Mo Gaffney News

Producer Steve Tyler and Los Angeles LGBT Center Artistic Director Jon Imparato announced today that two all-star benefit readings of Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls (screenplay by Dorothy Kingsley) on May 3 and 4 raised $32,000 to be split between Alcott Center for Mental Health Services and the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Directed by Richard Hochberg, Susann's infamous tale of cutthroat careerism, wild sex, and fierce female protagonists was on hilarious display.

Steve Tyler Presents has announced an all-star benefit reading of Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls, directed by Richard Hochberg, for two performances only at the Los Angeles LGBT Center's Renberg Theatre. Susann's infamous tale of cutthroat careerism, wild sex, and fierce female protagonists will be on hilarious display with performances on Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4, at 8pm. One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit Alcott Center for Mental Health Services and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, remain committed to their meaningful mission to produce and develop New Work for the Stage. They are thrilled to announce in this, their upcoming 28th season, the tenth annual Summer Playwright's Festival (SPF10). The Road Theatre's annual Summer Playwrights Festival has been held annually since its inception in 2010.

O'Connell & Company presents the Obie Award-winning Off Broadway comedy The Kathy & Mo Show: Parallel Lives by Kathy Najimy and Mo Gaffney, opening on January 18 and running through January 27, 2019.

Show-only tickets to Second Stage Theater's Fall Benefit Honoring Harvey Fierstein are now on sale to the general public.  Hosted by Michael Urie, the benefit will take place on Monday, November 12 at Terminal 5 (610 West 56th Street).  The evening will feature performances and appearances by Cyndi Lauper, Rosie O'Donnell, Annaleigh Ashford, Keala Settle, Wayne Brady, Christopher Sieber, Michael Urie, Marissa Jaret Winokur, as well as Shoshana Bean, J. Harrison Ghee, Bianca Del Rio, and Gino Emnes.  To purchase tickets, please go to: https://2st.com/support-us/events/fall-benefit.

Last weekend, Lauren Gunderson's THE REVOLUTIONISTS opened at Raleigh Little Theatre, proving once again that women and feminists can be very funny. THE REVOLUTIONISTS tells the story of four women during the French Revolution: Marie Antoinette, an 'occasionally, unexpectedly profound queen who needs better press," Olympe de Gouges, the feminist playwright who published her "Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the [Female] Citizen" in 1791, Charlotte Corday, 'an assassin on a deadline,' and Marianne Angelle, a Caribbean slave who has come to France to rally for her people's freedom. Under the direction of Amy White, the capable cast of four women seem more comfortable with the quick-witted, comedic elements of Gunderson's smart script than the dramatic ones that mark the second act. Still, in the last moments of the play, the quartet come together in a display of sisterhood, solidarity, and strength, which is at the heart of this play, that is ultimately believable and poignant.

According to Mo Gaffney, she and Kathy Najimy still think they are the funniest people on the planet. And if the play PARALLEL LIVES is any indication, they just might be. Najimy and Gaffney (better known as Kathy and Mo) first performed PARALLEL LIVES, a series of comedy sketches they penned about women, in 1983 at The Old Town Theatre in San Diego. Six years later, they opened the show off-Broadway and in 1991, PARALLEL LIVES became an HBO special. PARALLEL LIVES opens this weekend at Burning Coal Theatre as part of The Women's Theatre Festival. In this production, the roles originated by Gaffney and Najimy are being played by the Keith Liles and Emily Levinstone. While there is no through-line to PARALLEL LIVES per se, the common thread that ties these sketches together is one of acceptance and fundamental human rights, strikingly contemporary and relevant themes for a piece first performed over 30 years ago. And although some of the sketches work better than others, and the play runs long at just over two hours, there is enough thought-provoking funny material to make PARALLEL LIVES worthy of a girl's, err should I say women's, night out.

In the opening scene of PARALLEL LIVES, two Supreme Beings plan the beginning of the world with the relish of two slightly sadistic suburban wives decorating a living room. From this moment, the audience is whisked through a series of skits that catapult them into the outrageous universe of comediennes Kathy Najimy and Maureen (Mo) Gaffney. Najimy and Gaffney first performed PARALLEL LIVES in 1983 at The Old Town Theatre in San Diego. Six years later, they opened the show off-Broadway at The Westside Theatre in New York and in 1991, PARALLEL LIVES became an HBO special. Later this month, Emily Levinstone and Keith Liles step into Kathy and Mo's shoes for the opening of PARALLEL LIVES at Burning Coal Theatre as part of the North Carolina Women's Theatre Festival. Judy Long, who is making her Raleigh directorial debut, says the show covers themes that are relevant today as they were 35 years ago, including women's rights, LGBTQ rights, and acceptance. Gaffney and Long opened up about the relevancy of PARALLEL LIVES 35 years later.

The Globe is happy to announce that the Globe for All Tour will continue to bring shows to the community in 2018, with support provided by Theatre Forward's Advancing Strong Theatre grant program. Following the Globe engagement of Karen Zacarias's hilarious comedy directed by Edward Torres, Native Gardens will travel June 28 through July 1 to four of our community partner venues for free performances in South Bay, Lemon Grove, Otay Mesa, and Oceanside. Developed in the 2017 Powers New Voices Festival, it runs through June 24 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, and then hits the road!

Second Stage Theater (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director) has announced additional casting for the New York Premiere of TRACY LETTS' acclaimed play, MARY PAGE MARLOWE.

Actress and activist Kathy Najimy is teaming up with America's Most Produced Playwright Lauren Gunderson for a benefit reading at the Minetta Lane Theater on Monday, April 23, 2018 at 7pm. Presented by the WP Theater with Erica Rotstein and Christina Wallace, the reading of Gunderson's new play NATURAL SHOCKS is in support of the Ms. Foundation's programs and grants that address domestic violence and gun violence against women. Tickets range from $100-1000, with discounted tickets available for students ($25) and a limited number of $50 early bird tickets available through April 16. Tickets available at www.naturalshocks.com/nyc.

Second Stage Theater has announced that Tony Award winner BLAIR BROWN will join the previously announced EMMA GEER, TATIANA MASLANY and SUSAN POURFAR in the New York Premiere of TRACY LETTS' acclaimed play, MARY PAGE MARLOWE, directed by LILA NEUGEBAUER.

Second Stage Theater (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director) has announced that EMMA GEER will join the previously announced TATIANA MASLANY and SUSAN POURFAR in the New York Premiere of TRACY LETTS' acclaimed play, MARY PAGE MARLOWE, directed by LILA NEUGEBAUER.

Second Stage Theater (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director) has announced that SUSAN POURFAR will join the previously announced TATIANA MASLANY in the New York Premiere of TRACY LETTS' acclaimed play, MARY PAGE MARLOWE, directed by LILA NEUGEBAUER.

Second Stage Theater (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director) has announced that Emmy Award Winner TATIANA MASLANY, star of the hit BBC America series, "Orphan Black," will appear in the New York Premiere of TRACY LETTS' acclaimed play, MARY PAGE MARLOWE, directed by LILA NEUGEBAUER.

Second Stage Theater has announced complete casting for the world premiere of GREG PIERCE's play, Cardinal, directed by KATE WHORISKEY.

Tickets go on sale to the general public today, Wednesday, December 13 at 1 PM ET for Second Stage Theater's Broadway premiere of KENNETH LONERGAN's LOBBY HERO, directed by TRIP CULLMAN and starring MICHAEL CERA, CHRIS EVANS, BRIAN TYREE HENRY, and BEL POWLEY.

Tickets go on sale to the general public today, Thursday, December 7, for the world premiere production of GREG PIERCE's play, CARDINAL, directed by KATE WHORISKEY.

Second Stage Theater has announced that Bel Powley will join the previously announced Michael Cera, Chris Evans, and Brian Tyree Henry, to complete the cast of Kenneth Lonergan's Lobby Hero, directed by Trip Cullman.

The Proud Mary Theatre Company, South Carolina's first and only theatre group devoted to LGBTQ+ Stories & Voices, has announced its second fundraiser, a presentation of STANDING ON CEREMONY: THE GAY MARRIAGE PLAYS, THE LEBANESE EDITION with an all-female cast and plays by lesbian playwrights. AND A SPECIAL PREVIEW OF 5 LESBIANS EATING A QUICHE!