Signature Theatre News

DivaFest 2017 will present the Midwest Premiere of the award-winning solo play, HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, written and performed by Heather Massie.

The seven originating theaters of the Women's Voices Theater Festival - Arena Stage, Ford's Theatre, Round House Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company - have announced preliminary details for the second installment of the Women's Voices Theater Festival, January 15 - February 15, 2018.

The Signature Theatre world premiere production of The Antipodes, written by Residency Five playwright Annie Baker and directed by Lila Neugebauer, has been extended one week after selling out its initial run in less than 72 hours.

The searing new play Sweat begins previews on Broadway tomorrow Saturday, March 4 at Studio 54 (254 West 54th Street). Following a sold out, critically acclaimed engagement at New York's Public Theater, Sweat, the new play by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, directed by Kate Whoriskey will officially open on Broadway on March 26, 2017.

Playwright Mashuq Deen (New Dramatists Fellow 2022) brings the story of his own transgender journey as a member of a traditional South Asian family and Playwright Catherine Filloux, winner of more than 40 awards for playwriting, activism and peace work, brings her latest work to the stage at New York City's first arts-advocacy festival of its kind, the International Human Rights Art Festival.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre today announced the world premiere production of Roe written by Lisa Loomer and directed by Bill Rauch. Roe is a co-production with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Arena Stage.

The UC San Diego Department of Theatre and Dance presents The Taming of the Shrew(d), an adaptation of Shakespeare's original text by Kristen Tregar and Kyle Donnelly, directed by Kyle Donnelly.

Today's subject (click on the name for lots of great music) Josh Schmidt is currently living his theatre life at Signature Theatre as the composer/co-lyricist and orchestrator of the world premiere musical Midwestern Gothic. The production runs from March 14 to April 30.

The Old Globe today announced the complete cast and creative team of Red Velvet by Lolita Chakrabarti.

The new racially-charged drama Detroit Blues announces their 29 hour reading, which will be directed by Obie award-winning Leah C. Gardiner (Public Theater, Soho Rep), written by Patrice Cassedy, with casting by Tara Rubin Casting. The readings will be held at Theatre 54 at Shetler Studios (244 West 54th Street - 12 Floor) on Friday, March 10th at 12pm and 3:00pm.

Charlotte Cohn, co-producers SCS Innovations, LLC, Forty-Eight Theatrical Group, Brierpatch Productions, Neil Gooding Productions, Karen Cohen/Jack Hayflick, Ralph Meranto/JCC Centerstage, in association with NewYorkRep & The Telling Company, present the New York Premiere of Jason Odell Williams' critically acclaimed play Church & State. A friendly reminder that performances begin tomorrow, March 3, 2017 for an open-ended run at New World Stages (340 W. 50th Street - between 8th & 9th Avenues). Opening Night is Monday, March 20, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.

Goodspeed Musicals kicks off its 2017 season at The Goodspeed with the Broadway hit Thoroughly Modern Millie. You'll get a kick out of this dance-filled musical comedy running April 21 - July 2 at The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn.

The Nora Theatre Company is proud to Madeleine George's Precious Little from March 2 - 26, 2017.Precious Little  is directed by Melia Bensussen . The press performance is Monday, March 6 at 7:30PM. Precious Little is a A Catalyst Collaborative@MIT Production.

Rehearsals began this week for the revival of John Guare's critically acclaimed play Six Degrees of Separation starring seven-time Emmy Award winner Allison Janney ('Mom,' The Girl on the Train) as Ouisa, Tony Award winner John Benjamin Hickey (The Normal Heart, 'Manhattan') as Flan and Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton, '24: Legacy') as Paul. Directed by Trip Cullman (Significant Other, Yen), Six Degrees of Separation will begin previews Wednesday, April 5 prior to the official opening on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at the Barrymore Theatre. The production will play a 15-week run through Sunday, July 16.

Theater Close-Up -- the unique collaboration between THIRTEEN and the large community of New York City area Off-Broadway and regional theaters - continues with John Strand's The Originalist, captured live on-stage at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., Monday, March 13 at 9 p.m. on THIRTEEN, with an encore presentation on Sunday, March 19 at 3:40 a.m. The play will also air Sunday, March 26 at 10 p.m. on WLIW21. The play, directed on the stage by Molly Smith, will be available for streaming for two weeks after the broadcast. L to R: Edward Gero as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Kerry Warren as Cat in The Originalist at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Credit: C. Stanley Photography. Four-time Helen Hayes Award winner Edward Gero (Red) returned to Arena Stage as one of America's most brilliant and polarizing figures: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. When bright, liberal, Harvard Law School graduate Cat (Kerry Warren) embarks on a nerve-wracking clerkship with Justice Scalia, she discovers him to be both an infuriating sparring partner and an unexpected mentor. How will their relationship affect one of the most incendiary cases ever to reach the nation's highest court? Along the way, Cat's relationship with Scalia is complicated further by Brad (Harlan Work), an adversarial law clerk on Scalia's staff. Gero had last appeared at Arena Stage as Mark Rothko in 'Red.' He is a four-time Helen Hayes winner and 14-time nominee. Regional credits include Mark Rothko in 'Red' at the Goodman Theatre; the title role of 'Sweeney Todd' at Signature Theatre; 'The Chosen' at Theater J; Ebenezer Scrooge in 'A Christmas Carol' and Horace Vandergelder in 'Hello, Dolly!' at Ford's Theatre; 'American Buffalo,' 'Shining City' (Helen Hayes nomination) and 'Skylight' (Helen Hayes Award) at Studio Theatre; and 'The Matchmaker' at Center Stage. In 30 seasons with the Shakespeare Theatre Company, he's played 70 roles, including Helen Hayes-winning turns in 'Henry IV,' 'Richard II' and 'Macbeth.' In New York, he's appeared at South Street Theatre and Classic Stage. Author John Strand is a resident playwright with Arena Stage through the American Voices New Play Institute. His previous work at Arena Stage includes 'The Miser,' an adaptation of the Moliere play set in Reagan-era America; 'Lovers and Executioners,' winner of the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play; and Tom Walker, also commissioned by Arena Stage. His recent work includes the book and lyrics for 'Hat! A Vaudeville,' a new musical with a score by composer Dennis McCarthy (South Coast Repertory); 'Lincolnesque,' a dark comedy about politics and madness in D.C. (The Old Globe, dir. by Joe Calarco); and 'Lorenzaccio,' his adaptation of Alfred de Musset's 1834 French classic (Shakespeare Theatre Company, dir. by Michael Kahn). Of the Arena Stage production, The New York Times wrote, '... The meat of the play draws a portrait of the private man in accordance with the public record: rigid in his views, deeply moralistic and unafraid to express his florid contempt for those benighted souls who see things from any perspective other than his own. Also: He's funny.' DC Theatre Scene opined, 'Arena and director Molly Smith have given this fine work a good, rigorous production ... Edward Gero is a continuing wonder ...' Theater Close-Up on THIRTEEN has most recently featured Rasheeda Speaking from The New Group, Fashions for Men from Mint Theater, Wiesenthal filmed at the Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row, Repairing a Nation from Crossroads Theatre Company in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Incident at Vichy from Signature Theatre Company, The Woodsman recorded at New World Stages, Buried Child from The New Group, and Buyer & Cellar from Westport Country Playhouse. THIRTEEN is using its unrivaled expertise in producing national PBS arts programming - which began with such classic series as Theater in America, part of the award-winning series Great Performances and special limited series such as Stage on Screen -- to provide New Yorkers with unparalleled access to great Off-Broadway and regional offerings. The Originalist is a production of Stage17, and was directed for television by Diana Basmajian. For Theater Close-Up, Mitch Owgang is producer; Bill O'Donnell is series producer; and David Horn is executive producer. Executive-in-charge for WNET is Neal Shapiro. Major support for this presentation of Theater Close-Up is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation, and Bernard and Irene Schwartz. # # # About WNET WNET is America's flagship PBS station and parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21. WNET also operates NJTV, the statewide public media network in New Jersey. Through its broadcast channels, three cable services (KidsThirteen, Create and World) and online streaming sites, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to more than five million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings. WNET's groundbreaking series for children and young adults include Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase as well as Mission US, the award-winning interactive history game. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams and MetroFocus, the daily multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. In addition, WNET produces online-only programming including the award-winning series about gender, First Person, and an intergenerational look at tech and pop culture, The Chatterbox with Kevin and Grandma Lill. In 2015, THIRTEEN launched Passport, an online streaming service which allows members to see new and archival THIRTEEN and PBS programming anytime, anywhere: www.thirteen.org/passport. About Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater Under the leadership of Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Director Edgar Dobie, is a national center dedicated to American voices and artists. Arena Stage produces plays of all that is passionate, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit, and presents diverse and ground-breaking work from some of the best artists around the country. Arena Stage is committed to commissioning and developing new plays and impacts the lives of over 10,000 students annually through its work in community engagement. Now in its seventh decade, Arena Stage serves a diverse annual audience of more than 300,000. Arenastage.org For media only: Photos and press releases can be accessed here: http://www.thirteen.org/13pressroom/press-release/theater-close-originalist/

The Signature Theatre world premiere production of Wakey, Wakey, written and directed by Lucille Lortel and Obie Award-winner Will Eno, has been extended for a second time.

The New Group presents the world premiere of All the Fine Boys, a new play from writer and director Erica Schmidt, featuring Abigail Breslin, Isabelle Fuhrman, Joe Tippett and Alex Wolff. The show opens tonight, March 1, for a limited Off-Broadway engagement playing through March 26 at The Pershing Square Signature Center (Ford Foundation Studio Theatre, 480 West 42nd Street).

Linda, the new play by Penelope Skinner (The Ruins of Civilization at MTC, The Village Bike), directed by MTC's award-winning Artistic Director Lynne Meadow (The Assembled Parties, Wit), opens tonight, February 28, at MTC at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street). BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The New Group has announced full casting for Hamish Linklater's The Whirligig, with Noah Bean, Jon DeVries, Alex Hurt, Jonny Orsini and Grace Van Patten, and as previously announced, Norbert Leo Butz, Zosia Mamet and Maura Tierney, set to appear in this world premiere directed by Scott Elliott.

Casting is confirmed and tickets are now on sale for the Signature Theatre world premiere production of The Antipodes, written by Residency Five playwright Annie Baker and directed by Lila Neugebauer.