Sundance Theatre News

Roundabout Theatre Company and Columbia University School of the Arts have announced the winners of Columbia@Roundabout's 2019 New Play Reading Series. As part of the collaborative partnership between Roundabout Theatre Company and Columbia University, the reading series awards three playwrights from the current MFA program and recent alumni with a cash prize as well as a reading in Roundabout's Rehearsal Hall, followed by a post-reading reception. Five finalists have also received cash prizes in recognition of their exceptional work. No other collaborative partnership in the New York area brings together an esteemed Ivy League MFA program with a Tony Award-winning, not-for-profit theatre. The reading series is made possible by a grant from The Tow Foundation.   

Strawdog Theatre announces the final production of its 32nd season, the Midwest premiere of C.A. Johnson's dystopian drama THIRST, directed by Andrea J. Dymond, set for January 9 a?" February 15, 2020. The press opening is Monday, January 13 at 7:30 pm.

a??a??a??a??a??a??a??The Lark, a theater company devoted to the support of extraordinary playwrights and the development of new plays, is thrilled to announce that Sam Chanse, J. Julian Christopher, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, C.A. Johnson, and Abe Koogler have been selected as the 2019-20 Rita Goldberg Playwrights' Workshop Fellows. This year marks the 20th iteration of the Workshop, which was established by renowned playwright Arthur Kopit, and brings together emerging and established playwrights in a space where they are free to explore new material, without commercial pressures.

 Back to Back Theatre's newest work, The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes asks its audience to consider a history we would prefer not to remember, and a future that is ambivalent.

Lovers of new theatre will gather this August for an advance look at tomorrow's hits at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's 2019 New Works Festival at Palo Alto's Lucie Stern Theatre. This unique festival offers audiences an extraordinary opportunity to experience new plays and musicals in their early stages of development, and hear about the creative process in a "Meet the Artists" panel discussion. With multiple performances of each work, playwrights and composers are able to revise and refine their shows during the festival, allowing audiences to view the exciting evolution of brand new pieces of theatre. The popular festival runs August 9 - 18, 2019 at the Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto. Festival passes ($65 general$49 season subscribers) and single event tickets ($20) can be purchased online at theatreworks.org or by calling (650) 463-1960.

A major new theatrical work from Back to Back Theatre, co-commissioned and presented by Carriageworks, The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes, will have its world premiere at Carriageworks on 25 September, before completing an Australian tour and going on to the United States. Inspired by its own ensemble of actors, Back to Back Theatre is a leading voice in contemporary world theatre. Over the last decade the multi-award-winning company has presented 44 national and 82 international seasons of its work. This production will explore the changing nature of intelligence in contemporary society.

Goodman Theatre announces a line-up of free readings written by members of its Playwrights Unit-a year-long residency for Chicago-based writers to develop their plays-in-progress with the Goodman's artistic team, in partnership with Chicago Dramatists. Members of the 2018/2019 Playwrights Unit include Georgette Kelly, Dianne Nora, Marisela Treviño Orta and Stacey Rose. Free, one-time-only readings take place July 5-7 at Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn); to make a reservation call 312.443.3800 or visit GoodmanTheatre.org/PlaywrightsUnitReadings. Availability is extremely limited. More information about each writer follows; headshots can be found in the Press Room.

Now in its eleventh consecutive year, the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre presents Vibrant 2019 A Festival of Finborough Playwrights, its annual explosion of new writing, running between 16 June-4 July 2019.

The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), the not-for-profit foundation of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), will host a conversation entitled 'Producing Theatre for an Ageless Audience', moderated by Linda Hartzell, SDC Foundation Trustee and Artistic Director Emerita of Seattle Children's Theatre, with luminary directors Mark Brokaw and Marcia Milgrom Dodge and playwright Timothy Allen McDonald on Monday May, 20, 2019 from 6:00-8:00 PM at SDC, 321 W. 44th St., Suite 804.

Rehearsals have begun for the Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3 world premiere of IN THE GREEN, a new musical by Grace McLean, directed by Lee Sunday Evans.  McLean will also be featured in the production, along with Rachael Duddy, Ashley Perez Flanagan, Mia Pak, and Hannah Whitney. IN THE GREEN will begin performances Saturday, June 8 and run for eight weeks only through Sunday, August 4 at the Claire Tow Theater (150 West 65 Street).  Opening night is Thursday, June 27. 

Portland Stage presents 30th Annual Little Festival of the Unexpected Tuesday, May 7 - Saturday, May 11. Sponsored by Coffee By Design. The festival will feature works by the 2018 Clauder Competition Winners Laura Edmondson, John Minigan, and Brendan Pelsue (see more on playwrights below). Anita Stewart, Executive and Artistic Director elaborates "Little Festival is an opportunity for our audience to engage directly with writers and directors working on new plays.  I love that we can all participate together in the new play development process.'  

Jon Lawrence Rivera, Artistic Director of Playwrights' Arena - the first and oldest theater dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and producing original works written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights - is announcing the cast for THE END OF BEAUTY by Cory Hinkle, which includes Ruy Iskandar, Silas Weir Mitchell and Tania Verafield.

In the third concert of her More About The Melody series, cellist Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf invites Tony Award-winning music director, Ted Sperling to host an evening celebrating the music of the three generations of the iconic Rodgers family: Richard Rodgers, Mary Rodgers, and Adam Guettel.

Coeurage Theatre Company, LA's Pay What You Want theatre company, has announced the first production of its 10th Anniversary season, the Los Angeles premiere of Samsara by Lauren Yee, directed by Rebecca Wear. There will be one preview performance on Friday, May 10, at 8:30pm, and opening is set for Saturday, May 11, at 8:30pm. Samsara will play through June 1 at the Met Theatre in Los Angeles.

REDCAT, CalArts' downtown center for contemporary arts, presents the West Coast premiere of John Kelly's Time No Line, Thursday April 25 to Saturday April 27, 2019.

The Strand Theater Company concludes its 11th consecutive season as the only women-centric company in Baltimore with the regional premiere of And Baby Makes Seven by Pulitzer Prize Winner and a native Marylander, Paula Vogel, directed by Emily Hall. Anna, Ruth and Peter await the arrival of their newborn child, but first they must rid the crowded apartment of their three imaginary children.

The Strand Theater Company concludes its 11th consecutive season as the only women-centric company in Baltimore with the regional premiere of And Baby Makes Seven by Pulitzer Prize Winner and a native Marylander, Paula Vogel, directed by Emily Hall. Anna, Ruth and Peter await the arrival of their newborn child, but first they must rid the crowded apartment of their three imaginary children.

Boston Court Pasadena announced the full details of its 15th annual New Play Reading Festival, April 13-14, 2019. Curated by Literary Manager Emilie Beck, in concert with Artistic Directors Jessica Kubzansky and Michael Michetti, the New Play Reading Festival is a key component of Boston Court Pasadena's commitment to nurturing playwrights and new work, and continues the company's core mission of developing and programming works that are inherently theatrical, textually rich, and visually arresting.

The Strand Theater Company concludes its 11th consecutive season as the only women-centric company in Baltimore with the regional premiere of And Baby Makes Seven by Paula Vogel, directed by Emily Hall. Anna, Ruth and Peter await the arrival of their newborn child, but first they must rid the crowded apartment of their three imaginary children.

This summer, Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3 will produce the world premiere of IN THE GREEN, a new musical by Grace McLean, directed by Lee Sunday Evans. McLean will also be featured in the production which will begin performances Saturday, June 8 and run for eight weeks only