Stephen Michael Spencer News

The Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program opens their 2017-18 season with Shakespeare's timely classic: Macbeth.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival will open William Shakespeare's Timon of Athens, directed by Amanda Dehnert, on July 31 at 1:30 p.m. in the Angus Bowmer Theatre. Preview performances are offered July 28 and 29. This will be only the fourth time that OSF has presented Timon of Athens in its 81-year history, the last time being in 1997. This also marks OSF's fourth completion of Shakespeare's canon since 1935.

Playwright Lynn Nottage notches another feather in her cap of outstanding work.

Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage's SWEAT, currently making its premiere at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, could be headed off-Broadway next year. 

Cleveland Play House (CPH) will begin the New Year with a captivating production of Yentl. Based on the short story 'Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy' by Isaac Bashevis Singer and adapted for the stage by Leah Napolin and Singer, Yentl tells the story of a young Jewish woman rebelling against the limitations placed upon her gender by society. This incredible CPH production will be directed by Michael Perlman and will run from tonight, Jan. 10 - Feb. 2 in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare.

Cleveland Play House (CPH) will begin the New Year with a captivating production of Yentl. Based on the short story "Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy" by Isaac Bashevis Singer and adapted for the stage by Leah Napolin and Singer, Yentl tells the story of a young Jewish woman rebelling against the limitations placed upon her gender by society. This incredible CPH production will be directed by Michael Perlman and will run from Jan. 10 - Feb. 2 in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare.

The Case Western Reserve/Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program's class of 2014 has some excellent actors who should do well in their professional pursuits. Their production of TWELFTH NIGHT has some performance highlights, but the students appear to have been done a disservice by what could be declared a misdirected version of TWELFTH NIGHT. Maybe they can use the experience to learn the necessity of consistency of intent and directing execution.

Cleveland Play House's The 2013 New Ground Theatre Festival lit up the three stages in the Allen Theatre complex starting on May 2nd with parts running through the 19th.