Neil LaBute News

Mad Cow Theatre and producers Joan Stein and Richard Frankel (Producers)are pleased to announce that the new theatrical event Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, which premieres Off Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theatre in NYC this fall, will join with Tectonic Theater Project (Moisés Kaufman, Artistic Director; Greg Reiner, Executive Director) to help take the play's message of marriage equality across the globe.

Dundalk Community Theatre opens its 2011/12 season with THE DROWSY CHAPERONE from Nov 4-13.

Michael Attenborough directs the UK premiere of Neil LaBute's Reasons To Be Pretty. Reasons To Be Pretty will run at the Almeida Theatre from 10 November 2011 - 14 January 2012 with press night on 17 November. Designs are by Soutra Gilmour with lighting by Mark Henderson and sound by Fergus O'Hare. The cast comprises Kieran Bew, Siân Brooke, Tom Burke and Billie Piper.

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center will present a special, encore performance of the smash hit Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays. The Center's Renberg Theatre will join theaters across the nation on the same evening to showcase this outstanding collection of short plays in support of the ongoing movement for the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. The one-night-only engagement will take place Monday, Nov. 7 at 8 p.m.

Joan Stein and Richard Frankel (Producers) announced today that the new theatrical event Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, which premieres Off Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theatre in NYC this fall, will join with Tectonic Theater Project (Moisés Kaufman, Artistic Director; Greg Reiner, Executive Director) to help take the play's message of marriage equality across the globe.

Joan Stein and Richard Frankel, producers of Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, announced today that Tony Award-winner Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone) and stage and screen veteran Richard Thomas (most recently seen in Race) will complete the show's premiere cast. They join previously announced cast members Craig Bierko (The Music Man), Mark Consuelos ('All My Children'), Polly Draper ('thirtysomething') and Harriet Harris (Thoroughly Modern Millie) in the production, which begins previews on Monday, November 7 with an official opening night set for Sunday, November 13 at the Minetta Lane Theatre (18 Minetta Lane, NYC).

The Players' Guild of Leonia announces auditions for Theater on the Edge.

Today, at an event overflowing with fans of her work, Tony Award-winning playwright, performer, and activist Eve Ensler announced that Berkeley Repertory Theatre will present the world premiere of her new show. On the stage of the Roda Theatre, she revealed that Emotional Creature - which was developed during workshops in Johannesburg and Paris - will debut in Berkeley next June. Known for launching high-profile projects such as American Idiot and Passing Strange, Berkeley Rep is the perfect place to begin this journey.

In just a few short years since his sensational debut in Lawrence Kasdan's MUMFORD, rising star Jason Ritter has carved out an impressive indie resume - including noted standouts such as THE EDUCATION OF CHARLIE BANKS, HAPPY ENDINGS and GOOD DICK - in addition to a successful TV career - having appeared in featured roles in JOAN OF ARCADIA and THE CLASS before his leading role on THE EVENT last season - but theatre fans are certainly aware of considerable stage skills, as well, having performed in plays for many esteemed directors and premiering works by the likes of Neil LaBute and Wendy Wasserstein. While there has been the occasional big budget vehicle, too - SWIMFAN and FREDDY VS. JASON included - it is Ritter's fierce commitment to fine storytelling and intriguing projects that make him truly one to watch. Discussing many aspects of his busy career from THE DREAMER OF OZ opposite his iconic father, John - now available on the WIZARD OF OZ Blu-ray box-set - all the way up to his forthcoming films such as THE PERFECT FAMILY co-starring two previous InDepth InterView participants, Kathleen Turner and Sharon Lawrence, plus THE FIVE STAGES OF GRIEF, FREE SAMPLES, an untilled Mark Webber project, I AM I and his new Disney animated series, GRAVITY FALLS. With an emphasis on his theatre background and insights into the currently running LA Theatreworks presentation of COMPLETENESS, Ritter and I shine some light on a career that, based on what we have already seen from him onstage and onscreen, clearly knows no bounds whatsoever. Some people can do it all and do it all brilliantly and Jason Ritter has clearly proven he is one of those select, special few.

Joan Stein and Richard Frankel, are presenting Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, featuring Tony Award-nominee and Theatre World Award winner Craig Bierko (The Music Man), Daytime Emmy nominee and frequent 'Live with Regis and Kelly' co-host Mark Consuelos, Emmy Award-nominee Polly Draper ('thirtysomething') and Tony Award-winner Harriet Harris (Thoroughly Modern Millie) Previews on Monday, November 7 with an official opening night set for Sunday, November 13 at the Minetta Lane Theatre. Yesterday, the company met the press and BroadwayWorld was on hand for the event. Check out photos of the cast below!

The Players' Guild of Leonia announces auditions for Theater on the Edge.

Joan Stein and Richard Frankel, are presenting Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, featuring Tony Award-nominee and Theatre World Award winner Craig Bierko (The Music Man), Daytime Emmy nominee and frequent 'Live with Regis and Kelly' co-host Mark Consuelos, Emmy Award-nominee Polly Draper ('thirtysomething') and Tony Award-winner Harriet Harris (Thoroughly Modern Millie) Previews on Monday, November 7 with an official opening night set for Sunday, November 13 at the Minetta Lane Theatre. Today, the company met the press and Broadway Beat was on hand to capture the performance preview and interview the show's stars!

Joan Stein and Richard Frankel, producers of Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, announced today that Tony Award-nominee and Theatre World Award winner Craig Bierko (The Music Man), Daytime Emmy nominee and frequent 'Live with Regis and Kelly' co-host Mark Consuelos, Emmy Award-nominee Polly Draper ('thirtysomething') and Tony Award-winner Harriet Harris (Thoroughly Modern Millie) will be part of the show's premiere cast, which begins previews on Monday, November 7 with an official opening night set for Sunday, November 13 at the Minetta Lane Theatre (18 Minetta Lane, NYC).

Earlier today, prior to his appearance at Comic Con, I had the pleasure of speaking to WALKING DEAD lead actor Jon Bernthal all about his theatre background and his Ovation Award-nominated performance in SMALL ENGINE REPAIR, and, also, his critically praised work on the monster AMC hit series THE WALKING DEAD, which makes its grand return tomorrow night for the launch of its hotly-anticipated second season. I am also happy to share that I was just lucky enough to view the episode myself and I can tell you that it has certainly been worth the wait since THE WALKING DEAD was last seen on TV last year - although the pay-off certainly won't pay off completely until next week given the grisly occurrences in the premiere (and the mind-blowing cliffhanger)! Discussing all aspects of his WALKING DEAD character and what we can expect from tomorrow night's zombie apocalypse shocker - as well as the rest of Season Two - Bernthal and I shed some light on the production of the second season of the hit show so far and how the series will now fare without former show-runner Frank Darabont at the helm. Most importantly, Bernthal shares his deep understanding and passion for theatre and his devotion to his craft - musing on Brecht, Shakespeare and more - as we trace his career trajectory onstage and onscreen from his founding of the Fovea Floods theatre company and the film version of the hit Off-Broadway interactive play TONY N' TINA'S WEDDING in the early 1990s all the way up to HBO'S THE PACIFIC and Roman Polanski's THE GHOST WRITER more recently. Bernthal is also kind enough to share with us what we can look forward to coming up in the near future: RAMPARTS, co-starring fellow InDepth InterView participant Steve Buscemi! Plus, his comments on previous castmates Jason Ritter, Andrea Anders and more!

Primary Stages will host the Fifth Annual New York One-Minute Play Festival, the proceeds from which will benefit the Primary Stages Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA).

Casting has been announced for the Fifth Annual New York One-Minute Play Festival, hosted by Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters. The New York One-Minute Play Festival will take place Sunday, October 16 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street), the Off-Broadway home of Primary Stages. Seating is extremely limited.

On October 12, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe will premiere a new play by writer/director Daniel Gallant. In A FELONY IN BLUE or DEATH BY POKER, five gang bosses play an annual game of Texas Hold 'Em to determine who will control the city's criminal underworld, but one player plans to kill a rival before the game is through.

On Monday, November 7, at 7:30 pm, Artists Rep will join 25 theatres in 19 states, along with a growing number of other countries, to present Standing On Ceremony - The Gay Marriage Plays in solidarity for marriage equality.

Philadelphia Theatre Company opens its 2011-2012 season with the Philadelphia premiere of John Logan's Tony Award-winning drama Red October 14-November 13 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). Directed by Anders Cato, the two-person cast features Broadway veteran Stephen Rowe and Oscar nominee Haley Joel Osment. In the video below, Osment stops by Good Day, where he chats about starring in the production!

Hennepin Theatre Trust and producers Joan Stein and Richard Frankel announced today that the new theatrical event Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays will run for one night only at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7, 2011 at Hennepin Theatre Trust's New Century Theatre with Wendy Knox of Frank Theatre directing a cast of six.