David Strathairn News

I suppose it's too late in our current president's administration to see Conversations In Tusculum, playwright/director Richard Nelson's fact-based prequel to assassination of Julius Caesar, completely as a commentary on George W. Bush.  Sure, certain thoughts may come to mind when the Roman dictator is quoted as saying that the country needs war in order to stay focused and smiles of recognition may follow that other line about his abstaining from alcohol but with less than a year to go before a new president takes office, the play would seem purposeless if only taken in that sense.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents PASSION PLAY by Pulitzer Prize nominee and MacArthur Foundation Fellowship recipient Sarah Ruhl, directed by OBIE Award-winner Mark Wing-Davey at the University Theatre (222 York Street, New Haven), September 19-October 11 only. Opening Night is Thursday, September 25

Barrington Stage Company, under the artistic leadership of Julianne Boyd, presents the Berkshire-area premiere of The Violet Hour, an imaginative and thought-provoking play about love, time and fate, by award-winning playwright Richard Greenberg (Take Me Out).

Epic Theatre Ensemble presents the New York Premiere of 'Palace of the End', a new drama by Judith Thompson.

Ars Nova presents, as part of the Out Loud series, a FREE reading of: GOOD EGG by Dorothy Fortenberry, directed by Jackson Gay. GOOD EGG Responsible Meg has always taken care of her bipolar younger brother Matt. But when she decides to get pregnant-and have her embryos screened for bipolar disorder-is she taking the idea of 'being responsible' too far? A funny and surprising play about bioethics, siblings, and the limits of unconditional love. Dorothy Fortenberry recently graduated from the Yale School of Drama with an MFA in Playwriting. Yale School of Drama: Good Egg (directed by Snehal Desai), Bibles and Candy (directed by Mike Donahue), After the Flood (directed by Shana Cooper). Yale Cabaret: Bicycling for Ladies (music by Colin Wambsgans, directed by Becca Wolff), We're Celebrities, We're Just Not Famous Yet (directed by Becca Wolff) and the solo piece Paint Show. Her work has been developed at Arena Stage, Perishable Theatre, Studio 42, and The Tank, and produced by Journeyman Productions and Vital Theatre Company. She is the winner of the ASCAP Cole Porter Prize in Playwriting from the Yale School of Drama and the Jane Chambers Student Playwriting Award. Jackson Gay's recent directing credits include Carly Mensch's Len, Asleep in Vinyl (Second Stage Uptown); Lucy Thurber's Scarcity, Kia Corthron's Master Disaster, Rolin Jones' The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow (Atlantic Theater Company); Works & Process with Jennifer Tipton (Guggenheim Museum); Thurber's Stay (Rattlestick); f**k You, Eu.ro.Pa! (Play Company); David Adjmi's Marie Antoinette (Sundance Institute Theatre Lab/Public Theater); Best Production Connecticut Critic's Award Jenny Chow (Yale Rep) . UPCOMING: Jason Grote's Box Americana (Eugene O'Neill Playwright's Conference); Workshop of Saviana Stanescu's For a Barbarian Woman (Long Wharf / International Festival of Arts & Ideas); Andy Bragen's Mother Earth (Minneapolis' PlayLabs); Made In Poland, by Przemys Taw Wojcieszek. (Play Company); A Year With Frog and Toad (Two River Theater); End Days, by Deborah Zoe Laufer (People's Light and Theater Company). Founder of the film production company YARN, whose upcoming projects include Sugar Land, by Lucy Thurber. Recipient of the Jonathan Alper Directing Fellowship at Manhattan Theatre Club, the Williamstown Theater Festival Directing Fellowship and the Drama League's New Directors/New Works Fellowship. MFA Directing Yale School of Drama. Since 2002, OUT LOUD has attracted a variety of the industry's top artists, including writers Stephen Belber, Jorge Cortinas, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Rinne Groff, Jordan Harrison, Rolin Jones, Adam Rapp, Sarah Ruhl and Christopher Shinn; directors Peter Askin, Jo Bonney, Trip Cullman, David Esbjornson, Moises Kaufman, James Lapine, Lisa Peterson and Leigh Silverman; and actors Jason Biggs, Robert Sean Leonard, Marsha Mason, Denis O'Hare, Rosie Perez, Paul Rudd, Mercedes Reuhl, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Swoosie Kurtz, David Strathairn and Fred Weller. Many OUT LOUD plays have gone on to receive full New York productions, including: Liz Flahive's From Up Here, Adam Bock's Swimming In The Shallows, Rinne Groff's The Ruby Sunrise, Daniel Goldfarb's Modern Orthodox, Elizabeth Meriwether's The Mistakes Madeline Made and Beau Willimon's Lower Ninth. Two Out Loud plays have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize: Rolin Jones' The Intelligent Design Of Jenny Chow and Sarah Ruhl's The Clean House. Ticket & Schedule Information GOOD EGG will be read on Monday, June 23 at 7 PM. The Out Loud Series is FREE and open to the public. Reservations are required. Please call 212-977-1700 or email rsvp@arsnovanyc.com. Ars Nova is located at 511 West 54th Street. For more information, check out www.arsnovanyc.com. As New York's premiere hub for emerging artists and new work, Ars Nova is committed to developing and producing eclectic theatre, comedy and music to feed today's popular culture. To that end, Ars Nova strives to create daring collaborations, meld disciplines and give voice to a new generation of artists. Past productions include Boom, Dixie's Tupperware Party, At Least It's Pink, 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother, Holy Cross Sucks!, Freestyle Love Supreme and The Wau Wau Sisters. In addition to its featured productions, Ars Nova supports and develops new work from the most promising emerging artists through its alternative comedy series (Tragedy Tomorrow), music series (Uncharted), public play-reading series (Out Loud), writer's group (Play Group) and artist-in-residence program. Ars Nova was founded in memory of Gabe Wiener. For more information, visit www.arsnovanyc.com.

Epic Theatre Ensemble has announced the schedule for its new post-show talk-back series, 'Epic Forum Discussions.'

Epic Theatre Ensemble announced today that Teri Lamm, Heather Raffo and Rocco Sisto will comprise the three-person cast of the New York Premiere of Palace of the End, a new drama by Judith Thompson.

Ars Nova presents, as part of the Out Loud series, a FREE reading of The Memory Library by Joe Waechter, directed by Pam MacKinnon.

NEW YORK, NY - Epic Theatre Ensemble (formerly Epic Theatre Center) announced today that it will present the New York Premiere of the new drama, Palace of the End by Judith Thompson. It was also announced yesterday that the Thompson play is the 2008 winner of the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for playwrighting.

Epic Theatre Ensemble (formerly Epic Theatre Center) announced today that it will present the New York Premiere of the new drama, Palace of the End by Judith Thompson. It was also announced yesterday that the Thompson play is the 2008 winner of the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for playwrighting.

'The Daily Show' and New York stage regular Aasif Mandvi will host the 7th Annual Winter Gala of Epic Theatre Ensemble on Monday February 25 at 6PM at 24 Fifth. Others set to lend their support include Cicely Tyson, Tamara Tunie, Gregory Generet, David Strathairn, Leigh Silverman, Kathleen Chalfant, Gordon Elliot and musical guests The Petersons.

The Public Theater announced that Barry Edelstein will be the Director of The Public Theater Shakespeare Lab. The Public is now accepting applications for the 2008 Shakespeare Lab, a twelve-week acting intensive scheduled to take place June 2 through August 25, 2008. The application deadline is Friday, March 21.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Mara Manus) will begin previews for Richard Nelson's new history play Conversations in Tusculum on Tuesday, February 19. Directed by Nelson, Conversations in Tusculum will run through Sunday, March 23 with an official press opening on Tuesday, March 11 at 7 PM.

The Fire Dept will present an expanded and updated version of its acclaimed At War: American Playwrights Respond to Iraq, an evening of alternately moving, haunting, and funny material by noted and emerging American playwrights, woven together to present a kaleidoscope of views on the war. Featuring a rotating repertory of celebrity hosts and guest performers including Bebe Neuwirth, Josh Hamilton, Bobby Cannavale, Derek Phillips, Daniel Sunjata and Fire Dept company members David Strathairn, Janeane Garofalo, Gloria Reuben and Tony Award winner Denis O'Hare.

Aidan Quinn will complete the cast of Richard Nelson's new history play Conversations in Tusculum at the Public Theater. Directed by Nelson, Quinn will play Brutus alongside the previously announced Brian Dennehy as Cicero, Joe Grifasi as Syrus, Gloria Reuben as Porcia, David Strathairn as Cassius, and Maria Tucci as Servilia.

The Fire Dept will present an expanded and updated version of its acclaimed At War: American Playwrights Respond to Iraq, an evening of alternately moving, haunting, and funny material by noted and emerging American playwrights, woven together to present a kaleidoscope of views on the war.

The Public Theater will open its spring season with the world premiere of Richard Nelson's new history play 'Conversations in Tusculum.' Directed by Nelson, the cast of six includes Brian Dennehy, Joe Grifasi, Gloria Reuben, David Strathairn and Maria Tucci. Conversations in Tusculum begins previews on Tuesday, February 19 and will run through Sunday, March 23 with an official press opening on Tuesday, March 11 at 7 PM.

Ars Nova presents, as part of the OUT LOUD series, a free reading of Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat, by Yussef El Guindi, directed by Joanna Settle. Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat on Monday, October 29 at 7 PM at Ars Nova

Classic Stage Company will present 'Monday Night Macbeth,' an exciting theatrical experience in which acclaimed actors - Ruben Santiago-Hudson, David Strathairn, Frances McDormand and members of Anne Bogart's SITI Company - will work through and explore a different act of Shakespeare's Macbeth with an acclaimed director in front of an audience on four Monday evenings

Culture Project has announced that it will produce Rebel Voices, a stage adaptation by Rob Urbinati of Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove's acclaimed book 'Voices of a People's History of the United States' (Seven Stories Press). Performances begin on November 10 with an official opening night set for Sunday, November 18 with special guest Howard Zinn.