Ensemble Studio Theatre News

The greatest unknown event of the Renaissance will unfold at Hartford Stage beginning February 24.

Previews begin Wednesday (2/16) at 7:00pm for the world premiere of White People, a comedy by Neil Cuthbert and Neil Cuthbert, directed by Michael Barakiva, at the Ensemble Studio Theatre for an opening Thursday, February 24, at 7:00pm and a run through Sunday, March 13.

The Boulevard Ensemble Studio Theatre, located at 2252 South Kinnickinnic,celebrates 25 years of staging dynamic, eclectic theatre when its 25th Silver Anniversary season continues with the Milwaukee premiere of acclaimed New York playwright Gina Gionfriddo's cracked comic valentine "BECKY SHAW" (Wednesday, February 16th through March 20th, 2011 / 13 performances / 5 weeks).

You start writing a play in your late 20s when you are a struggling New York playwright, working as the literary manager of the Ensemble Studio Theater (EST) . This is your family play, a dark comedy of love, hate, prejudice, and alcohol, but you are in way over your dramatic head - the play doesn't work, so you abandon it. Then you spend a couple of decades in the Hollywood wars, writing and rewriting screenplays (and being rewritten).

Theatre C will present Kyoung H. Park's (Sex and Hunger; Heartbreak/India; EST's Youngblood) disOriented, February 16-March 5 at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street). The production will be directed by Theatre C Artistic Director, Carlos Armesto (Binding; The Who's Tommy) and will feature Ariel Estrada* (Far East), Daniel K. Isaac* (Miss Electricity at La Jolla Playhouse; Balm In Gilead at Steppenwolf), Talynm Jinn Kim (LABrynth member, Developing Artists Theater Co.), Yanghee Lee, Julian Charles Leong (NY debut), Bert Matias (Snow Falling On Cedars), Amy Kim Waschke* (Somebody/Nobody at Arizona Theatre Company), and Virginia Wing* (Chu Chem). The creative team will include Costume Design by Carla Bellisio (Ghost Light; Southern Promises dir. Jose Zayas), Lighting Design by Jake DeGroot (Call Me Anne with Blue Coyote), Set Design by Adam Koch (Rooms: A Rock Romance; Title of Show), Sound Design by David Margolin Lawson (Kenneth Brannagh's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; The Man Who Fell to Earth), and Choreography by Elisabetta Spuria (Tess: A New Rock Opera; The Who's Tommy).

The three time New York Innovative Theatre Award winning Theatre C will present Kyoung H. Park's disOriented, February 16-March 5 at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

The OBIE Award-winning National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) - now in its 21st season - presents A NUMBER, OBIE Award-winner and 2010 Theatre Hall of Fame inductee Caryl Churchill's acclaimed play about human cloning and identity, starring OBIE Award-winner James Saito and Joel de la Fuente, with previews set to begin March 12 prior to it official press opening March 17 at Cherry Lane Studio Theatre (38 Commerce Street) in Manhattan.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes Ego Actus Design with the NYC premiere of PLAY NICE!, written by Robin Rice Lichtig and directed by Joan Kane. PLAY NICE! begins previews on Tuesday, March 8 for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 27. Press Opening is Tuesday, March 15 at 7:15 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Wednesday at 7:15 PM, Thursday - Friday at 8:15 PM; Saturday at 2:15 PM and 8:15 PM; Sunday at 3:15 PM and 7:15 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison). Tickets are $25 ($17.50 for 59E59 Members) and are available by calling Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or online at www.59E59.org.

Crack Whore Galore - LIVE! - 'Spinal Tap' meets 'Ab Fab' when Danny and Abbey Galore head out to Atwater Village Theatre for a late-night mix of live music and raw adult humor. After meeting in rehab, Danny and Abbey formed the rock band CRACK WHORE GALORE. They married, left the UK behind for Hollywood, swapped out their drugs for extra sex and louder rock-n-roll, and started living their own rock-n-roll dream. This world premiere production, created by Tonya Cornelisse, Ryan Oliver, Danny Roew, Graham Sibley and Gates McFadden, explores the ever popular cocktail of narcissism and desperation that runs rampant in today's celebrity-driven culture.

The Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director) production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will close on February 13. The production is directed by Marc Bruni, with choreography by Wendy Seyb.

The Friend Center for the Arts at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF) and the Magic Theatre present The Virgin Play Reading Series on four Mondays in March. These readings of scripts-in-progress by the playwrights themselves, offer audiences the chance to hear the plays before they arrive on the stage and see the new play development process up close. After each reading, the playwright and director will have a conversation with the audience members.

Carolyn Rossi Copeland & AG Funding will present a special invitational reading of the new musical AMAZING GRACE, with music & lyrics by Christopher Smith and book by Mr. Smith & Arthur Giron, for two performances on Thursday, February 10th and Friday, February 11th at 3 p.m. at The New 42nd Street Studios (229 West 42nd Street)

Previews begin Wednesday (2/16) at 7:00pm for the world premiere of White People, a comedy by Neil Cuthbert and Neil Cuthbert, directed by Michael Barakiva, at the Ensemble Studio Theatre for an opening Thursday, February 24, at 7:00pm and a run through Sunday, March 13.

Huntington Theatre Company kicks off its spring of comedy with Educating Rita by Willy Russell (Shirley Valentine, Blood Brothers), welcoming back celebrated British director Maria Aitken.

Carolyn Rossi Copeland & AG Funding will present a special invitational reading of the new musical AMAZING GRACE, with music & lyrics by Christopher Smith and book by Mr. Smith & Arthur Giron, for two performances on Thursday, February 10th and Friday, February 11th at 3 p.m. at The New 42nd Street Studios (229 West 42nd Street)

The Ocean All Around Us, a new play by David Lavine, will be given a staged reading by New York Theatre Workshop on Monday, March 7 at 3pm as part of its Mondays@3 development program.

Jason Robert Brown's intimate musical "The Last Five Years" is at The Media Theatre February 9-27. The one act show tells the story of an aspiring actress who meets and falls in love with a novelist. At The Media Theatre, Jennie Eisenhower portrays Cathy, the aspiring actress. Wallingford's Marcus Stevens takes on the role of the novelist, Jamie.

With two Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre under her belt, actress Jennie Eisenhower has a busy career in the Philadelphia region. Her first Barrymore Award was for her performance as Kate in Andrew Lippa's 'The Wild Party' produced in 2005 at The Media Theatre. She returns to Media's stage February 9-27 in a regional production of Jason Robert Brown's 'The Last Five Years'.

Continuing their mission of developing new works and cultivating the next generation of playwrights, Urban Stages (Frances Hill, Artistic Director) will present a reading of David Koteles' The Cook's Tour, directed by Chris Henry. The reading will take place on Tuesday, February 8 at 6PM.The free reading will take place at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30 Street) reservations can be made by calling 212 421-1380.

Cantwell/Newsom Productions presents the New York premiere of Martin Blank's advertising world comedy Avenue of the Americas, directed by Katherine M. Carter. The production will close February 6, 2011 at The Tank @ 45th Street (354 West 45th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenue).