Sam Shepard News

La MaMa's popular series MONDAY NIGHTS AT LA MAMA -- featuring La MaMa artists in discussions about their careers and their work at La MaMa -- will conclude on Monday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m. with the Tony-winning and Academy Award-nominated director Julie Taymor at La MaMa's Ellen Stewart Theatre (66 E. 4 St.)

Signature Theatre Company today announced a one-week extension for MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA! by Athol Fugard and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. The production will now play through Sunday, June 17 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).

Philip Seymour Hoffman, one of the nation's top acting talents known for playing extremely varied roles in film and on stage, including Truman Capote, which earned him an Oscar, and Father Brendan Flynn in Doubt, which earned him an Oscar nomination, speaks with Mo Rocca about his Tony Award-nominated performance as Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman on Broadway.

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 features 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 today, May 25 through May 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.

Magic Theatre welcomes back award-winning playwright Luis Alfaro with the world premiere of Bruja, a reimagining of Euripides' Medea, running from tongiht, 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.

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 tonight, May 24 thru June 3, 2012 in La MaMa's First Floor Theatre.

This June, three British talents bring one of the world's most beloved duos to Hollywood. Renowned Brit actors JOHN MAWSON and MARIO VERNAZZA, team up with the directing talents of one of London's most beloved theatre practitioners, AMIR KORANGY, head of acting at the prestigious Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London for 14 years, to present THE SECRET OF SHERLOCK HOLMES on Sat June 9th, 4:00pm (Preview), Thu June 14th 10:00pm, Sat June 16th 4:00pm, Thu June 21st 7:00pm, Sat June 23rd 7:00pm and Sun June 24th 2:30pm at Theatre Asylum, 6320 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles 90038.

Padua Playwrights have announced the world premiere of the latest comic meditation from poet-playwright Murray Mednick. Directed by Mednick and Guy Zimmerman, The Fool and The Red Queen opens tonight May 19 at the Lounge Theatre in Hollywood, where it will continue to run through June 24 as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

After breaking the house record at the Barrymore Theatre six times during its run with a seven-performance-a-week schedule, Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN will recoup its $3.1 million capitalization this week. The critically acclaimed limited engagement opened March 15. Despite the show's success, there will no extension.

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.