Craig Lucas News

The Hermitage Artist Retreat, administers of the annual $30,000 Greenfield Prize, is pleased to announce that the 2010 commission will be awarded to a visual artist on April 15, 2010. The honoree will be decided by a group of national experts selected by Dan Cameron, Director of Visual Arts at the Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans and the founder of 'Prospect.1 New Orleans,' the largest biennial of international contemporary art ever organized in the United States. Cameron is one of the visual arts representatives on the Hermitage Artist Retreat National Artist Advisory Committee.

Thursday, April 15, 2010 is the date for the third presentation of the annual Greenfield Prize, a $30,000 commission for a new work of art in a designated category. This year's award goes to Sanford Biggers, the first visual artist to receive the Greenfield Prize since its inception in 2008.

Bob Boyett and NETworks Presentations announce casting for the national tour of the Lincoln Center Theater production of Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein's prize-winning musical 'South Pacific,' directed by Bartlett Sher, opening June 2 at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre and playing through July 17, 2010. Previews begin May 27.

Bob Boyett and NETworks Presentations announce casting for the national tour of the Lincoln Center Theater production of Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein's prize-winning musical 'South Pacific,' directed by Bartlett Sher, opening June 2 at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre and playing through July 17, 2010. Previews begin May 27.

The women of Women's Project, the 32-year-old non-profit theater dedicated to producing plays written and directed by women, need 50 strong volunteers to help them get their rocks off on Friday, April 16, beginning at 10:00am and continuing until the deed is done.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater will conclude its 15th Anniversary season with the world premiere of The Aliens, by Annie Baker (Circle Mirror Transformation, Body Awareness). Directed by Sam Gold (Circle Mirror Transformation, Rag and Bone), performances begin Wednesday, April 14th, 2010. Opening night is Thursday, April 22nd at 7pm. The show is scheduled to run through Sunday, May 23rd, 2010.

Women's Project, the 32-year-old non-profit theater dedicated to producing plays written and directed by women, and Cherry Lane Theatre, home to bold new voices, will present the world premiere of Sheila Callaghan's Lascivious Something directed by Daniella Topol and starring Rob Campbell, Dana Eskelson, Ronete Levenson and Elisabeth Waterston.

Rossini's rarely performed Armida has its Met premiere on April 12 with a gala performance of Mary Zimmerman's new production. Renowned soprano Renée Fleming stars as the mythological sorceress, Armida, one of the greatest virtuoso roles from the bel canto repertory. Fleming is joined by Lawrence Brownlee, who sings Armida's chief love interest, Rinaldo, and five more tenors in the roles of the crusader knights. José Manuel Zapata portrays Rinaldo's deadly rival Gernando.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) will close its production of the World Premiere of A COOL DIP IN THE BARREN SAHARAN CRICK, a new play by Kia Corthron (Breath, Boom at Playwrights Horizons/PH, Force Continuum) and directed by Obie Award winner Chay Yew (Durango at The Public), on April 11th.

The Barrow Group Theatre Company, the Drama Desk award-winning birthplace of this season's Broadway hit A Steady Rain, and last season's Off-Broadway hit The Temperamentals, continues their 23rd Anniversary Season with Scott Organ's PHOENIX, directed by TBG co-artistic director Seth Barrish.

Tony Award-nominee Jonathan Groff is set to perform two solo concerts at Joe's Pub on June 20th at 7:00pm and 9:30pm.

Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet returns to the Met stage for its first performances since 1897, with the powerful pairing of Simon Keenlyside in the title role and Marlis Petersen as Ophélie. Keenlyside's acclaimed interpretation of Hamlet in Geneva, London and Barcelona finally arrives in the United States, with a performance in the Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser production that was hailed by the British press as 'magnificent . . . sheer vocal genius.' Petersen, who steps in for Natalie Dessay, brings her haunting portrayal of Ophélie to the Met; she earned praise for the role during a 2006 run of Hamlet in Düsseldorf. Louis Langrée conducts a cast that includes Jennifer Larmore as Gertrude, Toby Spence in his Met debut as Laërte, and James Morris in the role of Claudius. Jane Archibald, in her Met debut, sings the role of Ophélie on April 5 and 9. The creative team is rounded out by Christian Fenouillat with set designs, Agostino Cavalca with costume designs, and Christophe Forey with lighting designs, all in their Met debuts. Performances run through April 9, with the March 27 matinee shown worldwide as part of The Met: Live in HD

At Hand Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of LETTERS TO THE END OF THE WORLD, written and directed by Anton Dudley (Slag Heap, Substitution, Getting Home). Previews begin April 29 at Theatre Row Studio Theatre with opening night set for Sunday, May 2.

Cynthia Hopkins, creator of the critically acclaimed 'Accidental Trilogy' at St. Ann's Warehouse, brings her uniquely singular theatre style to Soho Rep. - the eleven-time OBIE Award-winning, Off-Broadway Theatre Company - in her new show THE TRUTH: A TRAGEDY with previews beginning May 6th, prior to an official press opening of May 13th at Soho Rep. (46 Walker Street) in Manhattan.

The Public Theater has announced additional casting for the 2010 Shakespeare in the Park summer season featuring THE WINTER'S TALE, directed by Michael Greif, and THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, directed by Daniel Sullivan, in repertory June 9-August 1.

Women's Project, the 32-year-old non-profit theater dedicated to producing plays written and directed by women, and Cherry Lane Theatre, home to bold new voices, will present the world premiere of Sheila Callaghan's Lascivious Something directed by Daniella Topol and starring Rob Campbell, Dana Eskelson, Ronete Levenson and Elisabeth Waterston.

Long Wharf Theatre Artistic Director Gordon Edelstein follows up his triumphant re-examination of The Glass Menagerie and his exploration of the new works of Athol Fugard with his adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, running on the Mainstage from April 28 through May 23.

Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce St. in Greenwich Village) will present Nate Rufus Edelman's play THE BELLE OF BELFAST - the second of three plays staged this spring as part of Cherry Lane's award-winning 12th annual MENTOR PROJECT playwriting series - with performances starting April 27.

The Flea Theater presents the World Premiere of PARENTS' EVENING, a two-hander by Bathsheba Doran. Directed by Flea Artistic Director Jim Simpson, the production stars Julianne Nicholson (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) and James Waterston (A.R. Gurney's Buffalo Gal).

Rossini's rarely performed Armida has its Met premiere on April 12 with a gala performance of Mary Zimmerman's new production. Renowned soprano Renée Fleming stars as the mythological sorceress, Armida, one of the greatest virtuoso roles from the bel canto repertory. Fleming is joined by Lawrence Brownlee, who sings Armida's chief love interest, Rinaldo, and five more tenors in the roles of the crusader knights. José Manuel Zapata portrays Rinaldo's deadly rival Gernando.