Joseph Chaikin News

From February 4-23, Abrons Art Center presents the New York premiere of Pig Iron Theatre Company's Twelfth Night, or What You Will. Start with a shipwreck, take one part mistaken identity, add in a comedic love triangle and mix with excessive drinking, melodramatic breakdowns and a live, Balkan-inspired score, and you've got a raucous take on one of Shakespeare's most wicked comedies. Alternately absurd and heartfelt, Twelfth Night, or What You Will is replete with practical jokes, gender confusion, and thwarted love.

The Chocolate Factory is pleased to present the world premiere of Catlett's This Was The End, a performance in which four actors in their sixties and seventies attempt each night to get to the end of Uncle Vanya-in a last ditch effort to alter the outcome. In Chekhov's play, Vanya asks, 'What if I live to be 60?' This Was The End performs an answer. It uses the play to pose questions about how memory functions in the formation of the future. The cast features veteran downtown luminaries Black-Eyed Susan (Ridiculous Theater & John Jesurun) as Sonya, Paul Zimet (Living Theater & Talking Band) as Vanya, Jim Himelsbach (OBIE for The Foundry's Talk) as Astrov and Rae C Wright (OBIE for Sustained Excellence with The New York Street Theatre Caravan) as Yelena.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE presents the world premiere of THESE PAPER BULLETS!, a modish ripoff of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, adapted by Rolin Jones, with songs by Billie Joe Armstrong, and directed by Jackson Gay, March 14-April 5 at the University Theatre (222 York Street). Opening Night is Thursday, March 20.

On Monday, January 27 (3pm and 7pm), Cherry Lane Theatre will present Love/Kill by Joe Pintauro. The project will be directed by Valentina Fratti and will feature the talents of Angelina Fiordellisi, Mandy Gonzales, Alex Morgan, Dennis Parlato and Peter McRobbie.

TriArts Sharon Playhouse, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Simpkins, has announced the hiring of Justin Ball as Managing Director. He will join the Playhouse in February 2014.

Thom Fogarty will direct the Premeire of THE CAROLE BAYER SAGER PROJECT: ALBUM ONE, which will be presented January 17th and 18th in two different venues, presented by 360REPCO. Performance stars Crystal Rona Peterson as "Carole" and Jenny Selig and Micah Bucey as "The Carolettes", with Musical Direction by Michael Conley. The entire evening was was created and directed Thom Fogarty.

Burning Coal Theatre Company will present (Three Man) Tempest by William Shakespeare, adapted and directed by Randolph Curtis Rand, tonight, December 5 - 22, 2013.

Cherry Lane Theatre, under the direction of Angelina Fiodellisi, presents the world premiere of Fist In Mouth, a new play written and directed by Dan Hasse.

Burning Coal Theatre Company will present (Three Man) Tempest by William Shakespeare, adapted and directed by Randolph Curtis Rand, December 5 - 22, 2013. The production runs Thursdays through Saturdays, December 5 - 7, 12 - 14 and 19 - 21 at 7:30 pm and Sundays, December 8, 15 and 22 at 2 pm. All tickets are $25, or $20 for seniors (65+) and $15 for students. All Thursday evening tickets are $15. Tickets and further information may be obtained by calling 919.834-4001 or visiting www.burningcoal.org.

Thom Fogarty** will direct LILLIAN SMITH BEING HEARD, written and performend by Lulu Fogarty*, which will be presented November 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 and 16, 2013 at 7pm by the 360 Repertory Company (260REPCO) in THE LOFT at Judson Church. This intimate production of Lulu Fogarty's exciting one woman show, will include a Special Appearance byLorna Hampson*. Music by "Blue" Gene Tyranny. Video by Anja Hitzenberger. Lighting and Stage design by Thom Fogarty.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG) is pleased to announce the publication of An Ideal Theater: Founding Visions for a New American Art, a wide-ranging, inspiring documentary history of the American theatre movement as told by the visionaries who goaded it into being.

Critically acclaimed theatre company The Playwrights Realm presents the New York premiere of Lauren Yee's new play The Hatmaker's Wife, directed by recent OBIE Award winner Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812). The Hatmaker's Wife marks the first Playwrights Realm production at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street) in midtown Manhattan, following previous engagements in several downtown Off-Broadway venues. Previews begin tonight, August 27, for an opening Thursday, September 5.

Angelina Fiordellisi, Founding Artistic Director of Cherry Lane Theatre, announces the following productions for the company's 2013-14 season:

Critically acclaimed theatre company The Playwrights Realm has announced the cast and creative team for the New York premiere of Lauren Yee's new play The Hatmaker's Wife, directed by recent OBIE Award winner Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812). The Hatmaker's Wife marks the first Playwrights Realm production at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street) in midtown Manhattan, following previous engagements in several downtown Off-Broadway venues. Previews begin Tuesday, August 27, for an opening Thursday, September 5.

Coastal Repertory Theatre enters into the 'Age of Aquarius' with what the New York Times calls 'The Ultimate American Rock Musical', HAIR -- written by James Rado & Gerome Ragni and produced for the Broadway Stage by Michael Butler, originally produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival Theatre. This production is directed and choreographed by Joe Duffy with musical and vocal direction by Joseph Murphy. The show runs today, July 19, 2013 through August 10, 2013.

Coastal Repertory Theatre enters into the 'Age of Aquarius' with what the New York Times calls 'The Ultimate American Rock Musical', HAIR -- written by James Rado & Gerome Ragni and produced for the Broadway Stage by Michael Butler, originally produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival Theatre. This production is directed and choreographed by Joe Duffy with musical and vocal direction by Joseph Murphy. The show runs July 19, 2013 through August 10, 2013.

The Oldest Established, Permanent Floating Monologue Night in New York is returning to the place where it all began-the Arthur Seelen Theatre at the Drama Bookshop--and you're invited to celebrate youth theatre and young actors, as they perform monologues from the new Applause Theatre and Cinema Book release: ONE ON ONE: PLAYING WITH A PURPOSE, MONOLOGUES FOR KIDS 7-15.

The Oldest Established, Permanent Floating Monologue Night in New York is returning to the place where it all began-the Arthur Seelen Theatre at the Drama Bookshop--and you're invited to celebrate youth theatre and young actors, as they perform monologues from the new Applause Theatre and Cinema Book release: ONE ON ONE: PLAYING WITH A PURPOSE, MONOLOGUES FOR KIDS 7-15.

Atlantic Theater Company welcomes Olivier and two time Tony Award winning playwright John Guare, who will make his Off Broadway acting debut in the world premiere production of his new play 3 KINDS OF EXILE, directed by Atlantic artistic director Neil Pepe, featuring Atlantic ensemble members Peter Maloney and David Pittu and guest artists Alison Cimmet, Jeffrey Kuhn, Jacquelyn Landgraf, Martin Moran, Kate Rigg, Omar Sangare and Timothy Splain.

Amalgamate Dance Company (ADC) is not your typical dance company. Moving beyond concert dance as a beautiful art form to watch to dance for a purpose, ADC presents 'Giving Back and Moving Forward' as an artistic platform for communities to actively engage in charity work. For their annual Spring Gala, ADC has chosen to raise aphasia awareness in conjunction with The National Aphasia Association (NAA). ADC will offer two exciting programs including the premiere of a new dance work inspired by Aphasia research and a documentary of the making of the dance work.