Lauren Shouse News

Playwright Nate Eppler, Mas Nashville's FIVE, the Boiler Room Theatre, Lipscomb University's Hairspray, ACT 1's American Buffalo and the national touring company of Memphis, the Musical were the top winners at Sunday night's Midwinter's First Night at Nashville's Keeton Theatre, which also featured the presentation of the BroadwayWorld.com Nashville and Tennessee theatre awards.

Tennessee Repertory Theatre will once again present the holiday cult A Christmas Story adapted by Phillip Grecian and based on the motion picture by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, and Bob Clark. A Christmas Story runs December 8-22 at TPAC's Johnson Theater.

There's just 4 weeks left to go in voting for the 2011 Nashville Awards and here is the latest update! Have you voted yet, and helped to spread the word to support your favorites in the hopes that they will be the recipients of a 2011 BroadwayWorld Nashville Award? There is no time to waste, click on the voting link and make your opinion count! Below are the stats so far as of Tuesday November 29, 2011.

Voting is now well underway for the 2011 Nashville Awards and here is the latest update! Now, it's time for you to get out and vote for your favorites in the hopes that they will be the recipients of a 2011 BroadwayWorld Nashville Award. No time to waste, click on the voting link and make your opinion count! Below are the stats so far as of Monday November 21, 2011.

Long Way Down, Nashville playwright Nate Eppler's critically acclaimed new work which premiered locally earlier this year, has been named a semi-finalist for the 2012 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award.

Voting is now open for the 2011 Nashville Awards! Now it's time for you to get out and vote for your favorites in the hopes that they will be the recipients of a 2011 BroadwayWorld Nashville Award. No time to waste, click on the voting link and make your opinion count! Below are the stats so far as of Monday November 14, 2011.

A Lincoln impersonator looking for a really good time, a Middle Eastern immigrant looking to rent a room, World of Warcraft devotees giving their friend an ultimatum, and a sexy co-worker looking for a promotion - those are just a few of the diverse characters to be found among the 12 exciting new plays at The Ten Minute Playhouse. Set for November 6 and 7 at the Darkhorse Theater, The Ten Minute Playhouse presented by New Works Nashville features a collection of new plays by Middle Tennessee playwrights performed in staged readings by local talent.

Tennessee Repertory Theatre recently announced plans for REPaloud, the popular play reading series which highlights contemporary plays.

Set for November 6 and 7 at the Darkhorse Theater, 4610 Charlotte Avenue, The Ten Minute Playhouse will again feature brand new ten-minute plays by Middle Tennessee playwrights. In addition, two scripts read at the May event will be produced and staged in New Works Nashville's ongoing commitment to nurturing emerging playwrights in Music City.

The Ten Minute plays will be presented as staged readings performed and directed by volunteers from the Nashville theater community. Audiences in attendance will not only get to see exciting new plays, but will also be able to give the playwrights feedback following the readings.

Quite simply, with Long Way Down Eppler proves himself a playwright of the highest order, delivering a well-crafted script that delves into the pro-life movement with an incisive wit that is blended artfully with a gritty realism to create a completely believable premise, peopled by characters so genuine it is as if you know them intimately. To put it succinctly, Nate Eppler is likely to become very famous, with Long Way Down a most worthy vehicle for his success

Lauren Shouse directs 3Ps Productions' upcoming workshop production of award-winning playwright Nate Eppler's Long Way Down, described as 'a new dark comedy'starring Rachel Agee, David Compton, Rebekah Durham and Jennifer Richmond, running May 6-28 at Street Theatre Company, 1933 Elm Hill Pike. Set just outside Nashville, Long Way Down tells the story of Maybelline and Karen, two southern women who decide to kidnap babies from undeserving parents. When they run out of room for all of the babies, one of the women decides there is enough room for all of the babies in Heaven.

The Ten Minute plays will be presented as staged readings performed and directed by volunteers from the Nashville theater community. Audiences in attendance will not only get to see exciting new plays, but will also be able to give the playwrights feedback following the readings.

Lauren Shouse directs 3Ps Productions' upcoming workshop production of award-winning playwright Nate Eppler's Long Way Down, described as 'a new dark comedy'starring Rachel Agee, David Compton, Rebekah Durham and Jennifer Richmond, running May 6-28 at Street Theatre Company, 1933 Elm Hill Pike. Set just outside Nashville, Long Way Down tells the story of Maybelline and Karen, two southern women who decide to kidnap babies from undeserving parents. When they run out of room for all of the babies, one of the women decides there is enough room for all of the babies in Heaven.

In what could well be the most talked-about theatrical event of the new year, Street Theatre Company presents Chess in Concert February 24-27, featuring some of Nashville's best known stage talents and including a chorus of more than 40 voices. And it seems, in talking to some of the artists most intimately involved in the creative process that will culminate in this weekend's five performances, that it is a process they'd definitely sign-up for again - and it's clear that Nashville audiences will be talking about it for a long time after the curtain rings down Sunday night.

Make no mistake about it: Street Theatre Company's Chess in Concert is filled to overflowing with an embarrassment of riches. If for no other reason, you should see the concert (onstage through Sunday, February 27) for Laura Matula's bravura performance as Florence Vassy - the American chess champion's second who falls into a torrid affair with his Russian counterpart - which is as stunning as any star turn you will see by any woman in musical theater anywhere. (There. I've said it and I mean it with all my heart: Laura Matula has a spectacularly expressive voice and her dramatic performance in this role is richly shaded and nuanced. In short, she should be a very big star!)

In what could well be the most talked-about theatrical event of the new year, Street Theatre Company presents Chess in Concert February 24-27, featuring some of Nashville's best known stage talents and including a chorus of more than 40 voices. And it seems, in talking to some of the artists most intimately involved in the creative process that will culminate in this weekend's five performances, that it is a process they'd definitely sign-up for again - and it's clear that Nashville audiences will be talking about it for a long time after the curtain rings down Sunday night.

In May of 2008 at the Royal Albert Hall, London, there were two spectacular, standing room only, performances of Chess in Concert, with story and lyrics by Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, The Lion King) and music by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (Mamma Mia!), formerly of ABBA. Chess in Concert received its TV premiere in June 2009 and was subsequently shown in mainstream cinemas throughout the UK. Street Theatre Company is thrilled to announce that they are the first company in the U.S. to secure rights to this spectacular 'in concert' production that Tim Rice says he hopes 'will be the model of future productions.' The musical has a long history with multiple versions from concept album to British and finally American productions.