American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity Ensemble, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, has named Inda Craig-Galvan the winner of the national 2018 Blue Ink Playwriting Award. Craig-Galvan's play, WELCOME TO MATTESON!, was selected from a pool 606 submissions. As part of the award, Matteson receives a $1,000 cash prize and the opportunity to further develop her script with American Blues Theater.
The Joust Theatre Company is thrilled to introduce The Writer's Round Table, a new developmental writers' group comprised of four carefully selected playwrights whose work challenges and/or reimagines systemic norms. These four playwrights will join us in a 9-month developmental process to exchange ideas and develop their plays which will culminate in each play receiving two public workshop performances, presented in repertory in the Spring and Fall of 2018. Specific dates and locations of these workshops will be announced soon.
Victory Gardens Theater continues its 43rd season with BREACH: a manifesto on race in america through the eyes of a black girl recovering from self-hate, written by Antoinette Nwandu and directed by Lisa Portes. BREACH runs February 9 - March 11, 2018, with the press performance on Friday, February 16, 2018 at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.
New Jersey Repertory Company located at 179 Broadway, Long Branch, rounds out its 2018 Season with the mature comedy, Assisted Living, by Michael Tucker (The M Spot), which will run from August 9 - September 9, 2018.
Azuka Theatre continues its commitment to local playwrights with the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere and The Virginia & Harvey Kimmel New Professionals Production of Ready Steady Yeti Go by David Jacobi. Allison Heishman directs this uplifting, hilarious and tender comedy about young star-crossed lovers navigating the pitfalls of falling in love while dealing with prying eyes - and the 'White Guilt Perfect Storm' that threatens to drown their relationship.
In 1920s rural Connecticut, Phil Hogan cobbles together a living on rented farmland that he hopes to someday own outright, when his landlord Jim Tyrone comes into his inheritance. Hogan has driven away his three sons, but his towering daughter Josie understands her father and can hold her own. When the two learn that the land may be sold out from under them, they concoct a plan to save it that ultimately reveals the secret desires that two lonely souls have kept hidden for years.
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley continues its 2017/2018 Season with the regional premiere of the Obie Award-winning Skeleton Crew, in a co-production with Marin Theatre Company. A makeshift family of auto-plant workers navigate the possibility of foreclosure in this funny, tough, and tender American drama which captured critical raves. Rising star playwright Dominique Morisseau (Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations, Sunset Baby, Detroit '67, Pipeline) creates a world in which ambitious dreams and corporate deception interweave, pushing friendships to the limit. Skeleton Crew will be directed by Jade King Carroll (Associate Director for Broadway revivals of A Streetcar Named Desire and The Gin Game) and will be presented by TheatreWorks March 7 - April 1, 2018 (opening night: March 10) at the Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto. For tickets ($40-$100) and more information the public may visit TheatreWorks.org or call (650) 463-1960.
The Citizens Theatre has released casting details for its forthcoming co-production with HOME, Manchester, of Eugene O'Neill's masterpiece Long Day's Journey Into Night, which runs from 13 Apr - 5 May at the Citizens Theatre and at HOME, Manchester from 9 - 16 May.
Entertainment marketing agency AKA NYC has appointed Mark Blankenship to the newly-created post of Integrated Content and Community Director. Blankenship joins the agency's team of digital experts and will utilize his unique skills and experience to foster high-level ideation and the delivery of innovative, integrated campaigns for theatrical clients in the digital and social space, and beyond.
EgoPo Classic Theater's 25th Anniversary season and its season-long John Guare Festival is heating up as Guare's Lydie Breeze Trilogy, moves to into Part II: Aipotu. EgoPo is tackling this epic piece of theater about an American family, set between the Civil War and the birth of the 20th-century, with three separate production runs of each part of the trilogy, followed by two weeks of three-day marathons and four opportunities for full day marathons.
SPARKLE & CIRCULATE with JUSTIN SAYRE - the official monthly podcast of the International Order of Sodomites - has posted its new episode, which features an interview with Julian Fleisher. The sophisticated vocalist, composer, bandleader, producer, actor and author discusses his albums "Rather Big" and "Finally," his book 'The Drag Queens of New York: An Illustrated Field Guide'... and why he needs a boyfriend. Plus, he spills secrets about his musical collaborations with Kiki & Herb and Ana Gasteyer. And Justin sends us his best for the new year, if slightly belatedly. SPARKLE & CIRCULATE was recently named among the "10 Comedy Podcasts You Should Listen To" by Backstage. All episodes are available on iTunes HERE.
An additional preview was announced today for the upcoming Sydney production of The Book of Mormon, on Tuesday 27 February at 7pm at the Sydney Lyric Theatre. This will be the first chance for fans to see the much-anticipated Broadway smash hit in Sydney. All tickets for this special preview will cost only $20.00 and go on sale at 9am on Monday 19 February.
New Repertory Theatre and Boston Center for American Performance (BCAP) present Ripe Frenzy, performed February 24-March 11, 2018 at the Boston University College of Fine Arts Studio ONE, 855 Commonwealth Ave, Boston. Tickets may be purchased by calling the New Rep Box Office at 617-923-8487 or visiting newrep.org.
The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry's Puppet Forum Series Presents American Puppet Modernism: The Early 20th Century with Steve Abrams, John Bell, and Bart. P. Roccoberton, Jr. Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 7 p.m.
Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer), New York City's award-winning pioneer in diversity and multi-ethnic casting in the performing arts since 1968, will celebrate its 49th Anniversary at its annual Gala Benefit on Monday, April 2, 2018 at the Baruch Performing Arts Center (East 25th Street between Lexington and 3rd Avenues). Honorary Chair for the event is Tony Award-nominated actor/singer and 2016 Rosie Award-winner Norm Lewis. Two-time Tony Award-nominee Brad Oscar will be Master of Ceremonies for the evening.
How far will powerful men and institutions go to keep their secrets - and who pays the price when they do? Echo Theater Company and Circle X Theatre Co. join forces to present the world premiere of An Undivided Heart by Yusuf Toropov, directed by Chris Fields and running March 16 through April 22 at Atwater Village Theatre. Two pay-what-you-want previews take place on March 14 and March 15.
Following a five year search for a permanent home, Target Margin Theater (Founding Artistic Director David Herskovits, Associate Artistic Director Moe Yousuf, General Manager Lu Liu) is proud to present the world premiere of Pay No Attention To The Girl (March 29-April 21), which marks the Company's debut off-Broadway performances in their new 3,250 sq. ft. home in Brooklyn. Directed by Founding Artistic Director David Herskovits, Pay No Attention To The Girl is an interlocking set of tales about the deceptions of the sexes that lead us deep into the labyrinth of The Thousand and One Nights, a collection of Silk Road, MENA (Middle Eastern / North African), and South Asian stories.
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley presents the Tony Award-winning musical The Bridges of Madison County, based on the 1992 bestselling novel by Robert James Waller about love both lost and found. Set amidst the cornfields of Iowa in 1965, this passionate musical follows the unexpected affair of a devoted Italian-born housewife and a roving National Geographic photographer set over four sensual, heart-stirring days. Brilliantly adapted by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright Marsha Norman ('night Mother, The Secret Garden, The Color Purple) with music and lyrics by Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown (Parade), it captured the 2014 Tony Award for Best Musical Score. The Bridges of Madison County, directed by TheatreWorks Artistic Director and founder Robert Kelley will be presented April 4 - 29, 2018 (opening night: April 7) at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View. For tickets ($40-$100) and more information the public may visit TheatreWorks.org or call (650) 463-1960.
Silk Road Rising (Chief Programming Officer Jamil Khoury and Executive Director Malik Gillani) is proud to announce the World Premiere of Through the Elevated Line, written by Novid Parsi and directed by Carin Silkaitis. The production will run from March 7th to April 15th, 2018 at Silk Road Rising located at 77 W. Washington St., Lower Level, Chicago, IL, 60602. The Press Opening is March 17 at 4:00pm.
THE BOOK OF MORMON, winner of nine Tony Awards® including Best Musical, has broken the house record in Portland for the week ending January 28, 2018 at Keller Auditorium grossing $1,703,226 for a standard 8-performance week as part of the U.S. Bank Broadway in Portland series.
