Heather McDonald News

Following a critically acclaimed season which included the Pulitzer Prize finalist Becky Shaw and the Broadway transfer of its musical hit Next to Normal, Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director) has announced three of the four plays scheduled for its upcoming 31st Season.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director) will launch its 31st season this fall with the New York premiere of Anna Deavere Smith's LET ME DOWN EASY. Conceived, written, and performed by Ms. Smith and directed by Leonard Foglia, LET ME DOWN EASY will begin preview performances on Tuesday, September 15 and will officially open in early October.

The National Arts Club announced the recipients of its Kesselring Fellowship (formerly the Kesselring Award) supporting the work of extraordinary playwrights who have yet to achieve national recognition. An industry panel of writers, literary managers, actors, producers and directors and critics evaluated twenty-five finalists. In a rare move based on extraordinary merit, the 2009 panel and the National Arts Club choose to give out two lead awards rather than one. These two playwrights, Rajiv Joseph (Bengal Tiger at the Baghad Zoo, upcoming at the Mark Taper Forum) and David Adjmi (Stunning, upcoming at Lincoln Center 3) were awarded Kesselring Fellowships. Playwrights Jenny Schwartz and Tarrel Alvin McCraney were also named as Kesselring Honorees

Talk Show Listings Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009.

Former New York Times chief theater critic, Frank Rich, who was once known as 'the Butcher of Broadway' will appear on The Colbert Report on Monday Night. Frank Rich became a New York Times op-ed columnist in 1994 after serving for thirteen years as the newspaper's chief drama critic. These days, he covers politics and also serves as an adviser on the paper's overall cultural news report. Two of his previous books are MUST-HAVES for theatre fans everywhere. Hot Seat: Theater Criticism for The New York Times, 1980-1993 contains a collection of all of his New York Times theatre reviews, which provide insight into thirteen years of Broadway including many of its big hits and misses. He is the also author of the childhood memoir Ghost Light, which is filled with many tales of the start of his love of theatre. Rich is married to Alex Witchel, who also writes for the Times.

Former New York Times chief theater critic, Frank Rich, who was once known as 'the Butcher of Broadway' will appear on The Colbert Report on Monday Night. Frank Rich became a New York Times op-ed columnist in 1994 after serving for thirteen years as the newspaper's chief drama critic. These days, he covers politics and also serves as an adviser on the paper's overall cultural news report. Two of his previous books are MUST-HAVES for theatre fans everywhere. Hot Seat: Theater Criticism for The New York Times, 1980-1993 contains a collection of all of his New York Times theatre reviews, which provide insight into thirteen years of Broadway including many of its big hits and misses. He is the also author of the childhood memoir Ghost Light, which is filled with many tales of the start of his love of theatre. Rich is married to Alex Witchel, who also writes for the Times.

Playwrights Harrison, Eno, Groff, Gardley to receive Kesselring Awards

California Musical Theatre has announced its 2007 Music Circus season with seven large-scale musical productions and seasoned Broadway veterans helming casts! Nancy Opel, Laura Griffith, Adinah Alexander, James Barbour, Walter Charles, Michael Gruber and others star!

Playwright Mark Schultz is the recipient of The National Arts Club's 2006 Kesselring Prize for Playwriting. The $15,000 prize is awarded annually to a playwright of exceptional promise.

A March 14th concert at Weill Recital Hall will feature songs by Ricky Ian Gordon and Jake Heggie