Lear deBessonet News

Casting is confirmed and tickets are now on sale for the world premiere Signature Theatre (Paige Evans, Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director; James Houghton, Founder) production of Wakey, Wakey, written and directed by Lucille Lortel and Obie Award-winner Will Eno. Eno is a Residency Five playwright at Signature.

The Desert Rose Playhouse is participating in 'The Ghostlight Project', on January 19, 2017. In each time zone across the country, members of the theater community from Broadway to regional theaters to high schools and colleges and community theaters will come together to launch THE GHOSTLIGHT PROJECT. Gathering outside of theaters on the eve of the Presidential Inauguration, people will join in creating 'light' for the challenging times ahead.

THE GHOSTLIGHT PROJECT (previously announced as 'The Sanctuary Project') will bring the theatre community together from coast to coast on January 19, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. in each time zone to light a light and make a pledge. Inspired by the theatrical tradition of keeping a 'ghost light' on in a darkened theater, we create light for the challenging times ahead.

On January 19, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. in each time zone across the country, members of the theater community - from Broadway to regional theaters to high schools and colleges and community theaters - will come together to launch The Sanctuary Project.

Encores! Artistic Director Jack Viertel today announced casting for the Encores! production of Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the Tony Award-winning musical based on Mark Twain's classic American novel.

La Jolla Playhouse announces a special engagement of the critically-acclaimed one-woman show, The Wholehearted, written and co-directed by UC San Diego Department of Theatre and Dance professor Deborah Stein (The Bitter Game), performed and co-directed by Suli Holum. Presented in association with Center Theatre Group, the show runs in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre December 14 - 18. Tickets and information are available at LaJollaPlayhouse.org or858-550-1010.

Cherry Lane (Angelina Fiordellisi, Founding Artistic Director; Seri Lawrence, Janio Marrero, Producing Artistic Directors) is proud to announce this year's playwrights and mentors for their Obie Award-winning Mentor Project, culminating with fully-staged productions presented at Cherry Lane (38 Commerce St. in NYC) from February 22 to May 6, 2017.  

Jayne Ackley Lynch Productions today announced staged readings for the new American musical Far From the Madding Crowd, directed by Hunter Foster with choreography by Lorin Latarro.

Due to popular demand, the Signature Theatre (Paige Evans, Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director; James Houghton, Founder) production of 'Master Harold' ... and the boys, written and directed by Tony Award winner Athol Fugard, has been extended for a second time.

Due to popular demand, the Signature Theatre production of The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World AKA the Negro Book of the Dead, by Pulitzer Prize-winner Suzan-Lori Parks and directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, has been extended an additional week. The production will now run through December 18, 2016 at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues). 

La Jolla Playhouse announces a special engagement of the critically-acclaimed one-woman show, The Wholehearted, written and co-directed by UC San Diego Department of Theatre and Dance professor Deborah Stein (The Bitter Game), performed and co-directed by Suli Holum. Presented in association with Center Theatre Group, the show runs in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre December 14 - 18. Tickets and information are available at LaJollaPlayhouse.org or858-550-1010.

Berkeley Rep today announced that single tickets for the world premiere of the new musical Monsoon Wedding will go on sale to the general public on Monday, November 14. Monsoon Wedding will have its world premiere at Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre next spring. Previews begin Friday, May 5, 2017 and the show runs through Sunday, June 25, 2017. Press night for Monsoon Weddingwill be Friday, May 19, 2017.

Jayne Ackley Lynch Productions today announced staged readings for the new American musical Far From the Madding Crowd, directed by Hunter Foster with choreography by Lorin Latarro.

Due to popular demand, the Signature Theatre production of The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World AKA the Negro Book of the Dead, by Pulitzer Prize-winner Suzan-Lori Parks and directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, has been extended an additional week.

La Jolla Playhouse presents the world-premiere production of Miss You Like Hell, book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegria Hudes (In the Heights, Water by the Spoonful), music and lyrics by acclaimed singer/songwriter Erin McKeown, directed by Lear deBessonet (Public Theatre's The Odyssey) and choreographed by Danny Mefford(Broadway's Fun Home).

The Drama League has announced Tony Award and Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus), Emmy Award winner Hank Azaria ('The Simpsons'), Tony Award winner Christopher Durang (Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike), Tony Award winning Broadway Producer Daryl Roth (Kinky Boots), Tony Award nominees Kate Baldwin (Hello, Dolly!), Drama Desk nominee John Bolton (Curtains), along with Lea DeLaria ('Orange is the New Black') and Peri Gilpin ('Frazier'), have joined the roster of special guest performers for The 33rd Annual Drama League Centennial Musical Celebration of Broadway honoring Tony and Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce to be held on Monday evening, November 7, 2016 at The Plaza (768 Fifth Avenue) in New York City.

Signature Theatre's production of The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World, by Pulitzer Prize-winner Suzan-Lori Parks and directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, begins tonight, October 25, and runs through December 4, 2016 with a Sunday, November 13 opening night in The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues). 

The Drama League's 2016 Gala Charity Auction has launched at www.biddingforgood.com/thedramaleague, featuring over fifty once-in-a-lifetime prize packages.

La Jolla Playhouse presents the world-premiere production of Miss You Like Hell, book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegria Hudes (In the Heights, Water by the Spoonful), music and lyrics by acclaimed singer/songwriter Erin McKeown, directed by Lear deBessonet (Public Theatre's The Odyssey) and choreographed by Danny Mefford (Broadway's Fun Home). The musical features two-time Tony Award nominee Daphne Rubin-Vega (RENT, Anna in the Tropics) as 'Beatriz' - click below to watch her perform a song from the show in the studio!

The Drama League has announced the roster of special guest performers for the 33rd Annual Musical Celebration of Broadway honoring Tony and Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce to be held on Monday evening, November 7, 2016 at The Plaza (768 Fifth Avenue) in New York City.