Shannon Hartman News

After their sold-out run of 'Happy Birthday, Wanda June', Burbage Theatre Company presents the Rhode Island Theatrical Premiere of 'Titus Andronicus' the first tragedy written by William Shakespeare, directed by Jeff Church, which opens previews tonight, February 18, as the second and final play in the Burbage Theatre Company'swinter series, This Winter's War. 

After their sold-out run of 'Happy Birthday, Wanda June', Burbage Theatre Company presents the Rhode Island Theatrical Premiere of 'Titus Andronicus' the first tragedy written by William Shakespeare, directed by Jeff Church, which opens previews February 18 as the second and final play in the Burbage Theatre Company'swinter series, This Winter's War. 

There's a moment in the play Stupid F#%*ing Bird, currently playing at The Wilbury Group, where a character talks about how contemporary theaters adapt and reimagine Shakespeare. Certainly, it's always a tricky proposition, reconfiguring a classic work and attempting to bring it into the current era while maintaining all the aspects, themes and characteristics that made it great. Or, at least, finding a way to reshape it so it will hold up in front of today's audiences, keeping them engaged and entertained within of our modern-day context. As written by Aaron Posner, adapted from the classic Anton Chekhov play The Seagull, Bird is a play that more than holds its own as a thought provoking, entertaining and hilarious modern take on a theatrical classic.

Aaron Posner's STUPID F-ING BIRD begins performances tonight, January 21, and runs until February 6, 2016 at The Wilbury Group. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Aaron Posner's STUPID F-ING BIRD begins performances this Thursday, January 21, and runs until February 6, 2016 at The Wilbury Group. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Rhode Island's theater community had much to celebrate in 2015.  Outstanding productions graced stages from the East Bay to South County, up-and-coming theatrical companies left their mark on the arts scene, and excellent concerts and dance events made for some of the best performances of the year.

The struggle to find something real, something true or something meaningful, in life is certainly something everyone can relate to. All of us, or most of us, at least, spend some or maybe even all of our lives searching for just that. True love. Meaningful work. Artistic expression that has a real impact. Our true selves. Searching for these things is at the heart of our lives and our life's work. And it's at the heart of the excellent musical Passing Strange, now receiving it's Rhode Island premiere at The Wilbury Group.

'The Daily Show's' John Oliver is pulling double duty this summer when he once again brings together some of his favorite stand-up comedians for the fourth season of 'John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show,' premiering on COMEDY CENTRAL tonight, July 26 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

'The Daily Show's' John Oliver is pulling double duty this summer when he once again brings together some of his favorite stand-up comedians for the fourth season of 'John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show,' premiering on Comedy Central tonight, July 26 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

'The Daily Show's' John Oliver is pulling double duty this summer when he once again brings together some of his favorite stand-up comedians for the fourth season of 'John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show,' premiering on COMEDY CENTRAL on Friday, July 26 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

'The Daily Show's' John Oliver is pulling double duty this summer when he once again brings together some of his favorite stand-up comedians for the fourth season of 'John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show,' premiering on COMEDY CENTRAL on Friday, July 26 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

To paraphrase an old saying, you can't swing a dead cat in a Rhode Island theater without hitting a graduate of either Rhode Island College or University of Rhode Island. But don't worry, that's a good thing. RIC and URI have been consistently producing highly talented young theater professionals for a number of years. Local theaters, both on stage and behind the scenes, are teeming with these talented, enthusiastic, capable artists. And while there are other schools in the area producing similar talent, it seems that RIC and URI appear most frequently in the playbills of local productions. In the case of Daydream Theatre Company's current show, Higher Methods, talented young actors from the aforementioned schools happen to be the highlight of the evening. Rather than a daydream, the play is more of a fever dream, bordering on a nightmare. It is the tale of a young actor who travels to Los Angeles, Hollywood specifically, to find his long lost sister. In his efforts to hunt her down, he traces her steps, trying to experience everything she did. Along the way, he becomes lost in a strange world where little makes sense and nothing is what it seems.

John Oliver is back, and he's brought some new friends for the third season of JOHN OLIVER'S NEW YORK STAND-UP SHOW, premiering on COMEDY CENTRAL tonight, July 20 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

John Oliver is back, and he's brought some new friends for the third season of JOHN OLIVER'S NEW YORK STAND-UP SHOW, premiering on COMEDY CENTRAL on Friday, July 20 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Donald Glover dispenses excess hysterics in his new one-hour World Premiere Stand-Up Special 'Donald Glover: Weirdo,' debuting on Saturday, November 19 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT on COMEDY CENTRAL.

Donald Glover dispenses excess hysterics in his new one-hour World Premiere Stand-Up Special 'Donald Glover: Weirdo,' debuting on Saturday, November 19 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT on COMEDY CENTRAL.

T.J. Miller brings his live-wire delivery, irreverent characters and ridiculous notions to his first-ever COMEDY CENTRAL original one-hour stand-up special, 'T.J. Miller: No Real Reason' debuting on Saturday, November 12 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.