Dianne Wiest News

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF) is now accepting nominations for The Zelda Fichandler Award. This award presents an unrestricted grant of $5,000 to an outstanding director or choreographer making an exceptional contribution to the national arts landscape through theatre work in a region. In 2013, the award will honor achievement in the Central region, comprised of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Classic Stage Company has announced that Deb Radloff, who appeared in the company's recent production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle, is this year's recipient of the Rosemarie Tichler Fund grant. The Fund was established in 2010 with the mission to assist young actors who have appeared at CSC and who have recently made the transition from their training into the profession. The $3000 grant can be used by the young artist to continue training or to offset loans they may have incurred while studying their craft. With the grant, CSC hopes to make a difference in the lives of young actors at the start of their careers as well as to heighten awareness in the community to the specific needs of actors. The recipient was selected by a panel of judges which included Rosemarie Tichler, CSC Artistic Director Brian Kulick and CSC Casting Director James Calleri.

Tomorrow marks an exciting landmark for Million Dollar Quartet. The Chicago production is celebrating 2,000 performances. To mark the occasion, original MDQ cast member (now on the National Tour) Kelly Lamont will join the company for a 'Sitting in with the Band' appearance during the encore. The company will celebrate with a specially-designed cake, courtesy of The French Pastry School.

Shakespeare & Company Artistic Director Tony Simotes announces a special one-night-only Benefit Performance of BROADWAY IN THE BERKSHIRES tonight, July 8th at The Tina Packer Playhouse, 70 Kemble Street, Lenox, MA. Proceeds from the event will benefit Shakespeare & Company's internationally-acclaimed Education and Training Programs.

Classic Stage Company's new production of Bertolt Brecht's THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE, featuring Christopher Lloyd (Azdak), directed by Brian Kulick (who directed Brecht's Galileo last season), and featuring new music by Tony Award-winning singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening), closes today, June 23, after a two-week extension.

Shakespeare & Company Artistic Director Tony Simotes announces a special one-night-only Benefit Performance of BROADWAY IN THE BERKSHIRES Monday, July 8th at The Tina Packer Playhouse, 70 Kemble Street, Lenox, MA. Proceeds from the event will benefit Shakespeare & Company's internationally-acclaimed Education and Training Programs.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, today announced plans for its upcoming season. The esteemed off-Broadway company, which is wrapping up one of its most successful seasons ever, will kick off its 2013/2014 Season in September with the previously announced new production ofShakespeare's ROMEO & JULIET, featuring acclaimed rising film actress Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) and Finn Wittrock, who won raves last season on Broadway in Death of a Salesman. ROMEO & JULIET will be directed by Tea Alagi? (Jackie).

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment Commissioner Katherine Oliver today presented the eighth annual 'Made in NY' Awards, honoring individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the City's entertainment and digital media industries. The 2013 'Made in NY' honorees include: Tony and Olivier Award-winning actor Alan Cumming; 'Project Runway' host and executive producer Heidi Klum; two time Oscar-nominated director Spike Lee; five time Tony Award-winning singer and actress Audra McDonald; President of HBO Documentary Films Sheila Nevins; NYC-based blogging platform and social networking website Tumblr; and Harvey and Bob Weinstein, founders of The Weinstein Company and Miramax Films. This year's 'Made in NY' Mayor's Award for Lifetime Achievement was presented to Emmy Award-winning television host and broadcast journalist Barbara Walters. The awards took place at Gracie Mansion and featured a special performance by the Tony Award-winning musical Kinky Boots introduced by Harvey Fierstein.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, presents Bertolt Brecht's THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE featuring Christopher Lloyd (Azdak), directed by Brian Kulick (who directed Brecht's Galileo last season), and featuring new music by Tony Award-winning singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening). The show was recently extended for two additional weeks through Sunday, June 23. The official opening is tonight, May 30.?

Million Dollar Quartet announces that this Saturday, May 26, 2013 marks the official date at which it becomes the longest-running musical production in Chicago's history. With 1,949 performances and 5 smash years in Chicago, the Tony Award-winning rock 'n' roll musical has surpassed both Wicked and Pumpboys and Dinettes, setting a new record for the longest running Broadway musical in Chicago.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, announced today that their new production of Bertolt Brecht's THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE featuring Christopher Lloyd (Azdak), directed by Brian Kulick (who directed Brecht's Galileo last season), and featuring new music by Tony Award-winning singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening), will extend for two additional weeks through Sunday, June 23.

Million Dollar Quartet announces that this Saturday, May 26, 2013 marks the official date at which it becomes the longest-running musical production in Chicago's history. With 1,949 performances and 5 smash years in Chicago, the Tony Award-winning rock 'n' roll musical has surpassed both Wicked and Pumpboys and Dinettes, setting a new record for the longest running Broadway musical in Chicago.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, will celebrate the theater's past, present and future at its 45th Anniversary Bash this Friday evening, May 10 at the Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street). The evening will include an exclusive sneak peek at works under consideration for the company's future Musical Theatre Initiative productions with performances from Judy Kuhn, Stephen Bogardus and Jeffry Denman-all of whom were featured in this season's critically-acclaimed Passion-as well as Alexander Gemignani, Alexandra Silba, Jenny Fellner and more, directed by Jack Cummings III, with musical direction by Greg Jarrett.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, will present a new production of Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle featuring Christopher Lloyd (Azdak), directed by Brian Kulick (who directed Brecht's Galileo last season), and featuring new music by Tony Award-winning singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening). The Caucasian Chalk Circle will begin performances tonight, May 3 at CSC (136 East 13th Street) for a limited engagement through Sunday, June 9. The official opening is Thursday, May 30.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, will present its annual Monday Night Open Rehearsal Series, this year featuring Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. On three Monday evenings - May 13, May 20 and June 3 - different actors and directors will explore the text of Romeo & Juliet, giving theater-goers the opportunity to become part of the discovery process, and experience different acting approaches and directorial interpretations of one of Shakespeare's most cherished plays. CSC will open its 2013/2014 season with a new production of Romeo & Juliet starring Elizabeth Olsen. Here is the line-up for this year's Open Rehearsal series.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, announced today that acclaimed Tony Award-winning director John Doyle will join the company for its 2013/2014 season as an Associate Director. Doyle, who directed and designed the company's current highly-acclaimed production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's musical PASSION, will develop his own projects for CSC, contribute leadership for CSC's new Musical Theatre Initiative (for which PASSION was the launch production) and consult with Artistic Director Brian Kulick over season planning and other creative aspects of CSC's artistic programming.

Red Bull Theater will present the American Premiere of a new adaptation of August Strindberg's The Dance of Death by Mike Poulton (Tony Award Nominee for Best Play for Fortune's Fool), directed by Joseph Hardy (Tony Award winner for Best Director for Child's Play), for a strictly limited engagement beginning tonight, April 10th and continuing through May 4th only, at the Lucille Lortel Theater (121 Christopher Street, between Bleecker and Hudson Streets). Opening Night is set for Thursday April 18th.

Red Bull Theater (Jesse Berger, Artistic Director) today announced that Derek Smith would join the cast for the American Premiere of a new adaptation of August Strindberg's The Dance of Death by Mike Poulton (Tony Award Nominee for Best Play for Fortune's Fool), directed by Joseph Hardy (Tony Award winner for Best Director for Child's Play). This strictly limited engagement begins Wednesday April 10th and continues through May 4th only, at the Lucille Lortel Theater (121 Christopher Street, between Bleecker and Hudson Streets). Opening Night is set for Thursday April 18th. Hardy directs a company that features Daniel Davis, Laila Robins, and Derek Smith.

Broadway's powerful new production of Shakespeare's Macbeth, starring Tony and Olivier Award winner and two-time Emmy Award nominee Alan Cumming (Cabaret, 'The Good Wife'), begins on Broadway tonight, April 7, 2013. Veteran stage actors Jenny Sterlin and Brendan Titley complete the cast.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, will present a new production of Bertolt Brecht's THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE featuring Christopher Lloyd (Azdak), directed by Brian Kulick (who directed Brecht's Galileo last season), and featuring new music by Tony Award-winning singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening). THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE will begin performances Friday, May 3 at CSC (136 East 13th Street) for a limited engagement through Sunday, June 9. The official opening is Thursday, May 30. Tickets are now on sale.