Seattle Rep News

Arizona Theatre Company presents George Is Dead, a new comedy by acclaimed writer and director Elaine May.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) announces complete casting and the creative team for the world premiere of POP!, a new musical with book and lyrics by Maggie-Kate Coleman and music by Anna K. Jacobs, directed by Mark Brokaw. POP! will play for 22 performances only, November 27-December 19. Opening Night is Thursday, December 3.

Second Stage Theatre is pleased to announce that the critically acclaimed production of Anna Deavere Smith's LET ME DOWN EASY, has extended four weeks, through December 6. Conceived, written, and performed by Ms. Smith and directed by Leonard Foglia, LET ME DOWN EASY opened on Wednesday, October 7 and was originally scheduled to run through November 8.

Last night, as part of the Rep's New Play Program and in conjunction with a more global event, The Seattle Rep presented a one night only staged reading of "The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later". Nearly 500 people were in attendance to this free reading of the play written by members of the Tectonic Theater Project, Moises Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Piertotti and Steven Belber.

Casting has been announced for the San Diego engagement of Disney's THE LION KING. San Diego's most eagerly awaited stage production ever will leap onto the Civic Theatre stage from Tuesday, October 13 to Sunday, November 8.

Come out & PLAY! October 12th through the 18th when Theatre Puget Sound hosts Live Theatre Week 2009. This 5th Annual Live Theatre Week boasts record participation from Puget Sound area arts organizations with over a dozen new theatres joining in this year with special events and/or Free Night of Theatre offers.

The Huntington Theatre Company opens its 28th season - a season of American stories - with August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Fences, the sixth chapter of his groundbreaking ten-play cycle about the 20th century African-American experience. Kenny Leon (Radio Golf, Gem of the Ocean, A Raisin in the Sun), acclaimed director and Wilson's final collaborator before his death, returns to the Huntington to helm the production, which stars John Beasley (Two Trains Running, Jitney, 'Everwood').

Sex. Lies. Violins. A cast of all-Seattle actors dives into the passionate behind-the-scenes life of a fictional string quartet in Opus at Seattle Repertory Theatre. The play is inspired by violist-turned-playwright Michael Hollinger's own quartet experiences. Opus opens in previews Oct. 30 and plays through Dec. 6 in the intimate Leo K. Theatre. Tickets are available through the Seattle Rep box office at (206) 443-2222 as well as online at www.seattlerep.org.

Marin Theatre Company will produce the world premiere of its 2009 Sky Cooper New American Play Prize winner, Sunlight by Sharr White, January 21 through February 14, 2010. In addition to the Sky Cooper Prize, Sunlight has garnered substantial national recognition. Following MTC's premiere, this searing political thriller will be produced at three other theaters as part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere-Arts West in Seattle, Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis, and New Jersey Rep.

Long Wharf Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Gordon Edelstein and Managing Director Ray Cullom, will present the beloved musical The Fantasticks, directed by Amanda Dehnert, from October 7 through November 1, 2009, on the Mainstage.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) will launch its 31st season this fall with the New York premiere of Anna Deavere Smith's LET ME DOWN EASY. Conceived, written, and performed by Ms. Smith and directed by Leonard Foglia, LET ME DOWN EASY will begin preview performances on Tuesday, September 15 and will officially open on Wednesday, October 7 at 6:45pm.

Italian mothers and daughters are depicted in genuine Italian style in Antoinette LaVecchia's new comedy, HOW TO BE A GOOD ITALIAN DAUGHTER, which gives a performance on Columbus Day, Monday, October 12 at 7 p.m. Off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Studio Theatre (38 Commerce St.) in Greenwich Village.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) will launch its 31st season this fall with the New York premiere of Anna Deavere Smith's LET ME DOWN EASY. Conceived, written, and performed by Ms. Smith and directed by Leonard Foglia, LET ME DOWN EASY will begin preview performances on Tuesday, September 15 and will officially open on Wednesday, October 7 at 6:45pm.

Wishful Drinking at Broadway's Studio 54 (254 West 54th Street) celebrated its official opening last night, Sunday, October 4th, 2009. BroadwayWorld.com's cameras captured the celebrated crowd as they arrived to cheer Carrie Fisher on!

The Yale Repertory Theatre will present Danai Gurira's ECLIPSED beginning October 24th, with an opening night of October 29th. The cast will feature Pascale Armand, Zainab Jah, Adepero Oduye, Stacey Sargeant, and Shona Tucker.

The romance of Florence comes to life on stage as Philadelphia Theatre Company continues its 2009-2010 season with the hit Broadway musical The Light in the Piazza with book by Craig Lucas and music and lyrics by Adam Guettel on November 13 - December 6. Directed by Joe Calarco, the ensemble cast features Whitney Bashor, Sherri Edelen, Joe Guzman, Ken Krugman, Kyra Miller, Fran Prisco, Matthew Scott, and Maureen Torsney-Weir.

The Seattle Rep has opened it's 2009-2010 season with a real crowd pleaser, "The 39 Steps". This Tony Award winning play that is still running on Broadway after almost 2 years shows that it knows how to charm audiences outside of New York as well.

Arizona Theatre Company presents George Is Dead, a new comedy by acclaimed writer and director Elaine May.

Superior Donuts, Steppenwolf's new American play by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning ensemble member Tracy Letts will follow Letts' Tony Award-winning play August: Osage County into The Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street), beginning performances on Wednesday, September 16, 2009, with an officially opening on Thursday, October 1, 2009.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is pleased to announce its new American play Superior Donuts, by Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning ensemble member Tracy Letts and directed by ensemble member Tina Landau, will open on Broadway October 1, 2009 (at a Shubert Theatre to be announced). Superior Donuts makes its Broadway debut direct from its sold-out world premiere at Steppenwolf last summer. Casting for the Broadway engagement will be announced shortly.