Samuel Beckett News

Dylan Coburn Gray's 'Boys and Girls' and the groundbreaking production of Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot' in Yiddish -- open the 7th annual Origin's 1st Irish Festival today and tomorrow, September 3 and 4. In all four US premieres and seven world premieres will be seen in the month-long festival running through September 28.

The United States premiere of the internationally acclaimed new work written and directed by Peter Brook and Marie-Helene Estienne, The Valley of Astonishment, featuring Kathryn Hunter (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Kafka's Monkey), Marcello Magni (Fragments), and Jared McNeill (The Suit), begins previews Sunday, September 14, at 7:30pm for an opening Thursday, September 18,at 7:30pm and a run through Sunday, October 5, at Theatre for a New Audience, Polonsky Shakespeare Center, 262 Ashland Place.

The Hollywood Reporter reveals that New York Times writer Dave Itzkoff, who wrote Robin Williams's obituary for the newspaper, will pen a biography on the actor.

After a successful run of SAMUEL BECKETT, ANDRE THE GIANT, AND THE CRICKETS, Hawkeye Plainview Productions reteams with multiple Jeff Award winning Oracle Productions' B*Sides program with SUPER-WELLESIAN at this year's Chicago Fringe Festival at the Early and Often Stage, 4751 N. Milwaukee for only three performances September 4 @ 10pm, September 6 @ 7pm, and September 7 @ 8:30pm . Directed by Christopher Marcum, who also stars as Orson Welles, the full original cast also includes David Coupe as Superman, Natalie DiCristofano as Lois Lane, Linsey Falls as original Superman announcer Jackson Beck, and Kevin Crispin as Martian actor Clark Marble. Tickets for SUPER-WELLESIAN are free at the door with a suggested donation and a one time purchase of a $5 Chicago Fringe button. Tickets can purchases in advance for $10.

Billy Crystal honored the late Robin Williams tonight at the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. You can watch the heartfelt tribute below.

The Kitchen and the Brown Institute for Media Innovation at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism are pleased to present the U.S. premiere of Gaia Global Circus, a one-of-a-kind theatrical experiment that explores society's ambivalence toward mankind's greatest threat: global warming.

Pan Pan Theatre Company will bring EMBERS by Samuel Beckett to BAM's Harvey Theater (651 Fulton St). Directed by Gavin Quinn with sculpture by Andrew Clancy, lighting design by Aedin Cosgrove and sound design by Jimmy Eadie, the show will run September 17-20 at 7:30 p.m.

Founding Company Member and Master Choreographer Susan Dibble brings her newest production Dibbledance: Shoes On, Shoes Off to the Tina Packer Playhouse for a special ONE NIGHT ONLY performance Sunday, August 31st at 7:30pm.

Georganne Aldrich Heller will present Laoisa Sexton's raw, visceral and provocative new play, THE LAST DAYS OF CLEOPATRA, a pitch black comedy set in Dublin, tonight, August 20th through September 7th at Urban Stages, 259 West 30th Street in Manhattan. The official opening is on Saturday, August 23rd at 8PM. Tim Ruddy Directs.

The Poets' Theatre has announced that it is reorganizing and planning to present a full season of programming in 2014-2015. This historic Cambridge based organization will be led by Robert Scanlan, as President and Artistic Director, Benjamin Evett as the new Producing Artistic Director, and David Gullette as Literary Director. Scanlan, Evett, and Gullette have been charged by the Board of Directors to bring The Poets' Theatre back to prominence after more than a decade of inactivity. They will professionalize the company, create valuable partnerships with other organizations, and develop the resources to allow the theatre to present top quality productions in a regular and sustainable manner.

Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co. will present its 26th annual 'Abbie Hoffman Died for Our Sins' Theater Festival, featuring three days of virtually non-stop theatrical entertainment this weekend, August 15, 16 & 17, 2014 at Angel Island, 731 W. Sheridan Rd. in Chicago.

The Theatre @ Boston Court presents Happy Days by Samuel Beckett, directed by Andrei Belgrader and featuring Brooke Adams and Tony Shalhoub. Opening night is Saturday, September 13, 2014 on the Main Stage at Boston Court Performing Arts Center, 70 North Mentor Avenue.

People reports that the 66th Annual Emmy Awards, airing August 25 on NBC, will feature several tributes to Robin Williams. The comedic legend passed away on Monday at the age of 63.

Performance and reality blend into an imaginative landscape in Seattle Shakespeare Company's production of Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. Directed by George Mount, Waiting for Godot launches the company's 2014-2015 indoor season in September. Waiting for Godot is part of the city-wide Seattle Beckett Fest running August through November 2014.

As the world mourns the tragic loss of comedic great Robin Williams, more details have surfaced on how the actor died. According to the New York Times, a coroner's office official reported today that Williams hanged himself with a belt at his home on Monday, August 11, 2014.

ABC News' '20/20' will celebrate the life of Robin Williams, the comedic genius whose death yesterday stunned a nation. 'The Life and Death of Robin Williams' will update viewers with the latest news on his untimely death, delve into the unanswered questions, and celebrate the many faces and voices that entertained us all. Anchored by David Muir, The Hour special will feature reporting from Juju Chang and Chris Connelly, as well as Barbara Walters' memories of the man she interviewed several times over the years.

As the world mourns the loss of comedic great Robin Williams, James Monroe Iglehart, who currently plays the onstage counterpart to Williams' beloved 'Genie' from ALADDIN, released the following statement on the tragedy:

Robin Williams was enrolled at The Juilliard School in the Diploma course from 1973-74 and in the B.F.A. program from 1974-75 to 1975-76. (He withdrew on February 10, 1976.)

As the world continues to mourn the tragic loss of stage and screen star Robin Williams, tributes from many of his colleagues continue to pour in on Twitter and personal statements

As the world mourns the tragic loss of stage and screen icon Robin Williams, Robert Iger, chairman and CEO of Walt Disney, released a statement on the impact he had worldwide