Molly Smith News

Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith announces the D.C.-based pioneering theater company's 60th season filled with award-winning artists and projects to celebrate the grand opening of Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. The 2010/11 inaugural season includes eight full productions, seven presentations from the National Endowment for the Arts New Play Development Program and public readings from all 30 of Edward Albee's works, totaling at least 45 projects produced and presented by Arena Stage in the inaugural year at the Mead Center. With the opening next fall, Arena Stage will fully become a national center for production, presentation, development and study of American theater.

Big band sound transforms the Lincoln Theatre into a Duke Ellington jazz club as Arena Stage presents Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, choreographed by and starring Maurice Hines (Broadway's Sophisticated Ladies and Uptown... It's Hot!) with direction by Charles Randolph-Wright (Arena's Guys and Dolls and Blue).

Big band sound transforms the Lincoln Theatre into a Duke Ellington jazz club as Arena Stage presents Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, choreographed by and starring Maurice Hines (Broadway's Sophisticated Ladies and Uptown... It's Hot!) with direction by Charles Randolph-Wright (Arena's Guys and Dolls and Blue).

Five-time Emmy Award-winner John Larroquette will make a stage appearance this spring, joining Johanna Day, Monica Raymund, and Michael Zegen in the cast of Elizabeth Meriwether's new play OLIVER PARKER!, in its world-premiere by the Off-Broadway theatre company the stageFARM, with previews starting May 9 prior to its official opening night May 17 at the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce St.) in Manhattan.

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center announced today that seven plays will be developed at the 2010 National Playwrights Conference under the leadership of artistic director Wendy C. Goldberg. The selected playwrights will spend the month of July at the O'Neill's Waterford, Connecticut campus developing and presenting staged readings of their work during the NPC's 46th season. Box office and online ticket sales open Wednesday, June 9; advance ticket sales will be available to O'Neill Members beginning Monday, May 17.

Star of stage, television and film Maurice Hines makes a special, week long visit to D.C. this October to lead two FREE master classes and hold an open dance audition to kick off work as the choreographer and lead performer in Arena Stage's musical revue Sophisticated Ladies, running April 15 - May 30, 2010 at the Lincoln Theatre.

Big band sound transforms the Lincoln Theatre into a Duke Ellington jazz club as Arena Stage presents Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, choreographed by and starring Maurice Hines (Broadway's Sophisticated Ladies and Uptown... It's Hot!) with direction by Charles Randolph-Wright (Arena's Guys and Dolls and Blue).

Join Maurice Hines and cast members of Arena Stage's Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies for the 18th Annual Arena Stage Benefit for Community Engagement: Swingin' with Sophisticated Ladies, Tuesday, May 4, 2010 at the Lincoln Theatre.

BLUEBARN Theatre continues its 21 st season with Paula Vogel's dark comedy, Hot ‘N' Throbbing, which runs through April 3, 2010. BLUEBARN's ArtisticDirector, Susan Clement-Toberer directs this surreal and yet hilarious drama which showcasescostumes by Jenny Pool, scenic design by Martin Scott Marchitto, lighting design by CarolWisner, and sound design by Martin Magnuson.

Goodman Theatre is proud to present The Sins of Sor Juana by Karen Zacarías, directed by Goodman Associate Director Henry Godinez. Winner of the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play (2000), this centerpiece production for the 2010 Latino Theatre Festival runs June 19 - July 25, 2010, in the Goodman's Albert Theatre.

Big band sound transforms the Lincoln Theatre into a Duke Ellington jazz club as Arena Stage presents Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, choreographed by and starring Maurice Hines (Broadway's Sophisticated Ladies and Uptown... It's Hot!) with direction by Charles Randolph-Wright (Arena's Guys and Dolls and Blue).

Last Month, Arena Stage announced six productions and two major festivals that will inaugurate the company's new venue the Mead Center for American Theater next year. In addition to those exciting projects, Artistic Director Molly Smith is pleased to complete the 2010/11, 60th anniversary season lineup with the inclusion of the pre-Broadway world premiere of A Time to Kill-an adaptation by Rupert Holmes of the acclaimed John Grisham novel presented by special arrangement with Daryl Roth-and Let Me Down Easy, conceived, written and performed by Anna Deavere Smith. Both productions will be staged in the Mead Center's restored and remarkably intimate Kreeger Theater.

BLUEBARN Theatre continues its 21 st season with Paula Vogel's dark comedy, Hot ‘N' Throbbing, which opens March 11 and runs through April 3, 2010. BLUEBARN's ArtisticDirector, Susan Clement-Toberer directs this surreal and yet hilarious drama which showcasescostumes by Jenny Pool, scenic design by Martin Scott Marchitto, lighting design by CarolWisner, and sound design by Martin Magnuson.

Signature Theatre presents Doug Wright's I Am My Own Wife, winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award®, starring Helen Hayes Award-winner Andrew Long and directed by Alan Paul, January 12 through March 7, 2010 in the company's intimate ARK Theatre.

Full casting is set for the upcoming Arena Stage musical The Light in the Piazza, book by Craig Lucas, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, based on the novel by Elizabeth Spencer.

The DC area stages' theatre choices in March are dizzying! There's a new play by Terrence McNally at the Kennedy Center, and an off-Broadway gem at Signature Theatre. Adam Guettel's gorgeous Tony Award-winning harmonies will fill Arena Stage in Crystal City. Fagin and his orphans and zaftig Edna Turnblad and her daughter Tracy - will be singing and dancing at Toby's Dinner Theatre in Baltimore and Columbia, MD, and a blood-thirsty musical will be establishing roots at Ford's Theatre. With over 30 shows opening this month, come visit the DC area's 205 theatre venues, and have a monumental time!

Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith announces the D.C.-based pioneering theater company's 60th season filled with award-winning artists and projects to celebrate the grand opening of Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. The 2010/11 inaugural season includes eight full productions, seven presentations from the National Endowment for the Arts New Play Development Program and public readings from all 30 of Edward Albee's works, totaling at least 45 projects produced and presented by Arena Stage in the inaugural year at the Mead Center. With the opening next fall, Arena Stage will fully become a national center for production, presentation, development and study of American theater.

BLUEBARN Theatre continues its 21 st season with Paula Vogel's dark comedy, Hot ‘N' Throbbing, which opens March 11 and runs through April 3, 2010. BLUEBARN's ArtisticDirector, Susan Clement-Toberer directs this surreal and yet hilarious drama which showcasescostumes by Jenny Pool, scenic design by Martin Scott Marchitto, lighting design by CarolWisner, and sound design by Martin Magnuson.

The sights and sounds of Italy alight in Arlington's Crystal City as Arena Stage presents the lush and soaring The Light in the Piazza, directed by Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith.

STICKFLY will close on February 7 at Arena Stage.