Shakespeare & Company News

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) announces The 2018 TRU Voices New Plays Reading Series, with Jasper on June 11, 2018 at 7pm and Adele's Wayon June 18, 2018 at 7pm at the Soho Playhouse, 15 Vandam St., New York, NY.

Rebel Theatrical Management, LLC (Harvey Butler, producer), in association with The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture, have announced, today, the cast and the creative team for the New York premiere of the new play Little Rock, written and directed by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj. Performances are set to begin Today, May 30, 2018 for a limited run through September 8, 2018 at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (18 Bleecker Street). Opening Night is set for Thursday, June 14, 2018 at 7:00PM.

Having opened to rave reviews at the beginning of this year, the UK and Ireland tour of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Matilda the Musical has announced today that Craige Els will extend his contract and play Miss Trunchbull at Manchester's Palace Theatre from 18th September to 24th November 2018.

59E59 Theaters (Val Day, Artistic Director; Brian Beirne, Managing Director) is thrilled to welcome the NYC premiere of THE ORIGINALIST written by John Strand and directed by Molly Smith. Produced by Middle Finger Production, LLC [Beth Newburger, Executive Producer] and Arena Stage and part of 59E59's Subscription Series, THE ORIGINALIST begins performances on Saturday, July 14 for a limited engagement through Sunday, August 19. 

Bay Street Theater and Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the full cast and creative team for the World Premiere of FELLOW TRAVELERS, a new play by Jack Canfora, directed by Michael Wilson. The production will run as the first show in Bay Street Theater's 2018 Mainstage Season, from May 29 - June 17, 2018. Single tickets are on sale now, and tickets are also still available as part of a Mainstage Subscription. To purchase tickets and subscriptions, call the Box Office at 631-725-9500 or purchase online at www.baystreet.org.

After last year's (2017) sold-out run, and the most successful show in the 40 year history of Theatre Rhinoceros, we are thrilled to be presenting - BY POPULAR DEMAND - an encore production for 2017/2018 Season of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - The Musical. Priscilla has a book by Australian film director/writer Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, using well-known pop songs as its score. Adapted from Elliott's 1994 Oscar-winning film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the musical is the heart-warming, uplifting adventure of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship and end up finding more than they could have ever dreamed of. With a dazzling array of over-the-top costumes, extraordinary headdresses, A FULL SIZE BUS - ON STAGE, and a hit parade of dance floor favorites, this wildly fresh and funny musical is a journey to the heart of FABULOUS.

Following sell-out shows in London, Edinburgh and Adelaide, Qadita production's TAHA, the award winning lyrical story of the life of Palestinian poet Taha Muhammad Ali will be presented in the State Theatre for 6 shows only from July 10-14 as part of Art Centre Melbourne's Big World, Up Close series. Written and performed by Palestinian author and performer Amer Hlehel, TAHA has been translated into English and directed by Amir Nizar Zuabi, one of the Middle East's most important writer/directors.

Baz Bamigboye of The Daily Mail has just reported that pop singer Robbie Williams has signed on to write the music and lyrics for a stage adaptation of the best-selling children's novel The Boy in the Dress.

Good morning BroadwayWorld! Today's top stories: HAIR is NBC's next live musical, get a first look at SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE, and more!

Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA; Jeffrey Horowitz, Founding Artistic Director) announces a public reading of Obie and Drama Desk Award-winning playwright Will Eno's Gnit, directed by Oliver Butler (The Open House, 2014), and starring acclaimed stage and screen actor Michael C. Hall (stage: Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway, David Bowie's Lazarus at NYTW; screen: Six Feet Under, Dexter). The reading will take place June 18 at 7pm at Polonsky Shakespeare Center (262 Ashland Place, Brooklyn, NY).

The Boston Theater Critics Association (BTCA) celebrated more than two dozen outstanding actors, directors, designers, and ensembles at The 36th Annual Elliot Norton Awards ceremony at the Huntington Avenue Theatre last night. The coveted Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence was presented to Leigh Barrett, Robert J. Eagle received a Special Citation in honor of his 50 years at Reagle Music Theatre, and the Guest of Honor Award went to internet sensation Randy Rainbow.

Pittsburgh Public Theater welcomes back The Reduced Shakespeare Company (RSC) to close season 43 with William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged). Written and directed by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, this uproarious comedy runs May 31 - July 1, 2018 at the O'Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater's home in the heart of Downtown's Cultural District. For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.org.

Classic Spring announces Olivier-Award winner Sophie Thompson as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest, from 20 July at the Vaudeville theatre. Directed by Michael Fentiman, the production also stars Jeremy Swift in the role of Reverend Chasuble and Sinead Matthews as Gwendolyn Fairfax.

Following a review of new audience research carried out on behalf of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Matilda The Musical it is announced today that from 12 September all evening weekday performances of the award-winning musical will begin at 7pm (Tuesday-Friday).

Awards were presented to more than two dozen outstanding actors, directors, designers, and ensembles last night, May 21, by The BostonTheater CriticsAssociation (BTCA), at The 36th Annual Elliot Norton Awards ceremony, held at the Huntington Avenue Theatre.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater celebrates GALA 2018 on Friday, June 8, 2018 across the company's multi-faceted complex on Navy Pier. Funds raised will benefit the Chicago Shakespeare in Classrooms and Communities initiatives-which includes the Tony Award-winning Theater's nationally recognized education programs and free citywide Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks tour. Chicago Shakespeare will present the Spirit of Shakespeare Awards to Civic Honorees Marilynn and Carl Thoma and Artistic Honoree John Lithgow. Guests will enjoy a one-night-only performance in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, featuring Tony and Grammy Award-winner Heather Headley and The Voice all-star Chris Mann.

Kentucky Shakespeare kicks off its 58th annual free Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Central Park with a comedy, a history, and a tragedy. The season begins with their professional productions of The Comedy of Errors on May 30th, then Henry IV, Part I on June 14th, followed by Othello on July 28th. Each production will run for two weeks, followed by all three productions in rotating repertory July 10th-22nd. An addition to this year's schedule are Bard-A-Thon Double Feature Saturdays. On July 14th A Comedy of Errors and Othello will be performed and Othello and Henry IV, Part I will be performed on July 21st.

"Noises Off" makes for a fun night out of sidesplitting laughter and loads of slapstick comedy performed by one of the most talented companies in Cincinnati! Don't miss it running now through June 9!

Kentucky Shakespeare kicks off its 58th annual free Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Central Park with a comedy, a history, and a tragedy. The season begins with their professional productions of The Comedy of Errors on May 30th, then Henry IV, Part I on June 14th, followed by Othello on July 28th. Each production will run for two weeks, followed by all three productions in rotating repertory July 10th-22nd. An addition to this year's schedule are Bard-A-Thon Double Feature Saturdays. On July 14th A Comedy of Errors and Othello will be performed and Othello and Henry IV, Part I will be performed on July 21st.

The American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) is pleased to announce The Sauk of Jonesville, Michigan, has been selected to participate in AACT NewPlayFest as a Producing Theatre.