Joe Orton News

BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge says, 'This episode of Broadway Rewind features a heart, a hustler and a hoofer.' We give you a sneak peek at the Broadway musical 'The Drowsy Chaperone', which welcomed back to Broadway, Tony Award winner Sutton Foster and introduced us all to Bob Martin as Man in Chair. We also met the cast of Mark St. Germain's play, 'The God Committee', but the episode starts at the opening night of Roundabout's production of Joe Orton's comedy 'Entertaining Mr. Sloane' which featured a stellar cast including Chris Carmack, Alex Baldwin and the late great Jan Maxwell, whom Richard Ridge says, 'was one of the greatest actresses of her generation'.

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the greatest theatrical works (non-musical) from 1920-2020; see if your favorites made the list!

Aurora Theatre Company today announced that it will cancel its upcoming run of Joe Orton's LOOT, previously scheduled April 3 - May 3, out of concern for public health and safety in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aurora Theatre Company continues its dynamic 28th season with  Joe Orton's LOOT. Former Aurora Artistic Director Tom Ross (Everything is Illuminated, This Is How It Goes, A Delicate Balance) directs this comedic tour de force.

Go ahead a?" take the apple. Founding artistic director Ron Sossi directs a revival of The Serpent by Jean-Claude van Itallie a?" winner of the 1969 Obie award and arguably the most successful ensemble work ever created a?" as part of the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble's 50th Anniversary a?oeCirca '69a?? Season. Sossi previously directed the West Coast premiere exactly 50 years ago, in the spring of 1970, as the second production ever at the then brand-new Odyssey Theatre. The Serpent opens on March 7 at the Odyssey's current home in West L.A., where performances will continue through May 3.

What happens when 1880 Western bandits are brought back to life in Azusa, CA by a space alien? Sam Shepard's The Unseen Hand joins Odyssey Theatre Ensemble's 50th Anniversary “Circa '69” Season of significant and adventurous plays that premiered around the time of the company's inception, coupled with Shepard's gritty and audacious Killer's Head. Longtime Shepard collaborator Darrell Larson directs both plays for a Jan. 25 opening at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A., where performances will continue through March 8.

What happens when 1880 Western bandits are brought back to life in Azusa, CA by a space alien? Sam Shepard's The Unseen Hand joins Odyssey Theatre Ensemble's 50th Anniversary a?oeCirca '69a?? Season of significant and adventurous plays that premiered around the time of the company's inception, coupled with Shepard's gritty and audacious Killer's Head. Longtime Shepard collaborator Darrell Larson directs both plays for a Jan. 18 opening at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A., where performances will continue through March 8.

Highways Performance Space & Gallery presents Film Maudit 2.0, its inaugural film festival dedicated to outré films, inspired by the legendary artist Jean Cocteau's 1949 Festival Du Film Maudit, which celebrated a group of films that were criminally overlooked and neglected at the time. The event will be held Thursday, November 14 - Sunday, November 17 at Highways Performance Space & Gallery at 1651 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404 http://www.filmmaudit.org

Ian McKellen is speaking out about why he thinks there should be a statue of Joe Orton in Leicester, despite any potential backlash.

W. Paul Wade and Devin Devi stand out in a show that needs so much more energy.

Erik Patterson has made a name for himself in the LA Theater community. A mentor to burgeoning playwrights and a stinging satirist who has racked up nominations and awards, such as the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Writing award for 2017's ONE OF THE NICE ONES, Patterson writes confrontational plays about that most rickety of life forms, humanity. Patterson's new play HANDJOB opens at Echo Theatre Company, directed by Chris Fields, and stars Steven Culp from Desperate Housewives and The West Wing.

Odyssey Theatre Ensemble kicks off its 'Circa '69' season of significant and adventurous plays that premiered around the time of the Odyssey's 1969 inception with Joe Orton's darkly comic masterpiece LOOT, which asks us to wipe the fluff from our eyes and see society the way he sees it. And as a gay man during a time when British society forced artists into the closet, his farce comically examines a sort of rigged system that benefits bullies and oppressors and controls anyone stupid enough to go along with the lies. As directed by Bart DeLorenzo, this tale of corrosive wit, dizzying intrigue and classic farce suggests that the only acceptable alternative is to become a criminal, with Orton supplying laughs at everyone's expense along the way.

The critically acclaimed 2019 Hollywood Fringe Festival production of Joe Orton's The Ruffian on the Stair has been extended for 10 performances only, it was announced today by Hicks Street Productions. Under the direction of Mark Kemble, the cast features (in alphabetical order) Sile Bermingham, Reed Michael Campbell, and Brian Foyster. 

Being a 20-something queer is hard. Being a 20-something queer living in Sydney is… something else, I guess.

Joe Orton's The Ruffian on the Stair is set for four performances only in the 2019 Hollywood Fringe Festival, it was announced today by Hicks Street Productions. Under the direction of Mark Kemble, the cast will feature (in alphabetical order) S le Bermingham, Reed Michael Campbell, and Brian Foyster. Lighting design is by Matt Richter. The performance dates and times are Sunday 6/9 at 4pm; Thursday 6/13 at 8:30pm; Friday 6/21 at 6:30pm; and Saturday 6/22 at 8pm. Running time will be 60 minutes.

Odyssey Theatre Ensemble kicks off its "Circa '69" season of significant and adventurous plays that premiered around the time of the Odyssey's 1969 inception with Joe Orton's darkly comic masterpiece Loot. Bart DeLorenzodirects this tour de force of corrosive wit, dizzying intrigue and classic farce for aJune 8 opening, with performances continuing through Aug. 10.

Odyssey Theatre Ensemble has announced "Circa'69!" an 18-month retrospective beginning in June, 2019 that will celebrate its founding, 50 years ago, by artistic director Ron Sossi, who has remained steadily at the helm since the company's first production in 1969.

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is pleased to announce Walker Vreeland's FROM SHIP TO SHAPE will be performed one night only on Monday, June 10 at 7 pm. The show comes to the East End following an extended sold-out run Off-Broadway. The solo performance stars and is written by award-winning radio personality Walker Vreeland. The show is a compelling autobiographical monologue and includes songs performed by Mr. Vreeland.

Following his sold-out, extended Off- Broadway run, solo performer and award-winning radio personality Walker Vreeland will bring his musical autobiographical monologue FROM SHIP TO SHAPE back to Bay Street Theatre on June 10th.

Multi-award nominated Blue Devil Productions is excited to announce that I am a Camera by John Van Druten and directed by Ross Dinwiddy, is coming to Brighton Fringe for 6 nights in May. In this rare revival of the play upon which Cabaret is based, we see a rich picture of heartbreaking pathos, wicked comedy and the divine decadence of 1931 Berlin - but soon the carefree indulgence must end as the Nazis smash their way to power.