Leigh Silverman News

Today, Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced the addition of two esteemed professionals to its staff: Chad Jones, the respected local journalist, joins the Theatre as its new communications manager, and Tom Pearl, an experienced theatre leader, takes over the position of production manager.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) today announced the new plays that will comprise its upcoming 2009-10 season.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre, which has earned a national reputation for developing provocative new plays, has received two prestigious grants of $50,000 each to fund upcoming world premieres.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Thursday, June 4, 2009.

Playwrights Horizons, under the leadership of Artistic Director Tim Sanford and Managing Director Leslie Marcus, proudly announces the sixth and final production of its upcoming 2009/2010 Season, as well as additional casting. Presented at the theater company's home at 416 West 42nd Street, the new production will be: A COOL DIP IN THE BARREN SAHARAN CRICK - the World Premiere of a new play by Playwrights Horizons alumna Kia Corthron (Breath, Boom at Playwrights Horizons, Force Continuum), directed by Obie Award winner Chay Yew (Durango at The Public). A co-production with The Play Company (Kate Loewald, Founding Producer) and Culture Project (Allan Buchman, Artistic Director).

I suppose if Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill ever took a crack at writing theatre for young Weimar audiences, their effort might have had a strong likeness to Stephin Merritt and David Greenspan's creepily enchanting fantasy, Coraline, receiving a production from MCC that's far too interesting for viewers to be overly concerned with the occasional bumps.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) in association with True Love Productions, has announced an extension through July 5th for the world premiere of the new musical, Coraline.

The American Theatre Wing has announced its newest episode of its popular 'Working in the Theater' series, titled 'Fluidity & Change: Directors 2009.' This episode features Thomas Kail (In the Heights), Moisés Kaufman (33 Variations) Bartlett Sher (Joe Turner's Come and Gone), Leigh Silverman (Coraline), and Kate Whoriskey (Ruined). The program, moderated by Variety reporter Gordon Cox, will air on CUNY Television beginning Sunday, May 31, at 5:00 pm, with additional airings Friday, June 5 at 9:00 am, 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm, Saturday, June 6 at 11:00 am, and Sunday, June 7 at 5:00 pm.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) in association with True Love Productions, has announced an extension through July 5th for the world premiere of the new musical, Coraline.

Fresh off his lauded New York production of Farragut North, director Doug Hughes reunites much of his ensemble cast, including Juno's Olivia Thirlby, The Wire's Isiah Whitlock, Jr, Mia Barron, Dan Bittner and Justin Huen, at the Geffen Playhouse to join the previously announced Chris Noth and Chris Pine. Noth, best known for his longtime stint as Detective Mike Logan on Law & Order and as the (in)famous Mr.Big on Sex and the City, is a fellow cast member from the Atlantic Theater Company's NY production, while Pine, who is starring as the young Captain Kirk in the new film Star Trek and was recently seen in the Geffen's production of Neil LaBute's Fat Pig, is new to the LA production. Written by Beau Willimon, Farragut North was recently nominated for two Outer Critics Circle Awards including Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play.

The New York Times is reporting that, MCC Theater has announced a bit of unconventional casting news for its stage adaptation of the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman. Jayne Houdyshell, 55, who was nominated for a Tony award for her performance in 'Well,' will play the 9-year-old Coraline according to the Times' Arts, Briefly column.

The complete cast for MCC Theater's CORALINE has been announced. Jayne Houdyshell will play the title role with Julian Fleisher as Cat, Francis Jue as Father and Miss Forcible, January LaVoy as Mother and Miss Spink, Elliot Villar as Mr. Bobo and William Youmans as Other Father with Houdyshell and librettist Greenspan as Other Mother.

Is Sadie Hawkins Day a women's project? This is 2009, right? Well, it is a Women's Project project, especially when its goal is to raise money to support women theatre artists. So, in keeping with the dictum that anything a man can do, a woman can do just as well, but backwards and in heels, Women's Project's spring fund-raiser is a Sadie Hawkins Dance Spectacular Wednesday, April 29, from 9:00 pm at Touch Nightclub, 240 West 52nd Street.

Today, the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced the seventh play selected for its upcoming season: the West Coast premiere of Coming Home by Athol Fugard completes a bold slate that already features four world premieres, a West Coast premiere from Tony Kushner, and a holiday show starring the grandchild of Charlie Chaplin.

Eight productions have been announced for the eagerly anticipated 2009 Summer Play Festival (SPF). For its upcoming season, SPF will again be presented at The Public Theater. SPF 2009 will run from July 7 to August 2 and, as in years past, is expected to serve as a highlight of the summer theatre season by showcasing a line-up of new talent.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) in association with True Love Productions, has announced an exclusive evening with the creative team and cast members of the new musical, Coraline. This event will provide a unique opportunity to go behind the creative curtain and explore the process of bringing Neil Gaiman's wildly popular novel to the stage.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will present staged readings of 12 new plays by the inaugural class of the Emerging Writers Group, an annual program that targets playwrights at the earliest stages of their careers and nurtures their artistic growth by providing necessary resources and support.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) in association with True Love Productions, has announced an exclusive evening with the creative team and cast members of the new musical, Coraline. This event will provide a unique opportunity to go behind the creative curtain and explore the process of bringing Neil Gaiman's wildly popular novel to the stage.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) in association with True Love Productions, has announced a full line-up of unique technical endeavors in support of the world premiere of the new musical, Coraline.

Is Sadie Hawkins Day a women's project? This is 2009, right? Well, it is a Women's Project project, especially when its goal is to raise money to support women theatre artists. So, in keeping with the dictum that anything a man can do, a woman can do just as well, but backwards and in heels, Women's Project's spring fund-raiser is a Sadie Hawkins Dance Spectacular Wednesday, April 29, from 9:00 pm at Touch Nightclub, 240 West 52nd Street.