Playwrights Horizons News

Skyrocketing rents. Loss of diversity. Evictions, Google Glass wearing nouveau riche, The War on the Poor. What is The City coming to? The Tony Award-winning San Francisco Mime Troupe (SFMT) opens its 55th season with RIPPLE EFFECT, a musical comedic tale of intersecting lives and cultures that reflect the familiar neighborhood tensions that are polarizing San Franciscans today.

The Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival, the nation's premiere short play competition, is excited to announce the Final 30 playwrights whose plays will be presented during the 2014 Festival Week, occurring August 4th-10th at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre.

Kathleen Tolan ('Memory House') has granted the side project the world premiere rights to her exploration of memory, history and music, What to Listen For, opening June 3, 2014. The company will also present the Midwest premiere of Washington State-based playwright/performer Kristen Kosmas' Hello Failure, commencing June 15, as it continues its 2013-14 season of repertory plays. Overall, the June Rep, featuring two of America's most fascinating female playwrights, will explore themes of loss and the search for lasting connections.

Undercover Productions LLC will present the Off-Broadway Premiere of Ethel Sings, by Joan Beber beginning performances at Theatre Row's Beckett Theatre (410 West 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues) tonight, May 31st, with Opening Night set for Friday June 6th. This limited engagement will continue through July 13th.

A Small Fire opens tonight, May 30 for a limited run at New City Theatre, located at 1404 18th Avenue in Seattle, with a preview performance on May 29. Tickets are $25, $15 for students, and pay-what-you-can performances on May 29, June 9, and June 16. Due to the small, intimate performance venue, seating for A Small Fire is extremely limited.

Los Monologos de la Vagina, now in an acclaimed and unprecedented Spanish language engagement at its original off-Broadway home, today announced the production's summer of stars at the Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd Street).

This year the Lilly Awards will celebrate women of distinction in musical theater in a special cabaret at West Bank Cafe (407 W 42nd Street, NYC), following the awards ceremony, which is set for Monday, June 2, at Playwrights Horizons. The cabaret will feature Kelli O'Hara, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Rebecca Luker, Kate Baldwin, Kenita Miller, The Broadway Boys, Graham Rowat, Katie Thompson, Lauren Pritchard, Taylor Noble, Jay Armstrong Jonson, The Skivvies (Lauren Molina & Nick Cearley) and Jason Robert Brown.

According to the New York Times, Mad Men star Elisabeth Moss is on her way back to Broadway. Producer Jeffrey Richards is currently in talks with the actress to play the title character in an upcoming Broadway revival of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Richards is reportedly eying Tony winner Pam McKinnon to direct the project, which is aiming to open in ' late winter or spring 2015.' An official announcement has not yet been made.

City Theatre presents four original plays in MOMENTUM, the theatre's annual festival of new plays at different stages. This year's selection features three of City's favorite alums as well as a distinguished playwright new to Pittsburgh audiences. The play's themes run the gamut from technology and football to history and community. MOMENTUM is a celebration of new theatrical works featuring readings, workshops, panels, and conversation. The festival is a chance for audiences to not only see four new works in their earliest incarnations, but also to get to know the process of creating new plays and to glimpse inside the minds of the playwrights.

After a sold-out performance last year, songwriters Drew Overcash, Blake Pfeil, and Zoe Sarnak are set to return for Twenty-Somethings 2 at the Highline Ballroom on Monday, August 18th.

Cori Thomas's warm-hearted and funny play about the many flavors of desire, When January Feels Like Summer, will receive its New York premiere in a co-production of Ensemble Studio Theatre and Page 73 Productions directed by Daniella Topol.

The organization myFace recently reached out to us to share a personal response to the musical Violet by journalist and blogger Jeryl Brunner.

Bay Street Theatre presents the World Premiere of CONVICTION (Today, May 27-June 15) by Carey Crim and directed by Scott Schwartz, Bay Street's new Artistic Director. The production is co-produced by Bay Street Theatre, Rubicon Theatre in California, Dead Posh Productions, London and Canada's Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre.

'NCIS: Los Angeles' star and Broadway veteran Barrett Foa (Mamma Mia!, Avenue Q, ...Spelling Bee) will begin performances as Alex More in the smash hit comedy Buyer & Cellar tonight, May 27, 2014 at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street). For the past five seasons, Barrett Foa has co-starred opposite LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell as tech geek Eric Beale on CBS' top-rated hit series 'NCIS: Los Angeles' which is currently the #2 show on television.

Kathy Evans, Founding Executive Director, announced the nine musicals and twenty-six writers selected for the 2014 Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, its fourth year of providing working retreats for musical theatre writers. For nine consecutive weeks beginning June 29th, each writing team will have an individual weeklong residency in Rhinebeck, New York to write their musical. They are provided with a private home, transportation, food, and a stipend. All costs are fully funded by donors including The ASCAP Foundation, The Dramatists Guild Fund, and The Noel Coward Foundation. Writers participating this year include Broadway's Mindi Dickstein (Little Women), this year's Kleban Prize winner Nathan Tysen (Burnt Part Boys), and Peter Mills, past winner of the Kleban, Fred Ebb Award, and Richard Rodgers prize. The musicals' subjects cover 19th century nautical mysteries, 20th century fairy tales, a 1970's gay bar, and modern-day meth addicts. Every score is original and styles include 16th century Renaissance, big band, folk, rock, and electronic music.

The Gateway will open their 65th season with '42nd Street' - led by three-­time Tony Award nominee Randy Skinner - now through June 8 at Bellport's Gateway Playhouse. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Barnyard Follies is a new musical intended for young performers, written by Sam Carner of the Carner & Gregor team (Unlock'd, Island Song). Directing the reading is David Alpert (Associate Director of If/Then, The Best Man, A Trip to Bountiful) and musical direction is provided by Jason Wetzel (Assistant Conductor for After Midnight and numerous touring credits including Young Frankenstein, The Drowsy Chaperone). The cast features 24 young performers ranging in age from seven to nineteen and includes Sebastian Hedges Thomas, currently on Broadway as Young Charlie in Kinky Boots. The reading will take place at 6pm on May 28th at The Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Playwrights Horizons.

We're featuring one of our favorite singer-songwriters this week, Daniel Zaitchik! Here he is performing 'New Year's Eve' at our concert at 54 Below.

Tony Award-winning comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will feature Resident Actor Jeffrey Bean as Vanya, Sharon Lockwood returning to the Alley as Sonia, Alley Artist Josie de Guzman returning as Masha, and Resident Actor Jay Sullivan as Spike. Rounding out the cast and making their Alley debuts are Rachael Holmes as Cassandra and Sarah Nealis as Nina. Jonathan Moscone, Artistic Director of California Shakespeare Theater, helms the production and returns after having directed the Alley's 2011 production of Amadeus.

Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) has announced its 2014/15 season: George Orwell's Animal Farm, adapted for the stage by Althos Low, directed by SYA Artistic and Educational Director Hallie Gordon; and the world premiere of This Is Modern Art by Kevin Coval and Idris Goodwin, directed by Lisa Portes.