Ah, yes. 2013 was indeed an outstanding year for theater in Southern California. Even better: Orange County---my home base---boasted some of the best shows, period---marking an exciting theater renaissance in brilliance and artistry that I hope continues to grow here inside L.A.'s next door neighbor. With that said, here is my Top 10 Stage Shows of 2013 from Orange County and adjacent locales nearby, followed by my picks for the year's best performances.
Rattlestick Playwrights Theater announced the 2013 F*ck!ng Good Plays (festival, IV) -three (3) days of new play readings by four (4) of today's hottest playwrights. The festival, to be presented at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (224 Waverly Place - off 7th Avenue South between West 11th & Perry Streets) will begin on Monday the 16th, and continue on Wednesday the 18th and Thursday the 19th. Playwrights include: Denis Johnson, Basil Kreimendahl, Michael Laurence, and Jen Silverman. The readings will be directed by David Kennedy, Lisa Peterson, Francine Volpe, and Davis McCallum.
By popular demand, Victory Gardens Theater adds three performances of its Co-World Premiere of Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by Gary Griffin. The additional performances are tonight and tomorrow, December 12 and 13 at 7:30pm and December 14 at 4pm at Victory Gardens Theatre, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.
Samuel D. Hunter's haunting Off-Broadway smash-tragicomedy The Whale will receive its fifth production worldwide in Austin TX-Spring 2014-following successful runs at The Denver Center, Victory Gardens, South Coast Rep, and Playwrights Horizons in NYC. Austin's own A Chick & A Dude Productions will present the show at Hyde Park Theatre (511 W. 43rd St.) Thursdays through Saturdays, February 20-March 15, 2014. Curtain at 8pm. Tickets are sliding-scale "pick-your-price," $15-$30 ($10-$30 Thursdays.) Discount tickets for $10 good for any show are available to all Active Duty or retired Military, Police, Fire Department, EMS, and Medical Field employees. For more information, tickets or reservations, please visit www.achickandadude.com
Following an open submission process, six projects have been selected for the 2013/14 Kogod Cradle Series, as part of the American Voices New Play Institute at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater (1101 Sixth St., S.W.). Focused on the development of new and emerging work by artists from throughout Greater Washington and around the country, this series of workshops, readings and performances invites artists and audiences to actively explore the development process.
Williamstown Theatre Festival has named Mandy Greenfield as its new Artistic Director, the Festival's Board Chair Matt Harris announced today. Greenfield, who is currently Artistic Producer at Manhattan Theatre Club, succeeds Jenny Gersten beginning September 2014. As previously announced, Gersten departs Williamstown Theatre Festival in January 2014 to become Executive Director of Friends of the Highline. Gersten will program the upcoming 2014 season, and Williamstown Theatre Festival Producer Stephen Kaus will oversee the season. Greenfield's tenure as Artistic Director will begin immediately following the 2014 season, the Festival's 60th.
Manhattan Theatre Club's American premiere of Taking Care of Baby by Tony Award winner Dennis Kelly begins its final week of performances tonight at 7:30PM.
By popular demand, Victory Gardens Theater adds three performances of its Co-World Premiere of Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by Gary Griffin. The additional performances are December 12 and 13 at 7:30pm and December 14 at 4pm at Victory Gardens Theatre, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue. Appropriate is presented in association with Actors Theatre of Louisville and was developed, in part, by IGNITION 2012.
Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director, Manhattan Theatre Club), Barry Grove (Executive Producer, MTC), Mandy Greenfield (Artistic Producer, MTC), Jason Eagan (Artistic Director, Ars Nova), and Jeremy Blocker (Managing Director, Ars Nova) have announced the 2013-2014 participants for The Writer's Room a new program to commission, develop and support playwrights in the process of creating new work for the stage.
Manhattan Theatre Club's American premiere of TAKING CARE OF BABY by Tony Award winner Dennis Kelly opens tonight, Tuesday, November 19. Directed by Erica Schmidt (Humor Abuse), the cast features Francois Battiste (Magic/ Bird), Reed Birney (Blasted, Our Leading Lady), Kristen Bush (Kin, The Common Pursuit), Tony nominee Amelia Campbell (A Streetcar Named Desire, Our Country's Good), Margaret Colin (The Columnist, "Gossip Girl"), Michael Crane (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson off-Broadway), Ethan Phillips (Golden Age) and Zach Shaffer ("Smash").
Manhattan Theatre Club presents the American premiere of Taking Care of Baby by Dennis Kelly and directed by Erica Schmidt. Joining previously announced cast members Reed Birney (Blasted, Our Leading Lady), Kristen Bush (Kin, The Common Pursuit), Tony nominee Amelia Campbell (A Streetcar Named Desire, Our Country's Good) and Margaret Colin (The Columnist, 'Gossip Girl'), are Francois Battiste (Magic/ Bird), Michael Crane (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson off-Broadway), Ethan Phillips (Golden Age) and Zach Shaffer ('Smash').
Page 73 Productions - the Off-Broadway company dedicated to producing and developing works by early-career playwrights - will present a reading of their 2013 Interstate 73 member David Jenkins' play PINEWOOD on Monday, November 18 at 4 pm at MTC Creative Center (311 West 43rd St, 8th Floor). Davis McCallum (GODSPELL, GOD OF CARNAGE) will direct.
Playwrights Horizons has announced initial casting for the New York premiere production of STAGE KISS, a new play marking the eagerly-awaited return of two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl(Dead Man's Cell Phone at PH; The Clean House, In the Next Room...) to the theater company. Directed by Rebecca Taichman (Milk Like Sugar at PH; the current Marie Antoinette, Orlando, The Scene, Luck of the Irish), the production will begin previews Friday evening, February 7 at 8PM with an Opening Night set for Sunday, March 2 at 7PM. The limited engagement will play through Sunday evening, March 23 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).
Aurora Theatre Company continues its 22nd season with the Bay Area Premiere of Samuel D. Hunter's edgy and earnest A BRIGHT NEW BOISE. The show will run today, November 8-December 8, 2013.
On October 28, 2013 Lark Play Development Center and Playwrights of New York (PoNY) welcomed 7th PoNY Fellow Kimber Lee, the newest Lark/PoNY fellow to begin her one-year residency in the PoNY apartment in the heart of Manhattan's theater district.
Lark Play Development Center and Playwrights of New York (PoNY) welcomed 7th PoNY Kimber Lee, the newest Lark/PoNY fellow to begin her one-year residency in the PoNY apartment in the heart of Manhattan's theater district.
Winner of the Kevin Kline Award for Outstanding New Play, Falling makes its West Coast debut with one of the most awarded young theatre companies in Los Angeles, Rogue Machine. Winning upwards of 50 awards (including Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, LA Weekly, Ovation, Garland, and BEST PRODUCTION two years in a row), the company was lauded as 'Best Theatre Company of 2012' by the LA Weekly.
Partial Comfort Productions (Drama Desk nominee A Bright New Boise) continues its acclaimed World Premiere of AND MILES TO GO by Chad Beckim. Directed by Hal Brooks (Pulitzer Prize finalist Thom Pain), performances run through November 2 at The Wild Project.
Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Artistic Director; Jeremy Blocker, Managing Director) proudly presents the world premiere of the burlesque farce Eager to Lose in a limited Off-Broadway engagement, Wednesday, October 9 through Saturday, November 2 at Ars Nova (511 West 54th Street). Official Opening Night takes place Tuesday, October 22 at 7:00 PM.
