Playwrights Horizons News

This weekend's big news: The Public's free musical adaptation of TWELFTH NIGHT runs this weekend! And a Happy Labor Day to all!

Complete casting has been announced for the new musical NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, featuring the Broadway debuts of 24 cast and creative team members, including Josh Groban* as 'Pierre' and Denee Benton* as 'Natasha.'

Full casting has been announced for the Donmar Warehouse production of Christopher Hampton's Les Liaisons Dangereuses, starring Tony Award winners Janet McTeer and Liev Schreiber, directed by the Donmar's Artistic Director Josie Rourke.

We describe 10 shows we're are excited to see in September and then add 13 more shows in a lightning round. That's a lot of theater. Did we miss anything? Let us know on Twitter at Maxamoo, Jose, Jack, and Lindsay.

Yale Repertory Theatre, celebrating 50 years of daring artists, bold choices, and adventurous audiences, presents the world premiere of Scenes from Court Life, or the whipping boy and his prince by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Mark Wing-Davey, September 30-October 22 at Yale University Theatre (222 York Street). Opening Night is Thursday, October 6.

Producer Stephen DeAngelis, who has produced over 200 different Broadway concerts at venues in New York and across the United States, will return to his native Rhode Island to produce his first concert in his home state.

Pioneer Theatre Company presents the regional premiere of The Last Ship, the semi-autobiographical lyrical musical by the world-renowned musician Sting. Sting wrote the music and lyrics; the book was written by the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning writers John Logan and Brian Yorkey.

The Nora Theatre Company presents Jordan Harrison's Marjorie Prime from September 8 - October 9, 2016. Marjorie Prime is directed by M. Bevin O'Gara.

Route 66 Theatre Company has announced its 9th season, featuring two plays at its new resident home, The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. The 2017 season kicks off early spring with the world premiere of Gabe McKinley's psychological drama THE SOURCE, directed by Jason Gerace.

WAM Theatre has announced the cast for the last of their 2016 Fresh Takes Play Reading Series, Grand Concourse by Heidi Schreck, directed by Sheila Siragusa. The reading will take place on Sunday, September 11 at 3 pm at No. Six Depot Roastery and Cafe, 6 Depot Street in West Stockbridge, MA.

Los Angeles New Court Theatre has announced its world premiere production of Atlas Pit or The Garbage Man's Son, a new play by Alex Burkart at Working Stage Theater from September 30 through October 23. Directed by Beth Lopes and featuring original songs by Kyle Acheson, the cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Daniel Braunstein, Michael Chandler, Devereau Chumrau, Herman Johansen, Josey Montana McCoy, and Nancy Stone. Opening is set for Friday, September 30 at 8pm and the strictly limited engagement of 12 performances will run through October 23 only.

Signature Theatre hosts TheatreFest NYC today, August 30, from 12pm to 4pm at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues). This free open house is for students who are interested in learning more about New York's non-profit theatres.

In response to popular demand, The Play Company (PlayCo), led by Founding Producer Kate Loewald and Interim Managing Director, Robert G. Bradshaw, extends the New York premiere of Christopher Chen's Caught to September 24, the final production in the company's 15th Anniversary Season

An incessantly ringing cell phone in a quiet cafe. A stranger at the next table who has had enough. And a dead man-with a lot of loose ends. So begins "Dead Man's Cell Phone", a wildly imaginative and off-center romantic comedy by MacArthur 'Genius' Grant recipient and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Sarah Ruhl. "Dead Man's Cell Phone", directed by Sharon Winegar, is the final production of Sierra Stages' 2016 season and plays for three weekends only from September 29 through October 16 at the Off Center Stage in Grass Valley.

September 2016 is also known as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.  According to National Vital Statistics Reports, suicide was the second leading cause of death for Asian Americans aged 15 to 34.   It is also the leading cause of death among Gay and Lesbian youth nationally.  To help build awareness around the issue of suicide and to promote prevention, Barnard College Student Life presents Marisa Marquez's new American play, Ms. Oriental, which is directed by Ilana Becker.

Goodman Theatre kicks off its 2016/2017 Season with a major revival of Wonderful Town, Leonard Bernstein's timeless musical composition of hope and adventure, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and book by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov.

Signature Theatre will host TheatreFest NYC on Tuesday, August 30, from 12pm to 4pm at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues). This free open house is for students who are interested in learning more about New York's non-profit theatres.

It's 1942 and the famous author Ivan Bunin, who escaped the Russian Revolution 20 years earlier, has created a new life for himself in the French countryside with his wife and his mistress. He still dreams of returning home, but he's not a young man anymore, and the world is at war again. Based on a true story.

Stoneham Theatre opens its 17th Season with Lucky Stiff, a musical murder mystery farce about love, dogs, diamonds, and death. From the creators of Ragtime and Seussical, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Directed by Caitlin Lowans and Choreographed by Elliot Norton and IRNE Award-winner Ilyse Robbins, Lucky Stiff hilariously tells the story of an unassuming shoe salesman who stands to inherit six million dollars from a recently deceased uncle he never met. There's only one catch: he has to bring his embalmed uncle on a vacation to Monte Carlo. Should he succeed in passing his uncle off as alive, he'll get the inheritance. If not, the money goes to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn, or else his uncle's gun-toting ex! Performances run from September 8 - 25, 2016. Press Opening is Saturday, September 10, 2016 at 3:00pm.

Bucks County Playhouse, under the direction of Robyn Goodman and Alexander Fraser, is pleased to announce a newly expanded lineup of education programs being offered this fall for children, teens, and adults. New programming this fall includes a three-part Musical Theatre Writing workshop taught by "Cake Off" composer Adam Gwon, running at the Playhouse August 19 - September 10, and the Saturday Musical Theatre program for children, back by popular demand, among many others!