Neil LaBute News

Profiles Theatre Artistic Directors Darrell W. Cox and Joe Jahraus announce the titles for the 26th Season featuring a full slate of new and challenging works premiering at the Profiles Theatre Complex on North Broadway. The upcoming season features six productions including the Midwest premieres of Reasons to be Happy by Neil LaBute, the award-winning play The Other Place by Sharr White, the world premiere of Genius by Kate Walbert and a new premiere for spring 2015 to be announced soon. Additionally, Profiles' acclaimed production of Hellcab by Will Kern, one of Chicago theatre's longest running hits and a seasonal favorite at Profiles for the past two years, returns again for the holiday season. These six productions alternate between Profiles' two venues, The Main Stage at 4139 N. Broadway and The Alley Stage at 4147 N. Broadway.

Bakehouse Theatre Company presents Death in Bowengabbie. Previews are tonight, April 24 and April 25 and opening night is April 26. Season continues (Wed to Sat) until May 10. All shows at 8pm.

The New York based company, The One-Minute Play Festival (Dominic D'Andrea, Producing Artistic Director) and the Central Heating Lab at ACT- A Contemporary Theatre create a dynamic partnership to bring The One-Minute Play Festival (#1MPF) to Seattle for the first time.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: the 2014 Drama League nominations will be announced, CASA VALENTINA opens on Broadway tonight, and it's Shakespeare's 450th birthday!

MCC THEATER has announced its four-show 2014-15 Main Stage Season, which runs Fall 2014 through Summer 2015. All productions will be staged at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street). This announcement comes on the heels of one of MCC's most acclaimed seasons yet, which began in Fall 2013 with the New York premiere of John Pollono's Small Engine Repair and continued with the Off-Broadway premiere of Robert Askins' Hand to God. The final production of MCC's 2013-14 Season, Penelope Skinner's The Village Bike starring Greta Gerwig and directed by Sam Gold, has its North American debut beginning May 22, 2014. For more information on MCC Theater, please visit www.mcctheater.org.

The Hollywood Arts Council's 28th Annual Charlie Awards Luncheon, benefiting the Council's arts programs for underserved children in the community, will be held on April 25, 2014. Emceed by ABC7 Television's George Pennacchio, the luncheon will take place in the Blossom Room in the Hollywoof Roosevelt Hotel. Arrivals will happen between 11:15am and 12:00noon, at which time the event begins.

MCC THEATER has announced that indie film star Greta Gerwig will now be joined by Max Baker, Jason Butler Harner, Lucy Owen, Cara Seymour, and Scott Shepherd in the American premiere of Penelope Skinner's celebrated play The Village Bike, the final production of MCC's 2013-14 Main Stage season. This completes casting. The Village Bike-which begins rehearsals today-will be directed by Sam Gold, who recently directed the much-raved new musical Fun Home and this season's The Realistic Jones on Broadway. The Village Bike will premiere at The Lucille Lortel Theatre(121 Christopher Street, NYC) beginning May 22, 2014 with an official opening on June 10, 2014. Tickets for The Village Bike are now on sale atwww.mcctheater.org.

Espo Productions, in association with MC of NY and World Tree Productions, are pleased to announce the Off-Broadway world premiere of JACKIE AND MARILYN, written by Sheri Graubert and directed by Sanja Bestic. JACKIE AND MARILYN, a play with music about one of the most talked about possible love triangles in American history, will play a four week limited engagement at The Lion Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, Manhattan). Performances begin tonight, April 17 and continue through Saturday, May 3. Opening Night is Friday, April 18 at 8 p.m.

Rubicon Theatre continues the company's 16th Not Your Typical Season with a special run of Love, Loss, and What I Wore -- a witty and wise celebration of womanhood adapted by Nora and Delia Ephron, creators of such hits as 'When Harry Met Sally,' 'Sleepless in Seattle,' 'You've Got Mail,' 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' and 'Silkwood.'

In TLH's tradition of staging Brad Fraser and Neil LaBute works comes the 2010 Oliver Award Winner for Outstanding Achievement - Michael Bartlett's comedy/drama Cock. Premiering in 2009 at London's Royal Court Theatre the production received outstanding reviews and several extensions. The US premiere in May 2012 in NYC also received acclaimed and played to sold-out audiences and several extensions.

Creative teams have been announced for the 2014 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity Gala 'One Acts for a Cause' set to take place on Sunday, June 22 at 7:30pm at the East 13th Street Theater (136 East 13th Street). The evening, which will benefit the non-profit NYC food services agency City Harvest, will showcase world premiere one-act plays by four acclaimed playwrights: Obie Award-winner Israel Horovitz's St Anne's Soup which will be directed by Planet Connections Festivity founder and Co-Artistic Director Glory Kadigan (Neil LaBute world premieres Over the River at The Signature, Two Minute Warning), Wendy MacLeod's Community Service which will be directed by Lucille Lortel nominee Moritz von Stuelpnagel (Hand to God), Snap! by Winter Miller which will be directed by Jessi D. Hill (Associate Artistic Director at terraNOVA Collective) & Eric Ehn and the Tenderloin Opera Company's Frail/Ingilin which will be directed by Mia Rovegno (Good Goods, Exquisite Corpse). Casting will be announced in May.

Victory Gardens Artistic Director Chay Yew, Managing Director Chis Mannelli and The One-Minute Play Festival Producing Artistic Director Dominic D'Andrea announce the Fourth Annual Chicago One-Minute Play Festival (#1MPF), an evening of one-minute plays by sixty of Chicago's top playwrights, directed by ten Chicago directors. #1MPF will be presented for two performances only, Sunday, May 4 and Monday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park.

Profiles Theatre announces the Midwest premiere of Annapurna by Sharr White, opening at The Alley Stage, 4147 N. Broadway on June 12, 2014. Annapurna, directed by Profiles ensemble member Eric Burgher and featuring ensemble member Darrell W. Cox, runs June 6, 2014 - July 20, 2014 with the press opening on Thursday, June 12 at 8:00pm. The previously announced production ofHunter Gatherers by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb has been postponed until further notice.

Espo Productions, in association with MC of NY and World Tree Productions, are pleased to announce the Off-Broadway world premiere of JACKIE AND MARILYN, written by Sheri Graubert and directed by Sanja Bestic. JACKIE AND MARILYN, a play with music about one of the most talked about possible love triangles in American history, will play a four week limited engagement at The Lion Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, Manhattan). Performances begin Thursday, April 17 and continue through Saturday, May 3. Opening Night is Friday, April 18 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18-65 and are now available online at Telecharge.com, by calling 212-239-6200 or by visiting the Theatre Row box office.

MCC THEATER has announced that indie film star Greta Gerwig will now lead the cast of the American premiere of Penelope Skinner's celebrated play The Village Bike, the final production of MCC's 2013-14 Main Stage season. The Village Bike will be directed by Sam Gold, who recently directed the much-raved new musical Fun Home. It will premiere at The Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) beginning May 22, 2014 with an official opening on June 10, 2014.

New York Stage and Film and Vassar College, this summer celebrating the 30th year of their Powerhouse Theater collaboration, are pleased to announce the three new works that will be featured on the Mainstage during the 2014 Powerhouse Theater Season, running from June 20 to July 27 at Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, New York). Subscriptions go on sale May 7; full programming and ticket sale information will be announced at a later date.

Death in Bowengabbie- a very different love story that will delight and surprise you. Reminder - 2 for 1 Earlybird tickets available now. Allocated ticket numbers for this special deal are almost sold out! This offer is based on the Adult ticket price. Offer applies to first 5 nights only (April 24, 25, 26, 30 & May 1st.) Offer expires on April 10 at 5pm, or until allocated ticket numbers are sold out.

Salon/Sanctuary Concerts presents Exodus: Dreams of the Promised Land in Antebellum America featuring The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble with guest actors Rosalyn Coleman Williams and Jennifer Rau. The Script and Stage Direction is by Erica Gould and Jessica Gould did the program concept and dramaturgy.

REG E. CATHEY (House of Cards, The Wire) joins the cast of EXODUS: DREAMS OF THE PROMISED LAND IN ANTEBELLUM AMERICA, playing multiple roles including Solomon Northrup (Twelve Years a Slave) and the Abolitionist Frederick Douglass. The cast also includes ROSALYN COLEMAN WILLIAMS (The Mountaintop, Seven Guitars, The Piano Lesson) in multiple roles including Elizabeth Keckley (familiar to audiences from the movie Lincoln), JENNIFER RAU as Abolitionist Angelina Grimke, and the noted vocal ensemble THE WESTERN WIND. Conceived by Salon/Sanctuary's Founding Artistic Director Jessica Gould to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, EXODUS was originally presented last year in a sold-out performance staged at the historic Fraunces Tavern, the oldest structure in Manhattan.

In TLH's tradition of staging Brad Fraser and Neil LaBute works comes the 2010 Oliver Award Winner for Outstanding Achievement - Michael Bartlett's comedy/drama Cock. Premiering in 2009 at London's Royal Court Theatre the production received outstanding reviews and several extensions. The US premiere in May 2012 in NYC also received acclaimed and played to sold-out audiences and several extensions.