Morgan Jenness News

After the dust settled from a January 2 deadline and the paper-cuts healed from over six hundred plays received from writers aged 18 or younger, eight playwrights have been named winners of the 2014 Young Playwrights Inc. National Playwriting Competition.

The legendary Cherry Lane Theatre - which this year will celebrate its 90th anniversary as one of the nation's most revered institutions for its commitment to producing new works for the stage - will begin its 90th season with the world-premiere of Lisa Ramirez's play TO THE BONE directed by Lisa Peterson, set to commence previews September 9 prior to an official opening night September 17 at Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce St. in Greenwich Village), it has been announced by Angelina Fiordellisi, the company's Founding Artistic Director. The production runs through October 4.

The OBIE Award-winning Theater:Village festival, which is presented by Axis Theatre, Cherry Lane Theatre, New Ohio Theatre, and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, returns for its second year, September 4 - October 5. Following last year's The Hill Town Plays, which presented five works by the playwright Lucy Thurber, this year's festival, titled E Pluribus, will feature four new plays celebrating the diversity of America.

Samuel French, the 184-year-old publishing and licensing company, has announced a collaboration with HowlRound, an online community for theatre artists, this summer on a four-day event (July 14-17) that will focus on intellectual property and the rights of artists in the theatre.

Carol Becker, Dean of Faculty of Columbia University School of the Arts, announced today the appointment of two acclaimed playwrights to the faculty of the Arts: David Henry Hwang, Associate Professor of Theatre in Playwriting and director of the Playwriting Concentration, and Lynn Nottage, Associate Professor of Theatre in Playwriting.

Eligibility and award category designations for the productions under consideration this season were determined by the Drama Desk board of directors with recommendations from the nominating committee. Because of the abundance of great work throughout the season, the Board also authorized the increase in the number of nominees allowed in select categories.

City Theatre's groundbreaking CityWrights Professional Weekend for Playwrights, which takes place June 26 - 29 at EPIC Hotel, Miami, FL, continues to grow as a nationally recognized event that puts South Florida center stage as a cultural destination for playwrights, theatre artists and professionals. This highlight of the annual SUMMER SHORTS FESTIVAL is a lively and comprehensive symposium dedicated to the art, business, development, training, inspiration and mentorship of dramatists and the development of new work.

Academy Award winners Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez ('Let It Go' from Frozen) and two-time Emmy and Golden Globe Nominee Fran Drescher (Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella; 'The Nanny') will announce the nominations for the 59th Annual Drama Desk Awards on Friday, April 25, 2014 at 11:00 AM at 54 Below (254 W. 54th Street), it was announced today by Gretchen Shugart, CEO of TheaterMania.com and Isa Goldberg, Drama Desk President.

The Wild Project has announced some new and exciting events as part of their calender, including Poetic License 2014: Shades of Love and the 2014 Avant Music Festival.

The Wild Project has announced its upcoming performances and events, now through the end of this month. Details below!

The 59th Annual Drama Desk Awards will take place on Sunday, June 1, 2014 at 8:00 PM at The Town Hall (123 W. 43rd Street), it was announced today. Shugart is the Managing Executive Producer of the Drama Desk Awards. Joey Parnes Productions will produce and manage the show.

Poetic Theater Productions is proud to present POETIC LICENSE 2014: SHADES OF LOVE, their third annual festival of new poetic theater. Running from Monday, February 3 for a limited engagement through Sunday, February 16, the expanded two-week festival features performances, readings and cabaret evenings covering topics such as war, love, mental health, family, identity and politics from diverse social and cultural voices. The performance schedule and ticket prices vary. See below for details. All performances are at The Wild Project (195 E. 3rd Street between Avenues A & B). Ticket can be purchased from OvationTix on 212.352.3101 or online at www.poetictheater.com. The Box Office opens one hour prior to curtain.

Since its founding in 1961, La MaMa Experimental Arts Club has been a hub for risk-taking theater artists from around the globe. La MaMa will celebrate their 2013 season of performances with a gala honoring two pillars of arts journalism: former Village Voice critic Michael Feingold, and publisher Patsy Tarr of 2wice. Throughout their long careers, these two individuals have carved out a voice for the arts, championing countless artists working across platforms.

Since its founding in 1961, La MaMa Experimental Arts Club has been a hub for risk-taking theater artists from around the globe. La MaMa will celebrate their 2013 season of performances with a gala honoring two pillars of arts journalism: former Village Voice critic Michael Feingold, and publisher Patsy Tarr of 2wice. Throughout their long careers, these two individuals have carved out a voice for the arts, championing countless artists working across platforms.

Tonight, October 28 at 6:30pm: Celebrating Maria Irene Fornes with Morgan Jenness. Please join them for an evening of excerpted readings of work by legendary Cuban-American, avant-garde playwright and director Maria Irene Fornes.

Next Monday, October 28 at 6:30pm: Celebrating Maria Irene Fornes with Morgan Jenness. Please join us for an evening of excerpted readings of work by legendary Cuban-American, avant-garde playwright and director Maria Irene Fornes.

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center at the CUNY Graduate Center has announced its Fall 2013 season of public programs. Following the 10th anniversary of the Center's wildly successful PRELUDE Festival (attended by over 2,500 audience members), the season continues with 14 free public programs throughout the Fall, featuring contemporary theatre and performing artists from around the world.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater will present the world premiere of Double Edge Theatre's The Grand Parade (of the 20th Century), which takes audiences on an evocative journey through the 20th century by fusing music, dance and flying. Following workshop performances in Baltimore and Chicago previews, Double Edge, hailed by American Theatre as an "unpredictable and imaginative" theater troupe, officially launches the international tour of The Grand Parade in Washington, D.C. before taking the production to the Golden Mask Festival in Moscow. Inspired by Marc Chagall's paintings, this movement-based new work runs February 6-10, 2013 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, announces new leadership of its board of directors and six new members. Lydia R. Diamond, playwright, and Diane Rodriguez, associate producer/director of new play production, Center Theatre Group, will assume the joint positions of vice president. They succeed James Bundy, artistic director, Yale Repertory Theatre and Rachel Kraft, executive director, Lookingglass Theatre Company. Philip Himberg, producing artistic director of the Sundance Institute Theatre Program, will continue to serve his term as board president. Roche Schulfer, executive director, Goodman Theatre will continue to serve as treasurer and Ralph Bryan, managing director, Bryan-Billauer-Kozo, Financial Strategies Group, Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC will succeed Olga Sanchez, artistic director, Miracle Theatre Group, as secretary.