Dramatists Guild News

The New Group announces additional casting for productions coming up in the company's 2016-2017 Season.

Marin Theatre Company decks the halls-and stage-this holiday season with Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley,by Playwright in Residence Lauren Gunderson, and  MTC's former Director of New Play Development Margot Melcon. This light-hearted continuance of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice picks up two years after the end of Austen's tale, with the focus this time on middle sister Mary Bennet, now a talented and confident young woman who comes into her own with curiosity and wit while visiting the Darcy household at Pemberley for the winter holiday. 

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber have announced the final extension of Porchlight's 22nd season opener, the multi-Tony Award-winning In The Heights, now playing through Saturday, Dec. 31, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, book by Quiara Alegria Hudes.

Midtown Direct Rep (MDR) continues its 2016-17 staged reading series, Theater at The Woodland, with a presentation of TORN ASUNDER, written by Obie Award-winner Nikkole Salter and directed by Janeece Freeman Clark. This staged reading will be performed for one night only on Sunday, December 11, 2016 at 7pm at The Woodland (60 Woodland Rd. Maplewood, NJ), where MDR is the resident theater company. The reading is $15 (advance purchase), $20 (if purchased at the door) and open to the public. Student/Senior discounts are also available. Tickets can be purchased online through Brown Paper Tickets (http://tornasunder.bpt.me) by clicking the direct link HERE OR by calling 1-800-838-3006.

Red Crescendo Theatre Company presents their inaugural production of Stephen Schwartz and John Michael Tebelak's timeless classic GODSPELL (2012 VERSION) performing December 10th - 18th, Saturdays and Sundays @ 2pm as well as Thursday December 15th @ 7pm, at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60647. Tickets are $12; to purchase tickets call 773-598-4549 or visit gorillatangotheatre.com.

Seattle Repertory Theatre presents Vietgone, the highly anticipated new play, produced in association with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, from up-and-coming playwright Qui Nguyen (Vampire Cowboys). Vietgone loosely chronicles Nguyen's parent's journey from Vietnam to American in 1975, with a quirky approach Nguyen describes as 'a sex comedy about my parents.' With direction by May Adrales, who has been with the show since its inception, Vietgone will run December 2, 2016-January 1, 2017 (opening night is December 7, 2016) in the Leo K. Theatre. Tickets are on sale now through the Seattle Rep Box Office at 206.443.2222and online at seattlerep.org.

If variety is the spice of life, Kenny Solms has tasted great success. Touted in his hometown newspaper as 'Philadelphia's funniest person,' he began his career in New York, where he teamed up with New York University classmate Gail Parent to create material for Leonard Sillman's last Broadway revue New Faces, and sketches for New York's famed Upstairs at the Downstairs. His collaboration with Ms. Parent climaxed with their co-creation of the now legendary Emmy award winning The Carol Burnett Show.

The Chicago Premiere of playwright Matty Selman's "Uncle Philip's Coat" will run at the Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N. Lincoln Ave) Nov. 27 - Dec. 31. Directed by Elizabeth Margoliusand starring Gene Weygandt (best known as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in "Wicked" in Chicago and on Broadway), "Uncle Philip's Coat" follows Matty on his humorous and heartfelt journey of personal discovery, sparked by his inheritance of a tattered coat from his eccentric Russian-Jewish immigrant uncle Philip. 

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the final extension of Porchlight's 22nd season opener, the multi-Tony Award-winning In The Heights, now playing through Saturday, Dec.31, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, book by Quiara Alegria Hudes. Directed and co-choreographed by Brenda Didier, co-choreographed by Chris Carter, music directed by Diana Lawrence and assistant directed by Adrian Abel Azevedo, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. The regular scheduled performance times are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $55 - 75. Single tickets may be purchased at 773.327.5252 or at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org.

Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST), along with EST's Youngblood and EST's Sloan Project, have announced new EST/Sloan commissions and EST/Youngblood members & programming for the 2016-2017 season.

The Comrades are pleased to announce a 2017 Inauguration Day staged reading of THE TAMING by Lauren Gunderson.

Legendary American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim's masterwork Merrily We Roll Along is revisited in a new production under the direction of Tony Award nominee Michael Arden (Spring Awakening) set for the Bram Goldsmith Theater stage at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts from tonight, November 23, through December 18.

The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund just issued a statement regarding the speech given by the cast of HAMILTON this past Friday. Read the full statement below. 

Broadway Dreams just held its annual Night of Dreams Gala, honoring Tony Award-winning lyricist and composer Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty with the inaugural Arts Advancement Award. Point Park University was the leading education sponsor of the event.

Artists Repertory Theatre, in collaboration with Staged!, presents A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL CELEBRATION for the holidays.

On this, the centennial of the passing of famed author and adventurer, Jack London, join THE JACK LONDON STAGE AND FILM FESTIVAL today, November 22, 2016 at The Mary Rodgers Room, The Dramatists Guild, 1501 Broadway, NYC.

The Dramatists Guild in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Theatre Arts, Bricolage Production Company, the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Department of Theater and Dance, and established performers, writers, and directors will host a Town Hall to address the issues of author's rights and equitable casting. The Town Hall is a call-to-action and a response to recent events nationally and locally.

The 12th Annual Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals, produced by Goodspeed Musicals' Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre, kicks off its much-anticipated three-day festival of brand-new works on Friday, January 13, 2017 at The Goodspeed with a staged reading of the intriguing new musical Picnic at Hanging Rock by Daniel Zaitchik based on the cherished novel by Joan Lindsay.

About Face Theatre will host A CONVERSATION WITH DOUG WRIGHT, celebrated playwright of the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning play I AM MY OWN WIFE and the Broadway-bound musical WAR PAINT.

Artists Repertory Theatre, in collaboration with Staged!, presents A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL CELEBRATION for the holidays.