Sam Shepard News

Magic Theatre, the Bay Area's original home for new plays and playwrights, today announced its 2012-13 season featuring two world premieres, a West Coast premiere, a Bay Area premiere, and one last show still to be announced.

The 2012 Drama Critics Circle aAards were presented at a cocktail reception last night, May 14, at Angus McIndoe Restaurant. Sons of the Prophet, written by Stephen Karam, won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award (NYDCC) for Best Play of the 2011-2012 season. The award for Best Foreign Play went to Tribes, written by Nina Raine. Once received the award for Best Musical. BroadwayWorldd brings you photos from the ceremony below!

PushPush's SmallTall Youth Program will offer its signature camps this summer, allowing students to try their hand at work behind and in front of the lights. This year's program will be a unique blend of original modern stories and classic text.

The York Shakespeare Company is pleased to present Sam Shepard's TRUE WEST, directed by Seth Duerr. True West will play a three-week limited engagement at Theatre 54 @ Shetler Studios (244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor). Performances begin Friday, June 8 and continue through Saturday, June 23. Opening Night is Saturday, June 9 (8 p.m.). $18 tickets are available at www.smarttix.com.

Lucas Papaelias, of Broadway's ONCE is set to join the line up of the previously announced 17th annual LOWER EAST SIDE (LES) FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS. Papaelias is also known as LPfunK and is an actor/guitarist/composer who was nominated for a Drama Desk Award (Best Original Music in a Play) for his work in Adam Rapp's "Essential Self-Defense" at Playwrights Horizons. Most recently, he co-wrote the rock musical PYRAMIDICA: Songs of Freedom, which takes place live in a pyramid scheme company's "free" orientation, and was presented at the Vineyard Arts Project's New Writers / New Plays Festival. He also conceived of, and composed, the rock opera ITHACA: a Perpetual Shredfest, the story of a Lower East Side rock band performing their final concert, which had presentations at Joe's Pub and ARS Nova.

Magic Theatre is proud to welcome back award-winning playwright Luis Alfaro with the world premiere of Bruja, a reimagining of Euripides' Medea, running from May 24 - June 24. From the critically acclaimed writer of Oedipus el Rey, comes a contemporary story so haunting and sensual, it explodes one of the ancient myths most firmly embedded in our culture.

Long Wharf Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director Gordon Edelstein and Managing Director Joshua Borenstein, announces the slate of plays for its 48th season.

Sons of the Prophet, written by Stephen Karam, today won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award (NYDCC) for Best Play of the 2011-2012 season. The award for Best Foreign Play went to Tribes, written by Nina Raine. Once received the award for Best Musical. The selections were made at the 77th annual voting meeting of the organization today at the offices of Time Out New York in Manhattan. Special Citations were awarded to Mike Nichols and Signature Theatre Company. The awards will be presented at a cocktail reception to be held on Monday, May 14, at Angus McIndoe Restaurant.

BrightSide Theatre wraps up their inaugural season with, "My Way: A Tribute to Frank Sinatra" conceived by David Grapes and Todd Olson and book by Todd Olson. Frank Sinatra is the icon of cool - from classic elegance to contemporary "fedora" hipster. "My Way: A Tribute to Frank Sinatra" celebrates the pivotal moments of Sinatra's life which would solidify his legendary status. The show runs from Friday, June 15, 2012 8 p.m. (reception following) at the Theatre at MeileySwallow Hall, North Central College, 31 S. Ellsworth, Naperville, IL 60540 until Sunday, July 1, 2012. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m.

La MaMa presents H.M. Koutoukas' WHEN CLOWNS PLAY HAMLET, A 1964 Bitter Camp, with music composed by Joseph Blunt, directed by Ozzie Rodriguez. As part of the "Homecomings" Anniversary Season La MaMa is honoring Ellen Stewart, Harry Koutoukas and Tom O'Horgan. The production will be performed by members of The Great Jones Repertory Company May 24 thru June 3, 2012 in La MaMa's First Floor Theatre.

The New Group presents the world premiere of An Early History of Fire, a new play by Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe. Directed by Jo Bonney, this production features Gordon Clapp, Erin Darke, Jonny Orsini, Devin Ratray, Dennis Staroselsky, Theo Stockman and Claire van der Boom. Limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated April 5 - May 26 at The New Group @ Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). The official Opening Night was Monday, April 30 at 7:00 PM. Check out the after-party photos below featuing Meryle Streep and all the cast.

One Old Crow Productions will present a site-specific production of COWBOY MOUTH, the play born out of the actual relationship between America's most celebrated dramatist, Sam Shepard and the godmother of Punk, Patti Smith. This play with original music composed in collaboration with the cast and director will take place in a grungy space above the bar Lucky Cheng's in the Lower East Side and will incorporate elements from the streets of New York. One Old Crow invites the audience into Cavale's apartment, where she has been holed up with Slim. The production will be directed by Leah Benavides (The 4th Graders Present an Unnamed Love-Suicide at The Tank; Member of the 2011 Lincoln Center Director Lab) and will feature Diana Beshara (The Love Letter You've Been Meaning to Write New York at 3LD) as Cavale and Geoffrey Pomeroy (Two Days 'til Dawn at the 2011 Planet Connections Festivity) as Slim.

Signature Theatre (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) today announced that performances begin tonight for MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA! by Athol Fugard and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. The production runs May 1 - June 10, 2012 with a May 24 opening night in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at the Company's new home The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between Dyer and 10th Avenues).

A Memorial Tribute honoring Theodore Mann, Circle in the Square's Co-Founder, Artistic Director, and Co-Producer, who passed away on February 24 at the age of 87, will be held at Circle in the Square Theatre, 1633 Broadway, at 50th Street, today, May 1, at 1 p.m. Seating is open to the general public on a first come, first-served basis.

The New Group presents the world premiere of An Early History of Fire, a new play by Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe. Directed by Jo Bonney, this production features Gordon Clapp, Erin Darke, Jonny Orsini, Devin Ratray, Dennis Staroselsky, Theo Stockman and Claire van der Boom. Limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated tonight, April 30 through May 26 at The New Group @ Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Official Opening Night is tonight, April 30 at 7:00 PM. See the photos below for a first look at the production!

The New Group presents the world premiere of An Early History of Fire, a new play by Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe. Directed by Jo Bonney, this production features Gordon Clapp, Erin Darke, Jonny Orsini, Devin Ratray, Dennis Staroselsky, Theo Stockman and Claire van der Boom. Limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated April 5 - May 26 at The New Group @ Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Official Opening Night is set for Monday, April 30 at 7:00 PM. See the photos below for a first look at the production!

Deadline.com reports that Willem Dafoe has joined the cast of OUT OF THE FURNACE, the action thriller from Relativity Media.

Signature Theatre today announced eight productions for its 2012-13 season at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues), the company's new Frank Gehry-designed permanent home.

Playwrights Foundation and Cultural Services of the Consulate General of France/SF is spear-heading a major new international exchange project, Des Voix...Found In Translation, that supports the translation of vanguard French and American playwrights and promotes their work to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. The San Francisco festival will feature translations of new plays by three emerging playwrights working in France today. Plays by Marion Aubert (pink picture), Nathalie Fillion (blue picture), and Samuel Gallet (yellow picture) will be performed in English during a Festival, scheduled from May 25-27, 2012, in a producing partnership with Z Space, a theater located in San Francisco's vibrant, cutting-edge Mission District and Deborah Taylor/FireMused Productions, LLC.