This morning as I was compiling my Spotlight Series on Bill Wolski and his equally talented wife Holly Baker Kreiswirth of Little Fish Theatre in San Pedro, Bill shared an amazingly wonderful description of the ever-so-fleeting magic of performing live theatre which brings a playwright's scripts to life and often unites a cast as life-long friends. His post centers on his first-hand experience in the Little Fish production of THE COUNTRY HOUSE by Donald Margulies, which was directed by Holly and featured a talented cast of six, including Belinda Howell. Frannie Morrison, Richard Perloff, Maire-Rose Pike, Patrick Vest and Bill Wolski. And his post speaks so clearly to me that I immediately reached out to him, and have been given permission to share his words as a Spotlight Series today.
This week, Dramatists Play Service's social media channel, a?oeDPS On Air,a?? features Diane Davis (a?oeHarry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Twoa??) reading the last monologue from a?oeThe Model Apartmenta?? by DPS playwright Donald Margulies (2000 Pulitzer winner for a?oeDinner with Friendsa??).
How do we create strong, vivid, and memorable characters? In this module from MTC Education viewers will explore making bold choices, view an excerpt from MTC's production of Donald Margulies' LONG LOST, and create a character for whom you will write a monologue.
The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) has selected six finalists for the Harold and Mimi Steinberg / American Theatre Critics Association 2020 New Play Award, recognizing playwrights for the best scripts that premiered professionally outside New York City during 2019.
As the shutdowns continue and it becomes increasingly obvious that a?oeregulara?? theatre isn't starting back up as soon as we'd hoped, it's also increasingly obvious that adjusted, adapted performances like these are more important than ever.
The 24 Hour Plays: Viral Monologues returned with an incredible all-new third edition last night on IGTV @24hourplays and at https://24hourplays.com/viral-monologues/. 20 actors were been paired with theatre's top writers, who crafted unique pieces especially for their actors.
In this time of uncertainty, the best one can do---and hopefully you've been doing so!---is to stay indoors and quarantine. While it's no news that many businesses and industries have been affected by the virus, an industry that has largely been impacted is certainly the arts. With cinemas and theatres temporarily closed, communities are unfortunately unable to attend the venues they frequent in order to be immersed in stories that help them escape reality for two hours. So, through the inability to review shows, I reached out to a friend of mind and collaborator, Alex Munro, whom I worked with on in #MeToo Monologues: Stories for Healing (2019) and the halted Where Words Once Were (2020), to not only do a spotlight but to also get some thoughts on what folks can do in order to help specifically theatres sustain themselves throughout these alarming, volatile times.
The 24 Hour Plays: Viral Monologues are back by popular demand with an all-new third edition tonight on IGTV @24hourplays and at https://24hourplays.com/viral-monologues/. 20 actors have been paired with theatre's top writers, who have crafted unique pieces especially for their actors.
Geffen Playhouse today announced six productions that will make up the 2020/2021 season in its Gil Cates and Audrey Skirball Kenis Theaters, with two additional productions to be announced. This marks the 25TH anniversary season for Geffen Playhouse, which will launch September 8, 2020, and run through July 25, 2021.
The acclaimed one woman show 'Bette Davis Ain't for Sissies' will be given a closed industry reading later this month, directed by Karen Carpenter (Harry Townsend's Last Stand, Love Loss and What I Wore) and starring Jessica Sherr, presented at Open Jar Studios.
South Coast Repertory Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Paula Tomei today announced the lineup for the 2020 Pacific Playwrights Festival (PPF). The annual showcase of new works, part of the theatre's new-play development arm, The Lab@SCR, includes two world-premiere productionsa?"The Scarlet Letter by Kate Hamill and I Get Restless by Caroline V. McGrawa?"and five staged readings. PPF runs April 24-26, with morning, afternoon and evening events. Single tickets and value-priced ticket packages are now on sale at www.scr.org.
My Name is Lucy Barton opened just last night, Wednesday, January 15, 2020 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street). Check out photos from the star-studded red carpet!
Master Teacher SUSAN MERSON is founder and moderator of both the Los Angeles and New York Writers Bloc which has supported the work of fiction standouts Janet Fitch and David Bezmozgis; Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Donald Margulies, Emmy winner Jane Anderson, popular nonfiction authors Jamie Cat Callan and Laurie Graff, and YA standouts Kim Purcell and Barbara Bottner will be conducting another series of writing workshops in New York this Spring.
My name is Lucy Barton is officially in previews on Broadway!
Four-time Emmy winner, two-time Golden Globe winner, three-time Academy Award and four-time Tony nominee Laura Linney returns to Broadway in a haunting new solo play adapted by Rona Munro from the bestselling novel by Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout.
The board of the Hermitage Artist Retreat in the United States announced today that the organisation has chosen Andy Sandberg as its Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer as of January 1, 2020. Sandberg succeeds Bruce Rodgers, who is retiring after serving as the Hermitage's Executive Director since 2005. Sandberg, an accomplished director, writer, and Tony Award-winning producer whose national and international career has been committed to new work and artist development, was selected following an extensive national search. In his new role, Sandberg will be responsible for overseeing the organisation's operations, artistic programs, administration, and strategic plan.
The board of the Hermitage Artist Retreat in Florida announced today that the organization has chosen Andy Sandberg as its Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer as of January 1, 2020. Sandberg succeeds Bruce Rodgers, who is retiring after serving as the Hermitage's Executive Director since 2005. Sandberg, an accomplished director, writer, and Tony Award-winning producer whose national and international career has been committed to new work and artist development, was selected following an extensive national search. In his new role, Sandberg will be responsible for overseeing the organization's operations, artistic programs, administration, and strategic plan.
4th Wall Theatre will present the Houston premier of Will Eno's Broadway sensation 'The Realistic Joneses.' Eno's critically acclaimed play will re-unite 4th Wall Co-Artistic Directors Kim Tobin-Lehl and Philip Lehl as Bob and Jennifer Jones. Featured in this all-start cast will be guest artist Vaishnavi Sharma as Pony Jones. Ms. Sharma is perhaps most well-known for her regular appearances on Amazon Prime's 'Mr. Robot' alongside Academy Award-winner Rami Malek. She has also been featured in New York-based BEDLAM Theatre's 'Pygmalion' and the original smash hit production of Kate Hamill's 'Sense and Sensibility.' Drake Simpson will complete this stellar cast as John Jones. Mr. Simpson was last seen in 4th Wall's award-winning productions of 'Lobby Hero' and 'True West.' Returning to 4th Wall to direct is Jennifer Dean, who previously directed a beautifully realized production of 'Collected Stories' by Donald Margulies and a brilliant staging of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' by Edward Albee. This collaboration of Houston's most highly recognized professional artists and a nationally recognized award-winning guest artist will surely make 'The Realistic Joneses' the theatrical event of the season.
Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies weaves together nostalgia, music and merriment in this new seasonal classic. A holiday show for people of all ages and all faiths, CONEY ISLAND CHRISTMAS introduces us to Shirley Abramowitz, a young Jewish girl who (much to her immigrant parents' exasperation) is cast as Jesus in the school's Christmas pageant. As Shirley, now much older, recounts the memorable story to her great-granddaughter, the play captures a timeless and universal tale of what it means to be an American during the holidays.
Many years ago, I was having drinks with a married couple who were my two best friends. They both greeted me with warm hugs, and then he ran out to the store for cigarettes. She had a pitcher of homemade margaritas, and suggested we enjoy them on the back patio. We'd just settled in, and were looking out on her beautiful garden when she quietly said, 'He wants a divorce.' I was shocked and confused, and my reaction surprised even me. I threw up. My mind was trying to figure out how this had happened - they'd worked so hard to be together, he'd talked her into marriage just a few years prior after being together for over ten years; I just didn't see this coming, and neither did she. In the end, she fared much better than I did; she went on a couple of dating sites, met a new guy and they're crazy in love. I don't think I ever got over it. And that's pretty much what Donald Margulies Pulitzer Prize-winning Dinner With Friends explores.
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