Oliver Butler News

Christopher Shinn thought his next play would be his last after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer.

'If you only had time to finish one more play, what would it be about?'

Hartford Stage presents the world premiere of AN OPENING IN TIME by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Connecticut native Christopher Shinn, with direction by Oliver Butler of The Debate Society, from tonight, September 17, through October 11, 2015. AN OPENING IN TIME's central Connecticut setting is inspired by Shinn's hometown of Wethersfield.

Obie-winning playwright Christopher Shinn grew up in central Connecticut and attended an arts magnet high school in Hartford. He attended Hartford Stage as a teenager, which has since produced his play DYING CITY.  Now 40, he's rehearsing the world premiere of his new play AN OPENING IN TIME at Hartford Stage, while the second production of his play TEDDY FERRARA is rehearsing in London. BroadwayWorld caught him on this side of the Atlantic.

The All-Americans present the World Premiere of SCHOOLED, written by Lisa Lewis and directed by James Kautz (Artistic Director of The Amoralists), as part of The New York International Fringe Festival. SCHOOLED runs from tonight, August 15, through August 27, 2015 at The Robert Moss Theater (Venue #15), located at 440 Lafayette Street between Astor Place and East 4th St., across the street from The Public Theater in New York City.

Hartford Stage presents the world premiere of An Opening in Time by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Connecticut native Christopher Shinn, with direction by Oliver Butler of The Debate Society, from September 17 through October 11, 2015. An Opening in Time's central Connecticut setting is inspired by Shinn's hometown of Wethersfield.

Vassar & New York Stage and Film, whose 31st Powerhouse Season is underway in Poughkeepsie, have announced additional casting for their summer collaboration, running through August 2.

Juilliard Drama announces its 2015-16 season of fully-staged productions featuring Juilliard's 45th group of acting students in their fourth and final year in the drama program at Juilliard.

The All-Americans present the World Premiere of SCHOOLED, written by Lisa Lewis and directed by James Kautz (Artistic Director of The Amoralists), as part of The New York International Fringe Festival. SCHOOLED runs from August 15 - 27, 2015 at The Robert Moss Theater (Venue #15), located at 440 Lafayette Street between Astor Place and East 4th St., across the street from The Public Theater in New York City.

The All-Americans proudly present the World Premiere of SCHOOLED, written by Lisa Lewis and directed by James Kautz (Artistic Director of The Amoralists), as part of The New York International Fringe Festival. SCHOOLED runs from August 15 - 27, 2015 at The Robert Moss Theater (Venue #15), located at 440 Lafayette Street between Astor Place and East 4th St., across the street from The Public Theater in New York City.

 The All-Americans present the World Premiere of SCHOOLED, written by Lisa Lewis and directed by James Kautz (Artistic Director of The Amoralists), as part of The New York International Fringe Festival. SCHOOLED runs from August 15 - 27, 2015 at The Robert Moss Theater (Venue #15), located at 440 Lafayette Street between Astor Place and East 4th St., across the street from The Public Theater in New York City.

Tickets to all shows for the Hartford Stage 2015/16 Season, including the world premieres of Rear Window and the new musical Anastasia, will go on sale July 13 by phone at 860-527-5151 or online at www.hartfordstage.org.

 Williamstown Theatre Festival (Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director) kicked-off rehearsals for the first two productions of its 61stseason. Rehearsals are in full swing for the first two shows, Off the Main Road on the Main Stage, featuring Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner Kyra Sedgwick in the World Premiere of a play by Pulitzer Prize-winner William Inge, and Legacy 0n the Nikos Stage, with Tony Award nominee Jessica Hecht and Drama Desk Award-winner Eric Bogosian in Daniel Goldfarb's World Premiere. Both casts arrive in the Berkshires ahead of performances that begin on June 30.

This week some of heater's best gathered together to celebrate the 31st Powerhouse Theater season. From Hedwig and the Angry Inch composer Stephen Trask to Tony Award winner Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening), the event involved a Meet-n-Greet with theater professionals from around the theater community. 

Williamstown Theatre Festival has announced that Abe Koogler's Kill Floor is the winner of the 2014 L. Arnold Weissberger Award. The play, which will premiere at Lincoln Center Theater's LCT3 this fall, will be introduced to audiences at a reading at Williamstown Theatre Festival on Friday, August 7 at 3:00pm on the Nikos Stage. Lila Neugebauer will direct both the reading and LCT3 production.

Vassar and New York Stage and Film's Powerhouse Theater announces its 31st year of championing new works, with a full season of stories that take audiences from a South Sea island to center court at the US Open and beyond.

Williamstown Theatre Festival (Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director) has added many exciting special events to their 2015 Season line-up.

Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak, the Tony Award winner for Best Director of a Musical for A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, will anchor Hartford Stage's 2015-16 season from May 12-June 5, 2016, with the world premiere of a new musical, Anastasia, inspired by the real life Royal Anastasia Romanov and the enduring mystery of her true identity.

Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak announced today two additions to the Hartford Stage 2015-16 Season, including the world premiere of Rear Window, adapted for the stage by Keith Reddin, and directed by Darko Tresnjak. The play is based on the same short story-"Rear Window" by Cornell Woolrich-that inspired the Alfred Hitchcock film, a 1954 Academy Award nominee.

With over 100 U.S. cities and 30 international regions featured on our site, we have so many exciting theatre happenings around our Broadway World! Below, we've highlighted our top 10 stories from this week. Check out the roundup below!