Neil LaBute News

Profiles Theatre concludes its 20th Anniversary Season with the World premiere of the comedy/drama Graceland by Ellen Fairey, directed by Matt Miller. The production runs May 22-June 28, 2009, at Profiles Theatre, 4147 N. Broadway. The press opening is Thursday, May 28, 2009, at 8:00 p.m.

Audiences at Neil LaBute's smash hit, reasons to be pretty, now have an unprecedented way to interact with the best new Broadway play of the season. Running counter to conventional wisdom, audiences are encouraged to turn ON their cell phones prior to the performance to participate in a social experiment by texting ?pretty' to a special phone number. They are then given the opportunity to rate themselves - and the person sitting next to them - on a scale of 1 to 10 (from Carrot Top to Angelina Jolie). Results from that performance's participants are texted back at intermission and are posted online. Check www.reasonstobepretty.com to find how last night's audience rated themselves... and each other.

2009-2010 Nevada Conservatory Theatre Season Main Season (in the Judy Bayley Theatre) Company Book by George Furth, Music and Lyrics by by Stephen Sondheim October 2, 3, 8, 9 & 10 @ 8PM, October 4 & 11 @ 2PM

Nominations for the 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced this morning at the New York Friars Club by Faith Prince and Jim Dale, multi-award winning stage stars. They were joined for the announcement by William Wolf, Drama Desk President, Barbara Siegel, Chairperson of the Drama Desk Nominating Committee, Robert R. Blume, Executive Producer of the Drama Desk Awards ceremony, and Randie Levine-Miller, Director of Special Events for the Drama Desk.

The Circle in the Square Theatre School Professional Acting Workshop proudly presents the 2009 Showcase- Scene Night, an evening of short scene presentations featuring the graduating class. The April 27 one-night-only performance includes a post-performance celebration and wine-and-cheese offerings. The performance takes place in Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre.

Green Light Productions proudly presents Homeward Bound, a new play written by Armen Pandola and directed by Shannon Fillion in an Equity Approved Showcase. Performances will take place Friday, April 10 through Saturday, April 25.

The Cleveland Play House Artistic Director Michael Bloom announces the world premiere production of Thornton Wilder's novel Heaven's My Destination, adapted by award-winning playwright Lee Blessing. The play is the centerpiece of the fourth annual FusionFest, a multidisciplinary performing arts festival.

Eating Their Words, reinventing the concept of ?dinner theater? by wedding a seasoned chef with prominent playwrights for an integrated evening of new cuisine and new plays, announces its upcoming June 14th collaboration with Chef David Bouley. A culinary treat, a cultural fix, and a supper-club social, the events offer attendees the World Premiere of three new plays written explicitly for their evening, coupled with the inherent theatricality of a one-of-a-kind meal inspired by the writers' work. The Sunday, June 14th event will feature the company?s second collaboration with the acclaimed Striking Viking Story Pirates. For this family event Chef Bouley creates a menu inspired by plays written by kids, and performed by adults who wish they still were. This unique performance and Chef Bouley?s original menu will satiate all ages. Tickets are available through The Story Pirates? website at www.storypirates.org under the ?Tickets? link. The Sunday, June 14th event begins at 1pm, in Bouley?s private dining room (163 Duane Street).

Michael Attenborough will direct the European premiere of Andrew Bovell's When the Rain Stops Falling which runs at the Almeida from 14 May - 4 July 2009 with press night on 21 May. Designs are by Miriam Buether with lighting by Colin Grenfell, music by Stephen Warbeck, sound by Paul Arditti and movement by Imogen Knight.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will present the world premiere of FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (PARTS 1, 8 & 9), the fifth and final play of the 2008-2009 Public LAB season. Written by Public Theater Master Writer Chair Suzan-Lori Parks and directed by Jo Bonney, FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (PARTS 1, 8, & 9) will begin performances on Friday, June 5 and run through Sunday, June 28.

The Department of Film, Video and Animation at The School of Visual Arts in conjunction with Dangerous Ground Productions and with the cooperation of Gena Rowlands and Faces Music, Inc, proudly presents a multimedia adaptation of John Cassavetes' HUSBANDS, conceived, designed and directed by Doris Mirescu. The production's producer and technical supervisor is Chris Newman. The play begins performances Tuesday, May 19th at 7:30PM at the SVA Theater (333 W. 23rd Street, and will play through Friday, May 22nd, the show will play performances Tuesday-Friday @ 7:30PM. Tickets for all shows are $10 General and $5 for students and seniors.

Catch scenes from Neil LaBute's new play, reasons to be pretty starring Marin Ireland, Steven Pasquale, Piper Perabo and Thomas Sadoski.

Closing Aurora Theatre Company's 17th season is the Bay Area Premiere of Bob Glaudini's (A View from 151st Street) Off-Broadway hit JACK GOES BOATING. Bay Area theater veteran Joy Carlin (Hysteria, Bosoms and Neglect, The Price) helms this quirky romantic comedy, featuring Amanda Duarte, Gabriel Marin, Beth Wilmurt, and Danny Wolohan. JACK GOES BOATING plays at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley June 12 through July 19

The Drama League (Jano Herbosch, President; Gabriel Shanks, Executive Director) proudly announces nominations for the 2008-09 Drama League Awards, to be awarded at The 75th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Friday, May 15, 2009 (noon) in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square (1535 Broadway at 46th Street). The event will be co-hosted by Jeremy Irons (Impressionism) and Cynthia Nixon (Distracted).

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) in association with True Love Productions, has announced an exclusive evening with the creative team and cast members of the new musical, Coraline. This event will provide a unique opportunity to go behind the creative curtain and explore the process of bringing Neil Gaiman's wildly popular novel to the stage.

Rehearsals begin for David Leveaux's new production of Tom Stoppard's multi award-winning play

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Friday, April 17, 2009.

There's a moment in Show Boat where a woman sings that her true love, 'just plain Bill,' is 'an ordinary man' who 'isn't half as handsome as dozens of men' and is, on the whole, kinda stupid. This is considered by many to be one of the most romantic love songs of the 20th Century. In Neil LaBute's somewhat revised (like this review) Off-Broadway to Broadway transfer of reasons to be pretty, the main character, reacting to his buddy's ravings about how hot another woman is, says that his girlfriend of four years may be 'regular' looking, but he wouldn't trade her for a million bucks. This will not be considered one of the most romantic sentiments of the 21st Century.

Theatre for a New Audience's acclaimed production of Othello directed by Arin Arbus in her Off-Broadway directing debut, returns to the stage with the entire cast intact for twelve performances only, April 15 through April 24, at The Duke on 42nd StreetSM, a New 42nd Street? project, 229 West 42nd Street. Othello is following Theatre for a New Audience's production of Hamlet, directed by David Esbjornson. Hamlet begins previews Tuesday, March 17, at 7:30pm, opening Thursday, March 26, at 6:30pm, and running through Sunday, April 12.

Green Light Productions proudly presents Homeward Bound, a new play written by Armen Pandola and directed by Shannon Fillion in an Equity Approved Showcase. Performances will take place Friday, April 10 through Saturday, April 25.