Ensemble Studio Theatre News

Cloudgate Theatre announces the world premiere of Strange Heart Beating, July 9 - July 27, at The Frontier, 1106 W. Thorndale.

Directed by company member Reba Askari, THE TOMB OF KING TOT is the story of comic strip creator Jane Haley. She is nominated for the Chuckling Willow award but when tragedy strikes the Haley household Jane copes by working furiously on her strip. Her art suffers as her main character wanders through the Land of the Dead looking for his "mummy". The play makes the case for whimsy as a filter both for shutting out and eventually coming to terms with an unforgiving world.

CAPE FEAR REGIONAL THEATRE is bringing the 4-time Tony Award winning musical 'Memphis' to Fayetteville May 9-26. Directed by Suzanne Agins, with Music and Lyrics by David Bryan and Book and Lyrics by Joe DiPietro, this show stopping musical stars Shonica Gooden from Broadway's company of 'Hamilton'. The show is choreographed by Ellenore Scott ('King Kong', 'CATS', 'Head Over Heels') with music direction by Sarah Wussow.

Award-winning artists' collective Rogue Artists Ensemble is thrilled to announce the Inaugural Rogue Lab Readings Series, a four-day event that includes readings of seven new works written, directed, and designed by emerging LA artists, as well as post-show discussions and receptions. The reading series will feature new plays by 2018-2019 Rogue Lab playwrights Lisa Sanaye Dring, Eric Fagundes, John Guerra, Mildred Inez Lewis, Chelsea Sutton, and Jennie Webb, and a special new play presentation by writing team Taylor Coffman and Z. Lupetin.

Rehearsals begin for the world premiere of Lucas Hnath's "Dana H." at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in a co-production with Goodman Theatre. Adapted from interviews with Dana Higginbotham, conducted by Steve Cosson, directed by Les Waters and featuring Deirdre O'Connell in the title role, "Dana H." will begin previews May 26, open June 2 and continue through June 23, 2019.

The UC San Diego Department of Theatre and Dance presents The Jefferson Middle School Monthly, written by Mara Nelson-Greenberg and directed by Carla Harting, as part of the 2019 Wagner New Play Festival.

The Tank in association with All For One Theater will present the World Premiere of Open, written by Crystal Skillman

National New Play Network, the alliance of professional theaters that collaborate in innovative ways to develop, produce, and extend the life of new plays, held its annual benefit Monday night at The Vineyard's Dimson Theatre in New York City. In addition to a staged reading of Audrey Cefaly's Alabaster, Charly Evon Simpson's Jump was celebrated as the inaugural recipient of The David Goldman Fund for New American Plays. 

ENSEMBLE STUDIO THEATRE announces its 50th Birthday Gala honoring the people and legacy of EST's Marathon of One-Act Plays. The 50th Birthday Gala will take place on Monday, May 13, 2019 at 6:30PM at the New York Museum of Contemporary Art (528 West 39th Street, 3rd Fl.).

Maine Mad Horse Theatre Company presents THE TOMB OF KING TOT by Olivia Dufault at Mad Horse Theatre Company, 24 Mosher Street, South Portland, ME. The play alternates between reality and imagination, laugh-out-loud humor and tragedy as cartoonist Jane Haley grapples with death, love and responsibility.

LOOK OUT! Hook & Eye Theater is landing at The Flea with three outrageous new ideas to share. From a They/Them Generation riff on 1920s drag culture set against a Mae West play, to a tale of the MTA's wayward past and perhaps glorious future in the form of a subway ride, and an original play about a narcissistic soldier from the Gulf War in a play about identity, responsibility, and community. Hook and Eye Invades The Flea offers three unique visions for your pleasure. Each night a staged reading of our newest original work Echo & Narcissus and in-progress material from our inaugural Spoolers' Eliza Bent and Roger Q. Mason.

be mean to me, a new play by Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, will make it's premiere at the IATI Theatre and run April 18th-April 27th. This production is directed by Sarah Blush.

Seattle Rep today announced the complete casting for its highly anticipated west coast premiere production of Christina Ham's Nina Simone: Four Women, a celebration of the life and journey of one of America's most iconic singers and civil rights activists. When 'The High Priestess of Soul' Nina Simone heard about the tragic bombing deaths of four young girls in an Alabama church in 1963, the songstress turned to her music as a means of expressing the country's agony. In Nina Simone: Four Women, Ham uses Simone's 'Four Women' as the framework to explore Simone's shift from artist to artist-activist through storytelling, debate, and music, immersing audiences in the complex harmony of protest. Nina Simone: Four Women is directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton and runs April 26 - June 2, 2019 (opening night is May 1) on the Bagley Wright stage. Single tickets are on sale now (starting at $17) and are available through the Seattle Rep Box Office at 206.443.2222 or online at SeattleRep.org.

Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST) (William Carden, Artistic Director, Sarah McLellan, Executive Director) and the Radio Drama Network (Melina Brown, President) announced today the lineup for the 37th Marathon of One-Act Plays. This year's selection of fifteen plays were chosen from 1120 submissions. They will be presented across three different series from Sunday, May 12, 2019 through Saturday, June 29, 2019.'

Three generations of women form the centerpiece of the Centenary Stage Company  2019 Women Playwrights Series'  second presentation, "Whippoorwill" by San Francisco playwright Ruth Kirschner, to be presented Wednesday, Apr 17 at 7:30 PM at the Lackland Performing Art Center.

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is pleased to announce Title Wave at Bay Street: The 6th Annual New Works Festival, May 3 - 5. All readings are free, but tickets are required, as these events typically sell out. Tickets are available now at baystreet.org or by calling the Bay Street Theater Box Office at 631-725-9500, open Tuesday through Saturday 11 am to 5 pm, or until show time.

Cleveland Play House is proud to announce the inspiring works for the 14th Annual New Ground Theatre Festival (NGTF).  NGTF provides the opportunity for playwrights to develop and showcase their work, while offering Cleveland audiences the opportunity to see these remarkable new plays come to life.  The Festival will run May 9th - May 19th.  

Cleveland Play House is proud to announce the inspiring works for the 14th Annual New Ground Theatre Festival (NGTF).  NGTF provides the opportunity for playwrights to develop and showcase their work, while offering Cleveland audiences the opportunity to see these remarkable new plays come to life.  The Festival will run May 9th - May 19th.  

The Gift Theatre is pleased to announce the final play of its 2019 Season: the Chicago premiere of Leah Nanako Winkler's dark comedy KENTUCKY, directed by ensemble member Chika Ike, playing October 17 - November 17, 2019 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.

Playwright Wendy Graf has been named the inaugural Gold Medallion winner by theMoss Hart & Kitty Carlisle Hart New Play Initiative for her play Exit Wounds.