Jessa-Raye Court News

In the new play 'LUNT AND FONTANNE: THE CELESTIALS OF BROADWAY,' playwright and actor Mark E. Lang unites with his wife of twelve years, Alison Murphy to celebrate The Lunts and examine their lives, their work and their legacy... to dig beneath their public personae and discover the all-too-real and sometimes fragile personalities beneath.

In the new play "LUNT AND FONTANNE: THE CELESTIALS OF BROADWAY," playwright and actor Mark E. Lang unites with his wife of twelve years, Alison Murphy to celebrate The Lunts and examine their lives, their work and their legacy... to dig beneath their public personae and discover the all-too-real and sometimes fragile personalities beneath.

They were married actors. Who worked together, almost exclusively, for decades. Stage actors who chose to turn down big-money offers from Hollywood. Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne ruled Broadway, toured the nation and even played London's West End in the middle of World War II. With the Theatre Guild, they took low salaries to play in acclaimed productions of Shaw, O'Neill and Shakespeare; as well as three plays by their good friend Noel Coward. Laurence Olivier once said, 'Everything I know about acting I learned from Alfred Lunt.' A Broadway theater was named for them in 1958, and the Cole Porter musical 'KISS ME KATE' was inspired by their on and off-stage battles. Hugely famous in their time, they are now almost completely forgotten by the general public.

Strindberg's 'Kristina' (1903) is the unacknowledged basis for the Garbo film 'Queen Christina.' In this skillful study of a neurotic and complex woman, Strindberg reveals the power of his dramatic conceptions and the mastery he had acquired of his craft. The play was the last of a series of Strindberg's later historical dramas that are among the most powerful plays of the kind produced in modern times. August Strindberg Repertory Theatre will present the masterpiece at the Gene Frankel Theatre tonight, March 13 to 29 translated from the Swedish by Wendy Weckwerth, directed by Whitney Aronson.

Strindberg's 'Kristina' (1903) is the unacknowledged basis for the Garbo film 'Queen Christina.' In this skillful study of a neurotic and complex woman, Strindberg reveals the power of his dramatic conceptions and the mastery he had acquired of his craft. The play was the last of a series of Strindberg's later historical dramas that are among the most powerful plays of the kind produced in modern times. August Strindberg Repertory Theatre will present the masterpiece at the Gene Frankel Theatre March 13 to 29 translated from the Swedish by Wendy Weckwerth, directed by Whitney Aronson.

Theatre 167 will present the world premiere of The Church of Why Not, a new play inspired by the believers and skeptics, the Jews, Christians and Muslims, the activists and addicts, and the seekers and lost souls who pass through the doors of a church on the Upper West Side - staged at the very spot that inspired it.

Theater For The New City (Crystal Field, Executive Director) presents the Shakespeare's Sister Company's co-production of Kris Lundberg's play MUSE (part of the 2014 Dream Up Festival).

Even before MUSE completes its run in Theatre for the New City's Dream-Up Festival, Shakespeare's Sister Company has solidified dates for the production out-of-town.

Theater For The New City (Crystal Field, Executive Director) presents the Shakespeare's Sister Company's co-production of Kris Lundberg's play MUSE (part of the 2014 Dream Up Festival).

The award-winning Boomerang Theatre Company and Artistic Director Tim Errickson, are excited to announce their production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM by William Shakespeare, directed by John Greenleaf (The Acting Company, Steppenwolf, Australian Elizabethan Theatre; Co-founder Shakespeare on the Hudson), as part of the company's 15 years presenting exceptional outdoor theatre. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM will be presented at Central Park (69th Street and Central Park West), June 21 through July 20, 2014. Tickets are free and do not require a reservation. For more information visit www.boomerangtheatre.org.

The award-winning Boomerang Theatre Company and Artistic Director Tim Errickson, have announced their production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM by William Shakespeare, directed by John Greenleaf (The Acting Company, Steppenwolf, Australian Elizabethan Theatre; Co-founder Shakespeare on the Hudson), as part of the company's 15 years presenting exceptional outdoor theatre. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM will be presented at Central Park (69th Street and Central Park West), tonight, June 21 through July 20, 2014.

The award-winning Boomerang Theatre Company and Artistic Director Tim Errickson, have announced their production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM by William Shakespeare, directed by John Greenleaf (The Acting Company, Steppenwolf, Australian Elizabethan Theatre; Co-founder Shakespeare on the Hudson), as part of the company's 15 years presenting exceptional outdoor theatre. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM will be presented at Central Park (69th Street and Central Park West), June 21 through July 20, 2014. Tickets are free and do not require a reservation. For more information visit www.boomerangtheatre.org.

Since its opening in January 2014, THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND has been playing to sold out houses at Laurie Beechman Theater. This unauthorized musical parody inspired by the beloved TV sitcom "The Golden Girls," features book, music and lyrics by Nick Brennan (who also directs) and Luke Jones. The show will end its often-extended run on May 30.

After sold out runs in 2009 & 2010, THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND recently opened for a third limited-run engagement. Now, After selling out all of the originally announced dates, performances have been added through March 28 at Laurie Beechman Theater This unauthorized musical parody inspired by the beloved TV sitcom "The Golden Girls," features book, music and lyrics by Nick Brennan (who also directs) and Luke Jones.

After sold out runs in 2009 & 2010, THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND returns for its third limited-run engagement. This unauthorized musical parody inspired by the beloved TV sitcom "The Golden Girls," features book by Nick Brennan (who also directs), music by Jeff Thomson, and lyrics by Luke Jones and Cisco Cardenas. A 6-week limited engagement begins January 8 at Laurie Beechman Theater.

Bridge Theatre Group is proud to present Joe Martin's SOUNDWAVES: The Passion of Noor Inayat Khan, a semi-finalist at the O'Neill National Playwriting Competition, under the direction of Adrian Roman as part of FringeNYC, August 9th - 25th 2013.

Fengar Gael's The Island of No Tomorrows, an erotic, quixotic musical fantasy directed by Lorca Peress runs at Interart Theatre from November 2nd through 18th. The play, a co-production between Interart Theatre Development Series and MultiStages New Works Contests, is part of the League of Professional Theatre Women's "30 Plays Celebrate 30 Years Series". The cast features Richarda Abrams*, Jen Anaya, Debra Cardona* (Mary Poppins: National Tour, On The Twentieth Century: Goodspeed Opera House), Pedro Carmo (Pan Am), Veronica Cruz* (Ariel Dorfman's Widows: 59 E 59 St. Theatres), Alexis Lauren Kinney*, Lina Sarrello* and Alexis Sweeney. *(Members of Actors' Equity)

Fengar Gael's The Island of No Tomorrows, an erotic, quixotic musical fantasy directed by Lorca Peress runs at Interart Theatre from November 2nd through 18th. The play, a co-production between Interart Theatre Development Series and MultiStages New Works Contests, is part of the League of Professional Theatre Women's "30 Plays Celebrate 30 Years Series". The cast features Richarda Abrams*, Jen Anaya, Debra Cardona* (Mary Poppins: National Tour, On The Twentieth Century: Goodspeed Opera House), Pedro Carmo (Pan Am), Veronica Cruz* (Ariel Dorfman's Widows: 59 E 59 St. Theatres), Alexis Lauren Kinney*, Lina Sarrello* and Alexis Sweeney. *(Members of Actors' Equity)

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes theNEST with the world premiere of ONE THOUSAND BLINKS, written by Nick Starr and directed by Malinda Sorci.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes theNEST with the world premiere of ONE THOUSAND BLINKS, written by Nick Starr and directed by Malinda Sorci.