Melissa Miller News

The 2019-2020 season continues at Kitchen Theatre Company with Cry It Out, the groundbreaking comedy by Molly Smith-Metzler that dives deep into the good, the bad and the ugly of parenthood, relationships and unexpected friendship. Performances of Cry It Out begin at the Kitchen Theatre Company in the Percy Browning Performance Space on Sunday, February 2 and will run through Saturday, February 22. Generously sponsored by Marriott Ithaca Downtown Commons, Cornell University and The Lansing Star, Cry It Out will offer patrons the opportunity to a?oePay What You Wanta?? for its first three preview performances (2/2, 2/4, 2/5). 

The 2019-2020 season continues at Kitchen Theatre Company with Cry It Out, the groundbreaking comedy by Molly Smith-Metzler that dives deep into the good, the bad and the ugly of parenthood, relationships and unexpected friendship.

SORRY ARI is a 15-episode comedy web series that follows Ari, a positive guy with the absolute worst luck in the world. It was selected as One of the Best Web Series by INDIEWIRE alongside Jerry Seinfeld and recently won Breakout Series at Glow Fest LA.  It has been featured at the HollyWeb Festival, The Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles, WhoHaHa, Funny or Die and FilmShortage.

La Jolla Playhouse announces the cast and creative team for its west coast premiere production of QUEENS, by Martyna Majok, winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play Cost of Living. Directed by Carey Perloff(Playhouse's The Orphan of Zhao), the show runs July 3 - 29 in the Playhouse's Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.

Director Jane Staab's Beauty & the Beast is a fable for our time, emphasizing the humanity of its enchanted castle's 'objects' (and even its titular beast) through costume and demeanor, while stressing the power of kindness and the promise of change. The themes run throughout this show - from its winning, broad comedy to its vivid, heartfelt moments.

La Jolla Playhouse announces the cast and creative team for its west coast premiere production of QUEENS, by Martyna Majok. Directed by Carey Perloff, the show runs July 3 - 29. The cast features Jolly Abraham (Off-Broadway's Cost of Living) as "Aamani/Yara," Leslie Fray (TV's Elementary) as "Pelagiya/Dragana," Rae Gray (TV'sFear the Walking Dead) as "Inna/Tanya," Brenda Meaney (Off-Broadway's Party Face) as "Renia," Melissa Miller (Roundabout Theatre's Tartuffe) as "Agata" and Xochitl Romero (Playhouse's Kill Local) as "Isabela/Glenys."

A bevy of songs from some of Broadway's Tony Award-winning musicals will light up the Bergen County Players' (BCP) stage March 24 through April 21, with the curtain at 8 pm on

The 17th annual Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, revealed its feature film lineup championing the discovery of emerging voices and celebrating new work from established filmmaking talent. To close the Festival, Tribeca will World Premiere The Fourth Estate, from Oscar®-nominated director Liz Garbus, which follows The New York Times' coverage of the Trump administration's first year. The Centerpiece Gala will be the World Premiere of Drake Doremus' sci-fi romance Zoe starring Ewan McGregor, Lea Seydoux, Rashida Jones, and Theo James. The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 18-29.

The 17th annual Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, revealed its feature film lineup championing the discovery of emerging voices and celebrating new work from established filmmaking talent. To close the Festival, Tribeca will World Premiere The Fourth Estate, from Oscar®-nominated director Liz Garbus, which follows The New York Times' coverage of the Trump administration's first year. The Centerpiece Gala will be the World Premiere of Drake Doremus' sci-fi romance Zoe starring Ewan McGregor, Lea Seydoux, Rashida Jones, and Theo James. The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 18-29.

The Bergen County Players will be presenting the first two one-act plays in the laugh-out-loud trilogy Relatively Speaking for two performances only, at 2 pm on Saturday, January 27th and 7 pm on Sunday January 28th. Performances will take place at The Little Firehouse Theatre, 298 Kinderkamanck Road in Oradell. Tickets may be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling the box office at 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office during regular box office hours.

Moli re's TARTUFFE, as translated by Ranjit Bolt, is directed by Huntington Theatre Company's Artistic Director Peter DuBois and features an accomplished cast, led by Frank Wood and Brett Gelman. The story of a charlatan getting the better of a fool, despite the misgivings and warnings of his family, the dialogue is delivered in rhyming couplets, or what I refer to as satiric verses.

The Huntington Theatre Company presents the brilliant classic comedy Tartuffe by Moli re, directed by Huntington Theatre Company Artistic Director Peter DuBois (Sunday in the Park with George), translated by Ranjit Bolt, and featuring actor and comedianBrett Gelman (Murray Bauman on the upcoming season of Netflix's Stranger Things and Dinner with Brett Gelman specials on Adult Swim) as Tartuffe and Tony Award winner Frank Wood (Side Man and August Osage County on Broadway and HBO's Flight of the Conchords ) as Orgon. Performances run from November 10 through December 10, 2017 at the Avenue of the Arts / Huntington Avenue Theatre.

Fifteen-year-old Christopher is the central character in THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, the winner of the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play receiving its regional premiere in a spectacular production by the Pioneer Theatre Company. Artistic Director Karen Azenberg proficiently stages the compelling show and guides the expert nine cast members playing 35 different roles.

The Pioneer Theatre Company production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time will begin performances on September 15, 2017 and continue through September 30, 2017. The Tony Award-winning play by Simon Stephens is adapted from Mark Haddon's best-selling novel and directed by PTC Artistic Director Karen Azenberg.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) opens its 2017 season with a stunning production of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, a show that has not been performed by the company in 17 years. Directed by Robert Cuccioli, the excellent staging and stellar cast makes this 16th century dark comedy enthralling.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey kicks off its 55th season with The Merchant of Venice, not seen at The Shakespeare Theatre since 2000. Acclaimed company member Robert Cuccioli returns to direct. Performances begin on May 17 at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre located at 36 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ. Patrons can purchase tickets by calling the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or online at www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

BILLY ELLIOT runs January 27th - February 26th at Wheelock Family Theatre.

A gripping struggle to hold on to morality during the hardest of times. Experience Felix Mitterer's enthralling drama based on the life and death of Franz Jagerstatter (1907-1943), an Austrian farmer who refused to fight on behalf of Hitler because of his faith, morals and ideals. Mitterer depicts Franz, who was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007, as a courageous but insecure human being - and not at all as a saint.  

Emily Mann's documentary-style drama recalls the 2009 Fort Hood shootings as a springboard for explorations of Islamist extremism in various political contexts today.