Philip Kan Gotanda News

The Dramatists Guild of America has just announced the recipients of their annual awards, which will be presented at an awards ceremony hosted by Lisa Kron on Monday, November 5, 2012, at the Players Club in New York. Performers include Amanda Green, Mary Testa, and Kenita Miller.

After 172 applications and 60 interviews, 8 young performers have been selected for The 2012 Young Artist Project at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.

After 172 applications and 60 interviews, 8 young performers have been selected for The 2012 Young Artist Project at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.

This July, 40 of the nation's most prominent and promising writers, directors, and composers will be in residence at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in a new laboratory for collaboration. Today, the renowned nonprofit announced 13 selections for the inaugural summer lab at The Ground Floor, Berkeley Rep's Center for the Creation and Development of New Work. During an intense four-week period, dozens of artists will live, dine, create, and collaborate at the Theatre's new campus in West Berkeley.

Playwrights Foundation and Cultural Services of the Consulate General of France/SF is spear-heading a major new international exchange project, Des Voix...Found In Translation, that supports the translation of vanguard French and American Playwrights and promotes their work to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. The San Francisco festival features translations of new plays by three emerging playwrights working in France today. Plays by Marion Aubert (pink picture), Nathalie Fillion (blue picture), and Samuel Gallet (yellow picture) will be performed in English during a Festival, scheduled from today, May 25 through May 27, 2012, in a producing partnership with Z Space, a theater located in San Francisco's vibrant, cutting-edge Mission District and Deborah Taylor/FireMused Productions, LLC.

Playwrights Foundation and Cultural Services of the Consulate General of France/SF is spear-heading a major new international exchange project, Des Voix...Found In Translation, that supports the translation of vanguard French and American playwrights and promotes their work to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. The San Francisco festival will feature translations of new plays by three emerging playwrights working in France today. Plays by Marion Aubert (pink picture), Nathalie Fillion (blue picture), and Samuel Gallet (yellow picture) will be performed in English during a Festival, scheduled from May 25-27, 2012, in a producing partnership with Z Space, a theater located in San Francisco's vibrant, cutting-edge Mission District and Deborah Taylor/FireMused Productions, LLC.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) and Gala Chair Patti Rueff open Expect the Unexpected!, A.C.T.'s 2012 Season Gala tonight, April 15. The show stars A.C.T. Young Conservatory alumnus Darren Criss (TV's Glee, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on Broadway), two-time Tony Award winner Bill Irwin (Scapin at A.C.T., Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? on Broadway), A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program graduate Patrick Lane (Brian Hawkins in A.C.T.'s world premiere production of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City), and Betsy Wolfe (Mary Ann Singleton in A.C.T.'s world premiere production of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, 110 in the Shade and Everyday Rapture on Broadway). Proceeds from the Gala support A.C.T.'s acclaimed actor training and arts education programs. The historic Regency Center (1300 Van Ness Avenue) in San Francisco hosts the gala.

This July, 40 of the nation's most prominent and promising writers, directors, and composers will be in residence at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in a new laboratory for collaboration. Today, the renowned nonprofit announced 13 selections for the inaugural summer lab at The Ground Floor, Berkeley Rep's Center for the Creation and Development of New Work. During an intense four-week period, dozens of artists will live, dine, create, and collaborate at the Theatre's new campus in West Berkeley.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) and Gala Chair Patti Rueff just announced Expect the Unexpected!, A.C.T.'s 2012 Season Gala, starring A.C.T. Young Conservatory alumnus Darren Criss (TV's Glee, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on Broadway), two-time Tony Award winner Bill Irwin (Scapin at A.C.T., Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? on Broadway), A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program graduate Patrick Lane (Brian Hawkins in A.C.T.'s world premiere production of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City), and Betsy Wolfe (Mary Ann Singleton in A.C.T.'s world premiere production of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, 110 in the Shade and Everyday Rapture on Broadway). Proceeds from the Gala support A.C.T.'s acclaimed actor training and arts education programs. The Gala will be held on Sunday, April 15, 2012, at the historic Regency Center (1300 Van Ness Avenue) in San Francisco. Individual tickets range in price from $1,000 to $2,500, with patron levels ranging from $10,000 to $25,000. An extremely limited number of $500 tickets are available online only. For more information or to purchase tables or tickets, please visit www.act-sf.org/gala or contact Luz Perez, A.C.T. Special Events Manager, at 415.439.2470 or lperez@act-sf.org.

On Sunday, March 11, the first anniversary of the great Japanese earthquake, Theater Communications Group is organizing performance events nationwide to raise funds for the Japan Playwrights Association to help the Japanese theater community affected by the disaster. The collective event is called: SHINSAI: THEATERS FOR JAPAN.

Patti LuPone, Richard Thomas, Mary Beth Hurt, Jay O. Sanders and Henry Stram will join forces with the previously announced Michi Barral, Cindy Cheung, Joel de la Fuente, Angel Desai, Ann Harada, Jennifer Ikeda, Paul Juhn, Peter Kim, Ken Leung, Li Jun Li, Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin, Paolo Montalban, Olivia Oguma, Jon Norman Schneider, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Jade Wu, Jonny Wo, James Yaegashi and Stacey Yen to raise funds that will go directly to Japanese theater artists devasted by last year's earthquake when they appear in this Sunday's March 11 benefit performances of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan, at the Great Hall at Cooper Union (Seventh Street at Third Avenue).

On March 11, 2012-the one-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Japan-American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) will join over 65 theaters across the country in presenting SHINSAI ("great quake" in Japanese), a benefit reading to support fellow theater artists on the other side of the world. Selections will be drawn from a menu of 10-minute plays and songs that were commissioned from major American and Japanese artists, who have donated their work for this one-night only event. Performance takes place at 7 p.m. at The Garret at the American Conservatory Theater. Tickets are $5 and can be ordered online at act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228. All proceeds will benefit the Japan Playwrights Association.

The Theatre Project, New York's 'Adventurous New Company,' is set to participate in a global benefit for the people of Japan. In conjunction with The Players Theatre and Literally Alive, The Theatre Project is proud to present SHINSAI: Theatre for Japan, Sunday, March 11 at 5 pm at The Players Theatre at 115 MacDougal Street. Tickets are $20.00 with all proceeds going to SHINSAI. For tickets and more information go to www.TheTheatreProject.org or call 212-475-1449.

San Jose Repertory Theatre received a total of 22 nominations in the large theatre category (venues over 300 seats) from the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle (SFBATCC) for outstanding productions during 2011. San Jose Rep Artistic Director Rick Lombardo received three best director nominations for his work on the world premiere of Love in American Times, the theatrical classic The Dresser and the musical Spring Awakening.

The benefit will feature a segment from the 1976 musical Pacific Overtures revised, with new lyrics, especially for the occasion by its creators librettist John Weidman and composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim. BroadwayWorld.com is excited to premiere the text from creators John Weidman and Stephen Sondheim.

On Sunday, March 11, the first anniversary of the great Japanese earthquake, Theater Communications Group is organizing performance events nationwide to raise funds for the Japan Playwrights Association to help the Japanese theater community affected by the disaster. The collective event is called: SHINSAI: THEATERS FOR JAPAN.

Patti LuPone, Richard Thomas, Mary Beth Hurt, Jay O. Sanders and Henry Stram will join forces with the previously announced Michi Barral, Cindy Cheung, Joel de la Fuente, Angel Desai, Ann Harada, Jennifer Ikeda, Paul Juhn, Peter Kim, Ken Leung, Li Jun Li, Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin, Paolo Montalban, Olivia Oguma, Jon Norman Schneider, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Jade Wu, Jonny Wo, James Yaegashi and Stacey Yen to raise funds that will go directly to Japanese theater artists devasted by last year's earthquake when they appear in this Sunday's March 11 benefit performances of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan, at the Great Hall at Cooper Union (Seventh Street at Third Avenue).