Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig News

Rorschach's dark wit and visionary approach to design have met their match in Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig's sharp, fantastical adventure through the Chinese Land of the Dead - coming to Atlas Performing Arts Center March 23 - April 15.

UCSB's Department of Theater and Dance presents The World of Extreme Happiness, a play by faculty member and award-winning playwright Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig. The World of Extreme Happiness opens February 16 and runs through February 25 in the Performing Arts Theater. This moving tragedy about the complexities of human nature set in present-day China comes to life under the direction of Daniel Stein.

The Wilma Theater, in association with Evamere Entertainment, presents Stew and Heidi Rodewald's Tony Award-winning musical in this major Philadelphia revival.

The Unicorn Theatre announces the appointment of Justin Audibert as the company's new Artistic Director. Justin will take up the position in summer '18, taking over from Purni Morell who steps down as Artistic Director this spring after nearly seven years in the role.

Rorschach Theatre an award-winning company known for its dedication to impossible, fantastical realism kicks off the new year with a significant commitment to connecting artists, audiences and new work. The company's spring production of 410 Gone and three new initiatives build on Rorschach's long history of discovering, shaping and launching emerging talent and new works in the nation's capital.

General ticket sales are underway for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's (OSF) 83rd season, which begins with the first preview on Feb. 16 and continues through Oct. 28. The 2018 season features four plays by William Shakespeare, a re-imagined classic musical, two West Coast premieres, one U.S. premiere and two world premieres as well as a host of events and opportunities to further engage with the onstage works.

The Wilma Theater, in association with Evamere Entertainment, presents Stew and Heidi Rodewald's Tony Award-winning musical in this major Philadelphia revival.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival wrapped up its 2017 season on October 28 with the final performances of Shakespeare in Love, Henry IV, Part Two, and Julius Caesar.

California Shakespeare Theater announced today the return of its record-breaking hit play black odyssey for a special limited engagement, September 25 through October 7, 2018 at the Bruns Amphitheater. Marcus Gardley's music-filled journey through African-American folklore garnered box office records, critical acclaim, sold-out houses, and standing ovations during its initial August 2017 run.

Life is hard for female children and for women in general in China. This is the basic message from Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig's play The World of Extreme Happiness currently playing at Seattle Public Theater. The big problem with this is that we all know this and so beyond that, what story do they want to tell with this play and why are they telling it? For the life of me, I was never really certain.

Seattle Public Theater's 2017-18 Season opens with Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig's The World of Extreme Happiness.

Seattle Public Theater's 2017-18 Season opens with Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig's The World of Extreme Happiness.

California Shakespeare Theater continues its 43rd Season with the West Coast premiere of black odyssey, a thrilling and music-infused new play that mashes up Greek mythology and African-American folklore. black odyssey marks the Cal Shakes debut of Oakland native Marcus Gardley (The House That Will Not Stand at Berkeley Rep), and is only the second production ever of the play, which is being re-set in Oakland for Cal Shakes. Directed by Cal Shakes Artistic Director Eric Ting, fresh from directing Berkeley Rep's smash hit An Octoroon, the production will also feature vocal compositions by Linda Tillery and Molly Holm.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre today announced the West Coast premiere of An Octoroon written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and directed by Eric Ting will close out its season.

One of the theater world's most prestigious playwriting prizes, the Yale Drama Series Prize, will be given to Jacqueline Goldfinger for her play Bottle Fly. The 2017 award recipient was chosen by playwright Nicholas Wright. This year's ceremony will be held in London, with the play receiving a staged reading in November at the National Theatre Studio.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre today announced the West Coast premiere of An Octoroon written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and directed by Eric Ting will close out its season.

The UCSB Department of Theater and Dance will present New Works Lab at the Performing Arts Theater. The production is split into two programs, each with two original UCSB student-written plays. Program A will be presented May 11, 19, 20 at 8 PM, and May 13, 21 at 2 PM. Program B will be presented May 12, 13, 18, and 20 at 8 PM.

Yangtze Repertory Theatre of America returns to Theater for the New City (TNC) June 2 to 18 to present the New York premiere of '401[GONE]' by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, the prize-winning author of 'The World of Extreme Happiness' (Manhattan Theater Club, 2015). 

Gregory Award-winning Seattle Public Theater announced the lineup for its 2017-18 season yesterday. The six plays, including a newly-commissioned world premiere by local playwright Maggie Lee and the runaway broadway sensation Hand to God by Robert Askins, were chosen specifically by newly appointed co-producing Artistic Directors Kelly Kitchens and Annie Lareau as part of the organization's mission to produce compelling and socially relevant theater that sparks conversation, broadens consciousness, and inspires compassion.

Goodman Theatre joins Los Angeles' Center Theatre Group (CTG) in a new co-commissioning partnership that also involves three other internationally renowned theaters-London's Royal Court Theatre and National Theatre, and New York's Second Stage-in the hopes of generating new plays to appear in multiple cities over the next decade.