Melissa James News

Soho Rep has again extended the New York premiere of Jackie Sibblies Drury's We Are Proud to Present a Presentation …, directed by Eric Ting, this time to December 16. Tickets to the American premiere of Nature Theater of Oklahoma's epic serial Life and Times: Episodes 1-4-a Soho Rep production presented by The Public Theater as a special engagement of the Under the Radar Festival 2013-are now on sale. And Soho Rep announces the production that will conclude its 2012-13 season: the world premiere of Lucas Hnath's A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney, directed by Soho Rep Artistic Director Sarah Benson (April 30 - May 26, 2013).

On Monday, May 13 Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for Theatre honored Ruth and Stephen Hendel and Ming Cho Lee at their Gala Evening. The evening was held at the Angel Orensanz Foundation (172 Norfolk Street) in New York City, cocktails started at 6pm and dinner started at 7pm. Jessica Hecht was the emcee of the evening; the Gala co-chairs were playwright Lydia R. Diamond and interior designer Jasmine M. Keller. The Gala honorary chairs were Anne Kaufman, Obie award-winning director; Nelle Nugent, Broadway producer; Judith O. Rubin, chairman of the board of Playwrights Horizons; and Liz Smith, gossip columnist. The event hosted 200 guests and surpassed its financial goal. Scroll down for photos from the gala!

Atlantic Theater Company welcomes Olivier and two time Tony Award winning playwright John Guare, who will make his Off Broadway acting debut in the world premiere production of his new play 3 KINDS OF EXILE, directed by Atlantic artistic director Neil Pepe, featuring Atlantic ensemble members Peter Maloney and David Pittu and guest artists Alison Cimmet, Jeffrey Kuhn, Jacquelyn Landgraf, Martin Moran, Kate Rigg, Omar Sangare and Timothy Splain.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, written by Christopher Durang, today won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award (NYDCC) for Best Play of the 2012-2013 season. Matilda received the award for Best Musical. The selections were made at the 78th annual voting meeting of the organization today at the offices of Time Out New York in Manhattan.

The world premiere of the powerful, intense new play "The Royale" by Marco Ramirez opens Sunday, May 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the CTG/Kirk Douglas Theatre. Directed by Daniel Aukin, "The Royale" delivers a knock-out punch with its vivid depiction of a man fighting for his place in history. "The Royale" continues through June 2, 2013. The cast includes Robert Gossett, Diarra Oni Kilpatrick, David St. Louis, Keith Szarabajka and Desean Terry. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Soho Rep presents the world premiere of Lucas Hnath's play A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney.

The cast has been set for the world premiere of the powerful, intense new play 'The Royale' by Marco Ramirez. Directed by Daniel Aukin, 'The Royale' delivers a knock-out punch with its vivid depiction of a man fighting for his place in history. 'The Royale' begins previews tonight, April 28, opens May 5 and performances continue through June 2, 2013.

Soho Rep's FEED program is designed to enrich audiences' and artists' experience of Soho Rep's plays through live events, print publications and online content. Through the program's post-performance series, Soho Rep willoffera number of events - artist dialogues, presentations, etc - during the world premiere of Lucas Hnath's play A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney, directed by Sarah Benson (April 30 - May 26).

Atlantic Theater Company has announced that Olivier and two time Tony Award winning playwright John Guare will make his Off Broadway acting debut in the world premiere production of his new play 3 KINDS OF EXILE, directed by Atlantic artistic director Neil Pepe, featuring Atlantic ensemble members Peter Maloney and David Pittu and guest artists Alison Cimmet, Jeffrey Kuhn, Jacquelyn Landgraf, Martin Moran, Kate Rigg, Omar Sangare and Timothy Splain.

The cast has been set for the world premiere of the powerful, intense new play 'The Royale' by Marco Ramirez. Directed by Daniel Aukin, 'The Royale' delivers a knock-out punch with its vivid depiction of a man fighting for his place in history. 'The Royale' begins previews April 28, opens May 5 and performances continue through June 2, 2013.

Acclaimed Off-Broadway theater company Playwrights Horizons has announced initial details for its 2013 special online Auction in connection with its annual Spring Gala. Bidding for the auction, which will feature an eclectic array of items and unique opportunities, begins Friday March 29 at 10AM at www.biddingforgood/playwrightshorizons. Online bidding will continue through Monday, April 15 at 8PM.

Soho Rep has announced casting and an official opening date for the world premiere of Lucas Hnath's play A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney.

Playwrights Horizons, under the leadership of Artistic Director Tim Sanford and Managing Director Leslie Marcus, has announced the sixth and final production of its 2013/2014 Season.

Since its founding in 1998, Soho Rep's Writer/Director Lab has fostered the development of emerging playwrights and directors, providing mentorship and resources for their new theatrical works. From April 1 through May 13, the organization will present public readings of the fruits of this year's Lab, the 15th in Soho Rep's history.

Canadian Stage presents THIS, an un-romantic comedy by acclaimed Canadian playwright, Melissa James Gibson, from tonight, March 18 to April 13 (opening and media night: March 21). Directed by Canadian Stage's Artistic & General Director Matthew Jocelyn, and featuring Laura Condlln, Christian Laurin, Yanna McIntosh, Alon Nashman and Jonathon Young, the play is an honest portrait of a group of 30-something friends navigating their way through death, parenthood, love and adultery. THIS marks the first time New York-based Gibson's work has been presented in Toronto.

Due to popular demand, Playwrights Horizons has announced an extension of its critically-acclaimed, sold out World Premiere production of The Flick, a new play by the heralded Obie Award-winning playwright Annie Baker (Circle Mirror Transformation at PH, The Aliens, her recent adaptation of Uncle Vanya). Originally set to play a limited engagement through Sunday, March 31, the production has extended to Sunday, April 7 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Soho Rep has announced that the celebrated stage and screen actor Larry Pine will star in the world premiere production of Lucas Hnath's adrenaline-charged odyssey A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney. Directed by Soho Rep Artistic Director Sarah Benson, Pine will play the title character - the man who forever changed the American Dream. Hnath's fictional play centers around the reading of a screenplay Walt Disney has written about his last days on earth. The script is about a city he is going to build that is going to change the world; about his brother; about everyone who loves Disney and how sad they are going to be when he is gone.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced today that it will continue its collaboration with Dallas Theater Center to co-produce the new musical THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE in 2014. Following the success of the musical Giant, THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, based upon the bestselling novel by Jonathan Lethem, will premiere at Dallas Theater Center in March and continue in New York as part of The Public's 2014-15 Season at Astor Place.

Canadian Stage presents THIS, an un-romantic comedy by acclaimed Canadian playwright, Melissa James Gibson, from March 18 to April 13 (opening and media night: March 21). Directed by Canadian Stage's Artistic & General Director Matthew Jocelyn, and featuring Laura Condlln, Christian Laurin, Yanna McIntosh, Alon Nashman and Jonathon Young, the play is an honest portrait of a group of 30-something friends navigating their way through death, parenthood, love and adultery. THIS marks the first time New York-based Gibson's work has been presented in Toronto.

FX has picked up its critically-acclaimed drama THE AMERICANS for a 13-episode second season, it was announced today by John Landgraf, President and General Manager, FX Networks.