Josh Short News

According to the United States Association of Fringe Festivals, the idea of a Fringe started in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1947. Since the beginning of that most-famous Fringe, other festivals have sprouted up all over the United States, from Philly to San Diego and places in between. The Association describes a Fringe as "Focused on the performing arts…uncensored…easy to participate in…original…rapid-fire." This July, Providence will have it's second-ever Fringe festival, produced by one of our local theatre companies, The Wilbury Group and its Artistic Director, Josh Short.

The Wilbury Theatre Group proudly announces Providence's 2nd annual fringe festival, FRINGEPVD 2015 - to be held July 21-July 25, 2015. The only such festival within the Providence and Greater Boston area, FringePVD 2015 has expanded significantly since it's inaugural year, expecting to bring together more than one hundred individual theatre, music, dance, multi-media, and performing artists for five nights of over fifty performances in traditional and non-traditional performance venues throughout the Providence area.

Warm, dazzling sunshine and refreshing sea breezes signal the start of the summer arts season in Rhode Island. Once again, Ocean State performers have a busy season planned, as venues from Downcity to South County prepare to welcome stories and songs to their stages.

The Wilbury Theatre Group will hold auditions for its 2015-16 season on Saturday, May 30 from 10:00am-5:00pm, and on Sunday May 31 from 12:00pm-5:00pm. Audition slots are limited and are available on a first-come first-serve basis. Auditions will be held at the The Wilbury Theatre Group, 393 Broad Street, Providence RI.

The Wilbury Theatre Group closes its 5th season with the acclaimed rock musical Next to Normal, May 21-June 13. Winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and three Tony Awards, Next to Normal features music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, direction by Wendy Overly, and musical direction by Juan Rodriguez. Centering upon the stop/start life of a bipolar mother as she rides the sharp edge between coping and insanity, and delving into themes about prescription drug abuse, suicide, grief and the breakdown of an American family, Next to Normal is a remarkable, thrilling powerhouse of a musical.

The Wilbury Theatre Group is delighted to announce the appointment of Tony Caparelli as managing director of the theater, effective May 1, 2015.

The Wilbury Theatre Group's Founding Artistic Director Josh Short has announced the Group's 2015-16 season, including a new drama from one of New York's most promising young playwrights, the world premiere of a new play by Wilbury playwright-in-residence Ben Jolivet, two of the most acclaimed off-Broadway musicals of the last few years, an irreverent new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, and the New England premiere of Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem.

The Wilbury Theatre Group's Founding Artistic Director Josh Short has announced the Group's 2015-16 season, including a new drama from one of New York's most promising young playwrights, the world premiere of a new play by Wilbury playwright-in-residence Ben Jolivet, two of the most acclaimed off-Broadway musicals of the last few years, an irreverent new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, and the New England premiere of Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem.

The Wilbury Theatre Group is proud to present the Rhode Island premiere of Obie Award winning playwright Gina Gionfriddo's searing new comedy Rapture, Blister, Burn, tonight, March 19-April 4 directed by Susie Schutt. A smash Off-Broadway hit and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and Kennedy Theatre Prize, Gionfriddo's Rapture, Blister, Burn confronts a variety of post-feminist topics from the ongoing career vs. family debate, male dominance in business and relationships, feminist implications of torture movies, and even takes on society's acceptance and consumption of pornography.

The Wilbury Theatre Group is proud to present the Rhode Island premiere of Obie Award winning playwright Gina Gionfriddo's searing new comedy Rapture, Blister, Burn, March 19-April 4 directed by Susie Schutt. A smash Off-Broadway hit and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and Kennedy Theatre Prize, Gionfriddo's Rapture, Blister, Burn confronts a variety of post-feminist topics from the ongoing career vs. family debate, male dominance in business and relationships, feminist implications of torture movies, and even takes on society's acceptance and consumption of pornography.

It may sound strange but, at its best, theater is not unlike an ecosystem in the natural world. Every organism in nature interacts with every other organism. All the various parts of that system, living and nonliving, must work together so that the system as a whole can survive and thrive. Similarly, every part of a theatrical production must work well together. All the elements, acting, directing, sound, lights, costumes, etc. must be working in harmonious union. If not, it's just a gathering of disconnected ideas, concepts and gimmicks, making a collection of nice parts but not a cohesive whole. On the other hand, when done just right, all of the parts come together to create a perfectly executed singular vison. The Wilbury Group's Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead is exactly that type of show.

The Wilbury Theatre Group has announced a production of Tom Stoppard's tragi-comedic masterpiece Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. The celebrated playwright's work takes dark and hilarious look at art, life, and the world from the point of view of Hamlet's ill-fated school chums, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Directed by Wilbury Group Artistic Director Josh Short with music by Marc Kaplan, this reimagined production features Joshua Andrews and Patrick Saunders in the titular roles, with David Tessier as the Player.

The Wilbury Theatre Group proudly announces the New England premiere of A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney by one of America's fastest rising young playwrights, Lucas Hnath. Longtime Wilbury Group collaborator Brien Lang (We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay!) directs Vince Petronio (The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity) in this fascinating examination into the last days of one of the greatest icons America has even known as his success was peaking, and his personal life floundering. A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay about the Death of Walt Disney runs November 6-21 at The Wilbury Theatre Group, 393 Broad Street, Providence RI.

Stories of religious coflict and controversy have been around as long as...well...religion. Today, we are indundated with stories about the way religion continues to change, shape, impact and effect us and our world. Religious fanaticism, especially, has come to the forefront in recent years and now dominates the news we read and hear. Religious themes are also presented in artistic and creative works, including movies, books, tv shows and plays, including This Beautiful City, the first show of the season at The Wilbury Group. And while the play's life started with a interesting concept, the final product is mostly a rehash of religious stories we have heard many times before, told in more compelling and relatable ways.

The Wilbury Theatre Group opens Season 5 with the New England premiere of This Beautiful City, written by Steven Cosson and Jim Lewis, with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman. Wilbury Group Founding Artistic Director Josh Short directs with music direction by the team of Brien Lang and Milly Romanzi, this fascinating a new documentary-style play with music that details the explosion of America's evangelical Christian movement. This Beautiful City runs tonight, September 18 through October 12 at The Wilbury Theatre Group, 393 Broad Street, Providence RI.

The Wilbury Theatre Group opens Season 5 with the New England premiere of This Beautiful City, written by Steven Cosson and Jim Lewis, with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman. Wilbury Group Founding Artistic Director Josh Short directs with music direction by the team of Brien Lang and Milly Romanzi, this fascinating a new documentary-style play with music that details the explosion of America's evangelical Christian movement. This Beautiful City runs September 18 through October 12 at The Wilbury Theatre Group, 393 Broad Street, Providence RI.

The Wilbury Group has announced area playwright Ben Jolivet as the Group's first Playwright-in-Residence.

The Wilbury Theatre Group has announced Providence's 1st annual fringe festival, FringePVD - to be held July 24-July 27, 2014. The country's newest fringe festival and only such festival in the New England area, FringePVD will bring together more than fifty individual theatre, music, dance, multi-media, and performing artists for four nights of over thirty performances in participating venues throughout Providence.

Trinity Rep's 2014 Pell Awards honored former Trinity Rep artistic director and Academy-award nominated film, stage and TV actor Richard Jenkins and his wife Director/Choreographer Sharon Jenkins with the 2014 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts, Jeffrey Osborne with the 2014 New England Pell Award and nationally known dance educator and choreographer Mary Paula Hunter with the 2014 Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts. The 18th annual Pell Awards event was held on Monday, June 9, 2014 at Trinity Rep followed by a reception at the Providence Public Library.