Norman Lear News

A new production of award-winning playwright David Ireland's Ulster American is headed to Riverside Studios this year, starring Woody Harrelson, Andy Serkis, and Louisa Harland. Learn more about the production and find out how to get tickets here!

The International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF) is back and calling all NYC-based performers to submit work. The festival runs December 4th - 10th, 2023 @ The Tank Theater, 312 W. 36th Street.

Jerry Mayer, a nonagenarian from St. Louis has written and/or produced for many classic TV shows and specials. In 1986, his first play, Almost Perfect, debuted at Santa Monica Playhouse which has led to almost a dozen more - so far! I decided to speak with him about his latest comedy, Jews R 2 Much Fun, at the Santa Monica Playhouse as well as his long-running and extremely successful TV writing career.

Ford's Theatre Society will honor Rita Moreno and Marlene A. Malek at the 2023 gala performance.

Lending their voices to the film are family members, colleagues and those whose lives Mary Tyler Moore impacted including directors Rob Reiner, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, and Jim Burrows, actors Ed Asner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lena Waithe, Phylicia Rashad, Bernadette Peters, and Joel Grey. Watch the video trailer now!

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY (Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director) in partnership with the Jewish Plays Project (David Winitsky, Artistic Director), have announced a one-night only reading presentation of 2021 National Jewish Playwriting Contest Winner, WHO BY FIRE, written by Talisa Friedman and directed by legendary casting director John Levey.  

On the evening of April 6th, in advance of “NATIONAL PET DAY,” (April 11th), Founder/President of the Hollywood Museum, Donelle Dadigan, hosted a tribute exhibit to Acting Animals. See photos from the event.

The Television Academy Foundation will host 'The Power of TV: Representing Climate Change On Screen,' presented by the Los Angeles Times, on Tuesday, April 18, from 9-10 a.m. PDT.

With announced special guest Julie Benko and surprise special guest Jason Yeager, Jason Kravits sends OFF The TOP! audience home happy.

Ballet Hispánico announces The Legacy Gala, celebrating the life of its founder Tina Ramirez and her visionary leadership, passionate activism, and innovative artistry, and honoring The Miranda Family.

Casting has been announced for the developmental reading of THE PINK by acclaimed Black Filipinx playwright and Kilroys List honoree Roger Q. Mason, presented by Breaking the Binary Theatre in association with Primary Stages as part of the Creative Access Grant Reading Series with Primary Stages.

Lending their voices to the film are family members, colleagues and those whose lives Mary Tyler Moore impacted including directors Rob Reiner, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, and Jim Burrows, actors Ed Asner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lena Waithe, Phylicia Rashad, Bernadette Peters, and Joel Grey, writers and producers Allan Burns, Norman Lear, and more.

Kentwood Players presents a reading of Polar Bears, Black Boys & Prairie Fringed Orchids, a play about the social complexities of our times written by Vincent Terrell Durham, on Sunday, March 26 at the Westchester Playhouse, located at 8301 Hindry Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90045. The evening begins with a fabulous, homemade dessert reception at 6:00pm, followed by the reading at 7:00pm, with a talkback afterwards.

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) hosted the 34th Annual Producers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 25th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The evening recognized influential film producers and entertainment icons with special honors including Tom Cruise with the David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures; Mindy Kaling with the Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television; Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy with the Milestone Award; and “Till” with the Stanley Kramer Award.

Glenn Weiss has won a Directors Guild of America Award for directing the 75th Annual Tony Awards. Weiss won the Variety/Talk/News/Sports - Specials category. The 75th Annual Tony Awards were hosted by Ariana DeBose. They are available to stream on Paramount+, along with the pre-ceremony hosted by Julianne Hough and Darren Criss.

Developed in partnership with Hollywood, Health & Society, a program of the University of Southern California Annenberg Norman Lear Center, the event will assemble storytellers and a medical and public health expert to discuss the very-real disparities in health care services that exist in access to health risk, prevention, treatment, and care.

Jesse Williams has joined the cast of Only Murders in the Building season three. Williams will be playing a documentarian who has a particular interest in the case that the show's stars, played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, are solving. Williams will join Paul Rudd in the new season. Rudd will play Broadway star Ben Glenroy.

LA Opera launches a bold ambassadorship program to forge deep, authentic and longstanding relationships with diverse communities and the key thought-leaders influencing them.

Come From Away's Astrid Van Wieren, James Seol, Petrina Bromley, Sharon Wheatley, and creators Irene Sankoff and David Hein will join Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley for a Stars in the House Game Night, October 3, at 8pm ET/5pm PT. 

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced complete casting for the Special Benefit Concert Reading of The Pirates of Penzance. The concert will be taking place on Monday, October 17, 2022 at the American Airlines Theatre.