Jean Shepherd News

This week, playwright Young Jean Lee hosted an online playwriting workshop through Zoom!

Show Shepherd, a theatrical consulting group that works with writers, independent producers, and theater companies to develop new work, has announced its new series of free livestreamed theatrical performances - The At-Home Theater Series - which launches on March 26, 2020, on various platforms including YouTube and Instagram.

Liam Maguire's SHEPHERD shares a modern age method of coping with the stress of the connected community.

DIXON PLACE will Present the Premiere of TADEUSZ VON MOLTKE's trilogy GENET 110, to honor LGBTQ icon, writer, activist JEAN GENET in his 110th birthday year.

Sharon Small will make her Chichester debut in the title role of THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE by Jay Presson Allen, adapted from the novel by Muriel Spark. Rachel Kavanaugh directs the production, running at Chichester Festival Theatre from 29 May a?" 30 June.

Jonathan Taylor Productions announces Jean-Paul Sartre's The Respectable Prostitute directed by Lisa Forrell. The production opens at The Playground Theatre on 21 May, with previews from 20 May, and runs until 6 June.

Acclaimed electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre will make his SXSW debut on Tuesday, March 17 as a panellist for a?oeMusic Copyright & AI: Who Owns Code-Created Songs?a?? The panel, moderated by The Verge's Dani Deahl, will explore the new field of music copyright and AI. Jarre comes to SXSW in support of his latest project, EōN: a dynamic music app available now via iOS which produces infinite, ever-evolving music, accompanied by a constant progression of organic visuals. More on the panel can be found here.

Producer Mark Cortale has announced that international chanteuse and drag superstar Varla Jean Merman will premiere her hilarious new comedy show A Star Is Bored in Los Angeles at Largo on Thursday, March 26 at 8:00 PM. After 25 years of giving over 75% of her best at every performance, Varla is well, tired.

Julesworks Follies 62nd Edition Annual (Ish) Not Quite Valentine's Show will be on Sunday Feb 23rd at 7 pm at Le Jean Cocteau Cinema.

New York City Center today announced complete casting for the Encores! production of Love Life. Joining previously announced cast members Kate Baldwin (Susan Cooper) and Brian Stokes Mitchell (Sam Cooper) are John Edwards (Hobo), Sara Jean Ford (Miss Ideal Man), Isabella Houston (Elizabeth Cooper), Owen Tabaka (Johnny Cooper), and Clarke Thorell (Bill/Mr. Cynic).

Orpheus, Eurydice, a trouble-making horse and Death herself converge in a very funny and irreverent reimagining of the Greek myth by surrealist poet, playwright and filmmaker Jean Cocteau. Deaf West Theatre views Cocteau's whimsical, magical and highly visual play, first performed in 1926, through a unique lens: translated from the French into Spoken English by John Savacool, into American Sign Language by Andrew Moore, and slated for a run at the True Colors Festival in Tokyo, Japan at the end of April. Deena Selenow directs Orphée in a visiting production at the Odyssey Theatre, opening March 13 for a four-week run through April 5. Three low-priced previews are set for March 8, March 11 and March 12.

Coming soon to the New York Theatre Festival is Les Boîtes Noires, running February 17, 19 and 22 at the Hudson Guild Theater.

TDF, the not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing the power of the performing arts to everyone, (also known as Theatre Development Fund), which is in its 52nd year of service to audiences and the performing arts community, will present the TDF Founders Award to JOSH GROBAN, the internationally renowned singer, songwriter, actor and founder of the FIND YOUR LIGHT FOUNDATION. The presentation will be made at TDF's 2020 Gala on Monday, March 23 at Cipriani 42nd Street (110 East 42nd Street, New York, NY).

Aya Productions are back at Belvoir St Theatre to present the world premiere of SHEPHERD, written and directed by Liam Maguire. Kicking off the outstanding 25A Season in the Belvoir Downstairs Theatre, we bring you an absurdist play for absurdist times. SHEPHERD is a pitch-black satire from a knockout cast on finding hope in the modern world when hopelessness is so seductive.

Join Player-Hater Productions and an all-star lineup of their closest friends for HOMETOWN JUKEBOX - a honky tonk cabaret celebrating the best of classic and modern country music, hosted by Cassandra Jean Amell (The CW's Roswell, New Mexico) - on Thursday, February 27th at Hollywood's historic Three Clubs. It's a one-night-only event promising good times, good friends, and a whole lotta country music for a great cause!

In this episode, Ben and Daniel talk to actor, singer, and drag legend Jeffery Roberson (aka Varla Jean Merman) about the 1966 cast recording of 'The Mad Show.' They also discuss Coco Peru, Frank DeCaro, Heklina, Joanne Worley, Linda Lavin, 'The First Wives Club,' Carol Burnett, Sandy Duncan, Barbra Streisand, Ann Reinking, Leslie Jordan, Marisol Montalvo, and Charles Busch. Varla talks about performing the role of Mary Sunshine in 'Chicago' on Broadway, and shares stories about working in Provincetown with queens such as Jinkx Monsoon, Peaches Christ, Liza Lott, and BenDeLaCreme. In addition to her hilarious onstage performances, Varla is also known for her work in Richard Day's beloved 2003 comedy film 'Girls Will Be Girls.'

Check out Joe's Pub lineup for the Under the Radar festival featuring new and experimental work from Rizo (fka Lady Rizo), Lucy McComick, Daniel J. Watts, and Ryan J. Haddad. Rounding out the week is Kittel & Co, Ethan Lipton & His Orchestra, Jean-Michel Blais, Rev Billy, a very fun showcase from DANCE NOW, Nellie McKay, Aditya Prakash, Damien Sneed, William Prince, Xenia França, Luis Enrique and, as always, a ton more.

Today, Olivia Jean has shared a lyric video for her cover of the Mohammed Rafi classic 'Jaan Pehechaan Ho' from last year's stellar Night Owl LP -- watch below!

Surprisingly, the lady was not nearly as graphically bawdy as many of her contemporaries. Oh, there's innuendo and winks at naughtiness a-plenty, but there's no profanity and she lets the audience go the final steps into their own dirty minds without pushing them too much. For this rainbow reviewer, that's the mark of a true Pro.

Soraya Nadia McDonald is the winner of this year's George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism. McDonald is the cultural critic for The Undefeated, and her writing focuses on the subject of race in American Theater.