Matthew-Lee Erlbach News

Black Lab Theatre announced today that Crude, a new dark comedy by Jordan Jaffe, will play a strictly limited world premiere engagement at Theater 511 at Ars Nova (511 West 54th Street) for an Ars Nova Fling, as part of Black Lab Theatre's new play development program, 'The Pipeline."

?Five-time Obie Award-winning theater company Clubbed Thumb has announced the line-up for SUMMERWORKS, its annual series of new plays. Now in its 21st season, SUMMERWORKS will run May 27 through July 9 at The Wild Project (195 E 3rd Street) in Manhattan, and will feature productions of three new plays: EVERY ANGEL IS BRUTAL by Julia Jarcho and directed by Knud Adams; THE TOMB OF KING TOT by Eric Dufault and directed by Portia Krieger; and TUMACHO by Ethan Lipton and directed by Leigh Silverman. Festival passes are now on sale at: https://www.artful.ly/clubbedthumb/store/passes.

Second Stage Theatre will present the world premiere of Sofia Alvarez's FRIEND ART, directed by Portia Krieger, and the New York premiere of Lucy Teitler's ENGAGEMENTS as part of the company's fourteenth annual SECOND STAGE THEATRE UPTOWN SERIES this summer.

Clutch productions has announced that it will present EVERY GOOD GIRL DESERVES FUN - AND OTHER MISREMEMBERED THINGS, a new dark comedy written by Heidi Armbruster about prolonged adolescence running into early onset Alzheimer's, from December 2nd through December 20th at Walkerspace, 46 Walker Street, in Manhattan.

Ars Nova's Out Loud series presents a free reading of KING GEORGE III: Part One by Matthew-Lee Erlbach Oct 23 at 3:00 PM.

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.

At the Connelly Theater (220 E. 4th St.), Soho Rep. and Ars Nova present the New York premiere of Cesar Alvarez's Futurity, a new, avant-Americana musical with music by Alvarez and The Lisps, and lyrics and book by Alvarez. Directed by Soho Rep. Artistic Director Sarah Benson, the production will feature 13 actor-musicians. The production is presented in association with Carole Shorenstein Hays. Performances begin tonight, October 6, 2015.

Abingdon Theatre Company has appointed Tony Speciale as its next Artistic Director. Mr. Speciale, currently represented Off-Broadway as director of The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, succeeds Jan Buttram, who leaves her post after 22 years. Mr. Speciale begins October 1.

At the Connelly Theater (220 E. 4th St.), Soho Rep. and Ars Nova will present the New York premiere of Cesar Alvarez's Futurity, a new, avant-Americana musical with music by Alvarez and The Lisps, and lyrics and book by Alvarez. Directed by Soho Rep. Artistic Director Sarah Benson, the production will feature 13 actor-musicians. The production is presented in association with Carole Shorenstein Hays.

Ars Nova presents THE ARS NOVA REVOLUTION, celebrating Ars Nova All Stars Jill Furman, Thomas Kail and Lin-Manuel Miranda, from Freestyle Love Supreme (Ars Nova, 2004) to HAMILTON (Broadway, 2015). This epic night of revelry benefiting Ars Nova's artist community, featuring performances by cast members of Hamilton and Freestyle Love Supreme, takes place tonight, September 21 at 6:30pm at The Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street).

Brand new play incubator Brooklyn Yard presents a showcase production of STORM, STILL, a three-person adaptation of King Lear, by playwright Gabrielle Reisman, in Reisman's own backyard in south Bushwick this fall.

Dragon-man with a Suitcase presents the new play, SEX OF THE BABY, by Matthew-Lee Erlbach, which makes its New York premiere at the Access Theater Gallery Space (380 Broadway) this month.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Sarah Benson and Executive Director Cynthia Flowers, Soho Rep. has continually produced work by bold artists who harness the intimate power of the organization's own 73-seat black box theater, as well as other spaces, to create transformative experiences. Soho Rep.'s 2015-16 season, announced today, comprises two more ambitious new works-both characterized by irreverent humor, wild theatricality, and extraordinarily inventive language-and Write with Us, a series of open-to-the-public writing workshops led by acclaimed, Soho Rep.-produced playwrights.

Brand new play incubator Brooklyn Yard presents a showcase production of STORM, STILL, a three-person adaptation of King Lear, by playwright Gabrielle Reisman, in Reisman's own backyard in south Bushwick this fall.

Dragon-man with a Suitcase is proud to announce final casting as well as the design team for the new play, Sex of the Baby by Matthew-Lee Erlbach, which will make its New York premiere at the Access Theater Gallery Space (380 Broadway) in September, 2015.

Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Artistic Director; Renee Blinkwolt, Managing Director) announces The Ars Nova Revolution, celebrating Ars Nova All Stars Jill Furman, Thomas Kail and Lin-Manuel Miranda, from Freestyle Love Supreme (Ars Nova, 2004) to Hamilton (Broadway, 2015). This epic night of revelry benefiting Ars Nova's artist community, featuring performances by cast members of Hamilton and Freestyle Love Supreme, takes place Monday, September 21 at 6:30pm at The Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street).

Love Out Loud, the first feature film from New York-based filmmaker John Sylva, will have its first live reading headlined by a cast of celebrated actors from the worlds of theater, television, and film on Monday, July 13 at The Creative Center at MTC Studios at 7:30pm EST in Manhattan.

Brian J. Smith (The Glass Menagerie, The Columnist, Come Back Little Sheba) has signed on to star in the independent feature The Passing Season.  Gabriel Long is making his feature debut, directing the script he co-wrote with Matthew-Lee Erlbach. Rebecca Atwood will produce. Shooting is set for this month in Rhode Island. Smith will play 'Sam,' a professional hockey player whose career comes to an abrupt end. He returns to his hometown, reconnects with a group of high school friends, and attempts to escape into an earlier, simpler time in his life. 

 Ars Nova has announced the lineup for its 8th Annual ANT Fest, running June 1 - 26.  This year's festival of all new talent features four nonstop weeks of comedy, music & theater mash-ups, and invites audiences on a nightly adventure with the next wave of breakthrough artists at Ars Nova.  A complete lineup is listed below.