Karen Zacarias News

Eagle Theatre has just closed the doors on a successful sold-out run of their Theatre Philadelphia Barrymore Nominated production of Ragtime. Yet, the creative team at Eagle Theatre have already begun preparing for their upcoming Regional Premiere of Karen Zacarias's new flower-flinging romp, Native Gardens, running March 22nd - April 14th.

Starting March 21, 2019, Milagro presents the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of Jump, a new play from Charly Evon Simpson, and a co-production with Confrontation Theatre. Jump runs from March 21 - April 13, 2019 on the Milagro MainStage.

Artistic Director Blake Robison announced Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's 2019-20 season today, which includes plays from Karen Zacarias and Anna Ziegler, a new stage adaptation of a Margaret Atwood novel, a recent Broadway comedy hit and a world premiere from the award-winning, multi-cultural performance ensemble Universes.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the full company for Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and author Ayad Akhtar's (Arena's Disgraced) timely tale Junk. Inspired by the real junk bond giants of the 1980s, Akhtar explores how the riveting, hostile takeover of a family-owned manufacturing company paved the way to expose the rise of greed, power, race and wealth that led to reshaping the rules of Wall Street and the world. Directed by Jackie Maxwell, Junk runs April 5 - May 5, 2019 in the Fichandler Stage.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the full company for Ruth and Augustus Goetz's melodrama, The Heiress, suggested by the Henry James novel, Washington Square. After growing up subjected to her father's disinterest and strong resentment, a young woman in the 1850s discovers what love is in her journey towards independence, growth and strength, without an impactful female role model in her life. Directed by Deputy Artistic Director Seema Sueko, The Heiress runs February 8 - March 10, 2019 in the Fichandler Stage.

Ella of Frell is turning the traditional Cinderella story upside down at Dallas Children's Theater! At birth, she was given the 'gift' of obedience which forces her to do anything people command: whether that's hopping on one foot all day or telling her best friend to just go away! As a teenager, strong-willed Ella chooses to reject this lifestyle as her fate and embarks on a quest to break the curse forever. Along the way, feisty Ella must outwit her evil stepsisters, escape hungry ogres, and save the prince before she can claim her real voice. In this fun and spirited musical extravaganza that stays true to the Newbery Honor book, children will discover the power of words while laughing, singing, and dancing out loud.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the full company for Ruth and Augustus Goetz's melodrama, The Heiress, suggested by the Henry James novel, Washington Square. After growing up subjected to her father's disinterest and strong resentment, a young woman in the 1850s discovers what love is in her journey towards independence, growth and strength, without an impactful female role model in her life. Directed by Deputy Artistic Director Seema Sueko, The Heiress runs February 8 - March 10, 2019 in the Fichandler Stage.

Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF is seeking bold, new, full-length plays to be featured as staged readings at PlayFest 2019. Unsolicited ten-page samples will be accepted between January 5 and January 19, 2019. Due to overwhelming interest, the new play development team will cap unsolicited submissions at the first 100 received.

Gloucester Stage Company Artistic Director Robert Walsh and Interim Managing Director Christopher Griffith, are proud to announce the 2019 slate for Gloucester Stage's 40th Anniversary Season of professional theater on Boston's Northshore.

Florida Repertory Theatre is pleased to announce the southeastern United States premiere of "Damascus," a psychological thriller chosen from the theatre's popular PlayLab festival of new works in 2017. Playing November 9 to December 9 in the ArtStage Studio Theatre, the run includes four nearly sold out preview performances November 6-8 and features a talkback with the cast and playwright following the matinee performance on November 17.

Arkansas Repertory Theatre, the state's largest nonprofit professional theatre, is proud to announce its 2019 'Rebuild the Rep' Season. Beginning in February, the new season marks the return of The Rep after productions were suspended in April because of funding shortages.

University Theatre is pleased to present the Central Valley premiere of 'Just Like Us' by Karen Zacarias, based on the novel by Helen Thorpe. The production is directed by Dr. Gina Sandi-Diaz and runs October 26 - November 3, 2018 in the Dennis & Cheryl Woods Theatre in the Speech Arts building on the campus of Fresno State.

Florida Repertory Theatre is pleased to announce the southeastern United States premiere of "Damascus," a psychological thriller chosen from the theatre's popular PlayLab festival of new works in 2017. Playing November 9 to December 9 in the ArtStage Studio Theatre, the run includes four nearly sold out preview performances November 6-8 and features a talkback with the cast and playwright following the matinee performance on November 17.

University Theatre is pleased to present the Central Valley premiere of 'Just Like Us' by Karen Zacarias, based on the novel by Helen Thorpe. The production is directed by Dr. Gina Sandi-Diaz and runs October 26 - November 3, 2018 in the Dennis & Cheryl Woods Theatre in the Speech Arts building on the campus of Fresno State.

The Theatre Company at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is proud to announce playwrights, dates and details for the 2019 Colorado New Play Summit. The 14th annual festival will take place over two weekends, 2/16-2/17 and 2/22-2/24, and feature readings of new plays by Beaufield Berry, Isaac Gomez, Bonnie Metzgar, Tony Meneses, and a new musical by Neyla Pekarek and Karen Hartman. The festival will also feature World Premiere productions by Donnetta Lavinia Grays and Itamar Moses.

University Theatre is pleased to present the Central Valley premiere of 'Just Like Us' by Karen Zacarias, based on the novel by Helen Thorpe. The production is directed by Dr. Gina Sandi-Diaz and runs October 26 - November 3, 2018 in the Dennis & Cheryl Woods Theatre in the Speech Arts building on the campus of Fresno State.

Arizona Theatre Company's Season-opening production of Karen Zacarias's NATIVE GARDENS, directed by Jane Jones, is ripe with the bloom of vibrant performances by Arlene Chico-Lugo, Bill Geisslinger, Keith Contreras, and Robynn Rodrigues. At Herberger Theater Center through October 21st.

In a unique addition to its upcoming 2018/2019 Season, Goodman Theatre and the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA) will present the U.S. premiere of Mendoza by Los Colochos of Mexico City-the latest in a 30-year history of premiering works by prominent local, national and international Latino playwrights and theater companies. Mendoza is presented as part of Destinos-the 2nd Chicago International Latino Theater Festival, a seven-week festival of Latino theater artists and companies from Chicago, the U.S. and Latin America in shows, panels and student performances at venues citywide. A radically reimagined adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Mendoza is a tale of ambition, blood and power by Antonio Zuñiga and Juan Carrillo, directed by Carrillo and presented in Spanish with English supertitles. The limited engagement of Mendoza appears October 2-7, 2018 at Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn); tickets ($25-32; subject to change) go on sale Friday, August 24 by telephone 312.443.3800 or online GoodmanTheatre.org/Mendoza.

Merrimack Repertory Theatre opens it 40th anniversary season with NATIVE GARDENS, #8 on American Theatre magazine's list of the top 10 most-produced plays of 2018-2019. With a dozen theaters mounting Karen Zacarias' delightful tale that pits a millennial, Latinx couple against a white, baby boomer couple, across a shared backyard fence, my prediction is that there will be lots of happy patrons debating the definition of good neighbors after seeing this show. To complicate matters, all four are basically good and decent people, just like us, but circumstances change. When they are tested and show new colors, are they a temporary aberration or their true ones?

Villanova Theatre presents Karen Zacarias's raucous romp, The Book Club Play, hailed as 'smart, light and pants-peeingly funny' (chicagocritic.com). Directed by Whiting and Barrymore Award winner James Ijames, this smart hit comedy about books and the people who love them runs September 18-30, 2018.