Melissa James News

Playwrights Horizons announced today the promotion of the theater company's Director of New Play Development Adam Greenfield to Associate Artistic Director. This is the first major change to the Artistic leadership of the acclaimed organization since Mr. Sanford was promoted from the same associate position to become Artistic Director in 1996.

The first step in any critique of a play is the play itself. And Melissa James Gibson's THIS, produced by Epic Theatre Company, is an excellent example of a well-written play. THIS runs January 9th - 25th Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm | Sunday 2pm Tickets $15 General Admission $12 Seniors & Students Theatre 82 & Cafe | 82 Rolfe Square

Manhattan Theatre Club announces the upcoming Sloan Panel Discussion on Constellations, which will be held following the Thursday, January 15 performance of the play at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street), and is open to anyone attending the evening's performance. The panel, which will be presented in partnership with the World Science Festival, will focus on the role of science in the play and will feature playwright Nick Payne and Brian Greene, professor of Physics and Mathematics at Columbia University and co-founder of the World Science Festival. Social commentator Faith Salie will moderate.

Playwrights Horizons has announced casting for PLACEBO, the world premiere of a new play by Obie Award winner Melissa James Gibson (This at PH, What Rhymes with America, Suitcase, [sic], the FX series "The Americans," "House of Cards" on Netflix.). Directed by Obie Award winner Daniel Aukin (This at PH, The Fortress of Solitude, Bad Jews, 4,000 Miles, [sic]), the play will be the fourth production of the theater company's 2014/2015 Season.

Fear not fans of subversive holiday entertainment. Theater Wit is re-gifting Chicago with its 11th annual production of The Santaland Diaries, based on David Sedaris' true comic tale of his hilarious stint as one of Santa's elves at Macy's Department Store.

Playwrights Horizons' production of POCATELLO, the world premiere of a new play by Obie, Drama Desk and Lortel awards winner and 2014 MacArthur Foundation 'Genius' grantee Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale at PH, The Few, A Bright New Boise), is directed by Davis McCallum (The Whale at PH, The Few, London Wall, A Bright New Boise, Water by the Spoonful). The play is the third production of the theater company's 2014/2015 Season. The production will begin previews tonight, November 21 with an opening night set for Monday, December 15. The limited engagement will play through Sunday evening, January 4, 2015 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Theatre luminaries will gather tonight, November 17, 2014, to to honor acclaimed playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis as he receives the 2014 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award at the Steinberg Playwright Awards, presented by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. Scenes highlighting his work will be presented at the 7th Annual 'Mimi' Awards, which will take place at Lincoln Center Theater's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater.

Playwrights Horizons is now accepting entries for its popular LIVEforFIVE online lottery for up to two $5 tickets each to the world premiere of POCATELLO, a new play by Obie, Drama Desk and Lortel awards winner and 2014 MacArthur Foundation 'Genius' grantee Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale at PH, The Few, A Bright New Boise), directed by Davis McCallum (The Whale at PH, The Few, London Wall, A Bright New Boise, Water by the Spoonful).

Playwrights Horizons' world premiere production of GRAND CONCOURSE, a new play by playwright and two-time Obie Award-winning actress Heidi Schreck (author of There Are No More Big Secrets, Creature, Showtime's 'Nurse Jackie'), opens tonight, November 11, 2014.

Theatre luminaries will gather on Monday, November 17, 2014, to to honor acclaimed playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis as he receives the 2014 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award at the Steinberg Playwright Awards, presented by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. Scenes highlighting his work will be presented at the 7th Annual 'Mimi' Awards, which will take place at Lincoln Center Theater's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater.

Playwrights Horizons today announced several major initiatives that will expand the ways in which theater writers are compensated. As a writer's theater dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers and lyricists and to the production of their new work, Playwrights Horizons is committed to establishing new standards in compensation that will directly benefit all of its writers and taking a leadership position in responding to the reality that theater writers are among the lowest-compensated creative artists in America.

Atlantic Theater Company will kick off its new reading series, AMPLIFIED, with Max Posner's Gun Logistics today, November 4th at 2pm at the Linda Gross Theater (336 West 20th Street), directed by Oliver Butler and featuring actors Paul Thureen and Birgit Huppuch.

Fear not fans of subversive holiday entertainment. Theater Wit is re-gifting Chicago with its 11th annual production of The Santaland Diaries, based on David Sedaris' true comic tale of his hilarious stint as one of Santa's elves at Macy's Department Store.

Atlantic Theater Company will kick off its new reading series, AMPLIFIED, with Max Posner's Gun Logistics on Tuesday, November 4th at 2pm at the Linda Gross Theater (336 West 20th Street), directed by Oliver Butler and featuring actors Paul Thureen and Birgit Huppuch.

59E59 Theaters will welcome The Directors Company with ON A STOOL AT THE END OF THE BAR, written by Robert Callely and directed by Michael Parva. ON A STOOL AT THE END OF THE BAR begins performances on Friday, November 14 for a limited engagement through Sunday, December 14. Press Opening is Thursday, November 20 at 7:15 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Thursday at 7:15 PM; Friday at 8:15 PM; Saturday at 2:15 PM & 8:15 PM; and Sunday at 3:15 PM. Please note, there is no performance on Thursday, November 27 (Thanksgiving). Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Single tickets are $35 ($24.50 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.59e59.org.

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director) and Barry Grove (Executive Producer) announce recent recipients of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Initiative commissions for Manhattan Theatre Club. The commissioned writers are Jeff Augustin (Little Children Dream of God), Courtney Baron (A Very Common Procedure) and Juliana Nash (Murder Ballad), Nell Benjamin (The Explorers Club), Madeline George (The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence), Tom Holloway (And No More Shall We Part), Nathan Jackson (Broke-ology), Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (An Octoroon), Greg Pierce (Slowgirl), and Alexandra Wood (The Initiate).

Rehearsals begin tomorrow, Tuesday, October 21 for the Playwrights Horizons production of POCATELLO, the world premiere of a new play by Obie, Drama Desk and Lortel awards winner and 2014 MacArthur Foundation 'Genius' grantee Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale at PH, The Few, A Bright New Boise). Directed by Davis McCallum (The Whale at PH, The Few, London Wall, A Bright New Boise, Water by the Spoonful), the play will be the third production of the theater company's 2014/2015 Season.

Previews begin tomorrow, Friday, October 17 at 7:30 PM for the Playwrights Horizons' world premiere production of GRAND CONCOURSE, a new play by playwright and two-time Obie Award-winning actress Heidi Schreck (author of There Are No More Big Secrets, Creature, Showtime's 'Nurse Jackie'). Directed by Kip Fagan (The Revisionist, Asuncion), the play is the second production of the acclaimed theater company's 2014/2015 Season. It follows the critically-acclaimed Bootycandy, a new play written and directed by Robert O'Hara, which concludes its extended run this Sunday evening on the Mainstage.

Playwrights Horizons is now accepting entries for its popular LIVEforFIVE online lottery for up to two $5 tickets each to the world premiere of GRAND CONCOURSE, a new play by playwright and two-time Obie Award-winning actress Heidi Schreck (There Are No More Big Secrets, Creature, Showtime's "Nurse Jackie"), directed by Kip Fagan (The Revisionist, Asuncion).

Playwrights Horizons announced the appointment of Liz Fallon Culp as the institution's new Director of Development. Ms. Culp joins the acclaimed theater company direct from New York Public Radio (WNYC/WQXR), where she served as the Senior Director of Major Gifts and Legacy Giving. She began with the theater company this month, leading its seven-person Development department.