Marsha Norman News

If you have never been to Springboro to visit La Comedia Dinner Theatre, now is the time.  Their current production of THE COLOR PURPLE is phenomenal and not to be missed.  

The 2018 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has been awarded to U.K. playwright Alice Birch for her play "Anatomy of a Suicide". Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Prize is awarded annually to recognize women from around the world who have written works of outstanding quality for the English-speaking theatre. The Winner will receive $25,000 and a signed and numbered print by renowned artist Willem de Kooning.

Casting has been announced for the Barn Theatre Cirencester's inaugural professional production of  The Secret Garden, which will run from March 16 to April 15. The cast will include: David Haydn (Archibald Craven), Jaimie Pruden (Lily Craven), Minal Patel (Neville Craven), Celeste De Veazey (Colin Craven), Daniella Piper (Mary), Jenny O'Leary (Martha), Alex James Ellison (Dickon), Sue Appleby (Musical Director, Ensemble), Steffan Rizzi (Ensemble), Jamie Ross (Ensemble), Celia Cruwys Finnigan (Ensemble), Ben Boskovic (Ensemble).

A new day is on the horizon at Theatre Horizon, a professional theatre company located 20 miles outside of Center City Philadelphia in Norristown, Pennsylvania. The company's 2018-19 season features more programming, more variety, and more choices for patrons of the award-winning company, including regional premieres and exciting events that highlight some of the best area talent. This season boasts a brand new model for Theatre Horizon, one in which four smaller, limited engagement events will be presented alongside two more traditional productions with longer runs. Combined, these six offerings will provide audiences programming all season long, and an opportunity to discover something new in Norristown.

Juilliard today announced that Obie-award winning director Evan Yionoulis, currently professor in the practice of acting and directing at Yale School of Drama and a resident director at Yale Repertory Theatre, will become the school's Richard Rodgers Director of Drama at Juilliardstarting with the 2018-19 academic and performance season. The Juilliard Drama Division, celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, offers a program that encompasses one of this country's most respected conservatory educations for actors as well as highly successful pre-professional mentoring for playwrights.

"There's nothing like a death in the family to bring out the worst in people." This seems to be the enduring message in Joshua Harmon's Bad Jews, a sharp, fierce comedy that questions all you know about those you love and what you really choose to believe…when you're chosen. The award-nominated play makes its Austin premiere at City Theatre, directed by Stacey Glazer, and running March 16 - April 8.

After lengthy deliberation, the American Theatre Critics Association has selected six finalists for the Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award, recognizing playwrights for the best scripts that premiered professionally outside New York City during 2017.

The International Centre for Women Playwrights (ICWP) is proud to sponsor the seventh annual 50/50 Applause Award, celebrating theatres who achieve gender equity for playwrights in their 2017-2018 Season.  The nomination window for the 2017-2018 theatrical season is open!

Almost six years after her last play, 'Bona,' Eugene Domingo returns to the stage via the Filipino adaptation of Marsha Norman's Pulitzer Prize-winning play 'NIGHT, MOTHER. She breathes life into the character of the depressed Jessie, a divorced wife and a mother of a delinquent son.

Disney Theatrical Productions and Frozen have partnered with The Actors Fund to celebrate International Women's Day with two special events: "Women's Day on Broadway: Celebrating Stories By, For & About Women," a free symposium that will take place at The St. James Theatre and a special performance of Frozen to benefit The Actors Fund and its Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative. The events aim to highlight the importance of a continued investment in the encouragement and mentorship of women that is crucial to establishing and maintaining gender equality in the Broadway community.

What begins as a one-night-stand turns into a tug of war between a short-order cook who sees a lifetime of love and adventure ahead and a waitress who's been burned too many times in the past and is terrified of being hurt again in Terrence McNally's contemporary American classic "Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune", being presented by Catskill's Bridge Street Theatre for eight performances only, Thursdays through Sundays March 29-April 8, 2017.

Portland Center Stage at The Armory's 2018-2019 season will feature 11 productions along with a special 10th anniversary return engagement of Storm Large in Crazy Enough, a show that had its world premiere at The Armory in 2009 and became one of the company's biggest hits.

Gulfshore Playhouse, Naples' premiere professional regional theatre, recently announced its lineup for the 2018-19 season

The International Centre for Women Playwrights (ICWP) is proud to sponsor the seventh annual 50/50 Applause Award, celebrating theatres who achieve gender equity for playwrights in their 2017-2018 Season.  The nomination window for the 2017-2018 theatrical season is open!

The American Theatre Wing (Heather Hitchens, President & CEO) announced today that the 2018 Jonathan Larson® Grants recipients areJay Adana (music and lyrics), Andrew R. Butler & Andrew Farmer (music, lyrics, and book), Emily Kaczmarek & Zoe Sarnak (music, lyrics, and book), and Mark Sonnenblick(music and lyrics). Four prestigious, unrestricted grants of $10,000 each, as well as additional support in the form of residencies, concerts, and recording grants, totaling over $48,000, will be presented on Monday, March 19, 2018 at a private event at the WNYC Greene Space. The event will feature special performances of the recipients' work.

WP Theater (formerly known as Women's Project Theater), under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Lisa McNulty and Managing Director Michael Sag, is thrilled to announce the lineup for the second biennial Pipeline Festival, showcasing the work of the celebrated WP Lab residency for playwrights, directors and producers from March 29 - April 28 at WP Theater (2162 Broadway & 76th Street.)

Theatre enthusiasts packed the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts tonight to hear Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley and Executive Director Phil Santora of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley reveal the lineup for the company's 49th season, which launches this summer. Among the exhilarating works announced were: the World Premiere of a new piece by Hershey Felder on Claude Debussy, an acclaimed Tony-winning musical, a thrilling political prizefight, and an array of Regional Premieres that include a hit comedy that sends up suburban values, a gospel/rhythm & blues musical developed at TheatreWorks, a heart-stirring musical for the holidays, a comic drama about one of the key historical events in the last century, a searing look at an unsung American hero, plus the return of the grown-up holiday hit The Santaland Diaries. For more information or to purchase subscriptions ($143 - $583) the public can call 650-463-1960 or visit theatreworks.org. Subscriptions are on sale now; single tickets will go on sale in spring 2018. Special pricing is available for seniors (65+), educators, and patrons 35 and under.

After staging critically acclaimed productions of Sweeney Todd, Ragtime, Into the Woods and the regional premieres of Next to Normal and In the Heights, Carnivale Theatrics is pleased to announce it's third Pittsburgh premiere - The Bridges of Madison County, June 29 - July 7 at the New Hazlett Theater.

Actor's Express has been awarded a grant of $20,000 from Turner to support its production of The Color Purple. Managing Director Alex Scollon comments, "Year after year Turner has shown its commitment to Atlanta's arts and culture scene and telling the stories or our time through its Turner Voices program. Actor's Express is honored to be one of the recipients again this year."