John Gassner News

Anne Commire, author, playwright and women's historian, passed away from cancer at her home in Waterford, Connecticut on February 23, 2012. Four of Commire's plays won O'Neill Awards and she received the prestigious Dartmouth Medal, from the American Library Association, for the groundbreaking 17 volume Women in World History, an encyclopedia of 10,000 women worldwide, published by Yorkin Publications.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre continues its 2011-12 season with The Whipping Man, a Civil War drama by Matthew Lopez, directed by the Rep's Artistic Director Eric Rosen. The Whipping Man runs March 16-April 8, 2012 at Spencer Theatre in the James C. Olson Performing Arts Center where the Rep is the professional theatre in residence.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes Pure Projects, Inc, in association with Uncle Frank Productions, with the Off Broadway premiere of THE MARIA PROJECT, written and performed by Marcella Goheen and directed by Larry Moss.

Boston Playwrights' Theatre's 30th Anniversary season comes to a close with Joyce Van Dyke's story of the Armenian genocide in Deported / a dream play, presented in association with Suffolk University.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre continues its 2011-12 season with The Whipping Man, a Civil War drama by Matthew Lopez, directed by the Rep's Artistic Director Eric Rosen. The Whipping Man runs March 16-April 8, 2012 at Spencer Theatre in the James C. Olson Performing Arts Center where the Rep is the professional theatre in residence.

According to the London Evening Standard, theater powerhouses Stephen Sondheim and David Ives have teamed up on a new musical, which is currently in the earliest phases of composition. The Standard reports: 'Sondheim speaks of pushing forward and says he has '20 or 30 minutes' written of a new musical that he is collaborating on with American playwright David Ives, a New York regular little known in London.'

Hartford Stage, under the leadership of Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak and Managing Director Mike Stotts, presents the Connecticut premiere of Matthew Lopez's acclaimed drama, THE WHIPPING MAN, from February 23 through March 18, 2012.

According to the London Evening Standard, theater powerhouses Stephen Sondheim and David Ives have teamed up on a new musical, which is currently in the earliest phases of composition. The Standard reports: 'Sondheim speaks of pushing forward and says he has '20 or 30 minutes' written of a new musical that he is collaborating on with American playwright David Ives, a New York regular little known in London.'

According to the London Evening Standard, theater powerhouses Stephen Sondheim and David Ives have teamed up on a new musical, which is currently in the earliest phases of composition. The Standard reports: 'Sondheim speaks of pushing forward and says he has '20 or 30 minutes' written of a new musical that he is collaborating on with American playwright David Ives, a New York regular little known in London.'

Philadelphia Theatre Company will present PTC@Play, a two-week festival of new work on February 2-March 11 at PTC's home at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets).

Mauckingbird Theatre Company opens its fifth season presenting professional gay-themed theater in Philadelphia with the Philly premiere of Jon Marans' 2009 play The Temperamentals, directed by Mauckingbird Artistic DirectorPeter Reynolds and Producing Director Brandon McShaffrey.

Bristol Riverside Theatre kicks off the new year with the world premiere of A Raw Space by Jon Marans on January 31 - February 19. Directed by Susan Atkinson, the ensemble case features BRT's Artistic Director Keith Baker, Madi Distefano, Jack Koenig, and Anette Sanders.

Good Theater will present the Maine premiere of the recent Broadway success NEXT FALL through February 19, at the St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress Street, Portland.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes Pure Projects, Inc, in association with Uncle Frank Productions, with the Off Broadway premiere of THE MARIA PROJECT, written and performed by Marcella Goheen and directed by Larry Moss.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes Pure Projects, Inc, in association with Uncle Frank Productions, with the Off Broadway premiere of THE MARIA PROJECT, written and performed by Marcella Goheen and directed by Larry Moss.

Repertory Philippines (Rep.), the country's premier English-speaking theater company, is celebrating 45 years in business by opening its 75th season with New York University Tisch School of the Arts alumnus and playwright Geoffrey Nauffts' Broadway dramedy NEXT FALL, a moving story of a gay couple whose religious differences add tensions and contradictions to their five-year romantic relationship. Rep.'s staging of NEXT FALL runs from January 13 to February 5, 2012 at Onstage, Greenbelt 1, Makati City; evening performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and matinee performances are on Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30 p.m.

Boston Playwrights' Theatre's 30th Anniversary season comes to a close with Joyce Van Dyke's story of the Armenian genocide in Deported / a dream play, presented in association with Suffolk University.