Casting has been announced for the World Premiere of THE BABY DANCE: MIXED, a new adaptation by Emmy Award-winner JANE ANDERSON ("Olive Kitteridge") of her acclaimed 2004 play The Baby Dance. A drama delicately laced with comic overtones, THE BABY DANCE: MIXED is a compelling and urgent play about race, class, and wanting the perfect child. In the story, Regina and Richard, an affluent mixed-race couple in Los Angeles, have everything except a baby. Wanda and Al, an African-American couple living in an overcrowded trailer in modern-day Louisiana, are too poor to keep their soon-to-be-born child. Through an adoption attorney, the two couples broker a deal. However, circumstances arise that affect their decision and the situation spins out of control. The Wall Street Journal described The Baby Dance as "filled with emotional power and nimble humor." The L.A. Times called it "a stunner…funny as well as perceptive."
The second play in this year's Block Party is AMERYKA, written and directed by Critical Mass Performance Group Artistic Director Nancy Keystone, which continues through April 29, 2018 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Plan to arrive early so you can take advantage reading all the information posted in several areas of the lobby (as well as in the two main theater entrances) about Tadeusz Ko?ciuszko, a Polish freedom fighter who assisted Thomas Jefferson in the formation of our country, as his remarkable life and beliefs are central to the plot of this play.
Critical Mass Performance Group's AMERYKA has been chosen as the next production of this year's Center Theatre Group's second annual BLOCK PARTY running April 19 through April 29, 2018 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. We had the opportunity to talk to Nancy Keystone, CMPG's founding artistic director, and director and co-writer of AMERYKA, as she rhapsodizes on all things cultural, critical and collaborative.
The Critical Mass Performance Group production of "Ameryka," which Center Theatre Group is remounting at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre, will open Saturday, April 21 at 8 p.m. Written and directed by Critical Mass Performance Group Artistic Director Nancy Keystone in collaboration with the company, "Ameryka" is currently in previews and will close April 29.
Casting has been announced for the World Premiere of THE BABY DANCE: MIXED, a new adaptation by Emmy Award-winner JANE ANDERSON ('Olive Kitteridge') of her acclaimed 2004 play The Baby Dance. A drama delicately laced with comic overtones, THE BABY DANCE: MIXED is a compelling and urgent play about race, class, and wanting the perfect child.
Casting is set for the Critical Mass Performance Group production of "Ameryka," which Center Theatre Group is remounting at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre. Written and directed by Critical Mass Performance Group Artistic Director Nancy Keystone in collaboration with the company, "Ameryka" will begin previews April 19, open April 21 and close April 29.
Playwrights' Arena, the only theater created and dedicated to producing bold new works for the stage written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights, will be celebrating its 26th Anniversary with their annual fundraising gala, HOT NIGHT IN THE CITY. The event will be held at Barnsdall Gallery Theater, 4800 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, starting at 7:30 PM (with a VIP reception beginning at 6 PM). For tickets go to www.playwrightsarena.org or call 800-838-3006.
The 28th Annual LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement throughout Los Angeles, were presented on Monday, January 29, at the Theatre at Ace Hotel in downtown LA.
Center Theatre Group has selected three local productions for the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Block Party 2018 will remount Celebration Theatre's production of Die, Mommie, Die!, Critical Mass Performance Group's production of Ameryka and Playwrights' Arena's production of Bloodletting. Each production will have a two-week run with 12 performances presented March 29 through May 20, 2018. The three visiting companies will receive the full support of Center Theatre Group and its staff in order to fund, stage and market each production.
Three finalists have been selected for Center Theatre Group's 2018 Richard E. Sherwood Award: Gina Young, Marsian De Lellis and Hana Kim. Center Theatre Group recognizes and celebrates this year's finalists for their exceptional contributions to the Los Angeles theatre landscape and their work as innovative and adventurous artists.
Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC), presenters of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival announce performances of interdisciplinary artist Kalean Ung's original solo work, LETTERS FROM HOME, directed by Marina McClure. LETTERS FROM HOME will play for four performances only: Friday, November 10 & 17, Saturday, November 11 & 18 at 7:30pm at Independent Studio in the Atwater Crossing Arts + Innovation Complex, 3191 Casitas Ave., #130 in Atwater Village.
REDCAT, CalArts' downtown center for contemporary arts, 14th annual New Original Works (NOW) Festival, a three-week celebration of Los Angeles' vibrant community of artists creating new contemporary performance works continues August 3-5 and August 10-12 at 8:30 pm. Each weekend premieres a triple bill, presenting a shared evening of dance, theater and multimedia work. Each program is premiered on Thursday evening and repeated Friday and Saturday evenings.
REDCAT, CalArts' downtown center for contemporary arts, announces the 14th annual New Original Works (NOW) Festival, a three-week celebration of Los Angeles' vibrant community of artists creating new contemporary performance works. This year's festival runs over three weekends: Thursday to Saturday, July 27-29, August 3-5 and August 10-12 at 8:30 pm. Each weekend premieres a triple bill, presenting a shared evening of dance, theater and multimedia work. Each program is premiered on Thursday evening and repeated Friday and Saturday evenings.
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Play on! project, which has commissioned 36 playwrights to translate Shakespeare's plays into contemporary modern English, will present a staged reading of Shishir Kurup's translation of Julius Caesar on Sunday, July 9 at 1:30 pm at the Mountain Avenue Theatre at Ashland High School.
To close out its historic 51st season, East West Players is presenting a bold and emotionally-packed production of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Broadway musical NEXT TO NORMAL, which continues performances at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts through June 11, 2017. Featuring a deeply connected, all-Asian-American cast led by a stirring, awards-worthy performance by Deedee Magno Hall, EWP's top-notch production of NEXT TO NORMAL is one of the most impressive and important regional productions of this notable musical you will ever experience. No matter what your racial or ethnic background, this production will sear its way into you.
East West Players (EWP), the nation's longest-running professional theatre of color in the country and the largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work, is pleased to announce Nancy Keystone as director of our upcoming production of Next To Normal, which begins performances on May 11 and runs until June 11, 2017, with opening night on May 17.
BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature NEXT TO NORMAL, HEDWIG, OKLAHOMA, BEAUTIFUL, and More!
In their current production of NEXT TO NORMAL, the East West Players present a first-rate, extremely well-executed musical look at mental illness. Nancy Keystone smoothly directs this two-hour-plus performance at a steady, non-stop, heart-wrenching pace with barely enough time for the audience to catch their respective breaths or wipe their teary eyes before the next song happens - through the collectively A.MA.ZING voices of the ultra-talented cast of six.
Stage Raw announces the nominations for its third annual awards show 'A Wake and Sing!,' coming Monday, May 15 to Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street, Downtown.
East West Players (EWP), the nation's longest-running professional theatre of color in the country and the largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work, has announced the cast and creative team for Next to Normal, which begins performances on May 12 and runs until June 11, 2017, with opening night on May 17.