Portia News

The Broadway favorite clowns around a bit while prepping to play the narcissistic bard.

This week on Facebook Live, fans of the award-winning USA Network series MR. ROBOT witnessed one of the most widespread global marketing stunts ever conducted.

Shakespeare & Company will commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Bard during this 39th performance season with a newly configured theatre, and will debut its first production in-the-round with The Merchant of Venice, directed by Founder Tina Packer and featuring Jonathan Epstein as Shylock. This controversial and poignant play opens the Tina Packer Playhouse on July 1, and runs through August 21. 

London's critically acclaimed Shakespeare's Globe, under the artistic direction of Emma Rice, will light up US stages and screens this summer and fall, with a three-city limited engagement of The Merchant of Venice, the return of the popular Globe on Screen cinema series and a special two-night concert collaboration with The Los Angeles Philharmonic at the historic Hollywood Bowl.

Daniel Portman (Podrick Payne, Game of Thrones) and Lily Loveless (Naomi, Skins), star in John Fowles' classic story of obsession comes to the Vaults Theatre in London this August in a brand new production directed by Joe Hufton (Associate Director, Alice's Adventures Underground; director, Secret Cinema's Dead Poets Society, Scarlett at Southwark Playhouse, Portia at Theatre503).

Syfy and USA Network today unveiled their San Diego Comic-Con lineup, featuring an exciting series of panels and screenings with both returning and soon-to-premiere series.

The eight new plays in development at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference will feature Broadway actress Ali Stroker (Spring Awakening the Deaf West Broadway revival, The GLEE Project), Drama Desk Award-nominee Margo Seibert (ROCKY on Broadway), television's Jeremy Bobb (The Knick, House of Cards, Hostages), Luke Macfarlane (Brothers & Sisters, Mercy Street), and Melanie Nicholls King (The Wire).

In its 25-year history, New Georges has brought forth an unprecedented generation of women playwrights and directors, providing them with steady artistic support and first or career-transforming productions in New York City. New Georges will celebrate its anniversary season with the World Premiere of Hilary Bettis' Alligator, directed by Elena Araoz, presented in collaboration with The Sol Project this fall, and of Sheila Callaghan and Daniella Topol's collaboratively-created Water at 3LD Art & Technology Center in June of 2017 as part of Water City, a multi-disciplinary art event. 

Williamstown Theatre Festival hosts the opening night for its first two shows of the 2016 Season tonight, July 2nd at 8:00pm.

One of Shakespeare's most problematic works makes its Shakespeare in the Parking Lot debut July 28 to August 13 when Ezra Barnes directs 'The Merchant of Venice.'

Something Rotten!, the ten-time Tony Award-nominated smash hit musical comedy, will celebrate its 500th performance tomorrow, Friday, July 1 at Broadway's St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street).

Williamstown Theatre Festival hosts the opening night for its first two shows of the 2016 Season this Saturday, July 2nd at 8:00pm.

The WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL and the ELENA ZANG GALLERY would like to cordially invite you to a special presentation and reveal of the artwork for its official 2016 poster by renowned artist Mary Frank, on Saturday July 16 at 3pm, at the Elena Zang Gallery, 3671 NY-212, in Shady, NY.

USA Network today announced that it has added two episodes to the Season 2 order for MR. ROBOT, upping the Universal Cable Productions series from 10 episodes to 12 episodes.

He can play the suave leading man when called upon, but Will Chase is one of Broadway's leading rock star performers.

Broadway's ten-time Tony Award-nominated hit musical comedy Something Rotten! will welcome 'Nashville' star and Tony Award-nominated Broadway favorite Will Chase (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Rent, High Fidelity,The Full Monty) as 'Shakespeare' on Monday, July 18.

Casting and directors have been announced for the eight new plays in development at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference next month.

The Play Company (PlayCo), led by Founding Producer Kate Loewald and Executive Producer Lauren Weigel, has announced casting for the New York premiere of Christopher Chen's Caught (August 17-September 17), the final production in the company's 15th Anniversary Season. The stellar cast includes Jennifer Lim (Chinglish), Murphy Guyer (The King & I),Louis Ozawa Changchien (The Bourne Legacy) and Leslie Fray.

As Clubbed Thumb kicks off it's annual Summerworks collection, THE TOMB OF KING TOT is the second play in the line up, described as a comedy with a twist. An actor, musician and illustrator, Nick Choksi is no stranger to the arts, starring in KING TOT, his second Summerworks production. This fall, he'll be making his Broadway debut in NATASHA, PIERRE, AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812. BroadwayWorld sat down with Choksi to learn more about his work.

This was a high camp performance, with no holds barred.