Sharon Ott News

Broadway's most talked about new musical and the biggest Tony Award?-winner in years is coming to the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis. Spring Awakening, the 8-time Tony Award? winning Broadway musical, will play a two-week engagement from February 10-22, 2009. Curtain times for the U.S. Bank Broadway Series presentation are Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 & 8 p.m.; Sunday, February 15 at 2 & 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, February 22 at 2 p.m. There is also a weekday matinee on Thursday, February 19 at 1 p.m.

In her 13 years as artistic director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Sharon Ott led the company to new artistic heights, national prestige, and a well-deserved Tony Award. Now, after a 12-year absence, she returns with a gripping production of Fyodor Dostoevsky's classic Crime and Punishment. The scene of this Crime is Berkeley Rep's intimate Thrust Stage, where Ott earned her reputation as a dazzling director. The show begins previews on February 27, opens March 4, and closes March 29. Its executive producers are John and Helen Meyer and Richard H. Rubin and H. Marcia Smolens, with production sponsorship from the Bernard Osher Foundation. BART and Wells Fargo are the season sponsors for Berkeley Rep's 41st year of fearless theatre.

South Coast Repertory starts off the New Year with the World Premiere of You, Nero, a comedy by Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Freed. Commissioned by SCR, You, Nero imagines a meeting during the declining years of the Roman Empire between Scribonius, a put-upon playwright, and Emperor Nero, the all-powerful, narcissistic arbiter of art. The production sent along a few very funny clips of this new comedy, here is second segment!

You, Nero imagines a meeting during the declining years of the Roman Empire between Scribonius, a put-upon playwright, and Emperor Nero, the all-powerful, narcissistic arbiter of art.

YOU, NERO video clip is available on YouTube. You Nero is by Amy Freed, directed by Sharon Ott. The creative team is made up of Erik Flatmo (set design), Paloma H. Young (costume design), Peter Maradudin (lighting design), Stephen LeGrand (music composition/sound design), Eric Drew Feldman (music composition/sound design), John Glore (dramaturg) and Julie Haber (stage manager).

South Coast Repertory starts off the New Year with the World Premiere of You, Nero, a comedy by Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Freed. Commissioned by SCR, You, Nero imagines a meeting during the declining years of the Roman Empire between Scribonius, a put-upon playwright, and Emperor Nero, the all-powerful, narcissistic arbiter of art. The Roman romp stars Danny Scheie as Nero and John Vickery as Scribonius. Produced in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre and directed by Sharon Ott,You, Nero will run from Jan. 4 through Jan. 25, 2009 on the Julianne Argyros Stage. Low-priced previews are available from Jan. 4 through Jan. 8. Opening night is Jan. 9. Press night is Saturday, Jan. 10 at 7:45 p.m. Tickets to You, Nero may be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or in person at the SCR box office.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre celebrates the New Year with a new film, new books, a popular CD, more venues for its touring shows, and two world premieres here at home. In 2008, the Theatre moved a musical to Broadway with its original cast intact and repeatedly broke box-office records in Berkeley with a series of spectacular solo shows. That sounds like a tough act to follow, but the future looks bright for this Tony Award-winning company:

Last year, Berkeley Repertory Theatre introduced lower ticket prices to ensure that everyone could enjoy world-class theatre. Now, as reports about the economy encourage consumers to tighten their belts, its series of free events allows theatre lovers another way to stretch their entertainment dollars.

JANUARY - APRIL 2009 JANUARY January 4 - 25 ● Julianne Argyros Stage ● World Premiere YOU, NERO By Amy Freed Directed by Sharon Ott The World Premiere of Pulitzer Prize nominee Amy Freed's new comedy about the infamous Roman emperor who decides to commission a play that could be the Colosseum's biggest hit ever - if its hapless author lives to tell the tale. Commissioned by SCR, You, Nero is directed by Sharon Ott who directed the staged reading at the 2008 Pacific Playwrights Festival. Freed's plays include the SCR commissions The Beard of Avon, Safe in Hell and Freedomland. Previews Jan. 4-8, opens Jan. 9, closes Jan. 25. Tickets: $20-$64 (Previews $20-$45, Regular Run $28-$64) See last page for performance schedule.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre greets the new year by proudly presenting its 50th world premiere, a new comedy about marriage, intimacy, and electricity from the creators of Eurydice. Celebrated playwright Sarah Ruhl and Obie Award-winning director Les Waters come together again for the debut of In the Next Room (or the vibrator play). Commissioned by Berkeley Rep and staged in the state-of-the-art Roda Theatre, this hotly anticipated play begins previews on January 30, opens February 4, and closes March 15. BART and Wells Fargo serve as season sponsors for Berkeley Rep's 41st year of fearless theatre, and the executive producer for this show is the Strauch Kulhanjian Family.

South Coast Reperatory Calendar of events for December - March 2009

South Coast Repertory starts off the New Year with the World Premiere of You, Nero, a comedy by Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Freed. Commissioned by SCR, You, Nero imagines a meeting during the declining years of the Roman Empire between Scribonius, a put-upon playwright, and Emperor Nero, the all-powerful, narcissistic arbiter of art. The Roman romp stars Danny Scheie as Nero and John Vickery as Scribonius. Produced in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre and directed by Sharon Ott,You, Nero will run from Jan. 4 through Jan. 25, 2009 on the Julianne Argyros Stage. Low-priced previews are available from Jan. 4 through Jan. 8. Opening night is Jan. 9. Press night is Saturday, Jan. 10 at 7:45 p.m. Tickets to You, Nero may be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or in person at the SCR box office.

South Coast Reperatory Calendar of events for December - March 2009

Renowned actor Delroy Lindo returns to Berkeley Repertory Theatre with the play that netted him a nomination for the Tony Award - but this time, he's in the director's chair. Following last year's triumph with Tanya Barfield's Blue Door, Lindo takes on August Wilson's African-American epic, Joe Turner's Come and Gone. Staged in the state-of-the-art Roda Theatre, this show begins previews on October 31, opens November 5, and closes December 14.

Renowned actor Delroy Lindo returns to Berkeley Repertory Theatre with the play that netted him a nomination for the Tony Award - but this time, he's in the director's chair. Following last year's triumph with Tanya Barfield's Blue Door, Lindo takes on August Wilson's African-American epic, Joe Turner's Come and Gone. Staged in the state-of-the-art Roda Theatre, this show begins previews on October 31, opens November 5, and closes December 14. Joe Turner is produced in association with the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, thanks to executive producers Wayne Jordan and Quinn Delaney and Felicia Woytak and Steve Rasmussen. BART and Wells Fargo are the season sponsors for Berkeley Rep's 41st year of fearless theatre.

Renowned actor Delroy Lindo returns to Berkeley Repertory Theatre with the play that netted him a nomination for the Tony Award - but this time, he's in the director's chair.

Please don't remain silent! That was Berkeley Repertory Theatre's motto in 1968, and it remains true today. As part of a 40-year tradition of engaging theatregoers in passionate dialogue about its work, the Tony Award-winning company launched its backstage blog this week. The website at berkeleyrep.org already lets visitors watch videos, download podcasts, purchase tickets, and read interviews and reviews. It also helps them find out about free events, nearby restaurants, and special offers. Now it brings the audience behind the scenes at blog.berkeleyrep.org.

The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation is proud to announce the recipient of the 2008 Denham Fellowship. The Denham Committee, comprised of board members Edie Cowan, Tisa Chang, Paul Lazarus, Sharon Ott and Mary Robinson, decided to name director Jessi D. Hill as the second Denham Fellow and award her $3,000 in support of her production of Angel Eaters at Flux Theatre Ensemble in New York, New York.

Berkeley is the birthplace of California cuisine, and now Berkeley Repertory Theatre tempts theatregoers to arrive early for its shows with a series of gourmet tastings.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre kicks off its 2008/09 Season with the world premiere of a provocative new play set in Berkeley and written by a Berkeley native: renowned playwright Itamar Moses returns to his hometown with Yellowjackets, a script set just around the corner in the halls of his alma mater.