Lear deBessonet News

A friendly reminder! The Public Theater will begin previews for the second Free Shakespeare in the Park production of the season, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, on Tuesday, July 11. Directed by Obie Award winner and The Public's Founder of Public Works and Resident Director Lear deBessonet, and choreography by Chase Brock, the show will run through Sunday, August 13 and officially open on Monday, July 31.

The Public Theater's Free Shakespeare in the Park production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, directed by Lear deBessonet, begins performances on Tuesday, July 11 and runs through Sunday, August 13, with an official press opening on Monday, July 31. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast in rehearsal below!

Five-time Obie Award-winning theater company Clubbed Thumb welcomes Heidi Schreck (I Love Dick) in the cast of her play, WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME during this season's SUMMERWORKS, its annual series of new plays.

Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham announced the line-up today for The Public's Astor Anniversary Season at their landmark downtown home on Lafayette Street, celebrating 50 years of new work at 425 Lafayette.

Traditionally, the human beings with uncommon attributes who are featured as carnival side-show attractions can hold a certain degree of power in their profession. It is their indisputable reality that adds an illusion of legitimacy to the flim-flam and shenanigans that fill out the rest of the show. Those who may appear to audiences as the most pitiable and exploited might very well be the ones taking in the biggest cuts of the profits.

Five-time Obie Award-winning theater company Clubbed Thumb (Maria Striar, Producing Artistic Director; Sarah McLellan,Managing Director; Michael Bulger, Associate Artistic Director) announced today that Heidi Schreck (I Love Dick) will join the cast of her play, WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME during this season's SUMMERWORKS, its annual series of new plays.

Signature Theatre presents Venus, written by Residency One playwright Suzan-Lori Parks and directed by Obie Award-winner Lear deBessonet. BroadwayWorld is taking you inside opening night below!

The Public Theater announced additional casting today for the 2017 Free Shakespeare in the Park season, beginning Tuesday, May 23 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, continuing a 55-year tradition of free theater in Central Park.

The Public Theater is gearing up for its 2017 Free Shakespeare in the Park season, beginning Tuesday, May 23 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, continuing a 55-year tradition of free theater in Central Park. The rarely seen Julius Caesar, directed by The Public's Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, begins previews Tuesday, May 23 and runs through Sunday, June 18 with an official press opening on Monday, June 12. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the company in rehearsal!

Playwrights Horizons (Artistic Director, Tim Sanford; Managing Director, Leslie Marcus) has announced that the score for their World Premiere production of the musical IOWA has been preserved as an Original Cast Recording, produced by Michael Croiter (Matilda, The Visit, Big Fish) and Todd Almond. IOWA is written by Jenny Schwartz (God's Ear, Somewhere Fun) with music by Todd Almond (Girlfriend) and lyrics by Ms. Schwartz and Mr. Almond.

Signature Theatre presents Venus, written by Residency One playwright Suzan-Lori Parks and directed by Obie Award-winner Lear deBessonet. BroadwayWorld has a first look at Zainab Jah and company onstage below!

On Monday night, April 24th, at its semi-annual Membership meeting, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, the national theatrical union representing stage directors and choreographers across the United States, announced the 2016-2017 Top Ten "Standout Moments."

Five-time Obie Award-winning theater company Clubbed Thumb has announced casting for this season's SUMMERWORKS, its annual series of new plays.

The Drama League (Executive Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks) has announced the eleven exceptional stage directors who have been selected as the 2017 Directing Fellows of The Drama League Directors Project.

After a sold-out run for Lost Girls, Theatre Exile closes their 20th anniversary season with Buzzer by Tracey Scott Wilson. Gentrification comes to a head as the thought-provoking social drama fans the flames of love, race, class and privilege.

The Signature Theatre (Paige Evans, Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director; James Houghton, Founder) world premiere production of The Antipodes, written by Residency Five playwright Annie Baker and directed by Lila Neugebauer, has been extended by for a third time.

The Public Theater will kick off the 2017-18 season in September with a free Public Works musical adaptation of AS YOU LIKE IT, adapted by Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery, with music and lyrics by Shaina Taub. Directed by Laurie Woolery, AS YOU LIKE IT will once again feature over 200 actors and community members alongside equity actors. Now in its fifth season, this unforgettable Public Works musical adaptation about chance encounters and self-discovery, will run for five nights for free, September 1-5, at the Delacorte Theater.

Artistic Director Braden Abraham today announced Seattle Repertory Theatre's new nine-play 2017/2018 Season, which kicks off with a massive, community-driven musical adaptation, and continues with a theatrical take on a Jane Austen favorite, the launch of a  Broadway National Tour of a Tony Award-winning play, an August Wilson masterpiece, and much more.

866059After directing The Tank's critically acclaimed production of The Offending Gesture, director Meghan Finn returns to helm the world premiere of CHARLESES by Carl Holder. Part of The Tank's Save & Print series, CHARLESES runs through Saturday, April 29. The performance schedule isMonday, Wednesday - Sunday at 8 PM. Please note, the performances on Saturday, April 29 are at2 PM & 6 PM.  Performances are at The Brick (575 Metropolitan Avenue, at Lorimer). Tickets are $25 for general admission. ($15 for students with a valid ID.) To purchase tickets, visit www.thetanknyc.org.

The world premiere of Carl Holder's CHARLESES begins performances tonight (Thursday, April 13) at The Brick (575 Metropolitan Avenue, at Lorimer). Meghan Finn returns to The Tank after directing last year's Drama Desk-nominated The Offending Gesture to helm the premiere production.