Ellen D. Williams News

Unlike most stories told about the LGBT community in the ’70s and ’80s, this isn’t about homophobia, about the terror of coming out to loved ones, or about self-destruction or self-hatred. Chambers creates normalcy of life for her characters, and that makes them relatable to everyone. We know these women. We ARE these women.

First look photos! The Fountain Theatre has transformed the parking lot surrounding the set on its outdoor stage into an oceanfront experience for its 40th anniversary production of the groundbreaking comedy/drama, “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove” by Jane Chambers. Directed by Hannah Wolf, performances opened over the weekend and will continue through August 27.

Forty years ago, the Fountain Theatre presented the groundbreaking comedy/drama, Last Summer at Bluefish Cove by Jane Chambers, one of the first playwrights to depict love between women as happy, healthy, and well-adjusted. I decided to speak with the play’s director Hannah Wolf about the history and importance of the play, the challenges of presenting it outdoors, how she was selected to direct it, about the characters who make up the story, and why its message of acceptance speaks to the new generation of theater goers just as it did for those who saw Jean Smart in the original 1983-85 Fountain Theatre production.

Welcome to Bluefish Cove. The Fountain Theatre will transform the parking lot surrounding the set on its outdoor stage to create an oceanfront experience for its 40th anniversary production of the groundbreaking comedy/drama, Last Summer at Bluefish Cove by Jane Chambers.

No rehearsals. No director. No set. A different actor reads the script cold for the first time at each performance. This is White Rabbit Red Rabbit by Nassim Soleimanpour, an utterly unique theatrical experience that live-streams from Perseverance Theatre April 16 through May 2.

From Broadway to L.A., Portland, Ashland, Creede, D.C., New York, Chicago, Nashville, and places in between, Ashland New Plays Festival is bringing together artists from across the country for their 29th annual flagship event running October 18-25 featuring livestreamed readings of five winning new plays.

ABC Talent and Casting will present the 2019 ABC Discovers: Los Angeles Talent Showcase on WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16, at the El Portal Theatre for the Performing Arts in North Hollywood, California. Part of Walt Disney Television's ongoing commitment to creating opportunities for undiscovered talent, the showcase features selected participants performing in a one-night showcase for casting directors, talent agents, managers and other industry professionals. In addition, the selected showcase actors are awarded a one-year mentorship with executives from the ABC Casting Department. As part of the mentorship, the showcase actors will be offered on-camera workshops specifically for them to further hone their craft and auditioning skills. Talent will also have access to various ABC executives.

Center Theatre Group continues its free play reading series with the reading of "Allos: The Story of Carlos Bulosan" at three public libraries in Boyle Heights. The play reading will take place at Benjamin Franklin Library on July 17, at Malabar Library on July 18 and at Robert Louis Stevenson Library on July 19. All readings will begin at 6 p.m. and will be performed in both English and Tagalog.

Center Theatre Group continues its free play reading series with the reading of "Allos: The Story of Carlos Bulosan" at three public libraries in Boyle Heights. The play reading will take place at Benjamin Franklin Library on July 17, at Malabar Library on July 18 and at Robert Louis Stevenson Library on July 19. All readings will begin at 6 p.m. and will be performed in both English and Tagalog.

As part of Disney/ABC Television Group's ongoing commitment to find, foster and champion diverse talent, ABC Casting will present its 34th annual 2014 Talent Showcase TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28 at the El Portal Theatre Center for Performing Arts in North Hollywood. Twenty featured actors, selected from nearly 7,000 candidates who submitted resumes and approximately 700 who auditioned for ABC casting executives in Los Angeles, will participate in the showcase.

More than 35 actors are set to participate in The Blank Theatre's 22nd Annual Young Playwrights Festival, including Sara Gilbert (Roseanne, The Talk, The Big Bang Theory), Curt Hansen (A Snow White Christmas, Wicked), Scott Lowell (Queer As Folk), Michael Grant Terry (Bones), Angel Parker (Lab Rats), Ellen D. Williams (How I Met Your Mother), and Jessy Schram (Falling Skies, Mad Men). Twelve winning plays by young playwrights aged 16 -19 from seven different states will be presented during this year's festival at the Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood, running from June 5-29.

Honestly, OK, the semi-true story of a girl and her shoes written by Lauren Stone and Nicole Dominguez, based on events in the life of Nicole Dominguez, will open in a full production on June 8th at The Blank Theatre in the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

THE ROLES WE'LL NEVER PLAY: MONTREAL EDITION, an evening of music and laughter from some of Montreal's best singers and comedians, a fundraiser for the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Funding provided by Candy Nail Bar, Glamour Montreal, Kathy Slamen Photography, Gaelle Vuillaume Photography and many more.

Disney/ABC Television Group's Casting Project will host its 32nd showcase as part of its ongoing effort to discover and nurture culturally and ethnically diverse talent and actors with disabilities. The presentations will take place at the El Portal Theatre Center for Performing Arts in North Hollywood, on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29.

Christine Lakin, Ellen D. Williams and Nicole Dominguez will star in a workshop production of HONESTLY, OK, directed by Michael A. Sheppard in the Living Room Series at The Blank Theatre Company.

South Coast Repertory will revive the musical play Indian Summer, one of the theatre's most popular Educational Touring Productions, for travel to Southland elementary schools Jan. 21 - April 4, 2009. There will be a free public performance at SCR on Jan. 26. Set in the mid-19th century, Indian Summer is based on the true story of a young boy who grows up with a Native American tribe. The play directly supports California K-6 State Frameworks for History-Social Science, English-Language Arts and Visual and Performing Arts. John-David Keller directs the show written by Richard Hellesen with music and lyrics by Michael Silversher. Indian Summer features Matt Bartosch, Daniel Behnke, Eagle Young and Ellen D. Williams. Bartosch and Behnke are recent graduates of SCR's Professional Intensive Program. Sets and costumes are designed by Angela Balogh Calin. Kathleen Allison is stage manager. For over 40 years, SCR's Educational Touring Production has introduced children to theater by commissioning original musical plays which deal with important issues and making them available to Southern California elementary schools during the winter and spring. The tour reaches nearly 35,000 school children each year. Some of them will be experiencing live theater for the first time. Others will discover that their parents (or even their grandparents) saw the show when they were in elementary school.

South Coast Repertory's Educational Touring Production of INDIAN SUMMER by Richard Hellesen music and lyrics by Michael Silversher directed by John-David Keller. The creative team consists of Angela Balogh Calin (Set and Costume design) and Kathleen Allison (Stage Manager). CAST: Matt Bartosch (Jeff), Daniel Behnke (Father), Ellen D. Williams (Mother) and Eagle Young (Koo-Nance). Set in the mid-19th century, Indian Summer is based on the true story of a young boy who grows up with a Native American tribe. RUNS: Jan. 21 - April 4, 2009 Bookings are available for performances Jan. 21 - April 4, and available slots fill quickly. Schools and educators wishing to book Indian Summer are encouraged to book early for the best choice of dates. The show runs 45 minutes with a 45-minute set-up time. Fees are $465 with discounts for back-to-back performances. A free study guide is provided. For more information, call the SCR Education Department at (714) 708-5549. A free performance will be offered to the public on a first-come first-served basis on Monday, Jan. 26 at 5 p.m. on South Coast Repertory's Julianne Argyros Stage. For more information call Janis Morrissette, SCR Education Department at (714) 708-5549. UNDERWRITERS: Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation and Bank of America are Honorary Producers of the Educational Touring Production. The program was made possible in part by a grant from the O.L. Halsell Foundation, the Kenneth A. Lester Family Foundation, and the City of Newport Beach Arts Commission

A world premiere garage rock musical with music and lyrics by members of indie band Breech is set to rock Hollywood this summer. The Next Big Thing, with book by Jeff Favre and music and lyrics by Breech's Missy Gibson and Mike Flanagan, opens on Saturday, July 19 and continues through August 16 at art/works Theatre on Santa Monica Boulevard.

A world premiere garage rock musical with music and lyrics by members of indie band Breech is set to rock Hollywood this summer. The Next Big Thing, with book by Jeff Favre and music and lyrics by Breech's Missy Gibson and Mike Flanagan, opens on Saturday, July 19 and continues through August 16 at art/works Theatre on Santa Monica Boulevard.