Leigh Silverman News

The Drama League has announced the 11 stage directors who have been selected as the 2016 Directing Fellows of The Drama League Directors Project: Noa Egozi, Drew Feldman, Sara Holdren, Candis Jones, Yavor Kostov, Katie Lupica, James Palmer, Jesca Prudencio, Ilana Ransom Toeplitz, Chloe Treat, Shaun Patrick Tubbs. More information can be found at www.dramaleague.org

Sundance Institute today announced the acting company, dramaturgs and creative advisors participating in its pilot Theatre Lab in the MENA region, including Sandra Oh, Hoon Lee, Deanna Dunagan, Hala Omran and Raeda Taha. The Lab, held in Morocco next month, is part of the Institute's international cultural exchange programs for independent artists and will kick off a new, multi-year commitment to support artists from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). For the Lab, the Institute will provide promising, fresh voices from the U.S. and MENA region with a rigorous artistic retreat and new opportunities for cross-cultural discovery, artistic reflection and creative experimentation.

Cardboard Piano at Humana Festival: Small Extraordinary Acts of Kindness

Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, announces the lineup of productions for its 2016/17 Season, which will launch in September with August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, directed by Tony Award-winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Full-season 6-play subscriptions are on sale now from 732.345.1400 or 21 Bridge Avenue, Red Bank. Subscribers save 25% on tickets, receive prime seating and a number of additional benefits. Visit tworivertheater.org for more details. Single tickets will go on sale in August 2016.

Rep Stage, the regional theatre in residence at Howard Community College (HCC), closes its 23rd season with Brooke Berman's "Hunting and Gathering," directed by Kasi Campbell. Named as one of the Ten Best Plays by New York Magazine and lauded by Variety for its "bracing wit and intelligence," the play features four New Yorkers as they seek shelter, physically and spiritually, in a variety of temporary homes and with one another. In this smart and sexy comedy, relationship questions are recast as real estate issues-Who will move in with whom? What will be the price of this commitment?-and Berman take a fresh approach to examining the trials and tribulations of being on your own in a bewildering existential landscape.

Sundance Institute today announced the eight new projects selected for its pilot Theatre Lab in the MENA region, held in Morocco, May 2016. The Lab is part of the Institute's international cultural exchange programs for independent artists, which include a new, multi-year commitment to support artists from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), broadening the work of its East African Theatre Exchange over the past 15 years. For the Lab, the Institute will provide promising, fresh voices from the U.S. and MENA region with a rigorous artistic retreat and new opportunities for cross-cultural discovery, artistic reflection and creative experimentation.

 The New York Musical Festival (NYMF), previously known as The New York Musical Theatre Festival, announced today the initial lineup for NYMF 2016. Among the shows announced in the lineup are the Next Link Project musical selections, as well as invited production selections, developmental reading selections, and concerts. Now in its thirteenth year, the 2016 Festival will take place in July at locations around midtown Manhattan in New York City. 

?Five-time Obie Award-winning theater company Clubbed Thumb has announced the line-up for SUMMERWORKS, its annual series of new plays. Now in its 21st season, SUMMERWORKS will run May 27 through July 9 at The Wild Project (195 E 3rd Street) in Manhattan, and will feature productions of three new plays: EVERY ANGEL IS BRUTAL by Julia Jarcho and directed by Knud Adams; THE TOMB OF KING TOT by Eric Dufault and directed by Portia Krieger; and TUMACHO by Ethan Lipton and directed by Leigh Silverman. Festival passes are now on sale at: https://www.artful.ly/clubbedthumb/store/passes.

Second Stage Theatre will present the world premiere of Sofia Alvarez's FRIEND ART, directed by Portia Krieger, and the New York premiere of Lucy Teitler's ENGAGEMENTS as part of the company's fourteenth annual SECOND STAGE THEATRE UPTOWN SERIES this summer.

Stacey Mindich '86, Tony Award-winning producer and a 1986 alumna of the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, will speak at the Newhouse Convocation Ceremony on Saturday, May 14, at noon in the Carrier Dome.

The critically acclaimed play THE WOODSMAN, a uniquely inventive retelling of the origins of Oz's Tin Woodsman, officially opened last night, February 8, 2016, at Off-Broadway's New World Stages - Stage 5 (340 West 50th Street). BroadwayWorld was there for the special night and you can check out photos from the red carpet below!

Theatre Rhinoceros presents THE CALL - by Tanya Barfield, Directed by Jon Wai-keung Lowe, Feb. 20 - March 12, 2016 (Limited Engagement - 17 Performances Only). Check out photos from the show below!

Theatre Rhinoceros presents THE CALL - by Tanya Barfield, Directed by Jon Wai-keung Lowe, Feb. 20 - March 12, 2016 (Limited Engagement - 17 Performances Only).

Next week Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond, including Ben Vereen, Elizabeth A. Davis and more!

Broadway's 40 theatres aren't the only places to catch performances from your favorite stars! Well after Broadway orchestras begin their overtures, ensemble members take their dance breaks, and performers belt out their eleven o'clock numbers, the party continues at various cabaret venues throughout New York City. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you some cabaret highlights for this week as picked by our theatre editors, including: Brian Gallagher & Friends; Ben Vereen at 54 Below; New Musicals at 54: An Americain Boy by Amanda Green & Richard Thomas; Elizabeth A. Davis at 54 Below; and Linda Lavin in 'My First Farewell Concert.'

Signal Ensemble Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of The Consultant by Heidi Schreck and directed by Signal Ensemble Theater Co-Artistic Director Ronan Marra at Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Ave., January 21 - February 20, 2016.  After 13 seasons of  presenting, The Consultant marks the final production for Signal Ensemble Theatre. There will be one preview Thursday, Jan. 21 at 8 p.m. Opening/Press night is Friday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. Regular performances are Thursday - Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. (No performance Sunday, Feb. 7) Ticket prices are $23 for single tickets, $15 for industry/students/seniors/groups and $12 for previews. Tickets may be purchased by calling 773.698.7389 or by visiting www.signalensemble.com.  NOTE: There is no Sunday, February 7 performance and there will be an industry Night performance Monday, Feb. 8 at 7:30pm.

New Musicals at 54 is a series presented by Feinstein's/ 54 Below Programming Director Jennifer Ashley Tepper. Some of the 10 new and diverse musicals by a selection of today's most talented writers have had out-of-town productions, some have had workshops... now's your chance to be first to see them in NYC! Join us at New Musicals at 54 for one-night-only concerts celebrating each new show with songs, behind-the-scenes stories, and all-star casts!

The New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) will celebrate its 20th Anniversary August 12 - 28, 2016. Each year the festival presents programming by nearly 200 of the world's best emerging theatre troupes and dance companies. General FringeNYC applications for 2016 are currently being accepted for participants in all genres (theatre, dance, puppetry, performance art, multi-media, etc.).

Broadway newcomer Emerson Steele opens up about her transition from New York back down South, sharing the stage with the legendary Sutton Foster, and her dream of being the first female to play Jean Valjean on Broadway.

Labyrinth Theater Company has announced the line-up for the 17th Annual Barn Series, the award-winning company's free play reading series.