In April, New Conservatory Theatre Center presents the regional premiere of a deeply insightful and very funny new play from one of the writers of HBO's Boardwalk Empire and Showtime's Masters of Sex, The Mystery of Love and Sex by Bathsheba Doran. Hailed by The New York Times as "tender, funny, packed with humanity and brimming with surprising revelations," Doran's play examines intimacy, identity and, of course, the many mysteries of love and sex. Charlotte and Jonny have been best friends since they were nine. She's Jewish, he's Christian, she's white, and he's black. They love each other, but not in that way. Or maybe that way. As they tumble into their twenties and confront the mysteries of their sexuality, they eventually find that the path forward is not always the one right in front of you.
Jesse Berger (Founding Artistic Director), Jim Bredeson (Managing Director), and the Board of Trustees of Red Bull Theater are pleased to announce the Tenth Annual RUNNING OF THE RED BULLS BENEFIT on Monday March 26th, at 6pm, will celebrate the company's 15th Season and honor Ismenia Mendes, Charlayne Woodard, and The Fund for the City of New York with the 2018 Matador Awards for Excellence in Classical Theater. Proceeds from the evening support all of Red Bull Theater's programs, including the upcoming Off-Broadway premiere of David Ives's The Metromaniacs, directed by Michael Kahn.
Abrons Arts Center is pleased to present the world premiere of Aloha, Aloha, or When I Was a Queen (April 4-21), a solo play written and performed by Eliza Bent and directed by Knud Adams. In 1996, a young Eliza Bent, along with a friend, created, directed and starred in an amateur historical film for a school project. In it, Bent portrayed Hawaii's last reigning monarch, Queen Liliuokalani. 22 years later, Bent uses her home movie as a jumping off point to lead audiences on a journey that grapples with personal history, legacy, and cultural appropriation. In the tradition of Spaulding Gray, Fran Leibowitz, and David Sedaris, Bent's humorous cringe-inducing stories chart a young Bostonian's education in race and appropriation.
HERSHEY FELDER PRESENTS the Midwest Premiere of Our Great Tchaikovsky, a new play-with-music featuring the compositions of Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Directed by Trevor Hay with a book and performance by Hershey Felder. Following critically acclaimed and record breaking productions at San Diego Rep, Hartford Stage, Los Angeles' Wallis Annenberg, Theatreworks Silicon Valley and London's West End, Felder's newest work takes on Russia's most celebrated and perhaps most mysterious composer, Tchaikovsky.
The Drama League (Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Artistic Director) has announced the theater directors and ensembles chosen to develop new plays and musicals as part of the 2018 Drama League Artist Residency Program. Public work-in-progress presentations will be held periodically throughout the year at The Drama League Theater Center, 32 Avenue of the Americas, in Tribeca. Schedules are available at www.dramaleague.org or by calling (212) 244-9494.
Red Bull Theater (Jesse Berger, Artistic Director | Jim Bredeson, Managing Director) today announced the cast for their next REVELATION READING, Moliere's Don Juan, adapted & directed by Stephen Wadsworth: Mary Bacon, Gilbert Cruz, Francesca Faridany, Adam Green, Adam Greer, Allen Tedder, Adam Stein, Mary Testa, and Raphael Nash Thompson, on Monday February 12th at 7:30 PM at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, between Bleecker and Hudson Streets). Stephen Wadsworth's version of Don Juan was commissioned by the Seattle Repertory Theatre and the McCarter Theatre and has recently been published by Smith and Kraus.
The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has announced 10 Finalists for its prestigious playwriting award, the oldest and largest prize awarded to women playwrights writing in the English language. Chosen from over 150 nominated plays, the Finalists are:
According to Variety, Tony Winner Mary Louise Parker (Proof, Angels in America, Weeds) will star alongside another Tony Winner Courtney B. Vance (Lucky Guy, Law & Order) in the new FX comedy series COMPLIANCE. The show will be directed by Sam Gold (Fun Home) and produced by Scott Rudin Productions.
Moderated by Theatre Forward Executive Director Bruce E. Whitacre, the exclusive luncheon will explore the current Broadway landscape with some of Broadway's leading players and stars, with a panel that includes Heather A. Hitchens, President and CEO of the American Theatre Wing; Keegan-Michael Key, Emmy-winning actor, comedian, writer and producer (Meteor Shower, Hamlet, "Key and Peele"); John Leguizamo, Emmy and Obie Award-winning actor and playwright (Latin History for Morons, Freak, Mambo Mouth); Daryl Roth, award-winning Broadway producer (Kinky Boots, Indecent); Lea Salonga, Tony Award-winning actor (Once On This Island, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables) and Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the Tony-nominated and Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Award-winning songwriting and book-writing team behind Come From Away.
Ars Nova one of the most adventurous Off-Broadway companies (New York Times), piece by piece productions and Z Space present the world premiere of The Lucky Ones, a new musical by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher (Hundred Days), commissioned and developed by Ars Nova.
The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) has announced the Spring 2018 PUBLIC SHAKESPEARE INITIATIVE line-up of special evenings exploring the ideas and themes of some of Shakespeare's most challenging and essential works. Highlights of this programming include a look at the outsiders within Othelloand The Merchant of Venice with Stephen Greenblatt and Kwame Anthony Appiah; sneak peeks of Robert O'Hara's Mobile Unit production of Henry V and the Shakespeare Works artist development program; a discussion about the production history of Othello and putting it on stage for today's contemporary audience with James Shapiro and Ayanna Thompson; and special invited performances of As You Like It by the Hunts Point Children's Shakespeare Ensemble.
Trinity Repertory Company will open William Shakespeare's Othello in February. This production continues Trinity Rep's long tradition of generating productions of Shakespearean plays that are relevant and accessible to adult and student audiences throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Under the direction of Brown/Trinity Rep MFA alumna Whitney White '15, the powerful play will explore military themes, as well as the friendships and relationships that form the basis for the legendary story of betrayal and jealousy. The play runs approximately two hours and 20 minutes with one 15 minute intermission. Othello runs February 15 through March 18, with press opening on Monday, February 19 at 7:30 pm. Tickets start at $25. More information can be found at www.trinityrep.com/othello.
A Red Orchid Theatre announces the extension of Traitor, an adaptation of Heinrich Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, written by Ensemble Member Brett Neveu and directed by Ensemble Member Michael Shannon, due to overwhelming demand. The production features Ensemble Members Dado, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Larry Grimm, Guy Van Swearingen and Natalie West, with Jacob Alexander, Mary Jo Bolduc, Missi Davis, Kristin Ellis, Nation Henrickson, Frank Nall and Steve Walker, featuring lighting design by Ensemble Member Mike Durst. Traitor will add Wednesday evening performances in February and now runs through March 4, 2018. 2018 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells. Tickets for the extension are on sale now.
The Drama League announced today the expansion of their annual event, DirectorFest, into a multi-week, city-wide festival focusing on the art of contemporary stage directing.
The Drama League officially launches DirectorFest tomorrow, a city-wide festival focusing on the art and future of contemporary American stage directing, at various locations around NYC: The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture (18 Bleecker Street), The Drama League Theater Center (32 Avenue of the Americas), and The Drama Book Shop (250 West 40th Street) from January 13-22, 2018. Festival details, tickets and additional information are now available at www.directorfest.org, or by calling (212) 244-9494.
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley continues its 2017/2018 season with the Bay Area premiere of the stunning musical tribute, Our Great Tchaikovsky, written and performed by Hershey Felder, who shattered box office records at TheatreWorks with his acclaimed portrayals of Irving Berlin and Beethoven. Exploring both current Russian politics and historical context, piano virtuoso Felder brings to life the music and story of composer Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in a time-bending tale. From the iconic ballets Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, to the outrageous 1812 Overture and brilliant symphonic works, this powerful music journey travels from Czarist times to today, bringing vivid life to a haunted genius. Our Great Tchaikovsky will be presented January 10 February 11, 2018 (press opening: January 13) at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro Street, Mountain View. For tickets ($45-$105) and more information the public may visit TheatreWorks.org or call (650) 463-1960.
Following a year-long search, Ars Nova one of the most adventurous Off Broadway companies (New York Times) has been selected by Greenwich House as the new tenant of their historic, 199-seat Greenwich House Theater, which opened in 1917 and is located at 27 Barrow Street. In addition to operating and filling the beloved venue with new work by its emerging artists, Ars Nova will partner with Greenwich House on new community engagement and educational initiatives that will deepen the mission of both non-profit organizations.
The Drama League (Executive Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks) has announced full casting for the newly reimagined annual event DirectorFest, a multi-week, city-wide festival focusing on the art and future of contemporary American stage directing at various locations around NYC: The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture (18 Bleecker Street), The Drama League Theater Center (32 Avenue of the Americas), and The Drama Book Shop (250 West 40thStreet) from January 13-22, 2018. Festival details, tickets and additional information are now available at www.directorfest.org, or by calling (212) 244-9494.
Red Bull Theater (Jesse Berger, Artistic Director Jim Bredeson, Managing Director) today announced the cast for their next REVELATION READING, Victor Hugo'sHernani, translated by John Strand: Frankie J Alvarez, Ryan Garbayo, Anthony Martinez, Ismenia Mendes, Luis Moreno, Pedro Pascal, Tony Plana, and Matthew Saldivar, under the direction of Ethan McSweeny, on Monday January 15th at 7:30 PM at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, between Bleecker and Hudson Streets).
