Rehana Lew Mirza News

In response to the novel coronavirus outbreak and CDC recommendations, all Round House Theatre performances for the rest of the 2019-2020 Season will be canceled. Round House will also cancel its upcoming Gala, originally scheduled for April 25, 2020.

Goodspeed announced that Bhangin' It will round out the trio of titles planned for 'The Worklight Series' 2020 season. Bhangin' It is a bold and upbeat musical by recent Kleban Prize winners Mike Lew, Rehana Lew Mirza (2020) and Sam Willmott (2015). This new musical is set in the high stakes world of intercollegiate competitive Bhangra: a traditional Punjabi folk dance morphed into a good ol' American dance-off. When Mary, a biracial student, is booted off her team for not being 'Indian enough,' she and her roommate assemble their own new team. But can Mary whip this ragtag group into shape for Nationals? Brash and joyous, Bhangin' It celebrates the traditions we inherit from yesterday and those we create for tomorrow.

The Lucille Lortel Theatre Foundation has announced the NYC Public High School Student Playwriting Fellowship, created as an opportunity for young writers citywide to get unparalleled access to New York City professional artists for mentoring. The inaugural Lortel student Fellows and finalists - representing every Borough, as well as D75 and D79 school districts - submitted original 10-minute one-act plays and were selected by a panel of playwrights, directors, and literary managers including Kareem Fahmy, Seri Lawrence, Cori Thomas, Mark Wade, and Cary Wong. Fellows will meet with a playwright mentor to discuss their play and learn more about playwriting as a career. Playwright mentors for this group of teen playwrights are Joshua Harmon, Kait Kerrigan, Sylvia Khoury, and Rehana Lew Mirza. All plays will be presented in a special one-night-only performance at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street) on March 24, 2020. Kimille Howard will direct.

The 30th Annual Kleban Prize For Musical Theatre reception was held on Monday, February 3.

La Jolla Playhouse has announced the final two productions for its 2020/2021 season: the world premieres of to the yellow house, by Kimber Lee (tokyo fish story), directed by former Playhouse Associate Artistic Director Neel Keller (School for Wives, Light Up the Sky), running July 14 - August 9; and Guilty Pleasure, by Paul Rudnick (Jeffrey; screenplays for Sister Act, In & Out), directed by Christopher Ashley (Come From Away, Diana), the Rich Family Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse. Produced in association with Diversionary Theatre, Guilty Pleasure will run November 8 - December 6.

Kathy Evans, Founding Executive Director of Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, announced applications are open to musical theatre writers for nine consecutive weeklong residencies in the Hudson Valley between June 28 and August 30.

The Kleban Foundation celebrates the 30th anniversary of the annual Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre with the announcement of the 2020 prize winners.

Musical theater returns to McCarter Theatre Center with the 2021 arrival of Bhangin' It, a large-scale uplifting new musical that will premiere in June 2021, following a production at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego.

La Jolla Playhouse announces four of six productions for its 2020/2021 season, including the world premieres of Bhangin' It, book by Mike Lew (Tiger Style!) and Rehana Lew Mirza (DNA New Work Series' Child of Colonialism), music and lyrics by Sam Willmott, directed by Amy Anders Corcoran, co-produced with McCarter Theatre Center; and Mother Russia, by UC San Diego MFA alumna Lauren Yee (Cambodian Rock Band), directed by Tyne Rafaeli (The Coast Starlight); along with What the Constitution Means to Me, the acclaimed work by Pulitzer Prize finalist Heidi Schreck, directed by Oliver Butler; and the previously-announced, Broadway-bound musical Lempicka, book and lyrics by Carson Kreitzer, music by Matt Gould, directed by 2019 Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin (Broadway's Hadestown).

The Donmar Warehouse announces the full cast for Teenage Dick, Mike Lew's darkly comic take on Shakespeare's Richard III, directed by Donmar Artistic Director Michael Longhurst. Joining previously announced cast Daniel Monks and Susan Wokoma are Callum Adams, Alice Hewkin, Siena Kelly and Ruth Madeley.

Rogue Machine presents the West Coast Premiere of Bekah Brunstetter's a?oeMISS LILLY GETS BONEDa?? directed by Robin Larsen.

Brooklyn-based theatre company Colt Coeur will present the east coast premiere of Jonathan Spector's screamingly funny yet profound EUREKA DAY. Spector's lauded play uses a heated vaccination debate at a progressive elementary school as a metaphorical lens for the escalating hostility of America's culture wars and our inability to listen to those with whom we disagree. This timely comedy is directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt (Primary Stages' Downstairs, Colt Coeur's Joan). Previews begin Saturday, August 24th with official opening set for Thursday, August 29th. General admission tickets are priced at $25 and are available at coltcoeur.org.

New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) has announced the recipients and finalists of the NYSCANYFA Artist Fellowship Program, which it has administered for the past 33 years with leadership support from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). The organization has awarded a total of $661,000 to 98 artists (including three collaborations) whose ages range from 25-76 years throughout New York State in the following disciplines: ArchitectureEnvironmental StructuresDesign, Choreography, MusicSound, Photography, and PlaywritingScreenwriting. Fifteen finalists, who do not receive a cash award but benefit from a range of other NYFA services, were also announced. A complete list of the Fellows and Finalists follows.

Donna Walker-Kuhne Receives LPTW's First Rachel Crothers Leadership Award

La Jolla Playhouse announced today the appointment of National Disability Theatre (NDT) Co-Executive Directors Talleri A. McRae and Mickey Rowe as the Playhouse's 2019/2020 Artists-in-Residence.

Founding Executive Director Kathy Evans announced the 27 writers of nine new musicals for Rhinebeck Writers Retreat's summer weeklong residencies. This year's artists include Obie-winner Heather Christian, Kleban-winner Brian Crawley, TV and film writers Bekah Brunstetter (THIS IS US) and Cinco Paul (DESPICABLE ME), inaugural Stephen Schwartz Award winner Oliver Houser, and ASCAP Foundation scholarship winner Khiyon Hursey. The musicals cover a wide range of subjects. Four have LGBTQ themes: a historical look at Florida in the 1950s (IN A SUNSHINE STATE), a Palestinian/Israeli love story (BORDERS), a modern coming of age of a young black man (SEAN'S STORY PART I | THE AWAKENING), and a fantasy queer rock musical celebrating lady love (TL;DR: THELMA LOUISE; DYKE REMIX). Two are darkly comedic historical musicals: one featuring Mary Magdelene (A.D. 16) and the second a WWII plot to foil Hitler (OPERATION MINCEMEAT). Other subjects include the opioid crisis (ALMOST HEAVEN), the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 (THE GOLDEN SPIKE), and a mystery involving a woman with a sleep disorder (NARCOLEPSY).

WP Theater, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Lisa McNulty and Managing Director Michael Sag, announces their 2019-20 Season at WP Theater (2162 Broadway, at 76th Street).

The world premiere of HATEF**K, the 2017 Kilroys List play by Rehana Lew Mirza, opened last night, Wednesday, March 13, at WP Theater (2162 Broadway) in partnership with Colt Coeur. Check out photos from the evening below!

The world premiere of HATEF**K, the 2017 Kilroys List play by Rehana Lew Mirza, opens tomorrow, Wednesday, March 13, at WP Theater (2162 Broadway) in partnership with Colt Coeur. Directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt (WP's What We're Up Against), this bracingly insightful play stars Kavi Ladnier ("Just Add Magic", "Heroes") and Sendhil Ramamurthy ("Heroes", "Covert Affairs"). The four-week limited engagement will run through Sunday, March 31.