Joseph Chaikin News

Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater, has announced the 26-member Broadway cast of HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. Newcomers to the cast include Gavin Creel, Caissie Levy and Sasha Allen, who join the rest of the tribe, who are reprising their roles from Central Park last summer. HAIR begins preview performances on Friday, March 6 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street, NYC) with an Opening Night set for Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

Emmy-nominated Paul Anthony Stewart stars as Raskolnikov in a gripping 90-minute adaptation of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment at The Cleveland Play House. In addition to numerous New York and regional theatre roles, Stewart, who was nominated for his recurring role on 'Guiding Light,' recently appeared on Broadway in the revivals of Fiddler on the Roof and Cyrano - The Musical. Performed with only three actors, the adaptation of Crime and Punishment by Marilyn Campbell and Cut Columbus is being helmed by the acclaimed director of the 2005 Play House production of I Am My Own Wife, Anders Cato. Crime and Punishment begins in the Drury Theatre at The Cleveland Play House on Friday, February 27 and runs through Sunday, March 22, 2009. Tickets are on sale now at The Cleveland Play House box office by calling 216.795.7000 ext 4 or online at www.clevelandplayhouse.com. Crime and Punishment is presented in promotional partnership with National City and Baker & Hostetler.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) is proud to announce the full cast for the upcoming New York premiere of Distracted, by Lisa Loomer, directed by Mark Brokaw. Distracted will begin previews on Saturday, February 7th and open officially on Wednesday, March 4th, 2009 at the Laura Pels Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 West 46th Street).

Emmy-nominated Paul Anthony Stewart stars as Raskolnikov in a gripping 90-minute adaptation of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment at The Cleveland Play House. In addition to numerous New York and regional theatre roles, Stewart, who was nominated for his recurring role on 'Guiding Light,' recently appeared on Broadway in the revivals of Fiddler on the Roof and Cyrano - The Musical. Performed with only three actors, the adaptation of Crime and Punishment by Marilyn Campbell and Cut Columbus is being helmed by the acclaimed director of the 2005 Play House production of I Am My Own Wife, Anders Cato. Crime and Punishment begins in the Drury Theatre at The Cleveland Play House on Friday, February 27 and runs through Sunday, March 22, 2009. Tickets are on sale now at The Cleveland Play House box office by calling 216.795.7000 ext 4 or online at www.clevelandplayhouse.com. Crime and Punishment is presented in promotional partnership with National City and Baker & Hostetler.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company continues its 2008-09 Season with Hell Meets Henry Halfway, conceived and created by the Pig Iron Theatre Company, with text by Adriano Shaplin, after Possessed by Polish novelist Witold Gombrowicz. The Pig Iron production, directed by Dan Rothenberg, performs February 2 to March 1, 2009, beginning with two Pay-What-You-Can performances on February 2 and 3 at 8pm. Woolly Mammoth is located at 641 D Street, NW (7th & D).

Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater, has announced the 26-member Broadway cast of HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. Newcomers to the cast include Gavin Creel, Caissie Levy and Sasha Allen, who join the rest of the tribe, who are reprising their roles from Central Park last summer. Currently in rehearsal at the Union Square Theatre, HAIR begins preview performances on Friday, March 6 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street, NYC) with an Opening Night set for Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

Marin Theatre Company is pleased to present the world premiere of Magic Forest Farm by Zayd Dohrn, winner of the first annual Sky Cooper New American Play Prize in 2008. The production will be staged in MTC's 99-seat Lieberman Theatre. From one of America's hottest young playwrights comes a riveting story of a young woman's desperate search for her past. Seventeen year-old Allegra is beginning to piece together the swirling memories of her early years in the beautiful woods of Northern California on a mystical commune called Magic Forest Farm. Mixing with joyous recollections of waterfalls and wildflowers are darker revelations and startling images of the people she thinks she trusts most. A journey begins that takes Allegra back to the commune, back to the past, to confront the truth.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company continues its 2008-09 Season with Hell Meets Henry Halfway, conceived and created by the Pig Iron Theatre Company, with text by Adriano Shaplin, after Possessed by Polish novelist Witold Gombrowicz. The Pig Iron production, directed by Dan Rothenberg, performs February 2 to March 1, 2009, beginning with two Pay-What-You-Can performances on February 2 and 3 at 8pm. Woolly Mammoth is located at 641 D Street, NW (7th & D).

The Huffington Post is reporting that Police in Illinois have stated that actor and playwright Sam Shepard has been arrested on preliminary charges of speeding and drunken driving. Police Lt. Mark Kotte says officers stopped Shepard early Saturday morning, January 3rd in the central Illinois town of Normal.

Following rave reviews Too Much Memory, written by Keith Reddin and Meg Gibson, and directed by Ms. Gibson, has sold out its run through its closing on Monday, December 22, at the Fourth Street Theatre, 83 East 4th Street. The Rising Phoenix Repertory and Piece by Piece production opened Tuesday, December 9, to rave reviews as part of New York Theatre Workshop's Jonathan Larson Lab. All performances are sold out. Those wishing to be put on a waiting should arrive at the theatre 45 minutes prior to curtain.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) is proud to announce the full cast for the upcoming New York premiere of Distracted, by Lisa Loomer, directed by Mark Brokaw. Distracted will begin previews on Saturday, February 7th and open officially on Wednesday, March 4th, 2009 at the Laura Pels Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 West 46th Street).

Too Much Memory, written by Keith Reddin and Meg Gibson, and directed by Ms. Gibson, begins performances tonight at 8:30pm at Fourth Street Theatre, 83 East 4th Street. The Rising Phoenix Repertory and Piece by Piece production is set to open Tuesday, December 9, at 8:30pm. Too Much Memory is a project of New York Theatre Workshop's Jonathan Larson Lab.

Too Much Memory, written by Keith Reddin and Meg Gibson, and directed by Ms. Gibson, begins performances tonight at 8:30pm at Fourth Street Theatre, 83 East 4th Street. The Rising Phoenix Repertory and Piece by Piece production is set to open Tuesday, December 9, at 8:30pm. Too Much Memory is a project of New York Theatre Workshop's Jonathan Larson Lab.

Rising Phoenix Repertory has been joined by Piece by Piece Productions to remount the world premiere of Too Much Memory, written by Keith Reddin and Meg Gibson, and directed by Ms. Gibson, beginning Tuesday, December 2, at 8:30pm at Fourth Street Theatre, 83 East 4th Street.

Acclaimed British playwright Edward Bond, will reunite with acclaimed American director Robert Woodruff for Theatre for a New Audience's New York premiere production of Mr. Bond's Chair featuring Stephanie Roth Haberle beginning previews Friday, December 5, at 8:00pm for an opening Wednesday, December 11, at 8:00pm for a run through December 28 at The Duke on 42nd Street, a New 42nd Street® project, 229 West 42nd Street.

A special performance of 'Tibetan Book of the Dead or How Not To Do It Again' by Jean-Claude van Itallie will be presented one night only, October 27, 2008 at La MaMa E.T.C. (Annex Theater), 66 East Fourth Street, Manhattan, to support the rebuilding of the century-old theater barn at Shantigar, the unique center for theater, meditation and healing located in Rowe, MA.

A special performance of 'Tibetan Book of the Dead or How Not To Do It Again' by Jean-Claude van Itallie will be presented one night only, October 27, 2008 at La MaMa E.T.C. (Annex Theater), 66 East Fourth Street, Manhattan, to support the rebuilding of the century-old theater barn at Shantigar, the unique center for theater, meditation and healing located in Rowe, MA.

Philadelphia's Obie Award winning Pig Iron Theatre Company will add an additional performance to its sold out run of CHEKHOV LIZARDBRAIN at The Ohio Theater on Saturday, October 18 at 2pm. This surreal comedy loosely inspired by Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters and the 'Three Brain' theory of Paul D. MacLean is directed by Dan Rothenberg with text by Robert Quillen Camp and the ensemble.

Philadelphia's Obie Award winning Pig Iron Theatre Company will add an additional performance to its sold out run of CHEKHOV LIZARDBRAIN at The Ohio Theater on Saturday, October 18 at 2pm. This surreal comedy loosely inspired by Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters and the 'Three Brain' theory of Paul D. MacLean is directed by Dan Rothenberg with text by Robert Quillen Camp and the ensemble.

CUNY will present 'An Evening with The Talking Band' on October 14, featuring Paul Zimet and Ellen Maddow of The Talking Band discussing their work and current production, FLIP SIDE.