Playwrights Horizons News

Two-time Tony Award winner John Cullum (for Shenandoah and On the Twentieth Century; additional nominations for Urinetown, 110 in the Shade and On a Clear Day You…; Wilder at PH), Darren Pettie (This and Spatter Pattern at PH, Butley on Broadway, "Mad Men") and Sarah Sokolovic (Drama Desk Award nominee for The Shaggs at PH) will star in the New York premiere of DETROIT, a new play by Lisa D'Amour (2011 Pulitzer Prize finalist for this play, 2011 Steinberg Playwright Award winner for her body of work, Obie Award winner for Nita and Zita). Also in the cast are Oscar and Tony Award nominee Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone, "The Office," On the Mountain at PH) and Emmy Award nominee David Schwimmer ("Friends," "Band of Brothers," PH debut). Directed by Obie Award winner Anne Kauffman (Maple and Vine at PH, The Thugs, Stunning, Naked Angels' This Wide Night), previews will begin Friday, August 24 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater as the first production of the theater company's new season. The cast and creative held their first rehearsal last week, and you can check out full photo coverage below!

Two-time Tony Award winner John Cullum (for Shenandoah and On the Twentieth Century; additional nominations for Urinetown, 110 in the Shade and On a Clear Day You…; Wilder at PH), Darren Pettie (This and Spatter Pattern at PH, Butley on Broadway, "Mad Men") and Sarah Sokolovic (Drama Desk Award nominee for The Shaggs at PH) will star in the New York premiere of DETROIT, a new play by Lisa D'Amour (2011 Pulitzer Prize finalist for this play, 2011 Steinberg Playwright Award winner for her body of work, Obie Award winner for Nita and Zita). Also in the cast are Oscar and Tony Award nominee Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone, "The Office," On the Mountain at PH) and Emmy Award nominee David Schwimmer ("Friends," "Band of Brothers," PH debut). Directed by Obie Award winner Anne Kauffman (Maple and Vine at PH, The Thugs, Stunning, Naked Angels' This Wide Night), previews will begin Friday, August 24 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater as the first production of the theater company's new season. The cast and creative team met the press today, and you can check out a photo preview below. Be sure to check back later for full photo coverage!

Ben Rimalower: PATTI ISSUES plays Thursdays at 9:30 PM at the Duplex, August 30th, September 6th, September 13th, September 27th and October 4th.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater announced casting today for Gutenberg! The Musical, the first production in The Rep's 2012/13 season, and The Mountaintop, which opens this September.

Ethan Lipton's new play Red-Handed Otter will be given its world premiere by Playwrights Realm www.playwrightsrealm.org, Katherine Kovner, Artistic Director and Renee Blinkwolt, Producing Director, when it begins previews at the Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street, Wednesday, September 12, at 7:00pm for an opening Thursday, September 20, at 7:00pm.

Stage and screen star Sanaa Lathan (A Raisin in the Sun, Contagion) returns to the title role in Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage's By the Way, Meet Vera Stark for its West Coast premiere at the Geffen Playhouse. Lathan, who originated the character of Vera Stark in the critically acclaimed New York run, will once again take the stage as the 1930's era maid turned movie star, reunited with original cast member Kimberly Hebert Gregory (Spike Lee's Red Hook Summer) reprising her role as fellow aspiring African American actress Lottie. Broadway vet and Geffen alum Merle Dandridge (Spamalot, Rent, Aida) will take on the spicy role of Anna Mae, who fakes a Brazilian accent for a slice of fame, and former leading lady of ABC's Man Up, Amanda Detmer, will portray Gloria Mitchell, the white starlet dubbed "America's little sweetie pie" and Vera's first employer. Helmed by award-winning director Jo Bonney, the West Coast premiere cast also features Kevin Carroll (Paid in Full, Being John Malkovich), Spencer Garrett (Iron Man 3, Air Force One) and Geffen alum Mather Zickel (Extraordinary Chambers, Rachel Getting Married).

Tony Award nominee De'Adre Aziza (Passing Strange, Women on the Verge), Rebecca Naomi Jones (Passing Strange, American Idiot), Doreen Montalvo (In the Heights, Giant), Javier Muñoz (In the Heights), Nik Walker (NYMF - Rio), and Andre Ward (Rock of Ages, Xanadu), complete the cast of the industry reading of the new musicalCUBAMOR.

Berkshire Playwrights Lab announced that its staged reading of James DeMarse's new play, Existing Privilege, that was to be directed by Matthew Penn on August 8 will now take place on August 22, directed by Joe Cacaci, and with the new title, Ceasefire.

THE OJAI PLAYWRIGHTS CONFERENCE (OPC), one of the most prestigious and acclaimed new play development programs in the United States, will celebrate its 15th Anniversary Season with a stellar program of playwrights, new play workshops, special performance events and guest artists during its Summer New Works Festival from August 8-12, 2012 in Ojai.

Soho Rep, in association with John Adrian Selzer, welcomes OBIE Award-winner Roberta Maxwell to the cast of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya tonight, July 25, replacing Rebecca Schull as Maria.

BSC is proud to present a fall return of DR. RUTH, ALL THE WAY, by Mark St. Germain, directed by Julianne Boyd. Starring stage, film and television actress Debra Jo Rupp.

Women's Project, the 35-year-old non-profit theater dedicated to producing plays written and directed by women, will present its 2012-2013 season of new plays featuring women theater artists at a new home, New York City Center Stage II, 131 West 55th Street, January 11 to May 19, Julie Crosby, Producing Artistic Director announced.

Listen to director James MacDonald and cast members Jason Butler Harner and Amanda Quaid from Mike Bartlett's new hit play COCK as they speak with WNYC Radio's Leonard Lopate about the play. Click below to listen!

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) launches its 28th season tonight, July 24 when HARRISON, TX: THREE PLAYS BY HORTON FOOTE begins performances.

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten has announced the Main Stage opening of Far From Heaven tonight, July 21.

Written to honor the walking wounded following the war brought on by 9/11, Christopher Shinn's Dying City makes its Sacramento premiere at Capital Stage under the direction of the company's Producing Director, Jonathan Williams and featuring the outstanding cast of Chad Deverman and Lyndsy Kail. The final production of Capital Stage's seventh season, and its first season in its new midtown location, opens tonight, July 21, 2012, with a limited four-week run closing on August 12, 2012.