Luna Stage News

Pushcart Players, New Jersey's renowned touring theater for young audiences presents "Ellis Island: Gateway to America" at Premiere Stages at Kean University on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at 10:30 am.

A workshop production of Shut UP, Emily Dickinson,by award winning playwright/performer Tanya O'Debra, comes to The Kraine Theater

In her third production at JACK, playwright Amina Henry shares a ghost story (with songs) about a homeless man who is approached in the park by the ghost of a murdered prostitute.  The ghost enlists him on a quest to find her remains so that her grieving mother can finally bury her and move past her mourning. Hunter John and Jane approaches trauma, mental illness and violence towards women in a whimsical way, giving the audience the opportunity to engage with difficult topics through poetic language as well as through a rich musical and visual landscape. With this work, Henry re-imagines what a love story can be, re-imagines what a musical can be, and proposes a world in which all lost or missing individuals are worthy of being found.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) announces a one-on-one networking event with commercial and indie producers, Writer-Producer Speed Date onJuly 15, 2018 with coaching sessions at 4:30pm and 5:30pm at Studios 353,353 W 48th St, NYC.

Premiere Stages at Kean University will present Craig Garcia's 'Linger' from July 12-29 in Kean University's Bauer Boucher Theatre Center, Vaughn Eames Hall. The play was recently selected from over 570 submissions as the winner of the 2018 Premiere Play Festival,

After a successful run in Central Park, playing to over 4,000 people, performances resume on Wednesday, June 27 in Rockefeller Park/Battery Park City for New York Classical Theatre's critically acclaimed production of Romeo and Juliet, directed by the company's Founding Artistic Director Stephen Burdman. The production will play this week through June 30, before continuing on to The Battery, Carl Schurz Park, and Brooklyn Bridge Park for performances through July 29. There is no ticketing, and all performances are free and open to the public. Performance schedule can be found at newyorkclassical.org.   

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) will present Middle Eastern MixFest, a series of free readings co-curated by playwrights Mona Mansour and Heather Raffothat will run Wednesday, August 8th through Thursday, August 16th at Atlantic Stage 2 (330 West 16th Street).

Premiere Stages at Kean University will present Craig Garcia's Linger July 12-29 in Kean University's Bauer Boucher Theatre Center (Vaughn Eames Hall, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, N.J.). Recently selected from over 570 submissions as the winner of the 2018 Premiere Play Festival, Linger will feature actors Will Ehren, Michael Frederic, Robby Haltiwanger, Jonathan C. Kaplan, Sarah Kathryn Makl and Danielle Skraastad. John J. Wooten, producing artistic director of Premiere Stages, will direct.

The theme for the May edition of New York Madness is 'The Fascist Playbook' Madness. The show will take place on Sunday, June 24th at 8pm at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue and Bowery). Cheryl Paley is co-producing the June edition of New York Madness and chose this month's theme.

Luna Stage recently announced its 2018-2019 Mainstage season, featuring four new plays: one world premiere and three regional premieres. The plays are set in locations around the world, each exploring the question of how we come together across cultural and social divides. Luna's season begins October 4 and runs through April 28, and the plays will be Pirira by J. Stephen Brantley, The Assignment by Camilo Almonacid, Roan @ the Gates by Christina Gorman, and Heartland by Gabriel Jason Dean. All performances will take place in Luna's Mainstage theater, at 555 Valley Road, West Orange, NJ. Season Passes are now on sale, and special discounts are available.

Theater Breaking Through Barriers celebrates playwright A.R. Gurney with the first Off-Broadway revival of his comedy THE FOURTH WALL. Directed by Christopher Burris, performances run through June 23 at the Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at The A.R.T./New York Theatres. 

Updated this week! Check out upcoming Equity Auditions from Sunday, May 20, 2018 for both productions in your area and around the country including what/when/where and how to audition!

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey begins its 56th season with its first Main Stage production, Tartuffe. Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte will direct this masterful French comedy that hasn't been seen on STNJ's stage since 2001. Renowned translator Richard Wilburbrings Moliere's witty words to brilliant life for English-speaking audiences. Veteran company member Brent Harris will play the title role and will be joined by STNJ favorites Patrick Toon and Victoria Mack, as well as two-time Tony Award nominee, Vivian Reed. Performances begin May 16.

New York Classical Theatre (Stephen Burdman, Artistic Director), New York City's only all-free professional Off-Broadway theatre company, is pleased to announce a new production of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to celebrate its 19th Anniversary Season. The production, directed by Mr. Burdman, is the company's first staging of Shakespeare's tale of star-crossed lovers, and will be presented in five New York City parks - Central Park, Rockefeller Park/Battery Park City, The Battery, Carl Schurz Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park - with performances from June 5 through July 29 at 7:00 PM. There is no ticketing, and all performances are free and open to the public. New York Classical Theatre also invites audiences to experience unique behind-the-scenes access to open rehearsals on selected dates for each of the five park stagings. 

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey begins its 56th season with its first Main Stage production, Tartuffe. Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte will direct this masterful French comedy that hasn't been seen on STNJ's stage since 2001. Renowned translator Richard Wilbur brings Moliere's witty words to brilliant life for English-speaking audiences. Veteran company member Brent Harris will play the title role and will be joined by STNJ favorites Patrick Toon and Victoria Mack, as well as two-time Tony Award nominee, Vivian Reed. Performances begin May 16.

New Jersey Repertory Company located at 179 Broadway in Long Branch, is proud to present the world premiere of Adam Szymkowicz's Mercy from June 14 through July 15, 2018. This surprisingly funny, dark comedy is directed by Gail Winar, and stars Christopher Daftsios, Dan Grimaldi, Nandita Shenoy, and Jacob A. Ware.

Shakespeare & Company presents the New England Premiere of Morning After Grace written by Cary Crim, and directed by Regge Life who helmed last season's hit comedy God of Carnage. Morning After Grace is an unconventional new comedy tackling love, loss, and second chances. Performances run from May 24th - July 15th in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre.

Pocket Universe - the company behind last summer's acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Julius Caesar set in an all-girls highschool - has announced casting for the upcoming adaption of Beaumont & Fletcher's THE MAID'S TRAGEDY, set in present day Hollywood.

Six-time GRAMMY-winning bassist Christian McBride will headline a concert to benefit Luna Stage on Friday, June 1 at the Montclair Women's Club. This jazz luminary will be joined onstage by special guests. The program will include cocktails, dessert, a silent auction and dancing after the concert. Proceeds will support development of Luna's cutting-edge theater productions, classes in local schools, and community programming.

Ars Nova is pleased to announce the line-up for its 11th Annual ANT Fest (June 4-28), four non-stop, throw-down weeks of live entertainment mayhem, featuring fresh material from the next wave of dynamic, indie-theater makers. Tickets go on sale today for this festival of new indie theater/music/comedy featuring all new talent, all the time.