Nana Mensah News

While there are laws restricting the tattooing of minors, the unseen infant title character in Christina Anderson's Inked Baby has the unfortunate honor to be indelibly marked even before birth. The play's premiere production at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater is honored with a fine cast and some truly captivating moments provided by both the playwright and director Kate Whoriskey. But once the very human story is firmly established, the plot takes a twist that - while certainly based on realistic situations - abruptly changes the mood of the piece into something akin to sci-fi mystery. The awkward clashing of the two worlds of the play reduces what is no doubt meant to be a pivotal scene into the kind of silliness that, at least on the night I attended, draws loud giggles from a good part of the audience.

'Only the great deserve the darts of satire,' proclaimed an advertisement for the New York leg of the Bolshoi Ballet Company's 1936 American tour, a classy reply to the spoofing they were receiving from George Balanchine's dance piece La Princesse Zenobia, a highlight of George Abbott and Rodgers and Hart's Broadway hit On Your Toes.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Tuesday, March 24, 2009.

The World Premiere of INKED BABY, a new play by 2007 Susan Smith Blackburn nominee Christina Anderson in her Off-Broadway playwriting debut. INKED BABY began previews on Thursday, March 5 at 7:30 PM at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

World Premiere of INKED BABY, a new play by 2007 Susan Smith Blackburn nominee Christina Anderson in her Off-Broadway playwriting debut. INKED BABY began previews on Thursday, March 5 at 7:30 PM at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street). Directed by Kate Whoriskey (Fabulation at Playwrights Horizons, the current hit Ruined), INKED BABY will have its official opening on Monday, March 23 at 7:00 PM and continue through Sunday, April 5.

World Premiere of INKED BABY, a new play by 2007 Susan Smith Blackburn nominee Christina Anderson in her Off-Broadway playwriting debut. INKED BABY begins previews on Thursday, March 5 at 7:30 PM at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Starting tomorrow, Wednesday, February 25 at 10:00 AM, Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) will be accepting entries for its popular LIVEforFIVE online lottery for $5 tickets to its next production, the World Premiere of INKED BABY, a new play by 2007 Susan Smith Blackburn nominee Christina Anderson in her Off-Broadway playwriting debut. A total of 40 tickets will be available via the online lottery.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) announced today that The Shakespeare Lab, the theater's professional actor development program, will be tuition-free in 2009. The decision to make the program free this year builds on The Public's long tradition of free Shakespeare in the Park and the theater's ongoing commitment to building a community of classically trained artists. Shakespeare Lab 2009 will run from June 15-July 24.

Playwrights Horizons, under the leadership of Artistic Director Tim Sanford and Managing Director Leslie Marcus, has announced additional casting and complete details for the World Premiere of INKED BABY, a new play by 2007 Susan Smith Blackburn nominee Christina Anderson in her Off-Broadway playwriting debut. Directed by Kate Whoriskey (Fabulation at Playwrights Horizons, the current Ruined at MTC), the production will begin previews on Thursday, March 5, 2009 with an Opening Night set for Monday, March 23 at 7PM. The limited engagement will run through Sunday, April 5 at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Playwrights Horizons, under the leadership of Artistic Director Tim Sanford and Managing Director Leslie Marcus, has announced additional casting and details for its 2008/2009 Season.

Due to strong tickets sales and critical reception, Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Jessica R. Jenen, has extended the run of its new production of William Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST starring Tony Award winner Mandy Patinkin through Sunday, October 19.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Jessica R. Jenen, has completed casting of its upcoming production of William Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST, starring Tony Award winner Mandy Patinkin, directed by Kulick.

The Public Theater announced that Barry Edelstein will be the Director of The Public Theater Shakespeare Lab. The Public is now accepting applications for the 2008 Shakespeare Lab, a twelve-week acting intensive scheduled to take place June 2 through August 25, 2008. The application deadline is Friday, March 21.

Pold Worm Jensen - three experimental theater artists from Copenhagen, Denmark - in association with The Bats (The Flea's resident acting company) will premiere Seating Arrangements as part of the Danish arts initiative DaNY Arts. Inspired by 'Babette's Feast', the short story by Danish writer Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) and the Academy Award winning film of the same name, this unique new work begins a limited engagement run beginning October 10 at The Flea Theater.