Regina Taylor News

RENT and Cold Case star Tracie Thoms will make her late night tv guesting debut on CBS' The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on Monday Jan. 5th (Early Tuesday) 12:30am (EST).

Northlight Theatre continues its 2008-2009 Season with the World Premiere of Po Boy Tango by Kenneth Lin, directed by Chay Yew. The production, featuring Ken Narasaki, Jeanne Sakata and Jacqueline Williams, runs January 7-February 15, 2009 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie.

McCarter Theatre Center announces the complete cast of George Bernard Shaw's still provocative Mrs. Warren's Profession, the third show of the theater's 2008-2009 season. Directed by McCarter Artistic Director Emily Mann, the production will feature Suzanne Bertish, Robin Chadwick, Edward Hibbert, Madeleine Hutchins, Michael Izquierdo, and Rocco Sisto. Mrs. Warren's Profession begins performances in the Berlind Theatre on Friday, January 9 and runs through February 15. (Press opening Friday, January 16).

Northlight Theatre continues its 2008-2009 Season with the World Premiere of Po Boy Tango by Kenneth Lin, directed by Chay Yew. The production, featuring Ken Narasaki, Jeanne Sakata and Jacqueline Williams, runs January 7-February 15, 2009 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director) will continue its 30th Anniversary Season with the New York premiere of Gina Gionfriddo's play, BECKY SHAW, directed by Peter DuBois.

In Regina Taylor's musical Crowns, Yolanda is a young woman who faces a change in her life and through it finds her true promise and identity. Arena Stage has decided to change the life of one lucky, local talent by opening auditions to the D.C. area for the role of Yolanda in the theater's upcoming production of Crowns. The Finding Yolanda Casting Search will be an all-day event on Saturday, January 3, 2009 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009).

Set in the present-day DRC, Ruined is the captivating story of Mama Nadi (Ekulona), the owner of a canteen who serves up everything from a cold beer and a warm meal-to the company of a woman. Through the eyes of this savvy businesswoman who both protects and profits from the women whose bodies have become battlegrounds, Nottage captures the constantly shifting allegiances and tragic absurdity that marks the civil war in the DRC. Ruined, rendered with Nottage's trademark humanity, clarity and surprising humor, gives a glimpse of a country that has suffered immeasurable losses since the beginning of this war that has raged for more than a decade.

Goodman Theatre opens its "Strong Women, Strong Voices" Owen Theatre Series with the world premiere of Lynn Nottage's Ruined, directed by Kate Whoriskey and co-produced with Manhattan Theatre Club. Commissioned by the Goodman and first seen in the 2007 New Stages Series, Ruined was developed through Nottage and Whoriskey's pilgrimage to Uganda-where countless interviews and interactions resulted in a portrait of the lives of the women and girls caught in the devastating armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Leading the Goodman's cast in the role of Mama Nadi is Saidah Arrika Ekulona (Well on Broadway; Righteous Kill), who previously collaborated with Nottage and Whoriskey on the world premiere of Fabulation at Playwrights Horizons. Ruined begins performances on November 8 (opening night is November 17) and runs through December 7. Tickets are $10 - $39. Ruined begins performances at Manhattan Theatre Club on January 21, 2009.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director) will continue its 30th Anniversary Season with the New York premiere of Gina Gionfriddo's play, BECKY SHAW, directed by Peter DuBois.

Chicago's Goodman Theatre opens its 'Strong Women, Strong Voices' Owen Theatre Series with the world premiere of Lynn Nottage's RUINED, directed by Kate Whoriskey and co-produced with Manhattan Theatre Club.

A Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and a famed stage and screen star will both participate in Hartford Stage's, 2008 Brand:NEW Fall Festival of New Work.

Set in the present-day DRC, Ruined is the captivating story of Mama Nadi (Ekulona), the owner of a canteen who serves up everything from a cold beer and a warm meal-to the company of a woman. Through the eyes of this savvy businesswoman who both protects and profits from the women whose bodies have become battlegrounds, Nottage captures the constantly shifting allegiances and tragic absurdity that marks the civil war in the DRC. Ruined, rendered with Nottage's trademark humanity, clarity and surprising humor, gives a glimpse of a country that has suffered immeasurable losses since the beginning of this war that has raged for more than a decade.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director)kicks off its 30th Anniversary Season with a new production of Howard Korder's comedy, BOYS' LIFE, directed by Michael Greif.

Chicago's Goodman Theatre opens its 'Strong Women, Strong Voices' Owen Theatre Series with the world premiere of Lynn Nottage's RUINED, directed by Kate Whoriskey and co-produced with Manhattan Theatre Club.

On October 11, stageFARM (Alex Kilgore, Artistic Director and Carrie Shaltz, Founder / Executive Director) mounted the world premiere of SPIN, a series of new short plays (commissioned on the timely topic) by Adam Rapp, Gina Gionfriddo, Judith Thompson, Elizabeth Meriwether, and Mark Schultz at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York

Completing its 30th Anniversary Season, Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director) will present EVERYDAY RAPTURE, written by Dick Scanlan (Tony nominee for Thoroughly Modern Millie) and Sherie Rene Scott (Tony nominee for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), with musical supervision by Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, High Fidelity), directed by Michael Mayer (Tony Award winner for Spring Awakening).

the stageFARM (Alex Kilgore, Artistic Director and Carrie Shaltz, Founder / Executive Director) has announced complete casting presents world premiere of SPIN, a series of new short plays (commissioned on the timely topic) by Adam Rapp, Gina Gionfriddo, Judith Thompson, Elizabeth Meriwether, and Mark Schultz. With direction by Alex Kilgore and Evan Cabnet, the cast of SPIN will feature Patch Darragh (Crimes of the Heart, SAFE), Rebecca Henderson (U.S. Drag, VENGEANCE), Jesse Hooker (Some Men, Iphiginia 2.0), David Ross (VENGEANCE) and Dreama Walker ('Gossip Girl'). SPIN begins performances Friday evening, October 3, 2008, for a limited engagement through Saturday evening, November 8, at The Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street between Barrow & Bedford Streets). Opening night is Saturday evening, October 11, 2008 at 8:00PM.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director) will kick off its 30th Anniversary Season with a new production of Howard Korder's comedy, BOYS' LIFE, directed by Michael Greif starting tonight, October 2nd. The official opening will be Monday, October 20th. This 20th Anniversary production of BOYS' LIFE will feature Jason Biggs, Rhys Coiro, and Peter Scanavino as 'the boys' as well as Dan Colman, Michelle Federer, Betty Gilpin, Paloma Guzman, Laura-Leigh, and Stephanie March.

Variety is reporting that Carla Gugino and Pablo Schreiber have been cast alongside Brian Dennehy in 'Desire Under the Elms', which is run at Chicago's Goodman Theater from January 17, 2009 to February 22, 2009. The paper reports that the show is then headed to Broadway.

the stageFARM (Alex Kilgore, Artistic Director and Carrie Shaltz, Founder / Executive Director) has announced complete casting for the world premiere of SPIN, a series of new short plays (commissioned on the timely topic) by Adam Rapp, Gina Gionfriddo, Judith Thompson, Elizabeth Meriwether, and Mark Schultz. With direction by Alex Kilgore and Evan Cabnet, the cast of SPIN will feature Patch Darragh (Crimes of the Heart, SAFE), Rebecca Henderson (U.S. Drag, VENGEANCE), Jesse Hooker (Some Men, Iphiginia 2.0), David Ross (VENGEANCE) and Dreama Walker ('Gossip Girl'). SPIN begins performances Friday evening, October 3, 2008, for a limited engagement through Saturday evening, November 8, at The Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street between Barrow & Bedford Streets). Opening night is Saturday evening, October 11, 2008 at 8:00PM.