Neil LaBute News

Second Stage Theatre welcomes film starAmanda Seyfried (Les Miserables, Dear John, Mamma Mia!, upcoming Ted 2 and Pan) in her off-Broadway debut opposite Thomas Sadoski(The Newsroom, Wild, upcoming in NBC's The Slap) in the world premiere production of NEIL LaBUTE's drama, The Way We Get By. Directed by Tony nominee LEIGH SILVERMAN, the production officially opens on May 20, 2015 at Second Stage Theatre, 305 West 43rd Street.

MCC Theater's Permission, the new comedy from Hand to God playwright Robert Askins recently extended by a week through June 14th. The first performance of the show is set for tonight, April 29th, at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street). Permission celebrates its Opening Night on Wednesday, May 20th.

The One-Minute Play Festival (Dominic D'Andrea, Producing Artistic Director and Caitlin Wees, Associate Producer) in association with The Den Theatre, is pleased to present the 5th Annual CHICAGO ONE-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL playing two nights only tonight, April 29 and tomorrow, April 30, 2015 at 8 pm at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood.

Mark Cortale, Producing Artistic Director of The Art House in Provincetown, MA was thrilled to announce today that Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker will join his inaugural Broadway @ Town Hall series featuring Sirius XM radio's Seth Rudetsky as pianist and host for one night only on August 17th.

Second Stage Theatre welcomes film star Amanda Seyfried (Les Miserables, Dear John, Mamma Mia!, upcoming Ted 2 and Pan) in her off-Broadway debut opposite Thomas Sadoski (The Newsroom, Wild, upcoming in NBC's The Slap) in the world premiere production of NEIL LaBUTE's drama, The Way We Get By. Directed by Tony nominee LEIGH SILVERMAN, the production begins previews tonight, April 28, 2015 and officially opens on May 20, 2015 at Second Stage Theatre, 305 West 43rd Street.

Stage and screen writer Neil LaBute will soon host a Reddit AMA on May 4th at 4 PM (ET), according to the site's current running schedule.

When Adam, an awkward and shy English Major, and Evelyn, an opinionated and radical Arts Major, meet in unusual circumstances at The Museum, Adam's life is thrown into a whirlwind of change. Some of his friends approve of the changes in his life style. Some of them don't. As Adam and Evelyn's relationship deepens, Adam struggles with straddling the line between compromising for a loved one, and sacrificing everything, including his identity. Directed by the notable author himself, The Shape of Things premiered in London at the Almeida Theatre on May 24th 2001. It was subsequently produced in New York at the Promenade Theater to critical acclaim.

MCC THEATER announced today that Permission, the new comedy from Hand to God playwright Robert Askins previously scheduled through June 7th, is extending by a week and will now run through June 14th due to popular demand.  **Notably, this announcement comes prior to the first performance of the show** set for Wednesday, April 29th at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street).  Permission, which was previously scheduled through June 7th, celebrates its Opening Night on Wednesday, May 20th.  For more information, please visit www.mcctheater.org.

Fresh off its sold-out run of Itamar Moses' Completeness, the award-winning Vs. Theatre Company ('Best of the Decade' - LA Weekly) continues its tenth anniversary season with the World Premiere of GUS'S FASHIONS & SHOES, written and directed by Ron Klier. Rounding out the season will be the West Coast Premiere of Tracy Letts' adaptation of Anton Chekov's masterpiece, THREE SISTERS. Opening in Winter, 2016.

Fresh off its sold-out run of Itamar Moses' Completeness, the award-winning Vs. Theatre Company ('Best of the Decade' - LA Weekly) continues its tenth anniversary season with the World Premiere of GUS'S FASHIONS & SHOES, written and directed by Ron Klier. Rounding out the season will be the West Coast Premiere of Tracy Letts' adaptation of Anton Chekov's masterpiece, THREE SISTERS. Opening in Winter, 2016.

Lanford Wilson's 'Talley Trilogy' continues on the Aurora Theatre Company main stage with FIFTH OF JULY. Aurora Artistic Director Tom Ross (A Bright New Boise, This Is How It Goes, Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance, The Shape of Things) helms FIFTH OF JULY, featuring Craig Marker (The Shape of Things, The Persians), Elizabeth Benedict, John Girot, Jennifer Le Blanc, Oceana Ortiz, Harold Pierce, Josh Schell, and Nanci Zoppi. FIFTH OF JULY plays tonight, April 17 through May 17 at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley.

Theaterlab presents True Believer, a new play about identity, radicalism, and the passion of youth by Asa Merritt. Joshua Kahan Brody directs Kersti Bryan* in a solo performance with original live music by Bay Bryan. Thirteen performances will be staged at Theaterlab, 357 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor in NYC from tonight, April 17-May 9, 2015.

Frank Licato will direct Neil LaBute's BASH, running May 13 thru May 30, 2015 at Weehawken Water Tower, located at 4100 Park Avenue, Weehawken, NJ.

Classic Stage Company presents William Shakespeare's HAMLET, starring acclaimed actor Peter Sarsgaard as Hamlet, and directed by Austin Pendleton. Previews for HAMLET began on March 27 at CSC (136 East 13th Street) for a limited engagement through May 10. The official press opening is tonight, April 15.

Theater Breaking Through Barriers (TBTB) celebrates the 35-year legacy of its Founding Artistic Director Ike Schambelan and the opening night of its current production, Agatha Christie's rarely seen 1958 thriller THE UNEXPECTED GUEST, with a gala benefit on Sunday, April 19. The performance begins at 6:00pm at Theatre Row's Clurman Theatre (410 West 42nd Street). A reception with the cast, TBTB members, and special guests follows the performance, at 8:30pm, at Playwrights Horizons (416 West 42nd Street).

Kudos to George Villas for mastering Neil LaBute's extremely word-heavy monologues-the opening 20 minutes and the what-seemed-much-longer closing one. But Villas' Smith's long involved diatribes might be easier digested presented by a pivotal character more sympathetic and grounded.

The One-Minute Play Festival (Dominic D'Andrea, Producing Artistic Director and Caitlin Wees, Associate Producer) in association with The Den Theatre, is pleased to present the 5th Annual CHICAGO ONE-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL playing two nights only Wednesday, April 29 and Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 8 pm at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets, priced at $20, are currently available at 1mpf.brownpapertickets.com.

Today we are continuing our expansive ongoing discussion with Tony Award-winning scenic design visionary Beowulf Boritt. Continuing the exhaustive discussion of this week's spectacular one night only concert event PARADE, Boritt outlines the visual high-points of the evening as well as offers an explanation of the impetus for many of the ideas behind the inventive design for the unique event. Additionally, Boritt opens up about his other work at Lincoln Center over the years, including Manhattan Concert Productions presentation of RAGTIME and his Tony Award-winning work on the Moss Hart drama ACT ONE, which will be shown on PBS as part of LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER later this year. Furthermore, Boritt shines a light on his multiple other current musicals running or opening soon - the revival of ON THE TOWN on Broadway, plus HAND TO GOD opening soon and Off-Broadway's CLINTON: THE MUSICAL. Plus, Boritt details his work on a dizzying array of current tours and recent mainstage mountings of musicals ranging from the national tours of ANNIE and JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT to his work on LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, LITTLE DANCER, THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS in the West End and far beyond. As if all that were not enough, Boritt also looks ahead to the 2016 Tokyo production of the Harold Prince revue PRINCE OF BROADWAY and comments on rumors of an impending New York return of THE TOXIC AVENGER while sharing first news on his involvement with a number of new productions including the Keira Knightley-led revival of THERESE RAQUIN and the forthcoming revival of A BRONX TALE. All of that and much, much more in this concluding portion of our extended chat with one of Broadway's best visual artists.

The One-Minute Play Festival (Dominic D'Andrea, Producing Artistic Director & Caitlin Wees, Associate Producer) and Luna Stage have created a dynamic partnership for The 5th New Jersey One-minute Play Festival with part of the proceeds to benefit new play programming at Luna Stage.

Creative teams have been announced for the 2015 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity's Playwrights For A Cause, set to take place at 7:30pm on Sunday, June 14, 2015 at the Sheen Center, located at 18 Bleecker Street.