Rinde Eckert News

The Guthrie Theater announced today that Joseph Haj will become its eighth artistic director in July 2015, succeeding Joe Dowling. The announcement by Board Chair Lee Skold and Search Committee Chair Patricia Simmons ends an extensive year-long search.

OPERA America, the national service organization for opera, has announced the first recipients of Commissioning Grants from the Opera Grants for Female Composers program, made possible through the generosity of The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. These grants help support the commissioning of works by talented women composing for the stages of OPERA America Professional Company Members.

Geva Theatre Center's 2015 Fielding Studio Series begins with the world premiere of Katherine's Colored Lieutenant by Nora Cole and is directed by David Schweizer. The production begins performances on February 5 and runs in the Fielding Nextstage through February 22.

Courtney Love will star in Todd Almond's new opera KANSAS CITY CHOIR BOY, which premieres at Prototype 2015 tonight, January 8, 2015 and runs through the 17th.

Beth Morrison Projects (BMP) and HERE have announced programming for the third annual PROTOTYPE: Opera/Theatre/Now festival, running today, January 7-17, 2015, in New York City.

The magic continues when one of L.A.'s most beloved and longest running shows, Smoke and Mirrors moves to the Odyssey Theatre on Jan. 17 through March 15. Created by and starring noted actor and lifetime member of the Magic Castle, Albie Selznick and co-produced with Ron Sossi, artistic director of the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, the L.A. Times Critic's Choice smash hit directed by David Schweizer makes its debut in West L.A.

This holiday season, Kristin Marting, Kim Whitener, and Beth Morrison are making their lists and checking them twice. In mid-January, they'll be producing seven separate shows over ten days as part of PROTOTYPE: Opera/Theatre/Now, a festival of opera-theatre and music-theatre. While PROTOTYPE is only in its third year, it has already established itself as the crucible for contemporary opera and theater in New York City. BWW sat down with the three co-producers at HERE, PROTOTYPE'S epicenter, to chat about each of the upcoming festival's unique offerings.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre is proud to present the world premiere of X's and O's (A Football Love Story), a hard-hitting docudrama that examines our country's passion for a game that is life-giving yet lethal. Our singularly American sport is intricately woven into our culture and rituals, yet its traumatic effect on players and their families has us reexamining its place in our country's story.

Yesterday, November 10, 2014, Theatre Communications Group (TCG) celebrated its annual gala. This year the organization honored Jules Fisher, Lynn Nottage, and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation at 583 Park Avenue in New York City. The performances included previews of two productions from TCG Member Theatres: A Walk on the Moon (New York Stage and Film) and Immediate Family (About Face Theatre, Center Theatre Group, and the Goodman Theatre). Scroll down for photos from the event!

The Paul Dresher Ensemble has announced the creative team and dates for the world premiere of the new musical MAX UNDERSTOOD created by Nancy Carlin and Michael Rasbury, and directed by celebrated opera and theater director David Schweizer. This innovative musical theater production will have a two week run April 15th through 26th at San Francisco's Cowell Theater, with an Opening Night on Thursday, April 16, 2015.

Opera Saratoga announces its 2015 Summer Festival season, which will run from July 2 - July 26, 2015 at multiple venues throughout Saratoga Springs, New York.

A number of program changes and additions have been made to the performances, screenings, and events of Lincoln Center'sWhite Light Festival 2014 and Great Performers 2014-2015 series. See below!

According to the New York Times, musician Courtney Love will soon star in Todd Almond's new opera KANSAS CITY CHOIR BOY, which will premiere at Prototype 2015. The production will run January 7-17. Love told NYT: 'I love the concept, and I'm loving the music. I'm playing it constantly. I'm looking to do things that are different. I just finished a rock tour of Australia, and it was great, but I've been doing that for a long time. I wanted to do something challenging.'

Berkeley Repertory Theatre announces that the City of Berkeley has proclaimed Tuesday, September 30, 2014 Tony Taccone Day. This day will honor Berkeley Rep's Michael Leibert Artistic Director Tony Taccone as a pioneer in contemporary American theatre. Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates will host a ceremony to present Taccone an official proclamation between 7:00 PM and 7:30 PM in the City Council Chambers at 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The ceremony will be broadcast on local radio through KPFB Radio 89.3 and on television through Cable B-TV, Channel 33.

Miller opens its fall season with a captivating new production. Sparking a music dialogue across centuries, Heart & Breath deftly combines modern arrangements of music by Gesualdo and Monteverdi with contemporary works that blend music, dance, and theater, including composer Amy Beth Kirsten's 'wildly imaginative' (Washington Post)Colombine's Paradise Theatre. The six musicians of eighth blackbird play, speak, sing, whisper, growl, and mime, breathing theatrical life into the timeless characters of thecommedia dell'arte in this uniquely immersive concert experience.

A number of program changes and additions have been made to the performances, screenings, and events of Lincoln Center'sWhite Light Festival 2014 and Great Performers 2014-2015 series. See below!

LOVEBIRDS, fresh from its New York City premiere at La MaMa Theater, moves to The Marsh Berkeley. A rollicking tale of incurable romantics from GLAAD award-winning solo theater artist and comedian Marga Gomez, LOVEBIRDS enjoyed a critically acclaimed six-month original run at The Marsh San Francisco as well as a tour to the Santa Cruz Fringe Festival. Directed by David Schweizer in his sixth collaboration with Gomez, LOVEBIRDS will transfer to The Marsh Berkeley (2120 Allston Way) with performances Fridays at 8pm and Saturdays at 8:30pm. For tickets ($20-$35, $50-$100 reserved), the public may visit www.themarsh.org or call 415-282-3055 between 1 - 4pm, Monday through Friday.

Miller opens its fall season with a captivating new production. Sparking a music dialogue across centuries, Heart & Breath deftly combines modern arrangements of music by Gesualdo and Monteverdi with contemporary works that blend music, dance, and theater, including composer Amy Beth Kirsten's "wildly imaginative" (Washington Post)Colombine's Paradise Theatre. The six musicians of eighth blackbird play, speak, sing, whisper, growl, and mime, breathing theatrical life into the timeless characters of thecommedia dell'arte in this uniquely immersive concert experience.