Jane Alexander News

South Coast Repertory's Pacific Playwrights Festival (PPF) will celebrate its 11th annual edition with a lineup composed of seven SCR-commissioned plays from an array of writers. Since its creation in 1998, PPF has grown into one of the most important festivals of new scripts in the United States. This year's Festival will take place during the May 2 through May 4 weekend with a workshop production, four staged readings and two fully-staged World Premieres on South Coast Repertory's two major stages. Tickets to PPF may be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or in person at the SCR box office.

Today's the day the Teddy Bears had their picnic! And they brought along all their Broadway-loving friends for another successful and entertaining Broadway Bears auction, presented by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS! To the thrill of bear and fan-boy alike, the 11th Annual event raised over $127,000! Top winners were 'Cyrano de Bergerac,' 'The Lion King' and 'Spamalot.'

The 11th Annual Broadway Bears auction line-up, presented by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS on February 17 at 7PM, is here! Each year, 'Broadway Bears: A Costumed Teddy Bear Auction' is a much-anticipated BC/EFA event. These specially-designed bears (often using actual material from their respective Broadway productions, and autographed by the stars) raised $130,000 last year. BC/EFA hopes to reach even higher this winter!

South Coast Repertory Artistic Directors David Emmes and Martin Benson have been named the recipients of the 2007-08 Margo Jones Medal. The prestigious award honors those who have demonstrated a significant impact, understanding and affirmation of the craft of playwriting, with a lifetime commitment to the encouragement of the living theater everywhere. The venerable duo has guided South Coast Repertory from a small touring company into one of the country's leading professional theaters, now approaching its 45th season and known world-wide for its development of new work for the stage. The Ohio State University Libraries and College of the Arts will present the award to Emmes and Benson on May 1 at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California, kicking off the theater's nationally-renowned Pacific Playwrights Festival.

Primary Stages has announced the schedule of new plays for its 24th season. The 2008-2009 season will have three New York premieres: Buffalo Gal by A.R. Gurney, A Body of Water by Lee Blessing, and Shipwrecked! An Entertainment - The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told By Himself) by Donald Margulies, and the world premiere of Chasing Manet by Tina Howe at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters.

On Sunday, October 7, Jane Alexander starred as D. H. Lawrence's widow, Frieda, in a reading of the new play, A Moon To Dance By, by Thom Thomas at Primary Stages.

Tony Award-winners Carol Channing, James Earl Jones and Tommy Tune were honored by the American Theatre Wing in a benefit at Cipriani 42nd Street on Monday, June 4th

On Monday, May 21, 2007, The American Place Theatre hosted a once-in-a-lifetime benefit event: 'Wynn, Place & Show: A Celebration of Wynn Handman's 85th Birthday and the 45th Anniversary of The American Place Theatre.'

On Wednesday, May 9th, the Roundabout Theatre Company's new Broadway production of 110 in the Shade, starring Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald, opened at Studio 54, and BroadwayWorld was there to capture the excitement!

Prolific thespian Richard Harris has reprised his role of King Arthur once again, as he takes to the small screen in Acorn Media's DVD release of Lerner & Loewe's 'Camelot.' Also out is 'The Best of the Tony Awards - The Plays' for the first time individually.

A star-studded party followed Our Time Theatre Company's benefit gala Express Yourself, which took place on April 23rd

Acorn Media wil release Camelot, The Best of the Tony Awards-The Plays and Wallis and Edward

On May 1, Acorn Media will release home video debut of Lerner and Loewe's Camelot, the Tony-nominated revival, mounted for Broadway in the early 1980s at New York's historic Winter Garden Theatre and filmed for television by HBO. It will also release 'The Best of the Tony Awards: The Plays' the same day

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of its Billy Rose Theatre Division with Stars and Treasures: 75 Years of Collecting Theatre, a major exhibition showcasing rare and unique artifacts from the more than 9 million items in its collections

An all-star cast will headline Naked Angels' September 18th reading of the classic 1976 political drama All the President's Men

Ralph Fiennes, Cherry Jones and Ian McDiarmid opened on Broadway in The Dublin Gate Theatre production of Brian Friel's play Faith Healer and BroadwayWorld was there!

The Roundabout Theatre Company's star-studded revival of The Threepenny Opera opened at Studio 54 on April 20th

Dozens of stars--among them Harry Connick Jr., Kelli O'Hara, Denis O'Hare and Natasha Richardson--turned out for the Roundabout Theatre Company's 2006 spring gala on April 3rd