Mac Wellman News

Convergence-Continuum continues its 2012 Season with the Ohio premiere of DEVIL BOYS FROM BEYOND, opening May 4th. This is the second play in convergence-continuum's three-play series "Cosmic Conundrums Curiously Considered."

The Flea will present the World Premiere of three new plays with its NEW PLAY FESTIVAL: The Electric Lighthouse by Ed Hime, The Wundelsteipen (And Other Difficult Roles for Young People) by Nick Jones and A Letter from Omdurman by Jeffrey M. Jones. The Festival's cast will be comprised of The Bats, the resident acting company of The Flea. Previews begin April 20th at The Flea Theater.

The Roundabout Theatre Company has announced the world premiere production of Bad Jews by Joshua Elias Harmon and directed by Daniel Aukin for the fall season. Bad Jews will begin preview performances on October 5, 2012 and will open officially on Tuesday, October 30, 2012. This is a limited engagement through December 16, 2012. All tickets for Roundabout Underground productions are $20.

The Amoralists will present the World Premiere of The Bad and the Better, written by Derek Ahonen, directed by Obie Award winner Daniel Aukin and featuring The Amoralists acting ensemble. The acclaimed downtown theater company moves uptown for a 6-week Off-Broadway run from June 14 - July 21, 2012 at The Peter Jay Sharp Theater, located at 416 West 42 Street between 9 and 10 Avenues in New York City. Previews begin June 14 for a June 19 opening.

Annie, Leila, and Kevin, age 15, have been counting the days until they arrive at their summer destination, a highly selective academic program for gifted teens. Dodging flying peppermints, deformed Noxema jars, kidnappers, claw-knives, aggressive squirrels, the ever-present threat of swine flu, not to mention their counselor, Rose, the campers doggedly pursue their respective Camp Goals - until the unexpected happens, at the Saturday night costume dance.

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) begins performances of the world premiere production FUTURITY: A MUSICAL BY THE LISPS, with music and lyrics by Cesar Alvarez with The Lisps; book by Molly Rice and Cesar Alvarez; directed by Sarah Benson.Performances run from Friday, March 16 through Sunday, April 15, 2012 at the A.R.T.'s second space, OBERON, at 2 Arrow Street, Cambridge.

Artistic Directors Joe Jahraus and Darrell W. Cox have announced Profiles Theatre's 2012 - 2013 Season. They also announced that acclaimed playwright Neil LaBute and Steppenwolf ensemble member Rick Snyder joined Profiles as Resident Artists. Five productions are planned for the upcoming 24th season, including the Midwest premieres of the award-winning Blood from a Stone in a newly revised version by playwright Tommy Nohilly, After by Chad Beckim, The Dream of the Burning Boy by David West Read and the Midwest premiere of Neil LaBute's controversial 2010 play The Break of Noon revised exclusively for Profiles Theatre. Additionally, one of Chicago theatre's longest running hits, Hellcab by Will Kern, returns for its 20th Anniversary production. These five productions alternate between Profiles' two venues, The Main Stage at 4139 N. Broadway and The Alley Stage at 4147 N. Broadway.

The Flea will present the World Premiere of three new plays with its NEW PLAY FESTIVAL: The Electric Lighthouse by Ed Hime, The Wundelsteipen (And Other Difficult Roles for Young People) by Nick Jones and A Letter from Omdurman by Jeffrey M. Jones. The Festival's cast will be comprised of The Bats, the resident acting company of The Flea. Previews begin April 20th at The Flea Theater.

Lunatic Cunning is an original, new work by James Godwin, puppetry and performance art pioneer and founder of puppet comedy troupe, The Elementals. Lunatic Cunning is a solo, semi-autobiographical 'mockumentary', mixing experiences from Godwin's own life - such as work with Julie Taymor on Across the Universe, as well as appearances on Saturday Night Live, Chappelle's Show, PBS and with the Muppets--with an examination of the occult roots of puppetry and performance art.

SOHO Rep announces public presentations of work from its two signature development programs: The Writer/Director Lab and The SOHO Rep Studio.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) presents the world premiere of STOREFRONT CHURCH, written and directed by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner John Patrick Shanley and starring Bob Dishy, Giancarlo Esposito, Zach Grenier, Ron Cephas Jones and Tonya Pinkins. STOREFRONT CHURCH will begin previews Wednesday, May 16; officially open Monday, June 11; and play a limited engagement through Sunday, June 24 Off-Broadway as the first production to return to Atlantic's main stage Linda Gross Theater in Chelsea following completion of a historic $8.3M renovation.

Theater For The New City have announced an encore engagement of The Hive's critically-acclaimed gender-bender production of William Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S (QUEER) DREAM, directed by Matthew A.J. Gregory. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S (QUEER) DREAM will play a limited engagement at the Johnson Theatre-Theatre for the New City (155 First Avenue, btw. 9th/10th) from Wednesday, April 25 through Saturday, May 19. Opening Night is Friday, April 27 (8 p.m.).

The Flea Theater will bring back its highly-anticipated free dance festival, Dance Conversations, this spring. Dance Conversations 2012 will run through March 25 showcasing a series of films and works-in-progress by 36 emerging and established choreographers, dance companies, and filmmakers. Following each showing or performance will be forums between the artists and audience exploring raw, evolving, and fully developed works. A full schedule is available online at www.theflea.org.

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for the Alley Theatre's production of the 2010 Best Play Tony Award Winner, Red.

Red Fern Theatre Company (Melanie Moyer Williams, Executive Artistic Director, Ken Hall, Managing Director) announced today that the cast of their World Premiere of Sharyn Rothstein's (Lunchblocked with Ars Nova; Camp Monster at Williamstown Theatre Festival) MARCH.

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) begins performances of the world premiere production FUTURITY: A MUSICAL BY THE LISPS, with music and lyrics by Cesar Alvarez with The Lisps; book by Molly Rice and Cesar Alvarez; directed by Sarah Benson.Performances run from Friday, March 16 through Sunday, April 15, 2012 at the A.R.T.'s second space, OBERON, at 2 Arrow Street, Cambridge.

convergence-continuum opens its 2012 Season with the Ohio premiere of The Hyacinth Macaw, described as 'a lyrical, beautiful and strangely comic tale' by Mac Wellman.

By popular demand, Frank Strausser's new comedy PSYCHO THERAPY will resume performances Off-Broadway at The Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street) beginning April 8 and running through May 26, it has been announced by the show's producer, Barbara Ligeti and Wishing Well Productions.

The Flea Theater will bring back its highly-anticipated free dance festival, Dance Conversations, this spring. Dance Conversations 2012 will run March 14 - 25 showcasing a series of films and works-in-progress by 36 emerging and established choreographers, dance companies, and filmmakers. Following each showing or performance will be forums between the artists and audience exploring raw, evolving, and fully developed works. A full schedule is available online at www.theflea.org.

Rick Heintz and Michael Hampton have been cast as Marty and Spence in the Chicago premiere of J. Julian Christopher's insightful new work Man Boobs, a dark comedy about love, body image, and acceptance.