Sam Buntrock News

Tony Award Nominee Rob McClure (Chaplin, Avenue Q) will star in a new short film entitled RECURSION written by Stanton Nash which will be directed by Tony and Olivier Award Nominee Sam Buntrock (Sunday in the Park with George). The film will begin principal photography in July and is expected to be seen throughout film festivals prior to its release. The film is produced by Tony & Drama Desk Award Nominee Antonio Marion (Big Fish, Evita) with Executive Producer Kurt Csolak. This marks Buntrock's directorial debut in film. His last production on Broadway, Sunday in the Park with George earned 9 Tony Award Nominations including Best Revival of a Musical.

The Colorado Theatre Guild's 8th Annual Henry Awards will take place Monday, July 22, 2013, at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd in Arvada, Colorado. The evening begins at 6 p.m. with cocktails and a silent auction. The awards ceremony will begin at 7 p.m., followed by an after-party.

Page 73 Productions - the Off-Broadway company dedicated to producing and developing works by early-career playwrights - will present a reading of their 2013 Interstate 73 member Peter Gil-Sheridan's play RITU COMES HOME on Monday, June 17 at 4pm at A.R.T./New York's Studios@520 (520 8th Avenue, 3rd Floor, Studio B) Davis McCallum (WATER BY THE SPOONFUL; ELLIOT, A SOLDIER'S FUGUE) will direct.

After eighteen seasons as McCarter's Producing Director, Mara Isaacs will be stepping down from her position this June. Isaacs, who has enjoyed a varied career as an educator and freelance producer while maintaining her position as Producing Director, will end her successful tenure with the Princeton-based McCarter Theatre at the conclusion of the 2012-2013 season. She will remain affiliated with McCarter as a consultant for the coming season.

Husband-and-wife duo - two-time Tony Award-winner Katie Finneran (most recently on Broadway in 'Annie') and Darren Goldstein ('Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson') hosted the 15th Anniversary Benefit for the Off-Broadway theatre company Page 73 Productions last week at City Winery (155 Varick Street) in Manhattan. BroadwayWorld was there for the festivities and you can check out full photo coverage below!

Two-time Tony Award-winner Katie Finneran (most recently on Broadway in "Annie") and husband Darren Goldstein ("Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson") are set to host the 15th Anniversary Benefit for the Off-Broadway theatre company Page 73 Productions onWednesday, May 22nd 2013 at City Winery (155 Varick Street) in Manhattan. The evening's festivities begin at 7:00pm and will include dinner, cocktails (including specialty cocktail "The Caroline McGraw" in honor of the 2013 P73 Playwriting Fellow) and the annual New Play Bake Off. Longtime Page 73 supporters Carson and Joseph Gleberman will be honored at this year's benefit.

Page 73 Productions - the Off-Broadway company dedicated to producing and developing works by early-career playwrights - will present a reading of their 2013 Interstate 73 member E.M. Lewis' play SONG OF EXTINCTION on Wednesday, May 15 at 4pm at Roundabout Theater Company's rehearsal studios (115 West 45th Street 12th Floor). Calloway Award winner Carolyn Cantor (THE GREAT GOD PAN, AFTER THE REVOLUTION) will direct.

The Muny announced principal casting for the fifth show of its fantastic 95th season, Les Miserables. Broadway veterans Hugh Panaro and Norm Lewis make their Muny debuts starring as Jean Valjean and Javert, respectively. Also starring is Michael McCormick as Thenardier. The production is directed by Richard Jay-Alexander, who served as the associate director and executive producer of the original Broadway, touring and Canadian companies of Les Miserables.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director William Russo have announced the new 2050 Fellowship Program to begin with the 2013/14 season.

It's December 2008, and an American woman flees to London despite the pleas of her daughter and ex-husband. Unable to forgive her country for a grave offense, she seeks refuge in the city of her youth. As America broadcasts news of financial crisis and political change, a fractured family roams the London streets trying to understand what sparked a fatal decision in SLEEPING ROUGH, to begin off-Broadway April 11, 2013. Check out photos of the cast at their first day of rehearsal below!

It's December 2008, and an American woman flees to London despite the pleas of her daughter and ex-husband. Unable to forgive her country for a grave offense, she seeks refuge in the city of her youth. As America broadcasts news of financial crisis and political change, a fractured family roams the London streets trying to understand what sparked a fatal decision.

Casting has been announced for the world-premiere of Kara Manning's play SLEEPING ROUGH, directed by Tony Award nominee Sam Buntrock and presented Off-Broadway at the Wild Project (195 East 3rd Street) by Page 73 Productions, currently celebrating its 15th season presenting works by up-and-coming playwrights in New York. Performances of SLEEPING ROUGH will begin April 3 prior to an official press opening of April 11. Tickets for SLEEPING ROUGH are now on sale.

New York City Opera's production of Britten's chamber opera 'The Turn of the Screw' opened Sunday afternoon to a full house at Brooklyn Academy of Music's Howard Gilman Opera House as the Prologue, played by Dominic Armstrong, fills us in on the back story as it is played out onstage. The stark setting with desk and chair and overhead fluorescent lighting sets the mood to which the score builds upon throughout the prologue. We watch the Governess in an interview with a man to care for two orphaned children who we find out to be his niece and nephew. After accepting the position to help 'such a busy man', we eerily follow the Governess, played by Sara Jakubiak, down the country road to her new life. The scene is now set for Act I of this production which director, Sam Buntrock, describes as having been drawn 'from iconic films such as The Shining, The Exorcist and Poltergeist.

Page 73 Productions, which is currently accepting applications on its website (www.page73.org/apply) for three of its signature development programs: the P73 Playwriting Fellowship, the Interstate 73 writers group, and the Page 73 Summer Residency at Yale, will host an information session with its Executive Director Liz Jones and its Associate Director Michael Walkup for interested applicants on Thursday, March 21st at 7pm at the Manhattan Theatre Club Rehearsal Studios (311 West 43rd Street, 8th Floor). Reservations are required; please email info@page73.org to inquire about a reservation.

New York City Opera concludes its spring 2013 BAM residency and celebrates the centennial of composer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) with a brand-new production of Britten's chamber opera The Turn of the Screw (1954). Based on the classic ghost story by Henry James, the opera's libretto is by Myfanwy Piper. The production, conducted by Jayce Ogren, marks the opera debut of Sam Buntrock, the theater director best known for his award-winning staging of Sunday in the Park with George in the West End and on Broadway.

This is a tender and thought provoking story that delights you and breaks your heart.

New York City Opera presents POWDER HER FACE, onducted by Jonathan Stockhammer, directed by Jay Scheib, sets by Marsha Ginsberg, costumes by Alba Clemente, lighting by Thomas Dunn and projections by Josh Higgason. The production runs February 15-23, 2013. BroadwayWorld has behind the scenes videos below with Allison Cook, along with George Steel and directors Jay Scheib and Sam Buntrock. Check them out below!

Interstate 73, Page 73 Productions' writers group supporting early-career playwrights, where selected playwrights meet biweekly to share new pages with their peers and Page 73's Executive and Associate Directors, will welcome Stephen Brown, Meghan Deans, Peter Gil-Sheridan, David Jenkins, Kait Kerrigan, EM Lewis and Caroline V. McGraw (who was also selected as the 2013 P73 Playwriting Fellow) into the group this year.

We speak with playwright Michael Mitnick on his talented career, Animal House, and his new premiere play at the Denver Center.

Caroline V. McGraw has been awarded the 2013 P73 Playwriting Fellowship, it has been announced by Page 73's Executive Directors Liz Jones and Asher Richelli.