Oscar Wilde News

Today's announcement by Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell of the Shaw Festival's 2013 season introduces new and provocative conversations for its 52nd season. In a playbill rich with culture clashes, magical transformations and dazzling ideas, The Shaw continues its theatrical exploration of the mystery and beauty of contemporary life.

Ties-Necktie.com, a San Francisco based niche retailer for men's neckties, published a series of articles focusing on the 8 best-dressed creative men of all time.

The World of Art Showcase (www.worldofartshowcase.com) invites the Morpheus Gallery (www.morpheusgallery.com), a renowned online venue dedicated to art books and works from prominent surreal and fantastique artists, to exhibit at its inaugural event at the Wynn Las Vegas December 20-22, 2012.

2012/13 is a season of anniversaries and "firsts". It's Alumnae's 40th year in this historic building at 70 Berkeley Street. It's the 25th anniversary of the New Ideas Festival. And for those keeping track, the company is closing in on Alumnae's 100th birthday - February 2013 will mark # 95! Alumnae will officially celebrate its 100th season in 2019/2020 and present Moliere's Les Femmes Savantes, which was Alumnae Theatre's very first production, in February 1918.

Gulfshore Playhouse is preparing their seventh season with a variety of diverse productions, presentation formats, and venues. Naples' first and finest professional theatre company is growing to six Mainstage productions this year, running from October through April.

TheatreWorks, the nationally acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, presents the regional premiere of 33 VARIATIONS, a play by Moises Kaufman (The Laramie Project) with live music. Spanning two centuries, this Tony- nominated drama follows a brilliant musicologist as she races against time to solve one of Beethoven's greatest mysteries. 33 VARIATIONS will be helmed by Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley and plays October 3 - 28, 2012 (press opening October 6) at TheatreWorks at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. Get a first look at the cast in the photos below!

Horse Trade Theater Group announces the fall and early spring lineup for their 14th season, which will include World Premiere productions from Horse Trade's newest resident companies, Theater in Asylum, Less Than Rent, Slash Coleman, and Spookfish Theatre Company and veteran residents Grayce Productions, Dysfunctional Theatre Company, and The Pumpkin Pie Show.

Affirming its place as an emerging leader in the development of new operatic works, the Opera Company of Philadelphia announced today that Nathan Gunn, internationally-renowned baritone, has been appointed as the director of its newly-formed American Repertoire Council.

Casper College of Theatre and Dance presents THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, by Oscar Wilde, at the Thomas H. Empey Studio Theatre, September 27-29, October 3-6, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 7 at 2 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit: http://www.caspercollege.edu/theatre/index.html.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present the regional premiere of Theresa Rebeck's new play O Beautiful, October 4 - 14 in the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Storrs. For tickets and information, call 860-486-2113 and visit www.crt.uconn.edu.

Nottingham Playhouse launches their autumn season with Oscar Wilde's timeless and much loved masterpiece, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Following his much acclaimed production of Noel Coward's PRIVATE LIVES which starred Janie Dee and Rupert Wickham, Giles Croft directs a cast which includes Joanna Brookes (The Physicists - Donmar) as Lady Bracknell, Sam Callis (Howard Davis' production of Hay Fever - Noel Coward Theatre, Game of Thrones Sky Atlantic) as Jack Worthing, Hywel Morgan (Tony Blair - A Walk On Part - Soho Theatre) as Algernon, Rokhsaneh Ghawam-Shahidi (Leyla Harding - Emmerdale ITV Rafta Rafta National Theatre) as Gwendolen and Anjli Mohindra (The Sarah Jane Adventures BBC1) as Cecily.

The curtains are up for the Philly 2012-2013 Theater Season. From daring new works and world premieres, popular Broadway tour stops and of course, your favorite classic stage productions. Here's just a few of Philadelphia's favorite theaters listings.

TimeLine Theatre Company opens its 16th season with the Chicago premiere of 33 Variations by Moises Kaufman, directed by Nick Bowling, tonight, August 30 - October 21, 2012 (previews August 24 - 29). Note that performances will be held at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. Chicago. Press Opening performance is Thursday, August 30, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.

The multi-award-winning NoHo Arts Center Ensemble (NoHo ACE) presents a world premiere play, THE RED ROOM, written by former WGA President Christopher Knopf and directed by NoHo Arts Center Artistic Director James J. Mellon. THE RED ROOM will begin previews on Thursday, September 20 at 8pm and will open on Friday, September 28 at 8pm and will run for six weeks through Sunday, October 28 at the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd. (at Lankershim) in North Hollywood.

It's not Moliere, and it's not intended to be; Smith wrote fluff, take it as such and laugh accordingly. The play (and a frankly delicious meal, much better than that of many dinner theatres I've visited) is well worth the price of your ticket.

2012/13 is a season of anniversaries and "firsts". It's Alumnae's 40th year in this historic building at 70 Berkeley Street. It's the 25th anniversary of the New Ideas Festival. And for those keeping track, the company is closing in on Alumnae's 100th birthday - February 2013 will mark # 95! Alumnae will officially celebrate its 100th season in 2019/2020 and present Moliere's Les Femmes Savantes, which was Alumnae Theatre's very first production, in February 1918.

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for the Alley Theatre's production of November. November features Alley Theatre Resident Actors Jeffrey Bean as President Charles Smith, James Belcher as The Representative of the National Association of Turkey and Turkey Products, Elizabeth Bunch as Clarice Bernstein, David Rainey as Dwight Grackle, and Todd Waite as Archer Brown. November, by David Mamet and directed by Sanford Robbins, begins performances tonight, August 24, opens officially Wednesday, August 29, and runs through Sunday, September 23 on the Neuhaus Stage.

Five powerful productions have been scheduled for Center Theatre Group's 2013 season at the Mark Taper Forum, it was announced today by CTG Artistic Director Michael Ritchie.

Williamstown Theatre Festival celebrates the 2012 season's extraordinary artists and audiences as the Festival's 58th season draws to close.

As previously announced, the complete 2012 Williamstown Theatre Festival season closes this weekend, August 19, 2012. This season included Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, a Preview Production of the new musical Far From Heaven, and a new translation of Ivan Turgenev's A Month in the Country on the Main Stage, with Lucy Boyle's The Blue Deep, Neil Simon's Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Bernard Pomerance's The Elephant Man, and Katori Hall's WHADDABLOODCLOT!!! on the Nikos Stage. The season also included a special workshop production of David Byrne's Here Lies Love, which played at nearby MASS MoCA. In the video below, the whole WTF team bids farewell to the 2012 season with a special lip dub featuring over 200 participants. Click below to check it out!