Susan Bernfield News

Theatre Communications Group has announced the recipients of the first round of the 2021 Edgerton Foundation New Play Awards. The awards, totaling $1,072,000, allow 28 productions extra time for the development and rehearsal of new plays with the entire creative team, hoping to extend the life of the world premiere play after its first run.

On Monday, June 7th the League of Professional Theatre Women presented the 2021 Theatre Women Awards, dedicated to promoting the visibility of the theatrical work of women artists, across all genres

Tony Award-winning theatre producer Daryl Roth and playwright Theresa Rebeck (both Co-Chairs of the LPTW Advisory Council) will introduce the 2021 Theatre Women Awards Virtual Gala and speak about their hopes for the future of the industry, as live theatre returns. The event will be presented virtually by the League of Professional Theatre Women on Monday, June 7 at 7pm. 

Award presenters for the 2021 Theatre Women Awards Virtual Gala, presented by the League of Professional Theatre Women on Monday, June 7 at 7pm, will include actress/director Martha Gehman; composer/director Troy Anthony; former League President Joan D. Firestone; Joe Barros, Artistic Director of The New York Theatre Barn and more.

NAATCO will present a virtual reading of Our Town by Thornton Wilder with an all-Asian American cast for one night only, Wednesday May 19th, at 8pm, in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The proceeds of this reading will benefit the company.

The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York announced today the creation of the Leon Levy Foundation COVID Relief Fund, initiated with a $250,000 grant to support small New York City theatres in conjunction with A.R.T./New York Relief Fund for NYC Small Theatres.

Pasadena Playhouse, The State Theater of Californiaoffers a wide variety of educational and community events this winter and spring, beginning with a post- performance talk back with Alfred Molina and the cast of The Father, offering an inside-look at the cast's process preparing for this production.

Raquel Almazan has been named the President of the Indie Theater Fund Board of Directors, replacing Susan Bernfield who has moved into an Advisory Board role.

New Georges (Susan Bernfield, Artistic Director/Producer; Jaynie Saunders Tiller, Managing Director/Producer) and The Movement Theatre Company (David Mendizábal, Deadria Harrington, Eric Lockley, and Taylor Reynolds a?" Producing Artistic Leadership Team) will present The Harriet Holland Social Club Presents The 84th Annual Star-Burst Cotillion in the Grand Ballroom of The Renaissance Hotel, written and directed by Colette Robert (Behind the Sheet) with music and lyrics by Dionne McClain-Freeney (The Movie Star and The Mammy). The Cotillion will occur in two parts in 2020; a studio production will be held May 8-10, 2020 in the Mezzanine Theater at A.R.T./New York (502 W 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019), with a full production running October 1-18, 2020 in a venue to be announced.

New Georges presents the co-world premiere of Leap and the Net Will Appear, by Chana Porter, and directed byTara Ahmadinejad. Leap and the Net Will Appear will play June 16-30, 2019 in The Sam at The Flea Theater (20 Thomas Street New York, NY 10007), with opening night set for June 18, 2019. New Georges is an Anchor Partner at The Flea.

Pasadena Playhouse, State Theatre of California, continues their exciting partnerships with Caltech Theatre and the USC School of Dramatic Arts this Spring, with MACH 33: The Caltech|Pasadena Playhouse Festival of New Science Driven Plays, presented by Caltech Theater and Pasadena Playhouse May 9 -11 and the New Works Festival Year 3 May 17-18, presented by USC School of Dramatic Arts and hosted by Pasadena Playhouse. These plays are part of Playhouse community programming. Danny Feldman is the Producing Artistic Director of Pasadena Playhouse.

Yesterday, October 15th at The Lotos Club (5 East 66th Street, New York City), the 2018 recipients of the biennial Horton Foote Prize, were celebrated for excellence in American theater. The 2018 Prize for Outstanding New American Play, presented to a work produced in the 2016-17 or 2017-18 seasons, was awarded to Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yee. The 2018 Prize for Promising New American Play, presented to a previously unproduced work, was awarded to India Pale Ale by Jaclyn Backhaus.

Mari Marchbanks announced today the 2018 recipients of the biennial Horton Foote Prize, named in honor of the late playwright, which recognizes excellence in American theater. The 2018 Prize for Outstanding New American Play, presented to a work produced in the 2016-17 or 2017-18 seasons, is awarded to Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yee. The 2018 Prize for Promising New American Play, presented to a previously unproduced work, is awarded to India Pale Ale by Jaclyn Backhaus.

The Jewish Plays Project (David Winitsky, Artistic Director) is thrilled to announce the line-up for the 7th Annual OPEN: Festival of New Jewish Theater.

The Jewish Plays Project (David Winitsky, Artistic Director) is thrilled to announce the line-up for the 7th Annual OPEN: Festival of New Jewish Theater.

The League of Professional Theatre Women (Kelli Lynn Harrison & Lisa Rothe, Co-Presidents), an organization which has been leading the gender parity conversation and championing women in the professional theatre for over 35 years, has published the third in a series of reports authored by Martha Wade Steketee with Judy Binus, on the status of women employed in New York City theatres, with the goal of changing the conversation from anecdote to action. The third report, Women Count: Women Hired Off Broadway, available attheatrewomen.org/women-count, analyzes employment in 13 professional roles - playwrights, directors, designers, and others - in 699 Off- and Off-Off-Broadway productions by 23 theatre companies for 7 complete seasons, 2010-2011 through 2016-2017 to show where women are and are not being hired.

Honeck-Moss Productions is proud to present "In The Works." This exciting series is in it's second season was conceived as an opportunity for composers to try out new work in front of an audience and see how it plays in a supportive environment. It is also an opportunity to create community among the composers and their performers.

Tuesday night marked the opening night of the Off-Broadway premiere of [PORTO], a new play by Obie Award Winner Kate Benson presented byWP Theater and The Bushwick Starr, in association with New Georges.

The Drama League (Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Artistic Director) has announced the theater directors and ensembles chosen to develop new plays and musicals as part of the 2018 Drama League Artist Residency Program. Public work-in-progress presentations will be held periodically throughout the year at The Drama League Theater Center, 32 Avenue of the Americas, in Tribeca. Schedules are available at www.dramaleague.org or by calling (212) 244-9494.

The Jewish Plays Project (David Winitsky, Executive Artistic Director) is thrilled to present the New York premiere of the future off-Broadway smash hit culinary and theatrical event Raging Skillet, the true story of Chef Rossi, the punk-rock caterer, event maestro, and TV star. The reading-with-food-and-drink of 'Skillet' will star Judy Gold and Marilyn Sokol and be held at the Theater at the 14th Street Y on March 28, 2018 at 7 pm. Tickets can be purchased at www.jewishplaysproject.org/skillet