John Douglas Thompson News

Theatre for a New Audience has announced its 2022-23 season, its 43rd, held at TFANA’s home, Polonsky Shakespeare Center in Brooklyn.

Till stars Danielle Deadwyler (Mamie Till Mobley), Jalyn Hall (Emmett Till), Frankie Faison (John Carthan), Haley Bennett (Carolyn Bryant), Sean Patrick Thomas (Gene Mobley), John Douglas Thompson (Moses Wright) and Whoopi Goldberg (Alma Carthan). Till is an emotional and cinematic film about the story of Mamie Till Mobley’s pursuit of justice.

Winners for the 66th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced today. See the full list here! This year’s Drama Desk Awards will take place at Sardi’s Restaurant on June 14th. See who was honored from Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway.

The Wilma Theater announced today that Fête 2022 will honor retiring Co-Founding Artistic Director Blanka Zizka, who recently departed the company after 40 years in the position. Fête 2022 will be held on Monday June 13, 2022.

Awards were announced tonight for more than two dozen outstanding actors, directors, designers, ensembles and productions by the Boston Theater Critics Association at The 39th Elliot Norton Awards. 

Nominations for the 66th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced today, and the full list of nominees is available here as well as information on who was eligible.

Red Bull Theater today announced that André De Shields will be honored with the Matador Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Classical Theater at REVELRY, its benefit event on Monday June 13th at 6pm.

Theatre for a New Audience has announced details of its Spring Gala Celebrating Shakespeare’s Birthday, held in-person at Capitale (130 Bowery, New York City) and emceed by Isabel Arraiza.

TFANA has extended the run of Alice Childress’s Wedding Band, directed by Awoye Timpo, to May 22. (The production, which began previews April 28—postponed from an original date of April 23 due to two COVID-19 cases—was formerly set to close May 15).

More than 60 nominations in over two dozen categories of outstanding actors, directors, designers, choreographers, musicians, and productions were announced today by the Boston Theater Critics Association (BTCA) for the 39th Elliot Norton Awards.

Laura Benanti and Robert Sean Leonard have joined the second season of The Gilded Age as recurring characters. Newly-confirmed guest stars include Dakin Mathews (Waitress), Christopher Denham (The Lieutenant of Inishmore), David Furr (Burn This), Matilda Lawler (The Ferryman), Michael Braugher (To Kill a Mockingbird), and more.

Kelli O’Hara, Donna Murphy, Debra Monk, Kristine Nielsen, Taylor Richardson, Ben Ahlers, Kelley Curran, Douglas Sills, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Michael Cerveris, Erin Wilhelmi, Patrick Page, and Sullivan Jones will appear in the second season as regulars. Audra McDonald, Nathan Lane, Denee Benton, and more will also appear in the new season.

The Merchant of Venice is traditionally categorized as a comedy, but the character of Shylock anchors one of Shakespeare’s most maddening tragic arcs. Here, Shylock is played by the magnificent John Douglas Thompson, whose powerful interpretations of the character's frank yet contorted appeals for justice make this production unmissable.

This spring, Seattle Rep will produce Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts, in a new translation by Paul Walsh. Directed by Carey Perloff (Seattle Rep: A Thousand Splendid Suns) and set to feature Academy Award-nominated actor David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck; A League of Their Own; Nomadland), Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (Scarface), and Thom Sesma (Broadway: The Lion King), Ghosts will be performed on the Bagley Wright stage from April 1-May 1, 2022; single tickets and digital access may be purchased online.

March literary events have been announced at 92Y. Events will presented both in person and online.

Three acclaimed actors who have recently starred as Shakespeare’s Othello—André Holland (at Shakespeare’s Globe), Chukwudi Iwuji (at the Public Theater) and John Douglas Thompson (at Theatre for a New Audience)—discuss the challenges they faced in playing the role and read key speeches from the play.

The nine-episode drama series stars an extensive list of Broadway names, including Carrie Coon, Denée Benton, Cynthia Nixon, Christine Baranski, Michael Cerveris, Claybourne Elder, Linda Emond, Katie Finneran, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Debra Monk, Donna Murphy, Kristine Nielsen, Kelli O’Hara, and more.

Through her performances in The King and I, Kiss Me, Kate, South Pacific, and more, Kelli O'Hara is no stranger to slipping into a different era in history. BroadwayWorld caught up with O'Hara to discuss her role in the new series, how she researched The Gilded Age, working with the all-star theatre cast, and more.

The 92nd Street Y Unterberg Poetry Center's Winter/Spring season features readings by best-selling and prize-winning novelists, acclaimed poets, tributes to Shakespeare, Lucille Clifton and Toni Morrison – and a dramatic reading of Anne Carson's “The Glass Essay,” among other programs.

Meet all of the Broadway actors in THE GILDED AGE! The new series features appearances by Audra McDonald, Denée Benton, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Kelli O'Hara, Carrie Coon, Claybourne Elder, Donna Murphy, Katie Finneran, Debra Monk, Taylor Richardson, Douglas Sills, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Patrick Page, Michael Cerveris, and more.