Erik Jensen News

NAATCO (National Asian American Theatre Company) founder and Artistic Producing Director Mia Katigbak today announced the creation of The NAATCO National Partnership Project (NNPP), a national theater initiative that will ingrain the inclusion of Asian American theatre artists, technicians, administrators, and community members in the American theater.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced today the spring Public Forum and Public Shakespeare Initiative line-up that will explore the intersection of art, ideas, and action and illuminate the study and performance of Shakespeare's works.

The Public Theater just kicked off the 16th annual UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL last night, January 8. This popular and highly-anticipated festival of The Public's winter season will include artists from across the U.S. and around the world, including Australia, Chile, China, Japan, Mexico, Palestine, Taiwan, and the U.K. Curated by UTR Festival Director Mark Russell, this year's UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL continues to expand to venues throughout New York City, in addition to The Public Theater's home at Astor Place.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced complete casting today for the world premiere of the new play COAL COUNTRY, written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen with original music by Steve Earle. Directed by Jessica Blank, this riveting new work will begin performances in the Anspacher Theater with a Joseph Papp Free Preview performance on Tuesday, February 18. COAL COUNTRY will run through Sunday, March 29, with an official press opening on Tuesday, March 3.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) (Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director Jeremy Blocker) announced today performers, presenters and the host for the NYTW 2020 Gala, honoring NYTW Usual Suspect & Tony Award-winning director Rachel Chavkin (Hadestown, Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, Three Pianos at NYTW) and Tony Award-winning producer Jordan Roth (Producer of Hadestown; President of Jujamcyn Theaters). The Gala will be held on Monday, February 3 at Capitale (130 Bowery, New York, NY 10013).

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, announces the recipients of the second round of the 2019 Edgerton Foundation New Play Awards. The awards, totaling $583,000, allow 15 productions extra time for the development and rehearsal of new plays with the entire creative team, hoping to extend the life of the world premiere play after its first run. 

The Public Theater's Free Shakespeare in the Park production of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, directed by Kenny Leon, opened just last night at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, running through Sunday, June 23.

Public Theater announced the line-up today for The Public's 2019-20 Season 

Rehearsal images have been released for next month's revival of true crime drama The Exonerated at Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester.

An exciting cast of experienced stage and screen performers - who will appear both in person and in integrated filmed footage - has been announced for the forthcoming northern premiere of The Exonerated at Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester.

The American Theatre Wing and The Village Voice announce that Artistic Director of New York Theatre Workshop, James C. Nicola, and Artistic Director and founder of Theatre For A New Audience, Jeffrey Horowitz, will receive special Obie Awards for Lifetime Achievement at the 64th Annual Obie Awards, which will be held on Monday, May 20, 2019 at Terminal 5 (610 West 56th Street).

New York Theatre Workshop announced today that the previously announced new project from Anna Deavere Smith will be postponed as NYTW works with Anna to realize her exciting vision for this upcoming piece.

This week, New York Theatre Workshop hosted its NYTW 2019 Gala celebrating 40 Years!  The evening featured performances from Alice Ripley (Next to Normal); Anthony Rapp (RENT), Daphne Rubin-Vega (RENT), Amber Gray (Hadestown); Nathaly Lopez (What's It All About); Cristina Monet ("Disco Clone") plus members of the original casts of RENT; Bright Lights, Big City; What's It All About; Hadestown and more.  See photos from the evening below!

On February 11, New York Theatre Workshop is celebrating 40 years of bringing the work of visionary artists to adventurous audiences. Each season, from its home in New York's East Village, NYTW presents four new productions, over 80 readings and numerous workshop productions for over 45,000 audience members. NYTW supports artists in all stages of their careers by maintaining a series of workshop programs, including work-in-progress readings, summer residencies and artist fellowships.

The University of Washington has announced the complete roster of artists who have been selected as Creative Research Fellows as part of its first three-year Creative Fellowships Initiative. Funded by a $750,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the interdisciplinary initiative will advance the field of performing arts by supporting artists in the development of new works and by integrating the performing arts disciplines into a broader context academically, artistically, and socially.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) will present 17 Border Crossings, created and performed by NYTW Usual Suspect Thaddeus Phillips (A Billion Nights on Earth), and directed by Tatiana Mallarino (Red Eye to Havre de Grace). This will be Thaddeus Phillips's third collaboration with NYTW, following ¡El Conquistador! in 2006 and Red Eye to Havre de Grace in 2014.

 Oxygen Media, the destination for high-quality crime programming, debuts “Dannemora Prison Break” on December 15 at 7pmET/PT. Hosted by award-winning veteran correspondent Troy Roberts, the riveting two-hour special delves into the shocking story of an audacious mind-game that empowered two homicidal prisoners enough to charm their way out of a maximum-security facility in the sleepy prison town of Dannemora, New York. On June 2015, inmates David Sweat and Richard Matt carried out a historic prison break from Clinton Correctional Facility, resulting in a 21-day manhunt that captivated the nation. As each unbelievable detail of the escape unfolded, their brilliantly executed plan pointed to help from inside the presumed-impenetrable prison walls, thus catapulting civilian employee Joyce Mitchell to the center of it all. For a sneak peek, please visit:https://www.oxygen.com/dannemora-prison-break/videos/dannemora-prison-break-premieres-on-saturday-december-15th

 Oxygen Media, the destination for high-quality crime programming, debuts “Dannemora Prison Break” on December 15 at 7pmET/PT. Hosted by award-winning veteran correspondent Troy Roberts, the riveting two-hour special delves into the shocking story of an audacious mind-game that empowered two homicidal prisoners enough to charm their way out of a maximum-security facility in the sleepy prison town of Dannemora, New York. On June 2015, inmates David Sweat and Richard Matt carried out a historic prison break from Clinton Correctional Facility, resulting in a 21-day manhunt that captivated the nation. As each unbelievable detail of the escape unfolded, their brilliantly executed plan pointed to help from inside the presumed-impenetrable prison walls, thus catapulting civilian employee Joyce Mitchell to the center of it all. For a sneak peek, please visit:https://www.oxygen.com/dannemora-prison-break/videos/dannemora-prison-break-premieres-on-saturday-december-15th