Peter Frechette News

Today's subject Veanne Cox is currently living her theatre life onstage at Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) playing the role of Arsinoé in The School for Lies. The show runs through July 9th at the Lansburgh Theatre.

Pipeline Theatre Company has announced Beardo, with book and lyrics by Jason Craig (Beowulf - A Thousand Years of Baggage), music by Dave Malloy (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812), and directed by Ellie Heyman (The Traveling Imaginary). Beardo will take place at St. John's Lutheran Church (155 Milton Street, Brooklyn - G Train, Greenpoint Stop).

This November, Pipeline Theatre Company is partnering with the New York Public Library (NYPL) to present six never before seen plays written by Pipeline's PlayLab Class of 2017 for this year's Matchstick Series: While We Slept, performed at the Jefferson Market Library (425 6th Ave, New York, NY 10011). 

ALGONQUIN THEATER PRODUCTIONS and JASON HEWITT proudly present the world premiere of On the Rails, a new musical with book by Tony Sportiello (Second Chance, National Pastime), music and lyrics by Al Tapper (Sessions, An Evening at the Carlyle), arrangements and musical direction by David Wolfson, and directed by Misti B. Wills (In Search of Euphoria).

To close out its current season, Orange County's Tony-winning regional theater South Coast Repertory has chosen to mount an opulent, high-caliber revival of Peter Shaffer's 1979 play AMADEUS, which continues performances in Costa Mesa through June 5, 2016. The recipient of the 1981 Tony Award for Best Play, AMADEUS most notably became the basis for Milos Forman's Academy Award-winning (and, yes, arguably, much more readily known) 1984 film of the same name. For SCR's season-ender---engagingly directed by Kent Nicholson---the rather lengthy play is presented with much of the visual grandness one expects from an antiquated period piece, particularly from this particular theater company. And as an added bonus, the play is performed by a cast of incredible, seasoned actors that winningly transports its audience to a time and place centuries ago. So is it worth revisiting the tug-of-war between Salieri and Mozart? If it is South Coast Rep's visually-stunning production, then the answer is an enthusiastic 'yes.'

This January, Pipeline Theatre Company presents seven never before seen plays written by its PlayLab Class of 2016 in this year's Matchstick Series: Strange Tongues at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe (236 E. 3rd St, New York, NY). This year's PlayLab includes: Matthew Barbot, Jen Browne, Gina Femia, Reina Hardy, Jacob Marx Rice, Callan Stout, and Amy E. Witting. Performances will be January 13-15th at 7PM. Early bird tickets ($15) are now on sale and regular tickets ($18) go on sale on January 1st. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.pipelinetheatre.org/tickets. The show runs approximately 75 minutes, with no intermission.  

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival opens its outdoor theatre the weekend of June 12-14 with Shakespeare's ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, directed by Bill Rauch; the world-premiere musical by Jeff Whitty with music and lyrics by the Go-Go's, HEAD OVER HEELS, directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar; and Alexandre Dumas's THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, directed by Marcela Lorca. The shows will close the weekend of October 9-11.

I'm just going to stop you right here, Dear Reader. If you haven't already gone out and got your tickets for the Seattle Rep's production of Robert Schenkkan's "All the Way" then just stop reading this and go take care of that. I'll wait. Done? OK, now we can continue to talk about this juggernaut of a play that has completely lived up to all the hype that preceded it and more.

Award-winning Pipeline Theatre Company announces a 2nd extension of its wildly popular and critically acclaimed production of CLOWN BAR by Adam Szymkowicz, with music & additional lyrics by Adam Overett. It is directed by Andrew Neisler. Performances will now run through September 27 at The Box.

Award-winning Pipeline Theatre Company announces the extension of its critically acclaimed production of CLOWN BAR by Adam Szymkowicz, with music & additional lyrics by Adam Overett. Directed by Andrew Neisler, performances will now run through August 23 at legendary clown haunt The Box.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) will open Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan's The Great Society at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, July 27 in the Angus Bowmer Theatre. The Great Society was commissioned by and co-produced with Seattle Repertory Theatre and developed through OSF's American Revolutions: the United States History Cycle and the Orchard Project.

After a critically acclaimed and extended run in 2013, Award-winning Pipeline Theatre Company will present an encore engagement of CLOWN BAR by Adam Szymkowicz, with music & additional lyrics by Adam Overett. Originally announced to return to its original venue, the production will instead transfer to longtime clown haunt The Box beginning June 14. Opening is slated for June 21.

After a critically acclaimed and extended run in 2013, Award-winning Pipeline Theatre Company will present an encore engagement of CLOWN BAR by Adam Szymkowicz, with music & additional lyrics by Adam Overett. Staged in a Lower East Side 'dive' bar, this environmental production is directed by Andrew Neisler. Previews begin May 10 at Parkside Lounge with opening slated for June 6.

The Tony Award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival's 2014 preview performances begin tonight, February 14, and the season will open Friday night, February 21 in the Angus Bowmer Theatre with Shakespeare's The Tempest (director, Tony Taccone). On Saturday, Lorraine Hansberry's The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window (Juliette Carrillo) takes the stage, as does the classic Marx Brothers musical The Cocoanuts (David Ivers), and Sunday afternoon Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors (Kent Gash) opens in the Thomas Theatre.

The Tony Award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival's 2014 preview performances begin February 14, and the season will open Friday night, February 21 in the Angus Bowmer Theatre with Shakespeare's The Tempest (director, Tony Taccone). On Saturday, Lorraine Hansberry's The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window (Juliette Carrillo) takes the stage, as does the classic Marx Brothers musical The Cocoanuts (David Ivers), and Sunday afternoon Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors (Kent Gash) opens in the Thomas Theatre.

Award-winning Pipeline Theatre Company in association with Judson Arts presents the World Premiere of BYUIOO, a musical with book, music and lyrics by Nate Weida. This folk gospel musical, presented in an entirely made-up language, will be directed by Andrew Neisler (Pipeline's acclaimed hit Clown Bar) featuring a cast of sixteen. Previews begin October 26 at The Gym at Judson with opening slated for October 31.

Award-winning Pipeline Theatre Company in association with Judson Arts presents the World Premiere of BYUIOO, a musical with book, music and lyrics by Nate Weida. This folk gospel musical, presented in an entirely made-up language, will be directed by Andrew Neisler (Pipeline's acclaimed hit Clown Bar) featuring a cast of sixteen. Previews begin tonight, October 26 at The Gym at Judson with opening slated for October 31.