Rachel Bonds News

Producing Artistic Director Daniel Elihu Kramer has chosen to begin the season with the New York Drama Critics' Circle Best Play Winner The Night Alive, written by Irish playwright Conor McPherson, as a tribute to CTC's co-founder, Vincent Dowling, who served as Artistic Director of Dublin's Abbey Theatre in the late 80s, and who helmed CTC from its founding until 1995.

Co-founded by Vincent Dowling and H. Newman Marsh in 1990 with the belief that every town should have a professional theatre, Chester Theatre Company (formerly The Miniature Theatre of Chester) prepares to celebrate its landmark 30th Season with four works, each a New England Premiere. 

Building on 40 years of producing powerful contemporary theatre, Studio Theatre is pleased to announce a new class of commissioned playwrights and directors to Studio R&D, its incubator to support the creation of new work from inception to first production. Incoming Studio R&D artists are playwrights James Fritz, James Ijames, Steph Del Rosso, and Emily Schwend, as well as directors Carl Cofield, Lila Neugebauer, and Eric Ruffin. These exciting talents from the US and UK will have Studio's full support in creating aesthetically diverse new work to be presented in future seasons and introduced into the international repertoire. As they create Studio-specific works, commissioned artists will visit Studio to get to know its theatres, programming, and audiences in person.

Playing On Air announced today the three winners of the inaugural James Stevenson Prize for comedic short plays. First Prize ($7,500, plus a Playing On Air recording for radio and podcast distribution) has been awarded to Hate Baby by Gracie Gardner. (Gardner is also the winner of the 2017 Relentless Award and author of the New York Times Critic's Pick Athena.) Second Prize ($2,000) has been awarded to Hedgehog Years by Lily Akerman. Third Prize ($1,000) has been awarded to Horse Latitudes (Who Wants to be an Equine Extra?) by Elizabeth Logun.

Long Wharf Theatre, under the leadership of Managing Director Joshua Borenstein, begins its 2018-19 season with The Roommate, by Jen Silverman, directed by Mike Donahue.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, begins its 2018-19 season with Curve of Departure, written by Rachel Bonds?and directed by BJ Jones. Curve of Departure runs September 13 - October 21, 2018, 2018?at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. The press opening is scheduled for Friday September 21, 2018 at 8pm.

La Jolla Playhouse announces the cast and creative team for its world premiere of Seize the King, by Will Power (The Seven, Honey Bo and the Goldmine POP Tour), directed by Playhouse Associate Artistic Director Jaime Castañeda (At the Old Place, Tiger Style!, Guards at the Taj), running August 21 - September 16 in the Playhouse's Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces its 44th season, opening withCurve of Departure by Rachel Bonds and directed by BJ Jones. The season continues with the World Premiere of Mansfield Park, Kate Hamill's new adaptation of Jane Austen's classic tale of social satire, directed by Stuart Carden; followed by Christina Ham's Nina Simone: Four Women,directed by Kenneth L. Roberson; and the World Premiere of Landladies (previously titled The Janice), written by Sharyn Rothstein and directed by Jess McLeod. Closing out the season is Into the Breeches! by George Brant and directed by Jessica Thebus.

McCarter is proud to welcome a group of esteemed and emerging playwrights and theater artists to Princeton for the Sallie B. Goodman Artists' Retreat. The annual Retreat in June is a centerpiece of McCarter's LAB, a platform and creative incubator devoted to ongoing theatrical development and artist cultivation. The 2018 Retreat will take place from June 6 - June 13.

Playing On Air announced today the names of the three celebrity guests joining sponsor Josie Merck on the jury for their inaugural James Stevenson Prize, which will award three monetary prizes for new short comedic plays that honor and perpetuate the spirit and wit of Mr. Stevenson.

McCarter Theatre Center is proud to be a recipient of an Art Works grant of $30,000 to support the McCarter LAB, a year-round creative incubator that provides key support to writers at all stages of their careers, cultivating meaningful artistic relationships and original works for McCarter's main stages and future co-productions.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) announced the New York Premiere production of Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties, written by Jen Silverman, and directed by MCC alum Mike Donahue (The Legend of Georgia McBride).

La Jolla Playhouse is pleased to bring back for a sixth year its acclaimed new play development initiative, the DNA New Work Series, a weekend of readings of new works, taking place March 22 - 25, 2018 in the Playhouse's Rao and Padma Makeneni Play Development Center. Tickets for the DNA New Work Series are free but reservations are required by calling (858) 550-1010 or visiting LaJollaPlayhouse.org.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces its 44th season, opening withCurve of Departure by Rachel Bonds, directed by BJ Jones and featuring Mike Nussbaum and Sean Parris. The season continues with the World Premiere of Mansfield Park, Kate Hamill's new adaptation of Jane Austen's classic tale of social satire and the quest for romance, directed by Stuart Carden, and featuring Kayla Carter and Heidi Kettenring; followed by the World Premiere of The Janice, written by Sharyn Rothstein; and Christina Ham's Nina Simone: Four Women. Closing out the season is Into The Breeches! by George Brant.

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica presents Bedlam, the acclaimed New York based theatre company, with a fresh kinetic look at two plays with four actors, playing 49 characters in William Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw's most famous creations, side by side, Hamlet and Saint Joan, in repertory April 5 to 15 at The Broad Stage. This engagement will be the company's West-Coast debut.

Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern announce that Irina Dvorovenko ('The Americans'), a former American Ballet Theatre principal dancer, Tony Award nominees Tony Yazbeck (ON THE TOWN, FINDING NEVERLAND) and Peter Friedman (RAGTIME, The Vineyard's THE SLUG BEARERS OF KAYROL ISLAND...), and Teagle F. Bourgere (THE CRUCIBLE, A RAISIN IN THE SUN) will be featured in the world premiere of THE BEAST IN THE JUNGLE, an original work fusing dance, drama and music by legendary composer and four-time Tony Award winner John Kander (CABARET, CHICAGO), Tony Award nominee playwright David Thompson (STEEL PIER; FLORA, THE RED MENACE), and five-time Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Susan Stroman (THE PRODUCERS, CONTACT). Performances will begin May 4, 2018 with opening night set for May 23. Kander, Thompson, and Stroman previously collaborated at The Vineyard on THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS.

Cherry Lane Theatre has announced casting for the first production of the Obie award-winning MENTOR PROJECT now in its 20th season. Kate Cortesi's A PATRON OF THE ARTS, is being presented at Cherry Lane (38 Commerce St.) from March 1- 10, 2018, it has been announced by Seri Lawrence and Janio Marrero, Cherry Lane's Co-Artistic Directors.  Angelina Fiordellisi is Cherry Lane's Founding Artistic Director. Ms. Cortesi is mentored by Guggenheim, a Whiting, an Alpert, PEN/Laura Pels award winner Anne Washburn.

ArtsEmerson, Boston's leading presenter of contemporary world theatre, proudly welcomes New York's Bedlam for Hamlet andSaint Joan in repertory. The two productions feature a brand new cast of 4 actors, playing a total of 49 characters for two riveting, stripped down, stagings, both directed by Bedlam founder Eric Tucker.

Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grove, Executive Producer) is pleased to announce the lineup for this spring'sTed Snowdon Reading Series.

Ars Nova one of the most adventurous Off-Broadway companies (New York Times), piece by piece productions and Z Space present the world premiere of The Lucky Ones, a new musical by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher (Hundred Days), commissioned and developed by Ars Nova.