Kenneth Lonergan News

The finalists for 2009 HUMANITAS Prize were announced August 17 by John Wells, HUMANITAS Prize President. A total of $95,000 in prize money will be handed out at the annual luncheon on September 17th in the Crystal Ballroom at The Beverly Hills Hotel.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) will launch its 31st season this fall with the New York premiere of Anna Deavere Smith's LET ME DOWN EASY. Conceived, written, and performed by Ms. Smith and directed by Leonard Foglia, LET ME DOWN EASY will begin preview performances on Tuesday, September 15 and will officially open on Wednesday, October 7 at 6:45pm.

Director Jacob Estes, who made a splash with his 2004 thriller 'Mean Creek,' has recruited as stellar cast for his new black comedy 'The Details.' According to Variety, James McAvoy, Laura Linney, Elizabeth Banks and Anna Friel have all signed on for the independently financed feature.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) and 92YTribeca have announced that they will present 'NEW PLAYS, TOUGH TIMES' at 92YTribeca (200 Hudson Street) on Thursday evening, September 10 at 7:30 PM. Moderated by Time Out New York's Theater editor and chief drama critic David Cote, the panel discussion will feature all eight writers from Playwrights Horizons' upcoming 2009/2010 Season.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) and 92YTribeca have announced that they will present 'NEW PLAYS, TOUGH TIMES' at 92YTribeca (200 Hudson Street) on Thursday evening, September 10 at 7:30 PM. Moderated by Time Out New York's Theater editor and chief drama critic David Cote, the panel discussion will feature all eight writers from Playwrights Horizons' upcoming 2009/2010 Season.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) announced today that Parker Posey has had to withdraw from the cast of THIS, a new play by Obie Award winner Melissa James Gibson (Suitcase, [sic]), due to developing a case of Lyme Disease. A replacement actress for the lead role of Jane will be announced shortly.

Meet gossip columnists MR. & MRS. FITCH. When the social circuit no longer provides any scandalous news, they find that great celebrity can appear out of thin air. Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane's wicked new comedy is a scathing look at who is in, who is out and who may not even exist at all.

The finalists for 2009 HUMANITAS Prize were announced August 17 by John Wells, HUMANITAS Prize President. A total of $95,000 in prize money will be handed out at the annual luncheon on September 17th in the Crystal Ballroom at The Beverly Hills Hotel.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) is now accepting entries for its popular LIVEforFIVE online lottery for $5 tickets to its next production, the World Premiere of THE RETRIBUTIONISTS, a new play by Daniel Goldfarb (Modern Orthodox, Adam Baum and the Jew Movie, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me). At least 50 tickets will be available via the online lottery.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) will launch its 31st season this fall with the New York premiere of Anna Deavere Smith's LET ME DOWN EASY. Conceived, written, and performed by Ms. Smith and directed by Leonard Foglia, LET ME DOWN EASY will begin preview performances on Tuesday, September 15 and will officially open on Wednesday, October 7 at 6:45pm.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director) will conclude its 30th Anniversary mainstage season with the New York premiere of VANITIES, a new musical written by Jack Heifner, featuring music and lyrics by David Kirshenbaum, directed by Judith Ivey. With musical staging by Dan Knechtges, VANITIES will feature Lauren Kennedy, Sarah Stiles, and Anneliese van der Pol and will begin preview performances on Thursday, July 2. Opening night is Thursday, July 16 at 6:30pm

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) and 92YTribeca have announced that they will present 'NEW PLAYS, TOUGH TIMES' at 92YTribeca (200 Hudson Street) on Thursday evening, September 10 at 7:30 PM. Moderated by Time Out New York's Theater editor and chief drama critic David Cote, the panel discussion will feature all eight writers from Playwrights Horizons' upcoming 2009/2010 Season.

Stage, film and television star Anna Paquin has announced her engagement to fellow actor Stephen Moyer. Moyer co-stars as Paquin's boyfriend on the hit HBO series, True Blood.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) and 92YTribeca have announced that they will present 'NEW PLAYS, TOUGH TIMES' at 92YTribeca (200 Hudson Street) on Thursday evening, September 10 at 7:30 PM. Moderated by Time Out New York's Theater editor and chief drama critic David Cote, the panel discussion will feature all eight writers from Playwrights Horizons' upcoming 2009/2010 Season.

Today, Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced the cast for its world premiere of American Idiot. Based on the Grammy Award-winning album of the same name, the show features the music of Green Day and the lyrics of its frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. American Idiot is being staged by Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer, who also collaborated with Armstrong on the story.

Additional cast and creative team members have been announced for The New Group's THE STARRY MESSENGER, starring Matthew Broderick and, as previously reported, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Oscar-nominated in 2005 for her role in 'Maria Full of Grace.'

MCC Theater (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) has announced casting for two productions of its 2009-10 season.

Playwrights Horizons, under the leadership of Artistic Director Tim Sanford and Managing Director Leslie Marcus, announces complete casting, as well as dates, for the first two productions of its upcoming 2009/2010 Season. Presented at the theater company's home at 416 West 42nd Street, the previously-announced productions will feature the following casts:

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director) concludes its 30th Anniversary mainstage season with the New York premiere of VANITIES, a new musical written by Jack Heifner, featuring music and lyrics by David Kirshenbaum, directed by Judith Ivey. With musical staging by Dan Knechtges, VANITIES features Lauren Kennedy, Sarah Stiles, and Anneliese van der Pol.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) will present the world premiere of POP!, a new musical with book and lyrics by Maggie-Kate Coleman and music by Anna K. Jacobs, directed by Mark Brokaw, at Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street), November 27-December 19, 2009. Opening Night is December 3.