have announced that the world premiere of 3C, written by David Adjmi and directed by Jackson Gay, opens tonight Thursday, June 21 at 7pm at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 224 Waverly Place.

he Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust today announced that the Fifth Annual Steinberg Playwright "Mimi" Awards will be presented on Monday, October 29, 2012. The Mimi Awards promote theater as a vital part of our culture by nurturing American playwrights and encouraging the development and production of new American plays. The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust will present the 2012 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award at this year's ceremony, which will be held at the Lincoln Center Theater in New York City. The Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award is presented biennially to honor and encourage the artistic excellence and achievement of an American playwright whose body of work has made significant contributions to the American theater. The recipient of the Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award will receive a cash award of $200,000. The Steinberg Playwright Awards and the Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Awards are presented in alternate years. Past recipients are: · Lisa D'Amour and Melissa James Gibson, Steinberg Playwright Award, 2011 · Lynn Nottage, Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award, 2010 · David Adjmi, Tarell Alvin McCraney and Bruce Norris, Steinberg Playwright Awards, 2009 · Tony Kushner, Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award, 2008 These playwrights were each presented with a monetary award along with "The Mimi," a statuette designed by Tony Award-nominated scenic designer and architect David Rockwell. The Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award honors the artistic achievement of a playwright whose work has made a significant impact on American theater. The Steinberg Playwright Award is awarded to playwrights who exhibit exceptional talent and tremendous promise in earlier stages of their careers. In 2008, the Board of Directors of The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust established an Advisory Committee of prominent theater professionals responsible for establishing the criteria for the Steinberg Playwright Awards, as well as the nomination and selection processes. The 2012 Advisory Committee is comprised of continuing members; Susan Booth, Artistic Director of the Alliance Theater; Jeremy Cohen, Producing Artistic Director, The Playwrights' Center; Todd London, Artistic Director of New Dramatists; and Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director, Manhattan Theater Club. Additionally, this year there are three new members; Kwame Kwei-Armah, Artistic Director, CENTERSTAGE; Bill Rauch, Artistic Director, Oregon Shakespeare Festival; and Neil Pepe, Artistic Director, Atlantic Theater Company. The members of the Board of Directors of The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust are Carole A. Krumland, James D. Steinberg, Michael A. Steinberg, Seth M. Weingarten and William D. Zabel. About The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust: The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust was created by Harold Steinberg in 1986 in the names of himself and his late wife Miriam. The Trust's primary mission is to support and promote the American theater as a vital part of our culture by nurturing American playwrights, encouraging the development and production of new American plays, and by providing significant support to theater companies across the country. Since its inception, the Trust has given in excess of $65 million to more than one hundred not-for-profit theater organizations. These gifts have funded countless productions, as well as the commissioning of playwrights, playwriting programs and arts-in-education outreach programs for thousands of children in an effort to create and educated new generations of theatergoers. The Trust also collaborated with the American Theater Critics Association to create and fund the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award. The award is presented annually during the Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theater of Louisville. Recent winners of this award include Craig Lucas, Lynn Nottage, Lee Blessing and Nilo Cruz.

An Evening with AMANDINE, A New Musical, featuring host Craig Lucas and performances by Mike Albo, Justin Bond, Colman Domingo, Michelle Federer and Taylor Mac, is set for 7 p.m. tonight, June 19, 2012, at The Loft at Judson Memorial Church, located at 55 Washington Square South, NYC. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres begin at 6 p.m. For tickets and more information, click here.

On the heels of their 2011 Best Production Awards sweep (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, LA Weekly, Ovation, and Garland Awards) for Small Engine Repair, which launched Rogue Machine's "Off The Clock" series last season, HOUSE will take the first late night slot this season on July 6th.

Jay Russell and Adam Fitzgerald announced two staged readings of ON THE TREETOP (by Jay Russell) today, June 18th at 3:30 PM and 6:30 PM at the Alvin Ailey Studios. The facility is located at 405 West 55th Street (at 9th Avenue). The reading is an invited presentation.