Sundance Theatre News

PITTSBURGH CLO is pleased to welcome a collection of writing teams from across the country to Pittsburgh for the inaugural SPARK festival in March. These teams were chosen from a highly-selective submissions process and will have the opportunity to rehearse and revise their work in residencies ranging from two days to three weeks. SPARK will provide dramaturgy and production resources to 10 new musicals at all stages of development, in addition to the world premiere of UP AND AWAY. As a part of the development period, eight of the musicals will receive public presentations through which the writing teams can gather audience insights and focus their intentions for the next phase of development. A major initiative of Pittsburgh CLO's recently completed Next Generation Capital Campaign, SPARK is designed to cultivate new and innovative work from emerging and established musical theater artists. 

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) announces the first staged production of its 2017-18 Winter/Spring Season, Ariel Dorfman's shattering drama Death and the Maiden, directed by Founding Artistic Director Steven Maler at the Sandra L. Sorenson Black Box, Sorenson Center, Babson College, 231 Forest Street in Wellesley, MA.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced that due to scheduling conflicts, Nilaja Sun's Pike St. will be replaced by What the Constitution Means to Me as the final production in its 2017-18 season. Written by and starring award-winning playwright and actress Heidi Schreck and directed by Oliver Butler, What the Constitution Means to Me will have its world premiere in the Peet's Theatre.

Elizabeth Birnkrant, known for her roles in JESUS HOPPED THE A TRAIN for Eclipse Theatre, 1984 at Steppenwolf, VICES AND VIRTUES: THE GREAT WAR at Profiles Theatre and other roles with Sideshow, First Floor and Roadworks theatre companies, has been cast in the leading role of L'il Bit in The Artistic Home's production of Paula Vogel's Pulitzer Prize winning HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE. The Artistic Home co-founder John Mossman will play Uncle Peck, the family member who has a sexual relationship with his niece Li'l Bit during her pre-teen and teenage years. Mossman, who directed The Artistic Home's BY THE BOG OF CATS last year, as an actor has most recently appeared as Leontes in THE WINTERS TALE and O'Trigger in THE RIVALS at Lakeside Shakespeare Theatre.  He has also appeared with The Artistic Home as MACBETH and as Shannon in NIGHT OF THE IGUANA. He played Atticus Finch in Oak Park Festival Theatre's TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and performed in the Steppenwolf production of THE MARCH.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) offers an important and potentially controversial conversation on Tuesday, January 30, 2018: Breaking the Silence: The Voices of Theater Around the World at 7:30pm (doors open for networking at 7pm) at The Playroom Theatre, 151 W. 46th Street, 8th fl., NYC. For more details, visit https://truonline.org/events/breaking-the-silence/. Free for TRU members and members of TDF; $12.50 for non-members in advance ($15 at door), free for TRU.  Please use the bright red reservation box at https://truonline.org/events/breaking-the-silence/, or call at least a day in advance (or much sooner) for reservations: 212-714-7628; or e-mail TRUStaff1@gmail.com.  

Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grove, Executive Producer) is pleased to announce the lineup for this spring'sTed Snowdon Reading Series.

Abingdon Theatre Company (Tony Speciale, Artistic Director; Denise Dickens, Producing Director) has announced its latest Studio Series of intensive classes focusing on audition technique and script analysis. For registration and further information visit abingdontheatre.org or call (212) 868-2055, ext. 1.

The acclaimed performance artist John Kelly, a Bessie and Obie Award winner, will debut his newest work when La MaMa (66 E. 4 St.) presents the world-premiere of TIME NO LINE, with previews beginning February 22 prior to an official press opening on February 26, it has been announced by Mia Yoo, La MaMa's artistic director.

The Road Theatre Company and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, present the second show of its 2017-2018 season, the west coast premiere of A DELICATE SHIP, written by acclaimed playwright Anna Ziegler (Actually) and directed by Andre Barron (Edward Albee's The Play About the Baby). A DELICATE SHIP will begin previews on Saturday, January 13 at 8pm; will open on Friday, January 19 at 8pm and run through Sunday, March 11 at the Road Theatre on Magnolia, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

The Road Theatre Company and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director, together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, present the second show of its 2017-2018 season, the west coast premiere of A DELICATE SHIP, written by acclaimed playwright Anna Ziegler (Actually) and directed by Andre Barron (Edward Albee's The Play About the Baby).

The Artistic Home will continue its 2017-18 season with Paula Vogel's Pulitzer Prize winning HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE, to be directed by The Artistic Home's Associate Artistic Director Kayla Adams. It will open to the press Sunday, March 25 at 7:00 pm, following previews from March 21-24. HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE, which premiered in 1997, was a Pulitzer Prize winner and a pioneering drama for its examination of pedophilia and sexual abuse of women. It follows a young woman, named L'il Bit, from age 11 to age 18 and her friendship and sexual affair with her uncle. Director Adams says, this courageous and surprising script reminds me again and again of the healing power of storytelling. In reviewing the 2017 production by the Cleveland Playhouse, the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER said, We can rejoice that 'How I Learned to Drive' feels as fresh and fearless as it did two decades ago - and mourn for the same reason.

Five time Obie Award-winning theater company Clubbed Thumb (Maria Striar, Producing Artistic Director; Sarah McLellan, Managing Director; Michael Bulger, Associate Artistic Director) has announced the winners of the seventh Clubbed Thumb Biennial Commission. Playwrights Angela Hanks and Gabrielle Reisman will split the $15,000 award, each also receiving two years of development support. Three finalists were also named: Gracie Gardner, Daniel Glenn and Paul Cameron Hardy, each of whom will receive a $1,000 award and an opportunity to workshop their plays.

The Philipstown Depot Theatre is proud to present A.R. Gurney's celebrated and popular play, Love Letters, just in time for Valentine's Day! A Pulitzer Prize finalist, Love Letters is the touching, funny and ultimately moving story of a 50-year correspondence between two childhood friends whose relationship weathers time and distance. Through their letters to each other, we learn of their triumphs and tribulations, and ultimately the hilarious and poignant ways in which their lives unfold. Starring Phil Geoffrey Bond (Sondheim Unplugged, My Queer Youth, My Friend, the Cat, Small Town Confessions) and Jennifer Lee Andrews (a Depot regular as well as Broadway's Les Miserables, Grand Hotel, James Joyce's The Dead, etc.), a limited number of seats are available for this special, three-performance only engagement.

This summer, LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater will produce the New York premiere of PASS OVER, a new play by Antoinette Nwandu, directed by Danya Taymor, at the Claire Tow Theater (150 West 65 Street). PASS OVER will begin performances Saturday evening, June 2 and run for six weeks only through Sunday, July 15. Opening night is Monday, June 18.

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) announces the first staged production of its 2017-18 Winter/Spring Season, Ariel Dorfman's shattering drama Death and the Maiden, directed by Founding Artistic Director Steven Maler at the Sandra L. Sorenson Black Box, Sorenson Center, Babson College, 231 Forest Street in Wellesley, MA.

Abingdon Theatre Company (Tony Speciale, Artistic Director; Denise Dickens, Producing Director) will launch its 25th Anniversary main stage season with The Gentleman Caller, the New York premiere of a new play by Philip Dawkins (Charm, Le Switch, The Homosexuals).

Pittsburgh CLO is proud to announce the cast of the world premiere of UP AND AWAY, January 25 April 15, 2018 at the CLO Cabaret. As part of its Next Generation Capital Campaign efforts, Pittsburgh CLO debuted a staged reading of this new musical comedy this past spring during New Musicals Weekend at the Benedum Center. Tickets are now available online at CLOCabaret.com, by phone at 412-456-6666 or in person at the Theater Square Box Office. UP AND AWAY is also available as part of a CLO Cabaret Series subscription package.

Capital Stage presents the Sacramento Premiere of the Award Winning Play The Nether by Jennifer Haley. This haunting sci-fi thriller explores the dark side of the internet, and of human behaviour. The Nether will be Kirk Blackinton's Capital Stage directing debut and is the fourth production of Capital Stage's 2017/18 Season. Performances will run from January 24 - February 25, 2018 with a Press Opening on Saturday, January 27, 2018 at 8:00 pm.

Village Theatre kicks off the second Season of the Beta Series with How to Break, a new musical with book & lyrics by Aaron Jafferis, song & lyrics by Rebecca Hart, and a beatbox score by Yako 440. How to Break will run at Village Theatre's First Stage Theatre in Issaquah from January 5-14, 2018.

TimeLine Theatre Company announces casting and other details for the Chicago premiere of BOY by Anna Ziegler, directed by Damon Kiely, January 18 March 18, 2018 (previews January 10 17) at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. For tickets and information, visittimelinetheatre.com or call (773) 281-8463 x6.