Lydia Diamond News

On Monday Evening, February 23 at 7:00 PM, six New York theater institutions will participate in a special panel discussion featuring five current and upcoming Off-Broadway shows. Harlem Stage (150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street) will host producing companies Classical Theatre of Harlem, Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, The Public Theater and Signature Theatre Company in an evening titled I'VE KNOWN RIVERS: A Conversation with Christina Anderson, Charles Fuller, Lynn Nottage & Liesl Tommy. The event marks a unique collaborative effort between six New York theater institutions: a panel discussion in which five gifted African-American theater artists - all of whom have projects happening almost simultaneously at five of New York's most respected non-profit theaters - will discuss their lives, work, and current projects. Moderated by actress Sabrina LeBeauf (Three Sisters, Classical Theatre of Harlem in partnership with Harlem Stage, February/March), the evening's four panelists will be Christina Anderson (author, Inked Baby, Playwrights Horizons, March/April), Charles Fuller (author, Zooman and the Sign, Signature Theatre Company, March/April), Lynn Nottage (author, Ruined, Manhattan Theater Club, January-March) and Liesl Tommy (director, The Good Negro, The Public Theater, March/April). The event title comes from a poem by Langston Hughes, 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers.'

On Monday Evening, February 23 at 7:00 PM, six New York theater institutions will participate in a special panel discussion featuring five current and upcoming Off-Broadway shows. Harlem Stage (150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street) will host producing companies Classical Theatre of Harlem, Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, The Public Theater and Signature Theatre Company in an evening titled I'VE KNOWN RIVERS: A Conversation with Christina Anderson, Charles Fuller, Lynn Nottage & Liesl Tommy.

Angelo Parra's The Devil's Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith will be performed at the New Brunswick Playhouse, running March 3?29. Miche Braden, who portrayed Bessie Smith in the previous productions of the play, will recreate the title role once more.

The 2008 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has been awarded to Judith Thompson for her critically acclaimed play Palace of the End, marking the first time a Canadian writer has received the prestigious playwriting award's highest honor. Thompson received $20,000 and a signed and numbered print by artist Willem de Kooning at a special 30th Anniversary ceremony on Monday, March 10th at the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas where Ms. Blackburn first became involved in theatre.

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, which celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year, will mark the milestone with a special project saluting the accomplishments of female playwrights in Houston - 'Women in Theatre: Houston Voices.'

Nicholas Martin today announced the programming for Williamstown Theatre Festival's (WTF) 54th Season, the first under his aegis as Artistic Director. Collaborators include David Ives, Michael Greif, Scott Ellis, Theresa Rebeck, and Julie White.

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has announced ten finalists for the prestigious playwriting award which celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year. The awards are given annually to recognize women from around the world who have written works of outstanding quality for the English-speaking theatre.

The Providence Black Repertory Company will present 'The Bluest Eye', beginning February 2nd, as part of its Black History Month celebration

The season will include a romantic comedy, an adaptation of a great American novel, a world premiere, an eclectic reading series, and a new ensemble work by Black Rep's Affiliate Artist Company.