Dianne Wiest News

As a new year begins, Connecticut's professional theater scene offers many exciting viewing opportunities including premieres of new shows as well as some old some old favorites. What shows am I most looking forward to? Here are some tops picks for 2016:

Classic Stage Company's production of Bertolt Brecht's MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, starring Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins, begins performances tonight, December 9 for a limited engagement through January 24. MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN will be directed by Brian Kulick and will feature original music by Tony Award winner Duncan Sheik. The official press opening is Thursday, January 7.

The New Group presents the world premiere of STEVE, a new play by Mark Gerrard. Directed by Cynthia Nixon, this production features Ashlie Atkinson and Francisco Pryor Garat, and as announced, Mario Cantone, Jerry Dixon, Malcolm Gets and Matt McGrath. A limited Off-Broadway engagement plays now through December 27 at The Pershing Square Signature Center (The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre, 480 West 42nd Street), with Official Opening Night set for tonight, November 18.

Nixon made her directorial debut last season with The New Group's Rasheeda Speaking. She's back with the company for her sophomore effort.

Gimme a chorus line of gorgeous girls with gams up to here, a tap-dancing mob of darkly handsome wise guys, a serious lady of the theater whose teeth marks may be found all around a stage set - place them amid a whimsical and altogether unbelievable plot as thin as the best of the old-time movie musicals, complete with a score of tuneful hits from the jazz age, then throw 'em a laugh-out-loud funny script by Woody Allen - and I am in musical theater nirvana.

BroadwayWorld is excited to report that Classic Stage Company's production of Bertolt Brecht's MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, starring Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins, will begin performances Wednesday, December 9 for a limited engagement through January 24. MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN will be directed by Brian Kulick and will feature original music by Tony Award winner Duncan Sheik. The official press opening is Thursday, January 7.

The New Group presents the world premiere of STEVE, a new play by Mark Gerrard. Directed by Cynthia Nixon, this production features Ashlie Atkinson and Francisco Pryor Garat, and as announced, Mario Cantone, Jerry Dixon, Malcolm Gets and Matt McGrath. A limited Off-Broadway engagement plays tonight, November 3, through December 27 at The Pershing Square Signature Center (The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre, 480 West 42nd Street), with Official Opening Night set for Wednesday, November 18.

After her directorial debut with last season's RASHEEDA SPEAKING, The New Group presents her sophomore effort.

CBS has given a full-season, 22 episode order to LIFE IN PIECES, television's #1 new comedy.

The Old Globe today shared its 2016 Summer Season, which will feature new and familiar works directed by four major American stalwarts. The season features the welcome return of Steve Martin (Bright Star) with the World Premiere of his new play Meteor Shower, an adult comedy, directed by Gordon Edelstein, in a co-production with Long Wharf Theatre, where he serves as Artistic Director. Paul Gordon's musical Sense and Sensibility will have its West Coast premiere, presented in association with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, where it had its world premiere in February 2015, directed by CST Artistic Director Barbara Gaines. The Summer Shakespeare Festival will include Macbeth, directed by Brian Kulick, Artistic Director of Classic Stage Company, and Love's Labor's Lost, directed by three-time Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall.

Women's Project Theater, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Lisa McNulty and Managing Director Maureen Moynihan, has announced the rotating casts for the New York premiere of DEAR ELIZABETH, the inaugural production at the WP's new theatrical home the McGinn/Cazale Theatre, 2162 Broadway (at 76th Street).

Fall in love again with the timeless classic EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and celebrate its 25th anniversary with an all-new beautifully remastered, all-new 4k transfer available everywhere today, October 13.

Brian Kulick will step down as the Artistic Director of Off-Broadway's acclaimed Classic Stage Company following the current 2015-16 season. Kulick will be succeeded by the company's current Associate Director, Tony Award-winner John Doyle. Doyle will assume the position in July of 2016. Kulick, who has led Classic Stage Company for twelve seasons, will direct two of the current season's mainstage productions: Mother Courage and Her Children, starring Tonya Pinkins and Nathan the Wise, starring F. Murray Abraham. Doyle is directing the season's final offering, Peer Gynt.

The second season of Theater Close-Upon THIRTEEN will continue to bring a diverse cross-section of those provocative plays to primetime and online audiences, premiering today, October 1.

The New Group has announced complete casting for the world premiere of STEVE, a new play by Mark Gerrard.  Directed by Cynthia Nixon, this production features Ashlie Atkinson and Francisco Pryor Garat, and as announced, Mario Cantone, Jerry Dixon, Malcolm Gets and Matt McGrath. A limited Off-Broadway engagement plays November 3 - December 27 at The Pershing Square Signature Center (The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre, 480 West 42nd Street), with Official Opening Night set for Wednesday, November 18.

Tim Dang, Producing Artistic Director of East West Players in Los Angeles, CA, is the 2015 recipient of the Zelda Fichandler Award, an award to recognize an outstanding director or choreographer who is transforming the regional arts landscape through imaginative, brave work in theatre.  The $5,000 award, given by Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation, heralds both accomplishment to date and promise for the future, and lauds deep commitment to a community.

On yesterday's THE TALK, guest James Brolin discussed his new CBS show "Life In Pieces" and how he channeled his father to prepare for the role.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Managing Director Jeff Griffin, has announced that its production of IPHIGENIA IN AULIS, acclaimed playwright Anne Washburn's (Mr. Burns, a post-electric play) transadaptation of Euripides' final play, directed by Obie Award winner Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812), will extend through Sunday, October 4 at CSC (136 East 13th Street). IPHIGENIA IN AULIS features original musical by The Bengsons and choreography by Sonya Tayeh. IPHIGENIA IN AULIS is part of CSC's Greek Festival, celebrating classical Greek theater as explored by some of the downtown theatre scene's most exciting artists.

Premium TV network EPIX(R) announced today that Richard Armitage (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, 'Hannibal') has been cast as the lead in Berlin Station, the 10-part contemporary spy series produced by Paramount TV and Anonymous Content.

Premium TV network EPIX announced today that Richard Armitage (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, 'Hannibal') has been cast as the lead in Berlin Station, the 10-part contemporary spy series produced by Paramount TV and Anonymous Content. Armitage will portray Daniel Meyer, the cerebral, newly-anointed CIA case officer who goes from being an analyst at Langley to an undercover agent in Berlin tasked with finding an informant. Also joining the ensemble cast is Emmy Award nominee Michelle Forbes ('The Killing,' 'True Blood,' The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2) in the role of Valerie Edwards, the no-nonsense administrator who serves as a Berlin Station Section Head.