Nancy Bell News

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) opens its 2012-2013 Studio Theatre series with the insightful comedy Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris. This engaging production will be performed in the Emerson Studio Theatre at the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts, 130 Edgar Road (on the campus of Webster University), Webster Groves, October 24-November 11, 2012.

The Miss America Organization and ABC announced today that Chris Harrison and Brooke Burke-Charvet will return to host THE 2013 MISS AMERICA COMPETITION which will be telecast live from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 2013 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

South Coast Repertory revived Donald Margulies' Sight Unseen, an SCR-commissioned play that had its world premiere here 20 seasons ago. It runs through April 1 on the Julianne Argyros Stage.

South Coast Repertory is reviving Donald Margulies' Sight Unseen, an SCR-commissioned play that had its world premiere here 20 seasons ago. It will run March 11- April 1 on the Julianne Argyros Stage.

South Coast Repertory is reviving Donald Margulies' Sight Unseen, an SCR-commissioned play that had its world premiere here 20 seasons ago. It will run March 11- April 1 on the Julianne Argyros Stage.

The Miss America Organization and ABC announced today that Brooke Burke-Charvet will join Chris Harrison as co-host of 'The 2012 Miss America Pageant' which will be telecast live from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2012 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on ABC. Burke-Charvet was co-host of ABC's live telecast of the 2011 Miss America Pageant with Harrison. The 2011 pageant drew ABC's biggest non-sports audience in the timeslot since April 2009, reaching 14.6 million viewers nationwide.

Playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer's END DAYS is a whimsical sort of farce with heart, a humorous work that starts off amusing, but in the end, winds up teaching its characters what it means to be a real family. It's the kind of ensemble piece that the New Jewish Theatre does so well, and their current production is a well acted and neatly directed presentation that's a wacky delight.

Join us for a free reading of Kimberly Rosenstock's Every Other Hamlet in the Universe- Part of Shakespeare Festival St. Louis' 2011 Shake 38

Join us for a free reading of Kimberly Rosenstock's Every Other Hamlet in the Universe- Part of Shakespeare Festival St. Louis' 2011 Shake 38

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) presents Macbeth by William Shakespeare. This poetic and potent drama will be performed on the Browning Mainstage of the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts, 130 Edgar Road (on the campus of Webster University), Webster Groves, thru March 6, 2011.

Since I've become a theatre critic I've had the opportunity to see several productions of William Shakespeare's MACBETH, and most have left me wanting in one way or another. But, just as Roman Polanski's gritty 1971 film adaptation is, for me at least, the best interpretation of the Bard's play that has been made into a movie, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis has produced a staging that is vastly superior to any I have encountered to this point. This dark, bloody, and brooding production of Macbeth provides an excellent evening of theatre, and features a talented cast and powerful design and direction.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) presents Macbeth by William Shakespeare.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) presents Macbeth by William Shakespeare.

Michael Frayn's hilarious backstage farce follows an inept acting troupe as they stumble from bumbling dress rehearsal to disastrous closing night

NOISES OFF by Michael Frayn directed by Art Manke CREATIVE TEAM: John Iacovelli (Set Design), Angela Balogh Calin (Costume Design), York Kennedy (Lighting Design), Vincent Olivieri (Sound Design), Ken Merckx (Movement Consultant), David Nevell (Dialect Coach), Linda Sullivan Baity (Dramaturg) and Jamie Tucker (Stage Manager). CAST: Nancy Bell (Belinda Blair), Bill Brochtrup (Garry Lejeune), Kandis Chappell (Dotty Otley), Winslow Corbett (Poppy Norton-Taylor), Kaleo Griffith (Lloyd Dallas), Brian Hostenske (Tim Allgood), Timothy Landfield (Frederick Fellowes), Jennifer Lyon (Brooke Ashton) and Nick Ullett (Selsdon Mowbray). Michael Frayn's hilarious backstage farce follows an inept acting troupe as they stumble from bumbling dress rehearsal to disastrous closing night

NOISES OFF by Michael Frayn directed by Art Manke CREATIVE TEAM: John Iacovelli (Set Design), Angela Balogh Calin (Costume Design), York Kennedy (Lighting Design), Vincent Olivieri (Sound Design), Ken Merckx (Movement Consultant), David Nevell (Dialect Coach), Linda Sullivan Baity (Dramaturg) and Jamie Tucker (Stage Manager). CAST: Nancy Bell (Belinda Blair), Bill Brochtrup (Garry Lejeune), Kandis Chappell (Dotty Otley), Winslow Corbett (Poppy Norton-Taylor), Kaleo Griffith (Lloyd Dallas), Brian Hostenske (Tim Allgood), Timothy Landfield (Frederick Fellowes), Jennifer Lyon (Brooke Ashton) and Nick Ullett (Selsdon Mowbray). Michael Frayn's hilarious backstage farce follows an inept acting troupe as they stumble from bumbling dress rehearsal to disastrous closing night

South Coast Repertory today announced the cast and creative team for Michael Frayn's ingenious comedic masterpiece, Noises Off. Directed by Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award winner Art Manke, Noises Off will run from Feb. 6 through March 8 on the Segerstrom Stage. Low-priced previews are available from Feb. 6 through Feb. 12. Opening night is Feb. 13. Press night is Saturday, Feb. 14 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets to Noises Off may be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or in person at the SCR box office. Noises Off follows the on-and off-stage antics of an inept acting troupe as they stumble from bumbling dress rehearsal to disastrous closing night. Everything that can go wrong does, as actors desperately try to hang on to their lines, their performances and the furniture. Add a slippery plate of sardines and many slamming doors, and you have the most hilarious backstage farce ever written. Art Manke received his fifth Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for directing SCR's West Coast premiere of Bach at Leipzig in 2006. Other work with SCR includes last season's Taking Steps, the world premiere musical version of The Wind in the Willows and choreography for numerous productions. Elsewhere in Southern California, Manke has directed The Constant Wife, Private Lives and the American premiere of Noel Coward's Star Quality for Pasadena Playhouse and the world premiere of The Ice-Breaker at Laguna Playhouse. Manke was a co-founder and artistic director (1991-2001) of A Noise Within where he directed the works of Shakespeare, Moli?re, Wilde, Coward and Sophocles. Other credits include work with Denver Center Theatre Company, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Old Globe Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, American Players Theatre, among others. The cast features Nancy Bell (Belinda Blair), Bill Brochtrup (Garry Lejeune), Kandis Chappell (Dotty Otley), Winslow Corbett (Poppy Norton-Taylor), Kaleo Griffith (Lloyd Dallas), Brian Hostenske (Tim Allgood), Timothy Landfield (Frederick Fellows), Jennifer Lyon (Brooke Ashton) and Nick Ullett (Selsdon Mowbray). The creative team for Noises Off includes John Iacvelli (Set Design), Angela Balogh Calin (Costume Design), York Kennedy (Lighting Design), Vincent Olivieri (Sound Design), Ken Merckx (Movement Consultant), David Newell (Dialect Coach), Linda Sullivan Baity (Dramaturg) and Jamie Tucker (Stage Manager). Dee and Larry Higby are the Honorary Producers of Noises Off. OC Metro is the Media Partner. Associated events taking place during the run of Noises Off include: POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS Wednesday, Feb. 18 & Tuesday, Feb. 24 Discuss the play with members of the Noises Off cast during free post-show discussions led by South Coast Repertory's literary team after the 7:30 p.m. performances on Feb. 18 and Feb. 24. INSIDE THE SEASON: Noises Off Saturday, Feb. 21, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. $12 Inside the Season is a series of interactive classes that provide a comprehensive inside look at the theatrical production process. Each two-hour class is led by School and Community Programs Director Linda Sullivan Baity and features creative personnel from South Coast Repertory's current production. Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (714) 708-5555. (Tickets to Noises Off are sold separately.) TICKETS to Noises Off can be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or by visiting the box office at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. Performances begin on Feb. 6 and continue through March 8. Ticket prices range from $20 to $64. Low-priced preview performances are available from Feb. 6 to Feb. 12. Performance times: Previews: Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 7 at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 8, Tuesday, Feb. 10 and Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m.; and Thursday, Feb. 12 at 8:00pm. Regular Performances: Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.; and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 25 years of age and under, educators, seniors and groups of 15 or more. There will be a 'Pay-What-You-Will' performance on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. ($10 Minimum) and an ASL-interpreted performance on Saturday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m.

South Coast Repertory today announced the cast and creative team for Michael Frayn's ingenious comedic masterpiece, Noises Off. Directed by Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award winner Art Manke, Noises Off will run from Feb. 6 through March 8 on the Segerstrom Stage. Low-priced previews are available from Feb. 6 through Feb. 12. Opening night is Feb. 13. Press night is Saturday, Feb. 14 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets to Noises Off may be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or in person at the SCR box office. Noises Off follows the on-and off-stage antics of an inept acting troupe as they stumble from bumbling dress rehearsal to disastrous closing night. Everything that can go wrong does, as actors desperately try to hang on to their lines, their performances and the furniture. Add a slippery plate of sardines and many slamming doors, and you have the most hilarious backstage farce ever written. Art Manke received his fifth Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for directing SCR's West Coast premiere of Bach at Leipzig in 2006. Other work with SCR includes last season's Taking Steps, the world premiere musical version of The Wind in the Willows and choreography for numerous productions. Elsewhere in Southern California, Manke has directed The Constant Wife, Private Lives and the American premiere of Noel Coward's Star Quality for Pasadena Playhouse and the world premiere of The Ice-Breaker at Laguna Playhouse. Manke was a co-founder and artistic director (1991-2001) of A Noise Within where he directed the works of Shakespeare, Moli?re, Wilde, Coward and Sophocles. Other credits include work with Denver Center Theatre Company, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Old Globe Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, American Players Theatre, among others. The cast features Nancy Bell (Belinda Blair), Bill Brochtrup (Garry Lejeune), Kandis Chappell (Dotty Otley), Winslow Corbett (Poppy Norton-Taylor), Kaleo Griffith (Lloyd Dallas), Brian Hostenske (Tim Allgood), Timothy Landfield (Frederick Fellows), Jennifer Lyon (Brooke Ashton) and Nick Ullett (Selsdon Mowbray). The creative team for Noises Off includes John Iacvelli (Set Design), Angela Balogh Calin (Costume Design), York Kennedy (Lighting Design), Vincent Olivieri (Sound Design), Ken Merckx (Movement Consultant), David Newell (Dialect Coach), Linda Sullivan Baity (Dramaturg) and Jamie Tucker (Stage Manager). Dee and Larry Higby are the Honorary Producers of Noises Off. OC Metro is the Media Partner. Associated events taking place during the run of Noises Off include: POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS Wednesday, Feb. 18 & Tuesday, Feb. 24 Discuss the play with members of the Noises Off cast during free post-show discussions led by South Coast Repertory's literary team after the 7:30 p.m. performances on Feb. 18 and Feb. 24. INSIDE THE SEASON: Noises Off Saturday, Feb. 21, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. $12 Inside the Season is a series of interactive classes that provide a comprehensive inside look at the theatrical production process. Each two-hour class is led by School and Community Programs Director Linda Sullivan Baity and features creative personnel from South Coast Repertory's current production. Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (714) 708-5555. (Tickets to Noises Off are sold separately.) TICKETS to Noises Off can be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or by visiting the box office at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. Performances begin on Feb. 6 and continue through March 8. Ticket prices range from $20 to $64. Low-priced preview performances are available from Feb. 6 to Feb. 12. Performance times: Previews: Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 7 at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 8, Tuesday, Feb. 10 and Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m.; and Thursday, Feb. 12 at 8:00pm. Regular Performances: Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.; and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 25 years of age and under, educators, seniors and groups of 15 or more. There will be a 'Pay-What-You-Will' performance on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. ($10 Minimum) and an ASL-interpreted performance on Saturday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m.

South Coast Rep's Pacific Playwrights Festival, known for launching many a shows to further runs beyond the Orange County locale, this season, proves somewhat spotty when it comes to the two fully-staged productions presented...

South Coast Repertory's Pacific Playwrights Festival celebrated its 11th annual edition May 2 through May 4 with a lineup composed of seven SCR-commissioned plays.