S. Epatha Merkerson News

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Brooks, and John David Washington are set to star in a Broadway revival of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Piano Lesson in 2022. Find out what theatre the show will be in, and when!

Penn Live Arts (PLA) and the Tony and Obie Award-winning Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) have announced a new residency that brings together one of the most important Black theatre producers in the United States and the University of Pennsylvania's nexus of the performing arts, two legacy organizations that share a mission of advancing innovative, contemporary theatre.

The Motor City is coming to Broadway! Special guests from Detroit and New York City will come together for an extraordinary evening to celebrate the people, the culture, and the city of Detroit with Skeleton Crew, the Broadway premiere by Tony Award nominee Dominique Morisseau, at the 8PM performance on Friday, February 4.

Manheim will play Lieutenant Kate Dixon, joining the previously announced Hugh Dancy and Anthony Anderson. Dixon is new to the series, replacing Lieutenant Anita Van Buren, played by S. Epatha Merkerson in previous seasons.

Today's episode features stage and screen star Mary McCormack. Tony-nominated for her role in Broadway’s “Boeing Boeing” opposite Mark Rylance, she is also widely known for her four seasons as a regular cast member of “The West Wing' (two SAG Award nominations), as the lead of USA’s critically acclaimed “In Plain Sight,” and for her role opposite Howard Stern in Private Parts. 

The organizers behind the Oscar-Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival have revealed their acclaimed 2021 jury. Thirty-two judges will determine over 30 HollyShorts coveted awards including which three will move on to be qualified for Oscar gold.

On September 23rd, the Oscar-Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival will once again host a star-studded Opening Night celebration. Attendees of the in-person ceremony will witness short film premieres from Academy Award-winning alumni and Hollywood heavyweights. Kicking off the 17th annual festival will be a special screening from Film Independent and Netflix Film Club.

On Tuesday night, Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s Lackawanna Blues debuted on Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street, NYC), following the theater going dark for 18 months during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manhattan Theatre Club reopened its doors today with the first preview of Ruben Santiago-Hudson's Lackawanna Blues, which reopens MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre!

Manhattan Theatre Club will reopen its doors tomorrow, Tuesday, September 14, when the Broadway premiere of Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s Lackawanna Blues begins performances at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street).

Choreographer, director, and producer George Faison will receive the 2021 Bessie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance, and DanceAfrica, an annual celebration of African and African-American dance, music, and culture, will receive this year's award for Outstanding Service to the Field of Dance.

Victory Gardens Theater announces plans for its annual premier fundraising event, Making A Scene: Gala 2021, on Saturday, October 23, 2021 in the Ivy Room at Tree Studios, 12 E. Ohio Street.

Today (April 7) in live streaming: The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize ceremony, Lena Hall visits Backstage Live, a Rock of Ages reunion, and more!

Today, Williamstown Theatre Festival announced additional participants for the 2021 WTF Gala taking place virtually on Wednesday, April 7. Joining the festivities will be Olivier Award nominee Wendell Pierce (Death of a Salesman) who is a co-founder of Black Theatre United, a partner in WTF’s new Early Career BIPOC Theatre-Makers Program.

The Piano Lesson is set in 1936 Pittsburgh and follows the lives of the Charles family as they deal with themes of family legacy and more, in deciding what to do with an heirloom, the family piano.

Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Brooks, and John David Washington are set to star in a Broadway revival of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Piano Lesson in 2022. The production will be directed by LaTanya Richard Jackson.

LaChanze and Avenue Q Choreographer, Ken Roberson will join Lillias White, Phylicia Rashad, George Faison and Emmy/Golden Globe Winner, S. Epatha Merkerson and others to celebrate Broadway’s Timothy Graphenreed (The Wiz) in a virtual Memorial on Sunday, February 28th at 5:30pm, EST.

Tony Award-winners Lillias White, Phylicia Rashad, George Faison and Emmy/Golden Globe Winner, S. Epatha Merkerson and others will celebrate Broadway's Timothy Graphenreed (The Wiz) in a virtual memorial on Sunday, February 28th at 5:30pm, EST.

As part of its 25th season, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW has produced three special episodes reimagined to feature celebrity guests as the series continues its quest to reveal hidden treasures found in homes across America.

Williamstown Theatre Festival announced today that the 2021 WTF Gala will take place virtually on Wednesday, April 7. The Gala will start at 7:30 PM ET, preceded by an interactive VIP pre-show for event sponsors and virtual table buyers, and will feature musical performances and special appearances from beloved friends of the Festival.