Rajiv Joseph News

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) kicks off this summer's Second Stage Theatre Uptown Series with the world premiere of Sex Lives of Our Parents, written by Michael Mitnick. Directed by Davis McCallum, Sex Lives of Our Parents will feature Teddy Bergmann (Peter and the Starcatcher), Lisa Emery (Far East), Daniel Jenkins (Mary Poppins), Virginia Kull (Dividing the Estate), Ben Rappaport (NBC's 'Outsourced') and Mark Zeisler (Second Stage Theatre's Eurydice). Previews begin on June 7th and opening night is Wednesday, June 22

Immediately after the Broadway opening of his play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, named a Pulitzer Prize finalist last year, Alley Company Artist Rajiv Joseph returns to the Alley with the world premiere of his latest play, The Monster at the Door.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is pleased to announce its inaugural NEXT UP: three productions showcasing Chicago's next generation of artists, presented in rotating repertory May 31 - June 19, 2011 in The Steppenwolf Garage, 1624 N. Halsted St.

Past Tony winners Anika Noni Rose and Matthew Broderick announced the 2011 Tony Awards nominees live from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City. BroadwayWorld.com will be talking to all of the nominees to hear their exciting stories of how they heard, who they told and more!

The Alley Theatre was founded over sixty years ago as Houston's theatre company. It exists to provide audiences with the highest quality theatre, offering a wide variety of work including new plays, classics, the re-discovered and the rarely-performed, and new musical theatre, with an emphasis on new American works - to provide the inspirational and the provocative - to make our audiences think, feel, dream and be entertained. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Gregory Boyd and Managing Director Dean Gladden, the Alley is committed to moving forward to increase its reach into the community, to further its collaboration with the best theatre artists working today, and to encourage and cultivate the new voices, new work, new artists of the American theatre. For more information call 713-220-5700.

Vineyard Theatre will present its 4th annual Paula Vogel Playwriting Award to emerging playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, author of the play NEIGHBORS and an adaptation of THE OCTAROON, it has been announced by Vineyard Theatre's Artistic Director Douglas Aibel and Associate Artistic Director Sarah Stern.

Vineyard Theatre will present its 4th annual Paula Vogel Playwriting Award to emerging playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, author of the play NEIGHBORS and an adaptation of THE OCTAROON, it has been announced by Vineyard Theatre's Artistic Director Douglas Aibel and Associate Artistic Director Sarah Stern.

The 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards, hosted by Harvey Fierstein, will be held Monday, May 23, at 9:00 PM at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan Center, 8th Avenue and 34th Street. This year, for the first time, a 90-minute Highlights Special of the Drama Desk Awards Ceremony will be televised nationally on OVATION, the national cable network dedicated to presenting creative arts programming to national TV audiences. The ceremony will be given two primetime broadcasts plus four other airings between June 4 and June 19, 2011.

Immediately after the Broadway opening of his play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, named a Pulitzer Prize finalist last year, Alley Company Artist Rajiv Joseph returns to the Alley with the world premiere of his latest play, The Monster at the Door.

Europe's Most Controversial Play Makes U.S. Premiere La MaMa Presents a Ronald Rand Production "WE COULDN'T CALL IT WHAT WE WANTED TO CALL IT, SO WE CALLED IT HOLY CRAP !!" ** starring Tony Award nominee Stephen Mo Hanan ** April 28 - May 15 at La MaMa

Europe's Most Controversial Play Makes U.S. Premiere La MaMa Presents a Ronald Rand Production "WE COULDN'T CALL IT WHAT WE WANTED TO CALL IT, SO WE CALLED IT HOLY CRAP !!" ** starring Tony Award nominee Stephen Mo Hanan ** April 28 - May 15 at La MaMa

Europe's Most Controversial Play Makes U.S. Premiere La MaMa Presents a Ronald Rand Production "WE COULDN'T CALL IT WHAT WE WANTED TO CALL IT, SO WE CALLED IT HOLY CRAP !!" ** starring Tony Award nominee Stephen Mo Hanan ** April 28 - May 15 at La MaMa

When the 1920s crooner heartthrob Rudy Vallee made his return to Broadway in the 1961 original production of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, he wasn't exactly known as an actor, and certainly not known as a comedian who might excel in a scalding satire of the ups and downs of the corporate ladder.  So when director Abe Burrows guided him through the role of J.B. Biggley, the feared and revered President of World-Wide Wickets, he gave him specific instructs... don't be funny.  Since the brilliant comic scribe Burrows was also writing the book for How To Succeed... (starting from Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert's straight play draft) he knew exactly how to surround the star with daffy characters and plant him into silly situations while keeping him obliviously normal.  By not really giving a performance, but by being Rudy Vallee saying lines and singing songs, the used-to-be has-been had audiences rolling with laughter.

BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO is a new American play by Rajiv Joseph Starring Robin Williams in his Broadway acting debut and directed by two-time Tony Award nominee Moisés Kaufman. The production opened March 31, at the Richard Rogers Theatre. In the following video, Williams answers ten questions from Time Magazine. Click below to check it out!

Immediately after the Broadway opening of his play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, named a Pulitzer Prize finalist last year, Alley Company Artist Rajiv Joseph returns to the Alley with the world premiere of his latest play, The Monster at the Door.

BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO is a new American play by Rajiv Joseph Starring Robin Williams in his Broadway acting debut and directed by two-time Tony Award nominee Moisés Kaufman. The production opened March 31, at the Richard Rogers Theatre and was paid a special visit by Cherry Jones last night, April 12. BroadwayWorld was there for the photo op and brings you a look backstage below.

Europe's Most Controversial Play Makes U.S. Premiere La MaMa Presents a Ronald Rand Production "WE COULDN'T CALL IT WHAT WE WANTED TO CALL IT, SO WE CALLED IT HOLY CRAP !!" ** starring Tony Award nominee Stephen Mo Hanan ** April 28 - May 15 at La MaMa

Monday nights have been long enjoyed by theatregoers and all of us here at BroadwayWorld.com as the night where there's more cabarets, benefit concerts and other special events than we know how to handle. The beginning of the week has gotten even more complicated now, because in addition to all of those, we're now finding ourselves rushing home to be in front of the TV at 10pm to watch the wonderful NURSE JACKIE on Showtime, starring Edie Falco. The show has featured a parade (which we hope never ends) of other Broadway talent and guest stars as well. Season 3, which began last week looks to be the show's sharpest, most fun and strongest season yet.

TheatreWorks, the nationally-acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, has announced the line-up for its 2010-2011 season. Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley and Managing Director Phil Santora announced a 41st season that will include three world premieres (bringing the company's total to 56); three regional premieres including the newest play by the author of AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, Broadway's quirky hit musical about writers writing a quirky hit musical and a spell-binding mystery about a Japanese-American veteran charged with murder; and two Broadway favorites. The company will once again lead off with an extensive New Works Festival.

Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph, one of America's hottest young playwrights, will celebrate the world premiere of his psychological drama THE NORTH POOL at TheatreWorks, the nationally acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley. The truth shifts constantly in this riveting new work by Joseph, whose hit play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo makes its Broadway debut in March featuring Robin Williams. THE NORTH POOL stars Bay Area favorite Remi Sandri alongside TheatreWorks newcomer Adam Poss, with Giovanna Sardelli at the helm, and plays March 9-April 3 (press opening March 12) at TheatreWorks at Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto.