Luna Stage News

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is accepting submissions for the TRU Voices New Plays Reading Series. For information, submission guidelines, and to apply, please visit https://truonline.org/2019-play-guidelines/.Submission fee is free for TRU members, $25 for non-members. Submission deadline is January 12, 2019 (with a one-week extension for TRU members and plays that are submitted with a producer attached). 

Central Works' 2019 season begins February 16 and runs through November 24, 2019 featuring the world premieres of 4 new plays. This 29th season begins with a bizarre comedy, followed by a Victorian mystery, a political thriller, and then in the fall it takes us on a deep dive into the sensual world of author Christina Garcia. The 2018 Season was celebrated and nominated for the comedy and SRO runs of Patricia Milton's Bamboozled and Cristina Garcia's King of Cuba which featured Marga Gomez as El Comandante. Milton's Bamboozled was a finalist for 6 TBA Awards, including Outstanding World Premiere, Entire Production, and Outstanding Direction - it won for Entire Production, Outstanding Ensemble and Outstanding Performance for its 2 principal actors, Stacy Ross and Chelsea Bearce. Central Works is committed to new works inspired by social issues, classic texts, and history - every production received a TBA Awards Recommendation, and each played to responsive houses every weekend!

Weathervane Productions, Rising Phoenix Repertory, in association with Rattlestick Playwrights Theater announce casting for the world premiere production of The Convent

Antu Yacob and Rafael Poueriet headline Luna Stage's second play of its 2018-19 MainStage Season, The Assignment by Camilo Almonacid. The play came out of real conversations between perpetrators of gun violence and victims, and explores friendship, loss, and forgiveness. David Winitsky directs The Assignment for a limited two-week engagement, opening Saturday, December 1.

Antu Yacob and Rafael Poueriet headline Luna Stage's second play of its 2018-19 MainStage Season, The Assignment by Camilo Almonacid. The play came out of real conversations between perpetrators of gun violence and victims, and explores friendship, loss, and forgiveness. David Winitsky directs The Assignment for a limited two-week engagement, starting Thursday, November 29.

Antu Yacob and Rafael Poueriet headline Luna Stage's second play of its 2018-19 MainStage Season, The Assignment by Camilo Almonacid. The play came out of real conversations between perpetrators of gun violence and victims, and explores friendship, loss, and forgiveness. David Winitsky directs The Assignment for a limited two-week engagement, starting Today, November 29.

Luna Stage explores friendship, loss, and forgiveness in its second play of the 2018-19 MainStage Season. The Assignment, by Camilo Almonacid, begins a two-week limited engagement at Luna Stage on Today, November 29, directed by David Winitsky.

Antu Yacob and Rafael Poueriet headline Luna Stage's second play of its 2018-19 MainStage Season, The Assignment by Camilo Almonacid. The play came out of real conversations between perpetrators of gun violence and victims, and explores friendship, loss, and forgiveness. David Winitsky directs The Assignment for a limited two-week engagement, starting Thursday, November 29.

McCarter Theatre Center is proud to announce the return of A Christmas Carol, directed by Adam Immerwahr. This family-friendly production runs December 4 - 29 in the Matthews Theatre. A popular annual event for families all across the region, McCarter Theatre Center's production brings Charles Dickens' timeless story of memory and redemption beyond the stage and out into the aisles and lobbies. Of special note this year is the addition of a sensory-sensitive relaxed performance on December 28 (details below).

MEDICINE THE MUSICAL, a new musical written by Michael Ehrenreich and directed by Joey Murray, will be making its world premiere in a limited engagement run on Today, November 3rd thru Sunday, November 18th at HERE Arts Center (145 Sixth Ave), in the Mainstage Theater. The production features original music with lyrics and composition by Mr. Ehrenreich with musical direction by Nick Wilders. www.medicinethemusical.com

Luna Stage explores friendship, loss, and forgiveness in its second play of the 2018-19 MainStage Season. The Assignment, by Camilo Almonacid, begins a two-week limited engagement at Luna Stage on Thursday, November 29, directed by David Winitsky.

Pushcart Players presents "A Cinderella Tale…happily ever after" at Tribeca Performing Arts Center, NYC on Friday and Saturday, November 2nd and 3rd. Twice nominated for an Emmy, Pushcart Players is the recipient of numerous state and private awards for excellence and innovation, and has traveled nearly three million miles nationally and abroad -- from the little red schoolhouse to White House - stirring up serious fun since 1974.

Pushcart Players presents "A Cinderella Tale…happily ever after" at Tribeca Performing Arts Center, NYC on Friday and Saturday, November 2nd and 3rd.  Twice nominated for an Emmy©, Pushcart Players is the recipient of numerous state and private awards for excellence and innovation, and has traveled nearly three million miles nationally and abroad -- from the little red schoolhouse to White House - stirring up serious fun since 1974.

The Assignment, a gripping and timely new play by Camilo Almonacid, begins a limited engagement at Luna Stage on Thursday, November 29. On the heels of Luna's critically-acclaimed Pirira, The Assignment is the second play in Luna's 2018-19 MainStage season, which features four new plays exploring how people can bridge ideological divides and create spaces of connection and healing.

Pirira by J. Stephen Brantley opens Luna Stage's 2018-19 season with a bang. Under the new leadership of Ari Laura Kreith (who directed the production) Pirira continues and expands Luna's commitment to timely plays where social justice is an undercurrent.

Portland Stage will stage the World Premiere of Refuge Malja by Bess Welden with Arabic Translation by Ali Al-Mshakheel begins Oct 30 through Nov 18, opens for reviewers Friday Nov 2, 2018. When a Jewish-American war photographer feels compelled to assist a young refugee who steps in front of her camera, she calls an old friend to translate but hesitates to reveal why she is so drawn to the boy. This poetic, decade-spanning drama explores how we each define and find our own malja (refuge). Affiliate Artist Bess Welden's Refuge Malja was developed as part of the 2017 Little Festival of the Unexpected and was subsequently workshopped in the Studio Series in January of 2018. Refuge Malja is made possible with support from the Maine Humanities Council and the Maine Arts Commission.

Luna Stage's newest program, Short & Show, joins the screening of a short film with a MainStage Luna production. In a distinctive Luna move, the theater company is offering a double bill of two works of art in two different disciplines: the showing of a thrilling new short film, Midnights, directed by NJ-based Alvaro Donado, and Pirira on the MainStage. Midnights was filmed on location in nearby Paterson, and this screening will be its West Orange premiere. Both works of art deal with decent people in dangerous situations who, against the odds, attempt to do the right thing. Luna's Short & Show will be Friday, October 19 (Midnights at 7:15pm, Pirira at 8pm) and Sunday, October 21 (Midnights at 2:15pm, Pirira at 3pm).

Luna Stage will host a lively post-show conversation with Elizabeth Juliver, Co-founder and Political Director of NJ 11th For Change, a grassroots progressive activist group centered in New Jersey's 11th Congressional district, where Democrat Mikie Sherril and Republican Jay Webber are running for the seat vacated by Peter Frelinghuysen. Also participating in the conversation are Analilia Mejia, Director on NJ Working Families, and Mindy Fullilove, Professor of Urban Studies at The New School. The discussion will follow the Saturday, October 13 performance of Pirira. Pirira is a vibrant, political, big-hearted play and will serve as the perfect partner for an animated and informative conversation with three progressive political activists about the nature of activism today and how to get get involved.

Catamitus, written by Frank J. Avella, is about a famous film director caught up in rape allegations who is confronted by one of his male victims. Catamitus will be directed by Christopher Burris and will star Brendan Daughterty and John David West.

Pushcart Players announces the 45th Season of touring theater for young audiences, bringing performances to schools, theaters, production venues, and community centers throughout the United States. In Pushcart's 5th decade of stirring up serious fun, the repertoire is an exceptional mix of musical productions exploring American history, self-discovery, classical music, teaching tolerance, and holiday celebrations.