Danai Gurira News

On June 4, 2022, at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles, the Ojai Playwrights Conference will celebrate its 25th Anniversary Season with a Benefit Gala to be directed and produced by OPC Artistic Director/Producer Robert Egan.  

Change is coming for the Ojai Playwrights Conference. Artistic Director/Producer Robert Egan has decided to step down at the end of 2022, OPC’s 25th Anniversary Season. Egan has led the organization for 21 years, bringing the Ojai Playwrights Conference to national attention and making it one of the leading new play development programs in the U.S.

The Audio Publishers Association (APA) have announced finalists for the 2022 Audie Awards. Finalists include Cynthia Erivo for Best Female Narrator and Lin-Manuel Miranda for Best Male Narrator. Leslie Odom Jr., Annie Golden, Telly Leung, and Jason Tam are also featured on audiobooks that made the list. Check out the full list of nominations now!

The Public Theater announced the line-up today for the 60th Anniversary Season of Free Shakespeare in the Park at The Delacorte Theater.

Join the Segal Book Talk series Wednesday, December 1 at noon, for a conversation with Alexis Greene & Emily Mann about Greene's new book, Emily Mann: Rebel Artist of the American Theater. The discussion will be moderated by Frank Hentschker.

Second Stage Theater's production of Lynn Nottage's new play CLYDE'S opened just last night, Tuesday November 23, 2021, at Second Stage's Broadway home, the Hayes Theater (240 W 44th Street at 8th Avenue).

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation has named director and playwright Emily Mann, the former artistic director of the McCarter Theatre, as the recipient of its annual Gordon Davidson Award.

 The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation today announced actor, activist and fashion icon Billy Porter will be honored at The Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS fundraising gala on September 17, 2021, joining previously announced honorees Dr. Anthony Fauci, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, and Sandra Thurman.

Additionally, an inspiring PSA aired during the show featuring Chris Evans, Danai Gurira, Jodie Comer, Karen Gillan, Michelle Dockery, O-T Fagbenle and Paul Rudd, showing that when we come together, cancer doesn’t stand a chance.

Celebrities lending their support to help raise funds for cancer research include Alison Sweeney, Candice Patton, Cecily Strong, Chandra Wilson, Ciara, Deon Cole, Ed Helms, Italia Ricci, Jaime Camil, Jennifer Garner, Kate Del Castillo, and more.

Shakespeare in the Park is back and we've got photos from them official re-opening night! On Friday night, MERRY WIVES celebrated its opening at the Delacorte Theater, where it will run through Saturday, September 18. The play is adapted by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Saheem Ali.

Each play will be streamed twice. Full festival passes including both weekends, and separate passes for each weekend are available. Limited individual play tickets will be available at a later date.  Learn more about how to purchase tickets here!

Michael Ritchie announced that he will retire as Artistic Director of Center Theatre Group on December 31, 2021. Having taken over the position from Founding Artistic Director Gordon Davidson in January, 2005, for more than 16 years, Ritchie has led one of the country’s largest nonprofit regional theatres, producing and presenting 266 productions.

Ojai Playwrights Conference (OPC) will be presenting their virtual celebration CONNECTIONS benefiting their 2021 season June 12, 2021. CONNECTIONS will feature new or adapted works by playwrights: Luis Alfaro, Jon Robin Baitz, Father Greg Boyle, Bill Cain, Culture Clash, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Danai Gurira, Samuel D. Hunter, David Henry Hwang, Julia Izumi, James Morrison and his son Seamus Morrison, Jeanine Tesori and Charlayne Woodard. Performers include Brian Cox, Eileen Galindo, Tzi Ma, Rose Portillo, Samantha Quan, John C. Reilly, Israel López Reyes, Nikkole Salter, Jimmy Smits, and Phillipa Soo; as well as some of the playwrights performing their own pieces.

A starry cast, some of whom will perform their own work, has been set for the Ojai Playwrights Conference presentation of “Connections,” a virtual celebration to benefit the OPC 2021 season, on Saturday, June 12 at 5 p.m. Pacific Time/ 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company will honor Tony Award and two-time Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award winner Annette Bening and trailblazing leader in the film industry Sherry Lansing as the 2021 Women in the Arts honorees.

Playwright and actress, Danai Gurira, will rejoin the cast of Black Panther for the film's hotly anticipated sequel, Wakanda Forever as well as an origin series for Disney+.

The Ojai Playwrights Conference is presenting “Connections,” a virtual celebration to benefit the OPC 2021 season, on Saturday, June 12 at 5 p.m. Pacific Time/ 8 p.m. Eastern Time. A minimum donation of $20 is requested to watch this special 90-minute show.

The series features characters voiced by Patrick Adams, Samuel Arnold, Bono, Connie Britton, Penélope Cruz, Meg Donnelly, Danai Gurira, Nick Kroll, Laura Marano, Kumail Nanjiani, David Oyelowo, Phoebe Robinson, Michael Sheen, Wanda Sykes, and Calum Worthy.

Which Marvel stars have been nominated for Tony awards? Which Marvel stars have produced shows on Broadway? What are some of their upcoming Broadway projects! Read on to find out!