Mark Twain News

In honor of the legendary actress, comedian, singer and writer Carol Burnett, Center Theatre Group is hosting a special tribute to the star's late daughter Carrie Hamilton with a one-night-only reading of Burnett and Hamilton's Broadway play "Hollywood Arms," at the Mark Taper Forum on Sunday, June 22, 2014 at 7 p.m. Inspired by Burnett's early life in Hollywood, "Hollywood Arms" will be directed by Jason Alexander and will feature a star- studded cast (to be announced).

First Floor Theater is thrilled to announce its Second Annual LitFest, TWAIN'S WORLD, a kaleidoscope of new work inspired by the life and work of one of America's greatest writers. Last year's GrimmFest brought together some of Chicago's most exciting writers and directors, including Bonnie Metzgar, Seth Bockley, Philip Dawkins and Greg Allen. Given the choice of three classic authors, the attendees of this year's annual season kick-off party selected Mark Twain. This moved an exciting, diverse group of playwrights to bring their voice to a conversation around themes in Twain's work, like establishing a new American identity, racism, and the satirization of civilized society. This year's fest promises a full range of adaptation, with everything from page-to-stage to a shadow puppet musical. The press opening will be Friday, July 11, 2014 at 8 pm. Tickets will be available at firstfloortheater.com.

Asolo Repertory Theatre's sizzling summer production of I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI opens tonight, May 21 at 8pm and will run through Sunday, June 15 in Asolo Rep's Cook Theatre. Starring Antoinette LaVecchia, who originated the role of Giulia at TheaterWorks in Connecticut in 2012, previews for the 2012 Broadwayworld.com winner for Best Original/New Work will be Sunday, May 18 at 8pm and Tuesday, May 20 at 7:30pm. The play will be directed by Rob Ruggiero (Asolo Rep's Show Boat). Asolo Rep's production transfers from a highly successful April 2014 run at George Street Playhouse in New Jersey where it received both critical and public acclaim.

Lapham's Quarterly announced today that their annual DECADES BALL will be celebrating the 1870s. The gala event will take place on Monday, June 2, beginning at 6:00 p.m. with cocktails followed by dinner at Gotham Hall (1356 Broadway). The 1870s gave birth to street lamps in New York City, to The Kentucky Derby, The Brooklyn Bridge, phonographs and the telephone, the first Harvard/Yale game, and P.T. Barnum's "Greatest Show on Earth." The themed evening will be sponsored by Encyclopedia Britannica and will celebrate Lapham's Quarterly's seventh year of publication.

Kitchen Theatre Company's experimental Kitchen Sink Series is bringing a new play by young playwright Louisa Hill to the Kitchen stage. The Lord Of The Underworld's Home For Unwed Mothers is a modern re-telling of the Demeter and Persephone myth set in the 1960s and 1990s, exploring the politics of motherhood. When Dee meets the daughter she was forced to give up 25 years ago, the reunion is less than ideal. To show her Death Metal enthusiast daughter, Corie, that she wasn't given up out of selfishness, Dee must return to her teenage memories of Catholic, middle-class life in the 1960s to explain how the choice was never hers to make. But the despondent Corie, whose turbulent childhood consisted of being shipped from one foster home to the next, has a secret of her own. A tale of love, loss, and some heavy metal, running for two nights only, this weekend, May 16 and 17 at 4pm.

The brilliant songwriting team behind FIDDLER ON THE ROOF and SHE LOVES ME (4 Off West End Award Nominations for our 2012 Production) have created a witty, tuneful and utterly charming musical.

LIVE FROM GRAMERCY PARK at The Players with LANCE HORNE -- the new concert series dedicated to presenting the best music and theater stars along with dynamic rising talent -- will take place tonight, May 14 at 9:00 PM.

The Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside, Calif., will again welcome six prominent national tours as part of the Broadway in Riverside 2014-15 Season lineup, as well as offer a season special add-on opportunity.

Kitchen Theatre Company's experimental Kitchen Sink Series is bringing a new play by young playwright Louisa Hill to the Kitchen stage. The Lord Of The Underworld's Home For Unwed Mothers is a modern re-telling of the Demeter and Persephone myth set in the 1960s and 1990s, exploring the politics of motherhood. When Dee meets the daughter she was forced to give up 25 years ago, the reunion is less than ideal. To show her Death Metal enthusiast daughter, Corie, that she wasn't given up out of selfishness, Dee must return to her teenage memories of Catholic, middle-class life in the 1960s to explain how the choice was never hers to make. But the despondent Corie, whose turbulent childhood consisted of being shipped from one foster home to the next, has a secret of her own. A tale of love, loss, and some heavy metal, running for two nights only, May 16 and 17 at 4pm.

As part of its Southern Exposure Series, which features new and classic literature by Southern writers with Southern inspiration, Tennessee Shakespeare Company this summer introduces two very special Literary Salons hosted by Memphis' newest Irish restaurant and by one of the city's great patrons of the arts.

Adobe Theater has announced the June 20, 2014 opening of Tina Howe's Painting Churches (Pulitzer Prize Finalist 1984), directed by Brian Hansen.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University, under the leadership of Diane Paulus, Artistic Director and William Russo, Managing Director; presents the last production of its 2013/14 Season, THE TEMPEST, adapted and directed by Aaron Posner and Teller from the play by William Shakespeare, with magic by Teller, music by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, and movement by Matt Kent of Pilobolus.

Unbound Productions, Executive Director Jonathan Josephson, Artistic Director Paul Millet, and Producing Artistic Director Jeff G. Rack have announced details about their World Premiere staged reading of MYSTERY LIT, adapted by Josephson from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories (May 22, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. and May 24, 2014 at 2:00 p.m.) and the World Premiere production of Algernon Blackwood's THE DOLL, adapted by Rack and directed by Millet (July 11-26, 2014; Fridays-Sundays, 7:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m., and 9:00 p.m.).

A reading of the prolific actor's play about the 1994 Rwanda genocide will stream live and include a web-assisted talkback with people in Rwanda.

CALIFORNIA

NBC and Don Mischer Productions announced today that Bill Cosby will be honored with the Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence at the "American Comedy Awards," which airs tonight, May 8 (9-11 p.m. ET/PT) on NBC.

A new musical theatre composer -- '21 years old'? No, it's not a typo: in fact there are three of them in the got musical program for May 6 at the Colony Theatre in Burbank, an evening of highlights of this year's season of development at the New Musicals Initiative and the Academy For New Musical Theatre. Actually, they're 21, 22 and 23 years old and they're the winners of the New Voices Project at ANMT, sponsored in part by Walt Disney Imagineering.

LIVE FROM GRAMERCY PARK at The Players with LANCE HORNE -- the new concert series dedicated to presenting the best music and theater stars along with dynamic rising talent -- will take place on Wednesday, May 14 at 9:00 PM.

Some writers are valued for the window they provide into their own time, others for their prescience.

Asolo Repertory Theatre's sizzling summer production of I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI opens Wednesday, May 21 at 8pm and will run through Sunday, June 15 in Asolo Rep's Cook Theatre. Starring Antoinette LaVecchia, who originated the role of Giulia at TheaterWorks in Connecticut in 2012, previews for the 2012 Broadwayworld.com winner for Best Original/New Work will be Sunday, May 18 at 8pm and Tuesday, May 20 at 7:30pm. The play will be directed by Rob Ruggiero (Asolo Rep's Show Boat). Asolo Rep's production transfers from a highly successful April 2014 run at George Street Playhouse in New Jersey where it received both critical and public acclaim.