Ellen McLaughlin News

Play On Shakespeare today announces an expansive list of compelling actors and dynamic directors confirmed to participate in the Play on! Festival, presented in association with Classic Stage Company (CSC) and Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF). Play on! features 39 readings of new, work-in-progress translations of Shakespeare's plays into contemporary modern English by some of today's most exciting playwrights-May 29-June 30 at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater at CSC (136 E. 13th Street). In 2015, Oregon Shakespeare Festival launched an ambitious 39-play, three-year commissioning project, Play on!, tasking 36 playwrights-more than half of whom were women and playwrights of color, each paired with a dramaturg-to translate Shakespeare's canon in celebration of the enduring impact of the Bard's work. Supported by a generous grant from the Hitz Foundation and inspired by long-time patron Dave Hitz's passion for Shakespeare, the project was and continues to be led by Lue Morgan Douthit. For more information, visit playonfestival.org.

Michael Kahn's final production at Shakespeare Theatre Company deeply understands the underlying questions and humanity of the tale, and draws out an emotional, sympathetic performance that rings with a relevance to our lives today. Under his direction, 'The Oresteia' is not just insight to our shared history, but also into the world we want to build.

On Sunday, April 21, 2019, Shakespeare Theatre Company opened the doors to Sidney Harman Hall to theatregoers to experience Open Rehearsal for The Oresteia, freely adapted by Ellen McLaughlin from Aeschylus' trilogy and directed by Shakespeare Theatre Company's outgoing Artistic Director Michael Kahn.

On Sunday, April 21, 2019, everyone is invited to the Open Rehearsal for The Oresteia, freely adapted by Ellen McLaughlin from Aeschylus' trilogy and directed by Shakespeare Theatre Company's outgoing Artistic Director Michael Kahn.

"Lysistrata" tells the story of the legendary Athenian, Lysistrata, who calls upon the women of Greece to help put an end to the Peloponnesian War. In order to do so, all women must refuse to have sex with their husbands until they agree to peace in Greece. Inspired by Aristophanes and adapted by Ellen McLaughlin, "Lysistrata" is directed by award-winning actor/director Rufus Bonds Jr., and runs from April 12-May 5, 2019 in the Hallberg Theatre on campus.

Shakespeare Theatre Company's Artistic Director Michael Kahn invites theatre-lovers to the second event of a series of intimate conversations about his career in D.C. as he prepares to retire. Open, unrehearsed and off the record, invited speakers will swap anecdotes and share memories about Michael Kahn's 33 years directing at the Shakespeare Theatre Company. The discussions focus on three distinct eras in STC's history and chronicle D.C.'s changing theatre scene. This second Michael Kahn and Friends: Off the Record will focus primarily on the formation of the Shakespeare Theatre Company in its second location: the Lansburgh Theatre (1992-2006).

Play On Shakespeare in association with Classic Stage Company (CSC) and Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) presents the Play on! festival-featuring 39 readings of new, work-in-progress translations of Shakespeare's plays into contemporary modern English by some of today's most exciting playwrights-May 29-June 30 at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater at CSC (136 E. 13th Street).In 2015, Oregon Shakespeare Festival launched an ambitious 39-play, three-year commissioning project, Play on!, tasking 36 playwrights-more than half of whom were women and playwrights of color, each paired with a dramaturg-to translate Shakespeare's canon in celebration of the enduring impact of the Bard's work. Supported by a generous grant from the Hitz Foundation and inspired by long-time patron Dave Hitz's passion for Shakespeare, the project was and continues to be led by Lue Morgan Douthit. For more information, visit playonfestival.org.

The students of Adelphi's Department of Theatre perform Lysistrata adapted by Ellen McLaughlin at Adelphi's Performing Arts Center (PAC) on Tuesday, April 23, through Sunday, April 28.

OPERA America, the national service organization for opera and the nation's leading champion for American opera, is pleased to announce the 2019 recipients of Discovery Grants from the Opera Grants for Female Composers program, which is made possible through the generosity of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

The Lyric's performance of 'Penelope' an unflinching look at the human cost of war, and the difficulty in truly coming home.

'Lysistrata' tells the story of the legendary Athenian, Lysistrata, who calls upon the women of Greece to help put an end to the Peloponnesian War. In order to do so, all women must refuse to have sex with their husbands until they agree to peace in Greece. Inspired by Aristophanes and adapted by Ellen McLaughlin, 'Lysistrata' is directed by award-winning actor/director Rufus Bonds Jr., and runs from April 12-May 5, 2019 in the Hallberg Theatre on campus.

On Tuesday, March 12, Shakespeare Theatre Company's cast and creatives met for first rehearsal for ' The Oresteia by playwright Ellen McLaughlin and directed by Michael Kahn. 

General Director and CEO Deborah Sandler today announced the final production of Lyric Opera of Kansas City's 2018-19 Explorations Series, Penelope, a groundbreaking song cycle based on The Odyssey, as told from Penelope's point of view. Composed by Sarah Kirkland Snider, Penelope was named one of the five best genre-defying works in 2010 by National Public Radio. The performance, featuring conducted by Carolyn Watson and directed by Alison Moritz, will be held March 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Lyric Opera's Michael and Ginger Frost Production Arts Building. High res photos can be found here.

Cal State Fullerton's Spring semester begins with "The Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekhov, translated by Paul Schmidt and directed by Maria Cominis. The play runs from March 8-24, 2019 in the Young Theatre on campus. "The Cherry Orchard" follows a destitute Russian aristocrat who returns home to find her family in a financial crisis, forcing them to sell their home to pay off their debt. The family must decide on their prospects for happiness and how to rebuild their lives and fortunes.

Shakespeare Theatre Company's Artistic Director Michael Kahn invites theatre-lovers to a series of intimate conversations about life in the D.C. theatre scene as he prepares to retire from the STC stage. Open, unrehearsed, and off the record, invited speakers will swap anecdotes and share memories about Michael Kahn's 33-years at Shakespeare Theatre Company. Following his career trajectory, the discussions will focus on three distinct eras in STC's history by mapping D.C.'s changing theatre scene. The first Michael Kahn and Friends: Off the Record will focus on the formation of The Shakespeare Theatre Company in its first location: Folger Theatre (1986-1992).

Pittsburgh CLO will launch its second New Musicals Weekend, a project of the Next Generation Campaign's New Small Musicals Initiative. New Musicals Weekend, the mini version of the SPARK festival, takes the core goals of SPARK and puts them into action over just a few days. Similar to SPARK, New Musicals Weekend aims to develop new musicals for the CLO Cabaret by supporting writing teams with financial and creative resources and by building relationships with local and national artists. 

In a fitting conclusion to his illustrious tenure at STC, Michael Kahn is bringing a dream project to the stage. 'I've always wanted to do all of The Oresteia,' he says. 'When I was in college, we read the whole Oresteia, and I was completely fascinated by the story, by the form, by the relationships, by the incredible depths of what it was about-violence, revenge, and the search for human justice.'

Cal State Fullerton's Spring semester begins with "The Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekhov, translated by Paul Schmidt and directed by Maria Cominis. The play runs from March 8-24, 2019 in the Young Theatre on campus. "The Cherry Orchard" follows a destitute Russian aristocrat who returns home to find her family in a financial crisis, forcing them to sell their home to pay off their debt. The family must decide on their prospects for happiness and how to rebuild their lives and fortunes.

If your sum impression of the Edward Albee canon is his magnificent WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? then SEASCAPE, Pam MacKinnon's refreshing resident directing debut at American Conservatory Theater, will surprise you.

California State University, Fullerton's Spring 2019 season includes "The Cherry Orchard,"  "Lysistrata," "Heathers The Musical," and "Spring Dance Theatre" all on the CSUF campus, running March through May.