Donald Margulies News

rimary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) presents the Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself) by Donald Margulies, a story-telling adventure suitable for all ages from the author of Sight Unseen, Collected Stories and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Dinner with Friends, in its New York Premiere. Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself) by Donald Margulies began performances January 27, 2009 for a limited run through Saturday, March 7, 2009, at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Opening night is today, Sunday, February 8, 2009.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) has announced its upcoming 25th anniversary season of new works offering a 3-play series celebrating female playwrights. The 2009-2010 Season will see the world premiere of A Lifetime Burning by Cusi Cram, and the New York premieres of Happy Now? by Lucinda Coxon, and Night Watcher by Charlayne Woodard at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street). In a statement, Casey Childs, Founder & Executive producer, said, 'Primary Stages has always had a commitment to playwrights and we have been lucky to help nurture and enjoy the success of many extraordinary women writers. We are thrilled to premiere these new works by these three playwrights as a way to celebrate our 25th Anniversary.'

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) has announced its upcoming 25th anniversary season of new works offering a 3-play series celebrating female playwrights. The 2009-2010 Season will see the world premiere of A Lifetime Burning by Cusi Cram, and the New York premieres of Happy Now? by Lucinda Coxon, and Night Watcher by Charlayne Woodard at Primary Stages at59E59 Theaters (59 East 59 th Street). In a statement, Casey Childs, Founder & Executive producer, said, 'Primary Stages hasalways had a commitment to playwrights and we have been lucky to help nurture andenjoy the success of many extraordinary women writers. We are thrilled to premiere these new works by these three playwrights as a way to celebrate our 25th Anniversary.

The lure of a world premiere play by Pulitzer winner Donald Margulies (Dinner with Friends) directed by Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan (Proof) is enticing enough to convince actors Anna Gunn (HBO's Deadwood, AMC's Breaking Bad), Alicia Silverstone (Clueless, Miss Match), David Harbour (Quantum of Solace, Revolutionary Road, State of Play) and Robin Thomas (Damages, Murphy Brown) to temporarily forgo the screens for a stint at the Geffen Playhouse. The second produced work in the Geffen's ongoing commission program, Time Stands Still opens February 11, 2009 on the theater's main stage.

Ars Nova presents, as part of the Out Loud series, a FREE reading of PURE, by A. Rey Pamatmat, directed by Lisa Peterson. The cast of PURE will feature Steven Boyer, Maggie Lacey, Nancy Robinette and Michael Stuhlbarg. Alan Turing, the queer, British mathematician whose ideas would usher in the digital age, works obsessively to complete his great work: a machine capable of thinking, learning, and - one day - living. But when his life and work are put on trial, Alan must confront the painful connection between his pursuit of artificial life and his first love's death.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) presents the Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself) by Donald Margulies, a story-telling adventure suitable for all ages from the author of Sight Unseen, Collected Stories and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Dinner with Friends, in its New York Premiere. Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself) by Donald Margulies began performances January 27, 2009 for a limited run through Saturday, March 7, 2009, at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Opening night is Sunday, February 8, 2009.

Ars Nova presents, as part of the Out Loud series, a FREE reading of PURE, by A. Rey Pamatmat, directed by Lisa Peterson. The cast of PURE will feature Steven Boyer, Maggie Lacey, Nancy Robinette and Michael Stuhlbarg. Alan Turing, the queer, British mathematician whose ideas would usher in the digital age, works obsessively to complete his great work: a machine capable of thinking, learning, and - one day - living. But when his life and work are put on trial, Alan must confront the painful connection between his pursuit of artificial life and his first love's death.

Noted stage, screen, and television actress Frances Sternhagen, a member of the Vassar class of 1951, will give a public presentation at Vassar College on Thursday, February 26, at 5:30 pm in the Martel Theater of the Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film. Admission is free; however reservations are required. For additional information and reservations, call the box office at 845-437-5584 or 5599. Sternhagen, a familiar presence on stage, television, and film, is most familiar to some audiences for her television roles as Bunny McDougal (Trey's mother) in HBO's Sex and the City or Kyra Sedgwick's mother Willa Mae Johnson on The Closer (appearing with fellow Vassar alumnus Jon Tenney '84). However Sternhagen is also a familiar presence on stage, and has received two Tony Awards (nominated for five), two Obies, and two Drama Desks, and was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame, and honored in 2007 with the Helen Hayes Tribute. At Vassar Sternhagen will perform selections from Marta G?es's play A Safe Harbor for Elizabeth Bishop, bringing to life the great modern American poet and Vassar alumna Elizabeth Bishop (class of 1934) during her years in Brazil. A question-and-answer session with Sternhagen will follow the reading. Vassar and New York Stage & Film's Powerhouse Theater, which will be celebrating its 25th season this summer, first presented A Safe Harbor in 2004. 'We are delighted that alumna Frances Sternhagen, our 2009 recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award, will be with us for a few days this semester to work and meet with students and faculty and present this reading,' noted Patricia Duane Lichtenberg, executive director of the Alumnae and Alumni of Vassar College (AAVC) and Vassar class of 1990. 'Through great symbiosis she has chosen to perform an original play first presented by Vassar and New York Stage and Film's Powerhouse Theater, that is based upon another noted Vassar alumna, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Elizabeth Bishop.'

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) is proud to welcome The Artists Theatre Group, Inc., in association with Warren Baker and Sally Jacobs, with the American premiere of GATES OF GOLD, a new comedic drama by Frank McGuinness and directed by Kent Paul. Previews begin Thursday February 19 for a limited engagement though Sunday March 29. Opening night is Sunday, March 1 at 5:00PM.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) has announced complete casting for the New York premiere of Shipwrecked!

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) continues the second half of their 24th season with its special Pay What You Can ticket offer (a policy instituted earlier this season and offered by Primary Stages only) that will be available for the first two preview performances of Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself) by Donald Margulies, a story-telling adventure suitable for all ages from the author of Sight Unseen, Collected Stories and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Dinner with Friends, in its New York Premiere. Mr. Margulies returns to Primary Stages where his play The Model Apartment won an Obie Award for Playwriting.

GATES OF GOLD, a new comedic drama by Frank McGuinness will hold its American Premiere at 59E59 Theaters. Previews begin Thursday, February 19, 2009. The official opening will be on Sunday, March 1, 2009. Produced by Artists Theatre Group, Inc., Warren Baker and Sally Jacobs, the production is directed by Kent Paul. Written by acclaimed Irish author Frank McGuinness, who earned a Tony Award nomination for Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, and received a Tony Award for best revival in 1997 for A Doll's House, GATES OF GOLD is an acerbic duel between Hilton Edwards and Miche?l MacLiamm?ir, fashionable and eloquent theatrical trailblazers who founded Dublin's Gate Theatre. GATES OF GOLD is funny, witty, deeply moving and a vibrant celebration of art, love, and, finally, life itself. This production marks the American premiere of GATES OF GOLD, which starred Alan Howard in Dublin and William Gaunt in the West End. Frank McGuinness was born in Buncrana, Co. Donegal, lives in Dublin and lectures in English at University College, Dublin. His plays include: The Factory Girls (Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 1982 and Arcola Theatre, London, January 2006), Baglady (Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 1985), Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme (Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 1985; Hampstead Theatre, London, 1986), Innocence (Gate Theatre, Dublin, 1986), Carthaginians (Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 1988; Hampstead Theatre, London, 1989), Mary and Lizzie (RSC, 1989), The Bread Man (Gate Theatre, Dublin, 1991), Someone Who'll Watch Over Me (Hampstead, West End and Broadway (Tony nominated Best Play, 1992); The Bird Sanctuary (Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 1992), Mutabilitie (RNT, 1997), Dolly West's Kitchen (Abbey, 1999; Old Vic, 2000) and Gates of Gold (The Gate Theatre, Dublin, 2002, Finborough Theatre, London, 2004). His translations include Ibsen's Rosmersholm (RNT, 1987), Lorca's Yerma (Abbey, 1987), Peer Gynt (Gate, 1988; RSC and international tour, 1994; RNT, 2000), Chekhov's Three Sisters (Gate and Royal Court, 1990), Brecht's The Threepenny Opera (Gate, 1991), Hedda Gabler (Roundabout Theatre, Broadway, 1994), Uncle Vanya (Field Day Production, 1995), A Doll's House (Playhouse Theatre, Broadway, 1997, which earned a Tony Award for Best revival), The Caucasian Chalk Circle (RNT, 1997), Sophocles' Electra (Chichester, Donmar Warehouse, Broadway, 1998), Ovstrovsky's The Storm (Almeida Theatre, London, 1998), Miss Julie (West End, 2000), Euripides' Hecuba (Donmar Warehouse, 2004), his adaptation of Du Maurier's Rebecca (David Pugh Productions, national tour, 2005) and his version of Phaedra (Donmar Warehouse, 2006). Frank's latest play There Came a Gypsy Riding was produced by the Almeida Theatre in 2007. His recent adaptation of Oedipus just ended its highly successful run at the National in London.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) continues the second half of their 24th season with Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself) by Donald Margulies, a story-telling adventure suitable for all ages from the author of Sight Unseen, Collected Stories and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Dinner with Friends, in its New York Premiere. Mr. Margulies returns to Primary Stages where his play The Model Apartment won an Obie Award for Playwriting.

Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Artistic Director; Jon Steingart & Jenny Wiener Steingart, Executive Producers) will present Playlist for five performances only January 22nd - 25th. All tickets are only $15 and can be purchased at www.arsnovanyc.com.

The lure of a world premiere play by Pulitzer winner Donald Margulies (Dinner with Friends) directed by Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan (Proof) is enticing enough to convince actors Anna Gunn (HBO's Deadwood, AMC's Breaking Bad), Alicia Silverstone (Clueless, Miss Match), David Harbour (Quantum of Solace, Revolutionary Road, State of Play) and Robin Thomas (Damages, Murphy Brown) to temporarily forgo the screens for a stint at the Geffen Playhouse. The second produced work in the Geffen's ongoing commission program, Time Stands Still opens February 11, 2009 on the theater's main stage.

South Coast Repertory today announced the cast and creative team for Michael Frayn's ingenious comedic masterpiece, Noises Off. Directed by Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award winner Art Manke, Noises Off will run from Feb. 6 through March 8 on the Segerstrom Stage. Low-priced previews are available from Feb. 6 through Feb. 12. Opening night is Feb. 13. Press night is Saturday, Feb. 14 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets to Noises Off may be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or in person at the SCR box office. Noises Off follows the on-and off-stage antics of an inept acting troupe as they stumble from bumbling dress rehearsal to disastrous closing night. Everything that can go wrong does, as actors desperately try to hang on to their lines, their performances and the furniture. Add a slippery plate of sardines and many slamming doors, and you have the most hilarious backstage farce ever written. Art Manke received his fifth Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for directing SCR's West Coast premiere of Bach at Leipzig in 2006. Other work with SCR includes last season's Taking Steps, the world premiere musical version of The Wind in the Willows and choreography for numerous productions. Elsewhere in Southern California, Manke has directed The Constant Wife, Private Lives and the American premiere of Noel Coward's Star Quality for Pasadena Playhouse and the world premiere of The Ice-Breaker at Laguna Playhouse. Manke was a co-founder and artistic director (1991-2001) of A Noise Within where he directed the works of Shakespeare, Moli?re, Wilde, Coward and Sophocles. Other credits include work with Denver Center Theatre Company, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Old Globe Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, American Players Theatre, among others. The cast features Nancy Bell (Belinda Blair), Bill Brochtrup (Garry Lejeune), Kandis Chappell (Dotty Otley), Winslow Corbett (Poppy Norton-Taylor), Kaleo Griffith (Lloyd Dallas), Brian Hostenske (Tim Allgood), Timothy Landfield (Frederick Fellows), Jennifer Lyon (Brooke Ashton) and Nick Ullett (Selsdon Mowbray). The creative team for Noises Off includes John Iacvelli (Set Design), Angela Balogh Calin (Costume Design), York Kennedy (Lighting Design), Vincent Olivieri (Sound Design), Ken Merckx (Movement Consultant), David Newell (Dialect Coach), Linda Sullivan Baity (Dramaturg) and Jamie Tucker (Stage Manager). Dee and Larry Higby are the Honorary Producers of Noises Off. OC Metro is the Media Partner. Associated events taking place during the run of Noises Off include: POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS Wednesday, Feb. 18 & Tuesday, Feb. 24 Discuss the play with members of the Noises Off cast during free post-show discussions led by South Coast Repertory's literary team after the 7:30 p.m. performances on Feb. 18 and Feb. 24. INSIDE THE SEASON: Noises Off Saturday, Feb. 21, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. $12 Inside the Season is a series of interactive classes that provide a comprehensive inside look at the theatrical production process. Each two-hour class is led by School and Community Programs Director Linda Sullivan Baity and features creative personnel from South Coast Repertory's current production. Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (714) 708-5555. (Tickets to Noises Off are sold separately.) TICKETS to Noises Off can be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or by visiting the box office at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. Performances begin on Feb. 6 and continue through March 8. Ticket prices range from $20 to $64. Low-priced preview performances are available from Feb. 6 to Feb. 12. Performance times: Previews: Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 7 at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 8, Tuesday, Feb. 10 and Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m.; and Thursday, Feb. 12 at 8:00pm. Regular Performances: Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.; and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 25 years of age and under, educators, seniors and groups of 15 or more. There will be a 'Pay-What-You-Will' performance on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. ($10 Minimum) and an ASL-interpreted performance on Saturday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) continues the second half of their 24th season with its special Pay What You Can ticket offer (a policy instituted earlier this season and offered by Primary Stages only) that will be available for the first two preview performances of Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself) by Donald Margulies, a story-telling adventure suitable for all ages from the author of Sight Unseen, Collected Stories and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Dinner with Friends, in its New York Premiere. Mr. Margulies returns to Primary Stages where his play The Model Apartment won an Obie Award for Playwriting.

George Street Playhouse begins 2009 with its production of Donald Marguiles' Sight Unseen. When first presented in 1992, the play won the OBIE Award for Best New American Play, was nominated for a Drama Desk, and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. George Street Playhouse Artistic Director will helm the production, slated to run at the New Brunswick theatre January2020 - February 15, 2009. Matthew Arkin, last seen at GSP in their production of Theresa Rebeck's The Scene, leads an ensemble including Heidi Armbruster, Christopher Curry and Kathleen McNenny.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) is happy to welcome the newest addition to their staff: Director of Development, Jessica Sadowski Comas, who brings seven years of arts fundraising experience. Ms. Comas worked in individual giving and special events management at Florida State University and the now closed Coconut Grove Playhouse. Most recently, she was Manager, Institutional Giving at Manhattan Theatre Club, where she oversaw corporate fundraising and the sales campaign for their Spring Gala. Jessica holds an MFA in Theatre Management from FSU and BA in Arts Administration from the University of Alabama (UA).

The American Theatre Wing's Grants Program will honor its 2008 grant recipients, 50 New York City not-for-profit theatres that reflect the range of diversity of New York's theatres, at a luncheon at Sardi's on Friday, December 5th at noon.