Sam Shepard News

Riding high from their last two wildly successful productions of Happy In The Poorhouse and The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side, The Amoralists present the Off-Broadway Premiere of Amerissiah, written and directed by Derek Ahonen.

As BroadwayWorld has previously reported, the Signature Theatre Company's 2010-2011 season will celebrate Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner. The season's first two productions include Parts 1 and 2 of the first New York revival of ANGELS IN AMERICA: A GAY FANTASIA ON NATIONAL THEMES, directed by Michael Greif; the New York premiere of iHo: THE INTELLIGENT HOMOSEXUAL'S GUIDE TO CAPITALISM AND SOCIALISM WITH A KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES, also directed by Michael Greif and co-produced with The Public Theater; and THE ILLUSION, Kushner's freely adapted version of Pierre Corneille's L'Illusion Comique, directed by Tony Award-winner Michael Mayer.

THE 15th ANNUAL LOWER EAST SIDE (LES) FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS will bring together under one roof in just three days a multitude of performing artists - actors, dancers, singers, painters, sculptors, playwrights, performance artists, poets, etc. -- all of whom reside, work or have their roots in the culturally diverse, artistically rich Lower East Side -- for New York City's most diverse FREE 3-day festival, from Friday, May 28 through Sunday, May 30, at Theater for the New City (155 1st Avenue, between E. 9th and 10th Sts.) in Manhattan.

Tremont's resident theatre company, convergence-continuum, continues its 2010 season at the Liminis theatre with the Ohio premiere of DARK RIDE, a convoluted, phantasmagoric and strangely comic tale by Len Jenkin.

Subscriptions to the Signature Theatre Company (Founding Artistic Director James Houghton; Executive Director Erika Mallin) 2010-2011 season celebrating Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner sold out in less than 24 hours after going on sale to the public on Tuesday, May 18.

Dusk Rings a Bell, written by Stephen Belber will be performed at Atlantic Stage 2 as Atlantic Theater Company's final production of the season. The play will be directed by Sam Gold and will run May 19-June 20. Performances take place Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30 PM and Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 PM.

The Tony Award-winning acclaimed string band, The Red Clay Ramblers, will make a rare New York appearance at City Winery on Friday, June 25. Now in their 38th year, The Red Clay Ramblers are a North Carolina string band whose repertoire reflects their roots in old-time mountain music, as well as country, rock, New Orleans, bluegrass, gospel, and the American musical. City Winery is located at 155 Varick Street www.CityWinery.com. The City Winery concert will feature selections from their new North Carolina-focused CD, Old North State as well as well as songs from their three-time Broadway hit, Fool Moon.

The Tony Award-winning acclaimed string band, The Red Clay Ramblers, will make a rare New York appearance at City Winery on Friday, June 25. Now in their 38th year, The Red Clay Ramblers are a North Carolina string band whose repertoire reflects their roots in old-time mountain music, as well as country, rock, New Orleans, bluegrass, gospel, and the American musical.

On Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. Theresa Rebeck & Friends Introduce the Playwrights in an Hour Series Panel Discussion & Cocktail Reception (FREE)

On Monday, May 17th at 6pm journalist and theater critic Don Shewey will interview Tony Award-winning actress Carole Shelley. On stage, Shelley made her Broadway debut in the original 1965 production of The Odd Couple, playing Gwendolyn Pigeon, a role which she reprised for the film version and for the first season of the subsequent television series.

Classic Stage Company (CSC), under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Jessica R. Jenen, will honor their board member Rosemarie Tichler, the highly-respected producer, casting director, teacher and author, at this year's annual benefit gala Monday evening, May 17 at Twenty Four Fifth. The Honorary Chair for the evening is Mike Nichols and Honorary Co-Chairs are Olympia Dukakis, Dianne Wiest, Walter Bobbie and James Lapine. Honorary Artists include F. Murray Abraham, Christopher Durang, Michael Greif, John Guare, Bill Irwin, S. Epatha Merkerson, Mandy Patinkin, Wallace Shawn and Michael Stuhlbarg.

Rubicon Theatre Company continues its 2009-2010 Season with a revival of BETH HENLEY's Pulitzer Prize-winning play CRIMES OF THE HEART. Set in Mississippi in 1974 (five years after Hurricane Camille), this sweet, sexy comedy follows the travails of the three Magrath sisters, who come together at the family home in Hazelhurst when the youngest Babe is charged with shooting her husband 'cause she didn't like his looks.'

Starting Gate productions Proudly presents Our final production before closing the gate.

Riding high from their last two wildly successful productions of Happy In The Poorhouse and The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side, The Amoralists present the Off-Broadway Premiere of Amerissiah, written and directed by Derek Ahonen. Amerissiah runs from June 3 to 28, 2010 in a limited engagement at Theatre 80 St. Marks, located at 80 St. Marks Place between 1st and 2nd Avenues in NYC. Previews begin June 3 for a June 5 opening.

What starts as an innocent lunch between a septuagenarian Mom and her two adult children degenerates into a fierce game of cat and mouse which leads to a confession that will radically upset the lives of the entire family. In Joel Drake Johnson's darkly humorous play, a weekly family outing takes some unimaginable turns.

The Huntington Theatre Company concludes its 28th season - a season of American stories - with the award-winning playwright Craig Lucas' modern classic Prelude to a Kiss. Peter and Rita are two young, happy lovers who are getting married. On their wedding day, an old man comes up to kiss the bride.

On Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. Theresa Rebeck & Friends Introduce the Playwrights in an Hour Series Panel Discussion & Cocktail Reception (FREE)

Sheffield Theatres Productions presents True West, the show is directed by Paul Miller and designed by Hayden Griffin. The show will be held at Crucible Theatre at Tudor Square, Sheffield. It will run Thursday 13 May - Saturday 5 June 2010.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) is proud to announce casting, dates and a director for the American premiere of Olivier Award nominee Moira Buffini's award-winning play GABRIEL, which will mark the final main stage production of Atlantic's 2009-2010 season.

The Imago Theatre will hold open auditions for its 2010/2011 season on May 12th at 6pm. Productions include HERO, ZOOZOO, THE TOOTH CRIME, SECOND DANCE and SLOW ROLL.