Jennifer Westfeldt News

Two-time Emmy Award-winning comedy writer Rachel Axler will make her off Broadway playwriting debut at the NEA-rejected Women's Project with Smudge, a dark comedy directed by Pam MacKinnon about the changing face of the American family and the limits of love and cheesecake. Smudge features Cassie Beck, Greg Keller and Brian Sgambati.

Charles Busch and Julie Halston will host this year's Primary Stages 25th Anniversary Gala Benefit to be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel (109 East 42nd Street) on Monday, November 9, 2009. This year's 'Leading Ladies' Penny Fuller and Isabel Keating are set to perform and will be joined by Elysabeth Kleinhans, and celebrity guests Allison Janney, Marian Seldes and Elizabeth Wilson in helping Primary Stages celebrate their 25th Anniversary Season.

2009 Tony Award host Neil Patrick Harris hosted the 61st Annual Emmy Awards on Sept. 20th.

A third set of presenters has been announced for the 61st Primetime Emmy (R) Awards airing Sunday, Sept. 20, on CBS. Primetime Emmy Award winners Michael J. Fox and Ellen Burstyn along with nominees Jon Cryer, Tracy Morgan and Bob Newhart, in addition to Patricia Arquette, David Boreanaz, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Rob Lowe, Hayden Panettiere, Josh Radnor and Cobie Smulders will present. The telecast will be broadcast live from the NOKIA Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 20 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Women's Project, truly on a roll in its 32nd year (and not looking a day over 29!) of producing plays written and directed by women, has signed Maggie Siff, one of the acclaimed ensemble of actors in the hit, third-season TV series 'Mad Men,' to play Aphra Behn in Liz Duffy Adams's three-hander Or, directed by Wendy McClellan.

Charles Busch and Julie Halston will host this year's Primary Stages 25th Anniversary Gala Benefit to be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel (109 East 42nd Street) on Monday, November 9, 2009. This year's 'Leading Ladies' Penny Fuller and Isabel Keating are set to perform and will be joined by Elysabeth Kleinhans, and celebrity guests Allison Janney, Marian Seldes and Elizabeth Wilson in helping Primary Stages celebrate their 25th Anniversary Season.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Monday, August 17, 2009.

I'll readily admit to letting out a quiet, though not exactly inaudible, 'Wow,' as I entered the main auditorium at 59E59 and took a first glimpse at Kris Stone's New York apartment set for Primary Stages' premiere production of Cusi Cram's A Lifetime Burning. The high-ceilinged collection of sharp angles, backed by exposed brick, colored in blue pastel and embellished by furnishings by Eva Zeisel (I had to look it up), immediately grabbed my interest and had me anxious to meet whomever it was who might be living there.

Mackinnon, the four-member cast features Jennifer Westfeldt as Emma with Raul Castillo as Alejandro, Isabel Keating as Lydia, and Christina Kirk as Tess. Performances began Tuesday, July 28, 2009 for a limited run through Saturday, September 5, 2009 at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues).

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) launches its 25th anniversary season of new works celebrating the female playwright with the world premiere of A Lifetime Burning by Cusi Cram. With direction by Pam Mackinnon, the four-member cast features Jennifer Westfeldt as Emma with Raul Castillo as Alejandro, Isabel Keating as Lydia, and Christina Kirk as Tess. Performances began Tuesday, July 28, 2009 for a limited run through Saturday, September 5, 2009 at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues).

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) launches its 25th anniversary season of new works celebrating the female playwright with the world premiere of A Lifetime Burning by Cusi Cram.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) launches its 25th anniversary season of new works celebrating the female playwright with the world premiere of A Lifetime Burning by Cusi Cram. With direction by Pam Mackinnon, the four-member cast features Jennifer Westfeldt as Emma with Raul Castillo as Alejandro, Isabel Keating as Lydia, and Christina Kirk as Tess.

Vassar & New York Stage and Film's Powerhouse season will continue through Sunday, August 2, with the Mainstage play Vera Laughed (through 8/2); the Martel Musical Tina Girlstar (7/31 - 8/1); the ever-popular Readings Festival 2 (7/30 - 8/2); and a free concert reading by the Powerhouse Apprentice Company of the new musical Hello! My Baby.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) launches its 25th anniversary season of new works celebrating the female playwright with the world premiere of A Lifetime Burning by Cusi Cram.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) launches its 25th anniversary season of new works celebrating the female playwright with the world premiere of A Lifetime Burning by Cusi Cram.

Women's Project, the 32-year-old non-profit theater dedicated to producing plays written and directed by women, will increase main stage production next season by 50%. The theater's board of directors authorized Julie Crosby, producing artistic director, to increase main stage productions from two to three at the company's Julia Miles Theater on West 55th Street.

Primary Stages, one of New York's preeminent theater companies, has announced the addition of two special playwriting workshops to their School of Theater Summer 2009 schedule: 'Stage Directions and The Visual Life of the Stage' with Sarah Ruhl, and 'Get The Party Started' with Cusi Cram.

rimary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) launches its 25th anniversary season of new works celebrating the female playwright with the world premiere of A Lifetime Burning by Cusi Cram. With direction by Pam MacKinnon, the four-member cast features Jennifer Westfeldt as Emma with Raul Castillo as Alejandro, Isabel Keating as Lydia, and Christina Kirk as Tess. Performances begin Tuesday, July 28, 2009 for a limited run through Saturday, September 5, 2009 at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Opening night is set for Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. The cast and creative team held a meet and greet for the press and BroadwayWorld.com was there!

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) launches its 25th anniversary season of new works celebrating the female playwright with the world premiere of A Lifetime Burning by Cusi Cram. With direction by Pam MacKinnon, the four-member cast features Jennifer Westfeldt as Emma with Raul Castillo as Alejandro, Isabel Keating as Lydia, and Christina Kirk as Tess. Performances begin Tuesday, July 28, 2009 for a limited run through Saturday, September 5, 2009 at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Opening night is set for Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) launches its 25th anniversary season of new works celebrating the female playwright with the world premiere of A Lifetime Burning by Cusi Cram.