Mac Wellman News

?Abingdon Theatre Company, in collaboration with The Muse Project, will present STET, a new play inspired by true events, written by Kim Davies and conceived by Kim Davies, Jocelyn Kuritsky and Artistic Director Tony Speciale. A limited Off-Broadway engagement will begin previews in June, as part of Abingdon's 2015-2016 Season. Tony Speciale is set to direct the world-premiere production, which marks his inaugural programming as Artistic Director.

The Flea Theater presents the New York premiere of Kristiana Colon's but i cd only whisper, directed by Resident Director David Monteagudo and featuring members of The Bats, The Flea's resident acting company. Previews start February 18, with opening night slated for Monday, February 29.

The University of the Arts' Ira Brind School of Theater Arts announces the 2016 lineup for Polyphone, a "festival of the emerging musical" on the UArts campus in Philadelphia.  Running March 20-27, the 2016 the Polyphone festival produces staged concerts of new musicals and re-imagined canonical works offering professional composers, librettists and directors an opportunity to develop their work among the rich creative community of the Brind School at UArts.  The festival will program five musicals, including both classical and new works, with three performances each.  

After critically acclaimed runs this year at JACK and Abrons Art Center, TOILET FIRE (Time Out Critics' Pick) kicks off 2016 with a royal flush as part of Brooklyn's 'Exponential Festival.'

THE OFFENDING GESTURE -- a play by Mac Wellman -- will be given its world premiere by The Tank (a non-profit arts presenter and producer) this winter, opening tonight, January 9, at The Connelly Theater (220 East 4th Street).

Niegel Smith, Artistic Director and Carol Ostrow, Producing Director of The Flea Theater announced today the slate for the spring season, featuring two World Premieres and one US Premiere. Continuing a long-standing relationship with The Flea, Adam Rapp will be returning with Wolf in the River, which he also directs. The Flea is also excited to welcome two new playwrights, Kristiana Colon and Sarah Gancher. Gancher's The Place We Built will be directed by Flea Resident Director Danya Taymor while Colon's but I cd only whisper will be directed by Resident Director David Monteagudo.

THE OFFENDING GESTURE -- a play by Mac Wellman -- will be given its world premiere by The Tank (a non-profit arts presenter and producer) this winter with previews beginning tonight, January 6th, prior to opening on January 9 at The Connelly Theater (220 East 4th Street).

After critically acclaimed runs this year at JACK and Abrons Art Center, TOILET FIRE (Time Out Critics' Pick) kicks off 2016 with a royal flush as part of Brooklyn's 'Exponential Festival.'

THE OFFENDING GESTURE -- a play by Mac Wellman -- will be given its world premiere by The Tank (a non-profit arts presenter and producer) this winter with previews beginning January 6th prior to opening on January 9 at The Connelly Theater (220 East 4th Street).

Clinton Hill cultural hub and OBIE award-winner JACK launches its winter/spring 2016 season with an a cappella opera set in Zimbabwe by composer Tanyaradzwa Tawengwa, a weekend of curated works by Modesto "Flako" Jimenez, the premiere of the dirty and bracing play Tom & Eliza, by Celine Song, the English-language premiere of Argentinian playwright Rafael Spregelburd's SPAM, The Geneva Project by Jennifer Harrison Newman, Antonio Ramos' Thirsty Mind, love and starvation sitting in a lonely tree and an exploration in minimalist/pop art performance by the No Face Performance Group.  JACK also engineers the return of Walter Dundervill's ARENA (which had two sold-out runs at JACK in 2014 and 2015). 

Coming off of their Obie Award winning production of A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Great Lakes at City Center in January and the critically acclaimed Heartbreak at The Bushwick Starr in May, New Georges announces their final production of 2015, the World Premiere of HOW TO GET INTO BUILDINGS by Trish Harnetiaux (If You Can Get to Buffalo with Incubator Arts Project) at The Brick (579 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn; www.bricktheater.com) as part of The Brick's Resident Artist program, tonight, December 3-19.

A young vampire girl wishes to be a fairy princess. Having an imagination and wishing on that has always been something everyone does. Draculiza is no different. Her problem, though, is she wants to be a fairy princess; however as fate would have it that's a bit of impossible because she's a vampire. Despite her mother telling her why she can't have this dream, she refuses to listen. She comes up with a plan and with her advisor, her pet bat, Spike, Draculiza sets out on an adventure to make her dream come true. First time children's book author Bianca Bagatourian says, "We all have a little princess inside, and they're not all necessarily blonde with blue eyes. When I was growing up, none of the princesses in fairy tales looked like me. It was confusing! I wanted to write a story that emphasized the idea that we can all shine!' (Draculiza (Cedar Grove Publishing, 2015, ISBN: 9781941958254, $17.95, www.cedargrovebooks.com) Draculiza is targeted toward young girls. In the wake of all the messages targeted toward young girls about what is the "right" way to look, walk, talk, dress and do, Draculiza's simple and basic message stands out. The message: it's all right to just be yourself. Visit Draculiza and Spike at www.draculiza.com. There's a blog and lots of fun things to do. Draculiza (Cedar Grove Publishing, 2015, ISBN: 9781941958254, $17.95, www.cedargrovebooks.com) can be purchased via Amazon and bookstores as a print book and as an eBook on Kindle, Nook, iTunes and most eReaders. About the Author: Bianca Bagatourian is an experimental playwright who easily switches between genres. She's a graduate of the MFA playwriting program atBrooklyn College with lifetime Obie award-winning playwright, Mac Wellman. The Time of Our Lies, her play about the life of historian Howard Zinn, was nominated for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Visit Bianca online at www.biancabagatourian.com. Draculiza is her first children's book.

A young vampire girl wishes to be a fairy princess. Having an imagination and wishing on that has always been something everyone does. Draculiza is no different. Her problem, though, is she wants to be a fairy princess; however as fate would have it that's a bit of impossible because she's a vampire. Despite her mother telling her why she can't have this dream, she refuses to listen. She comes up with a plan and with her advisor, her pet bat, Spike, Draculiza sets out on an adventure to make her dream come true. First time children's book author Bianca Bagatourian says, "We all have a little princess inside, and they're not all necessarily blonde with blue eyes. When I was growing up, none of the princesses in fairy tales looked like me. It was confusing! I wanted to write a story that emphasized the idea that we can all shine!' (Draculiza (Cedar Grove Publishing, 2015, ISBN: 9781941958254, $17.95, www.cedargrovebooks.com) "Draculiza" is targeted toward young girls. In the wake of all the messages targeted toward young girls about what is the "right" way to look, walk, talk, dress and do, Draculiza's simple and basic message stands out. The message: it's all right to just be yourself. Visit Draculiza and Spike at www.draculiza.com. There's a blog and lots of fun things to do. Draculiza (Cedar Grove Publishing, 2015, ISBN: 9781941958254, $17.95, www.cedargrovebooks.com) can be purchased via Amazon and bookstores as a print book and as an eBook on Kindle, Nook, iTunes and most eReaders. About the Author: Bianca Bagatourian is an experimental playwright who easily switches between genres. She's a graduate of the MFA playwriting program at Brooklyn College with lifetime Obie award-winning playwright, Mac Wellman. The Time of Our Lies, her play about the life of historian Howard Zinn, was nominated for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Visit Bianca online at www.biancabagatourian.com. Draculiza is her first children's book. About the Book: Draculiza wishes she could be a princess in one of the fairy tales her mother reads to her at bedtime. She dreams of castles and courts and crowns each night. Alas, she's from Transylvania and that kind of throws a monkey wrench into her plans. But that doesn't stop our feisty little vampire. Along with her top advisor, her pet bat Spike, she finds a clever way to break into the fairy tale world and turn it upside down.

Ensemble Studio Theatre and EST's Youngblood are proud to present UNFILTERED 2015-2016, the annual festival series of brand new, full-length plays from emerging playwrights under the age of thirty. This year's Youngblood graduates are also the first beneficiaries of the new exit commission grant, donated this year by Tony-nominated playwright Robert Askins.

The Flea Theater presents TAKE CARE, by Niegel Smith and Todd Shalom. This world premiere production marks Smith's directorial debut at his new artistic home and will feature The Bats, the resident acting company at the Flea. Previews start December 1 with Opening Night slated for Sunday, December 6.

Sit back and simply enjoy the spectacle of the ladies discovering their sex while the men recoil in horror and sing songs about 'hair in the air', and then pretend it all made sense when you wake up in the morning. It's nonsense, both a trick and a treat for Halloween.

Coming off of their Obie Award winning production of A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Great Lakes at City Center in January and the critically acclaimed Heartbreak at The Bushwick Starr in May, New Georges announces their final production of 2015, the World Premiere of HOW TO GET INTO BUILDINGS by Trish Harnetiaux (If You Can Get to Buffalo with Incubator Arts Project) at The Brick (579 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn; www.bricktheater.com) as part of The Brick's Resident Artist program, December 3-19.

Soho Rep. and Ars Nova present the New York premiere of Cesar Alvarez's FUTURITY, opening tonight, October 20, and running through November 15, 2015. Directed by Soho Rep. Artistic Director Sarah Benson, FUTURITY is a new, avant-Americana musical with music by Alvarez and The Lisps, and lyrics and book by Alvarez. The production, which features 13 actor-musicians, is presented at the Connelly Theater (220 E. 4th St.) and in association with Carole Shorenstein Hays.

In response to popular demand, Soho Rep. and Ars Nova extend the New York premiere of Cesar Alvarez's FUTURITY to November 15. Directed by Soho Rep. Artistic Director Sarah Benson, FUTURITY is a new, avant-Americana musical with music by Alvarez and The Lisps, and lyrics and book by Alvarez. The production, which features 13 actor-musicians, is presented at the Connelly Theater (220 E. 4th St.) and in association with Carole Shorenstein Hays.