Lanford Wilson News

Following the sold out performances and overflow crowds for its original Cino Nights presentations (including new plays by Gary Sunshine, Mando Alvarado, Courtney Baron, Florencia Lozano, Kristen Palmer, Emily DeVoti, Lucy Thurber, Jessica Dickey, Adam Szymkowicz, Laura Eason, Daniel Reitz, Megan Mostyn-Brown, Dael Orlandersmith, Keith Reddin, Crystal Skillman, Charlotte Miller, Brooke Berman, Cusi Cram, and Daniel Talbott), Rising Phoenix Rep continues the series with three new plays, starting tonight, January 27th with East Colfax by Diana Stahl.

The Robert Chesley/Jane Chambers Playwrights Project (Kathleen Warnock, Curator) presents a FREE reading of Jane Chambers' 'My Blue Heaven' tonight, January 26 at 7pm, in The Mitchell Room, ART/NY 520 8th Ave., 3rd fl.

West Palm Beach's only professional multi-award-winning resident theatre, Palm Beach Dramaworks, continues its 6thannual Master Playwrights Series featuring the work of Jean Genet and Wendy Wasserstein at the Don & Ann Brown Theatre (201 Clematis Street). Inspired and produced by Mark Perlberg and sponsored by Nancy and Jay Parker, the Master Playwright Series invites audience participation, discussion and an overview of the work and themes of each playwright in addition to staged readings of their work.

The Faux-Real Theatre Company (FRTC) who have been bringing avant-garde theatre to populist audiences since 1994, will present their newest production: the ancient play OEDIPUS REX with a gender bending twist. It's classic theatre performed exactly as Sophocles intended…sort of. Preview performances of OEDIPUS REX XX/XY will begin Thursday March 7th prior to an official press opening on March 10th at La MaMa's First Floor Theatre (74A East 4th Street) in Manhattan. Mark Greenfield, FRTC's Artistic Director, will direct.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) presents its annual 2013 Spring Gala "A Celebration of Your Favorites" emceed by Alan Cumming (Cabaret) on Monday, March 11th, 2013 at the Hammerstein Ballroom (311 West 34th Street, NYC). The evening will be a celebration of the company's artistic achievements under Artistic Director Todd Haimes' 30 years of leadership and the future ahead.

Signature Theatre has announced that casting is confirmed and tickets go on sale Tuesday, January 29 for THE MOUND BUILDERS written by Lanford Wilson and directed by Jo Bonney. All tickets for the initial run of the production are $25 as part of the Signature Ticket Initiative: A Generation of Access. The production runs February 26 through April 7, 2013 with a March 17 opening night in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues).

Following the sold out performances and overflow crowds for its original Cino Nights presentations (including new plays by Gary Sunshine, Mando Alvarado, Courtney Baron, Florencia Lozano, Kristen Palmer, Emily DeVoti, Lucy Thurber, Jessica Dickey, Adam Szymkowicz, Laura Eason, Daniel Reitz, Megan Mostyn-Brown, Dael Orlandersmith, Keith Reddin, Crystal Skillman, Charlotte Miller, Brooke Berman, Cusi Cram, and Daniel Talbott), Rising Phoenix Rep continues the series with three new plays, starting on Sunday, January 27th with East Colfax by Diana Stahl.

The Oscar-winning and Tony-nominated actress Estelle Parsons will be honored at La Mama's annual benefit fundraiser, along with longtime La MaMa board member Peter Swords on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at the Ellen Stewart Theatre (66 E. 4 St.), it has been announced by Mia Yoo, Artistic Director of La MaMa, and Frank Carucci, President of the theatre's Board of Directors.

LA MAMA KIDS -- a new series of creative workshop programming for youngsters and their families -- will make its debut at La MaMa at the Ellen Stewart Theatre (66 E. 4 St. -- 2nd floor) on Saturday, February 9 at 11 a.m., it has been announced by La MaMa's artistic director Mia Yoo.

The Robert Chesley/Jane Chambers Playwrights Project (Kathleen Warnock, Curator) presents a FREE reading of Jane Chambers' 'My Blue Heaven' on Saturday, January 26 at 7pm, in The Mitchell Room, ART/NY 520 8th Ave., 3rd fl.

Welcome to middle age... proceed with caution! Diane Cary, Jane Kaczmarek and Sharon Sharth star as three successful women who challenge themselves to find love and personal fulfillment in the middle years of life. Steven Robman directs the ensemble cast, which also includes Gregory Harrison, James Lancaster and Joel Polis, in the world premiere of The Snake Can by Kathryn Graf (Hermetically Sealed). Performances run tonight, January 19 through February 24, presented by Indie Chi Productions at the Odyssey Theatre in West Los Angeles.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: LES MIS wins big at the Golden Globes, Sierra Boggess returns to PHANTOM, PICNIC and CAT return to Broadway and so much more!

Can we practice goodness and create a world to sustain it? This question, posed by Shen Tei, the good-hearted, penniless and cross-dressing prostitute of Bertolt Brecht's Good Person of Szechwan, is central to the work of The Foundry Theatre. The play's concerns, and the earmarks of the Foundry's new production, make it an ideal offering from the company, which is celebrated for creating memorable theatrical events while pursuing civic inquiry and social justice. The show, starring the singular Taylor Mac as Shen Tei, is directed by Lear deBessonet and features original live music by 'indie rock vaudevillians' (SPIN) César Alvarez and The Lisps.

Roundabout Theatre Company got a special shoutout in a recent episode of Family Guy, in which Brian discouraged Stewie from pursuing his play any further out of fear that it will marginalize his own recent success. Check out the clip below!

The Dramatists Guild of America invites you In the Room with some of the most celebrated playwrights, composers and lyricists in the American theatre discussing craft while sharing their influences and experiences when creating their most celebrated work. In a conversation originally recorded in 2008 with Council member John Guare, Peter Shaffer discusses writing Five Finger Exercise, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Black Comedy and his Tony Award-winning Equus.

Wilson's Pulitzer Prize winning play Talley's Folly, directed by Michael Wilson, feature Danny Burstein as 'Matt Friedman' and Sarah Paulson as 'Sally Talley.' Performances begin on February 8, 2013 and opening night is March 5, 2013 at the Laura Pels Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 West 46th Street). This is a limited engagement through April 28, 2013. THe cast and creative team met the press today and you can check out photo coverage from the event below!

Modern romance is more complex than any scientific problem ever in Itamar Moses's smart, sexy new comedy Completeness, receiving its Midwest premiere in a Theater Wit production at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Previews begin Feb. 7, 2013. Press opening is Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 7 pm. Performances run through March 24. Regular show times are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 pm; and Sunday at 2 pm. No show Thursday, Feb. 21. Tickets are $18-$36. For tickets and information, visit TheaterWit.org or call 773.975.8150.

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore will host a special event recognizing the founding of CENTERSTAGE and the theater's 50th Anniversary on Monday, January 28, at 7 pm, at the Jewish Community Center Gordon Center for Performing Arts. The evening will feature performances from iconic plays from each decade of the theater's history, as well as historical recollections.

Robert Wuhl's long stint in show business began at the University of Houston. The actor/director/writer/producer began entertaining audiences as a student in UH's School of Theatre & Dance (SOTD). Now, he's ready to return to his alma mater to begin a new phase in his career.

BroadwayWorld brings you the Best of Ft. Myers/Naples in the year 2012. Check out the Top Theatre Stories from each month during in the year 2012. We look forward to another exciting year of theatre in 2013!