Marsha Norman News

Williamstown Theatre Festival is currently presenting ANIMAL CRACKERS, directed by Henry Wishcamper and opening tonight, June 27. In the video below go behind the scenes of the cast sitzprobe!

Four-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O'Hara (Nice Work If You Can Get It, The Pajama Game), and stage & screen star Steven Pasquale (Reasons To Be Pretty,'Rescue Me) will co-star in the Broadway-bound musical The Bridges of Madison County.

Where has SUMMER ARTS, the Summer Theater Program that has taken Bridgeport by storm, gone? For those of you who arrange your schedules around their shows or have postponed your vacations in order to see their shows for the past eight summers, the incredibleSUMMER ARTS has moved from the Downtown Cabaret after eight years and is now about to start their first season at their beautiful new home, The Bijou Theatre!

The Dramatists Guild of America is pleased to announce their Second National Conference Having Our Say: Our History, Our Future, which will be held from August 22-25, 2013 in Chicago, IL. The conference will include keynote speeches, legal and business seminars, workshops, and conversations with theatre elite. Participating Council and visiting artists include Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Gretchen Cryer, Rebecca Gilman, Carol Hall, Winnie Holzman, David Ives, Lisa Kron, Martha Lavey, Bobby Lopez, Terrence McNally, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Marsha Norman, Theresa Rebeck, Stephen Schwartz, Jeff Sweet, John Weidman, George C. Wolfe, and Charlayne Woodard.

The Windham Theatre Guild has announced its 2013-2014 Main Stage Season of six shows as well as its two SpecialStage Events. Y

The last few times I've seen a production at St. Edwards University's Mary Moody Northern Theatre, I've had to remind myself that I'm viewing a show featuring a cast of mostly college students. Every time, the production is of professional quality, and their current production of The Secret Garden is no exception. All audience members are bound to be mesmerized by the physical beauty of the stagecraft and the incredible performances.

MOTHER DIVINE: The Musical, an official selection of the New York Musical Festival's Next Link Project, will begin performances July 11th at the PTC Performance Space (Pearl Theatre Company). Book and lyrics are by Laurel Klinger Vartabedian and music by Bill Evans.

The Bridges of Madison County, a new musical, based on the best selling novel by Robert James Waller, will begin performances on Monday, January 13, 2014, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street), with an opening night late February 2014. This story about a devoted Iowa housewife and her unlikely love affair with a National Geographic photographer has inspired seven of the theater's most distinguished artists to create a new Broadway musical.

Menier Chocolate Factory presents the European premiere of the landmark musical The Color Purple, which runs from 5 July to 14 September. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the rehearsals below.

Monday night, Julia Jordan, Theresa Rebeck, Marsha Norman, Tim Sanford and The Committee for Recognizing Women in Theatre presented the 4thAnnual Lilly Awards at Playwrights Horizons. Named for playwright Lillian Hellman, The Lilly Awards were created to recognize the extraordinary contributions made by women to the American Theater. Producers, playwrights, actors, designers, and directors were honored last night for their continued excellence in the theater community. Check out a look back at the ceremony below!

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten has announced further casting and additions to the 2013 summer season, which officially kicks off tomorrow, June 4, when the box office opens its doors. Brooks Ashmanskas, De'Adre Aziza, Reed Birney,Joey Slotnick, and Omar Metwally are among the actors who will take part in this summer's productions. Gersten has

The European premiere of the landmark musical The Color Purple, runs from 5 July to 14 September at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Jiehae Park will receive the 2013 Leah Ryan Prize for Emerging Women Writers at the fourth annual Lilly Awards held tonight, June 3rd, 6pm at Playwright's Horizons, 416 West 42nd Street in New York.

MCC Theater has announced the line-up for their Spring 2013 PlayLab readings of new plays by three members of the company's Playwrights' Coalition: Adam Szymkowicz, Ed Napier, and Ashlin Halfnight to be held respectively at 7PM tonight, June 3, June 10 and June 23, 2013 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street). The series offers a rare look into the development process of new plays by some of New York's most exciting playwrights. Audience members will also be invited to meet and greet the artists at receptions directly following the readings.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) is pleased to announce that the world premiere of MCC Playwright-in-Residence Neil LaBute's new play, Reasons to Be Happy, also directed by LaBute, will now extend throughSaturday, June 29th. It was previously scheduled through June 23rd.

On June 3, 2013 Julia Jordan, Theresa Rebeck, Marsha Norman, Tim Sanford and The Committee for Recognizing Women in Theatre will present the 4th Annual Lilly Awards at Playwrights Horizons. Named for playwright Lillian Hellman, The Lilly Awards were created to recognize the extraordinary contributions made by women to the American Theater. Producers, playwrights, actors, designers, and directors will be honored for their continued excellence in the theater community.

Jiehae Park will receive the 2013 Leah Ryan Prize for Emerging Women Writers at the fourth annual Lilly Awards held on June 3rd, 6pm at Playwright's Horizons, 416 West 42nd Street in New York. Her award winning new play, HANNAH AND THE DREAD GAZEBO, will have a public reading, directed by Jose Zayas on Tuesday, June 4 at 7pm at Primary Stages located at 307 W 38th St #1510 (between 8th and 9th Avenue) in New York. For reservations, email leahryansfeww@gmail.com.

Burning Coal Theatre Company has announced that Jonathan Fitts, a recent graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, will conduct its 2013 Summer Theatre Conservatory for Teens in July. Jonathan will then take over as Director of Education at Burning Coal Theatre Company. A photo of Jon is attached and his bio is below.

Applications for the second annual T. Fellowship will be accepted from May 22, 2013 through August 1, 2013. Applications and instructions are available online at www.tfellowship.com.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) has announced that its 2013 Spring Gala, honoring Artistic Director James C. Nicola in celebration of 25 years of service to the organization, takes place tonight, Monday, May 20 at Tribeca Rooftop.