Laura Eason News

A total of 35 established and emerging writers, composers and lyricists will converge on the Goodspeed campus this month to participate in the first-ever Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals. The writing teams, representing more than twenty new musicals, will populate the campus, creating a truly exciting environment for discovery and inspiration.

Following its acclaimed 16-week run at the Lookingglass Theatre Company this fall, Metamorphoses brings the mythical tales of Ovid to life at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, 10 years after the Broadway premiere. Written and directed by Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman, Metamorphoses is based on David Slavitt's translation and marks the first time Zimmerman will direct the production since its Broadway run. This is also the first time Zimmerman will stage Metamorphoses in the round, and a custom set will be designed with the largest pool of water ever created for this production. Metamorphoses dives onto the Fichandler Stage February 8-March 17, 2013.

Continuing its 25th Anniversary Season, Lookingglass Theatre Company presents the 2010 Pulitzer Prize Finalist Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, written by Rajiv Joseph and directed by Ensemble Member Heidi Stillman. Tickets are now on sale for the production, running January 30 - March 17, 2013 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. The Press Opening is Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

Pine Box Theater Company continues its 2012/13 season with the world premiere drama 25 SAINTS by Ensemble Member Joshua Rollins, author of Pine Box's smash hit A Girl With Sun In Her Eyes, directed by Ensemble Member Susan E. Bowen, playing February 21 - March 31, 2013 at the Greenhouse Theater Center Upstairs Studio, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.

The Denver Center Theatre Company (DCTC) has made its final selections for the 8th Annual Colorado New Play Summit. With a stunning representation of today's playwrights, presenting shows covering topics as diverse as the effects of immigration status on assimilation, a modern take on Homer's Odyssey, and a bawdy comedy about a man dragged into a drag act, these plays by some of America's top new writers demonstrate the DCTC's commitment to new works and solidify its position as one of the nation's top tier new play festivals. The Most Deserving by Edgerton New Play Award-winner Catherine Trieschmann, The Legend of Georgia McBride by rising star Matthew Lopez, The Vast In-Between by Chicago Jeff Award-winner Laura Eason, internationally-produced Karen Zacarias' Just Like Us (based on the best-seller by Helen Thorpe), and Black Odyssey by multiple award winning poet/playwright Marcus Gardley, are confirmed for the 2013 Colorado New Play Summit, which will take place in downtown Denver February 8 - 10, 2013.

Just in time for the final showdown for the White House, Pine Box Theater patriotically presents ElectionFest 2012, 'twelve bold, politically-charged ten-minute plays exploring the issues driving the divide in today's political landscape and the upcoming election,' written by some of the country's most exciting theatrical voices.' The four-night festival will be presented today, October 22-23 & 29-30, 2012 at Theatre Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.theatrewit.org or by calling the Theatre Wit Box Office at (773) 975-8150.

Just in time for the final showdown for the White House, Pine Box Theater patriotically presents ElectionFest 2012, twelve bold, ten-minute plays exploring the issues driving the divide in today's political landscape and the upcoming election, written by some of the country's most exciting theatrical voices. The four-night festival will be presented October 22-23 & 29-30, 2012 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.theaterwit.org or by calling the Theatre Wit Box Office at (773) 975-8150.

Just in time for the final showdown for the White House, Pine Box Theater patriotically presents ElectionFest 2012, twelve bold, ten-minute plays exploring the issues driving the divide in today's political landscape and the upcoming election, written by some of the country's most exciting theatrical voices. The four-night festival will be presented October 22-23 & 29-30, 2012 at Theatre Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.theatrewit.org or by calling the Theatre Wit Box Office at (773) 975-8150.

This season, Tympanic invites you to take the upper hand with two plays featuring femmes at their most fatal. From a young woman with a painful past set on revenge to a clan of sisters with a family secret and a tendency to solve sibling rivalries with their fists, this lineup of knock-down-drag-out shows is sure to pack a punch.

Just in time for the final showdown for the White House, Pine Box Theater patriotically presents ElectionFest 2012, 'twelve bold, politically-charged ten-minute plays exploring the issues driving the divide in today's political landscape and the upcoming election,' written by some of the country's most exciting theatrical voices.' The four-night festival will be presented October 22-23 & 29-30, 2012 at Theatre Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.theatrewit.org or by calling the Theatre Wit Box Office at (773) 975-8150.

This season, Tympanic invites you to take the upper hand with two plays featuring femmes at their most fatal. From a young woman with a painful past set on revenge to a clan of sisters with a family secret and a tendency to solve sibling rivalries with their fists, this lineup of knock-down-drag-out shows is sure to pack a punch.

The Dorset Theatre Festival has announced its program for its 37th Season at the historic Dorset Playhouse, Dorset, VT this Summer. Shows include Good People by David Lindsay Abaire, Boeing-Boeing, The Whore and Mr. Moore and Deathtrap.

Following the sold out performances and overflow crowds for its first year and a half of 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 and Brooke Berman), Rising Phoenix Rep finished the series on June 10th with Radiance by Cusi Cram and on June 17th with Break My Face on Your Hand by Daniel Talbott.

Following the sold out performances and overflow crowds for its first year and a half of 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 and Cusi Cram), Rising Phoenix Rep finishes the series tonight, June 17th with Break My Face on Your Hand by Daniel Talbott.

Following the sold out performances and overflow crowds for its first year and a half of 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 and Cusi Cram), Rising Phoenix Rep finishes the series on June 17th with Break My Face on Your Hand by Daniel Talbott.

Casting has been announced for the 15th annual Perry-Mansfield New Works Festival (http://perry-mansfield.org/events/3/new-works-festival/) which brings performing arts professionals together in the Rocky Mountains to continue Perry-Mansfield's founding principle of nurturing new talent through new work.

The Dorset Theatre Festival has announced its program for its 37th Season at the historic Dorset Playhouse, Dorset, VT this Summer. Shows include Good People by David Lindsay Abaire, Boeing-Boeing, The Whore and Mr. Moore and Deathtrap.

Kathy Evans, Founder and Executive Director of the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, announced the eighteen writers who were selected for residencies this July and August. Each week, for eight weeks, one musical theatre writing team will work on their musical in a home in Rhinebeck, New York.

Ballybeg's debut production, EMPANADA FOR A DREAM, the story of a boy growing up on the Lower East Side, written and performed by Juan Francisco Villa* closes tonight. Alex Levy directs performances, held at the TBG Studio Theatre, 312 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor (between Eighth and Ninth Avenues) through tonight, April 29, 2012. *Member, Actors' Equity Association. AEA Showcase.

Nominations for the Chicago-based Non-Equity Jeff Awards were announced today; Theo Ubique leads with 14 nominations