Susan Birkenhead News

A young African-American woman living in 1964 rural South Carolina is interrupted on her way to a voter registration rally by a pair of white men who not only rough her up until she's on the ground and bloody, but convince a police officer that it was her fault.

Atlantic Theater Company' presents the world premiere of the new musical The Secret Life of Bees, book by Lynn Nottage, music by Duncan Sheik, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, directed by Sam Gold, choreographed by Chris Walkerand based on the best-selling novel by Sue Monk Kidd.

Good morning BroadwayWorld!

Get a first look at Atlantic Theater Company's World Premiere musical The Secret Life of Bees, book by Lynn Nottage, music by Duncan Sheik, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, directed by Sam Gold, choreographed by Chris Walker and based on the best-selling novel by Sue Monk Kidd.

Lynn Nottage, a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, is the Playwright Honoree of the 39th William Inge Theater Festival.

Encores! Off-Center announced a special one-night-only event, as part of City Center's 75th Anniversary Season, reuniting the composers of Working: A Musical on stage at New York City Center.

Encores! Off-Center today announced casting for the Production of Nina Fsso and Stephen Schwartz's Working: A Musical. The production will star Andrea Burns, Mateo Ferro, David Garrison, Helen Hunt, Christopher Jackson, Javier Muñoz, and Tracie Thoms.

The Secret Life of Bees begins performance on May 12 and opens on Thursday, June 13 at Atlantic Theater Company's Linda Gross Theater (336 West 20th Street). The production is an extended run through July 14, 2019

Atlantic Theater Company announces a one week extension for the world premiere production of The Secret Life of Bees, book by Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage, music by Tony and Grammy Award winner Duncan Sheik, lyrics by Drama Desk winner Susan Birkenhead, directed by Tony Award winner Sam Gold, and based on the best-selling novel by Sue Monk Kidd. The highly anticipated production, which opens on Thursday, June 13th, will now play through Sunday, July 14th, 2019 Off-Broadway at the Linda Gross Theater (336 West 20th Street).

Works & Process, the performing arts series at the Guggenheim, presents Atlantic Theater Company: The Secret Life of Bees by Susan Birkenhead, Lynn Nottage, and Duncan Sheik, with Sam Gold on Monday, April 22, 2019 at 7:30pm.

Just last night, Atlantic presented their Annual Gala at The Plaza (768 Fifth Avenue). Divas' Choice celebrated powerhouse women of Atlantic on and off the stage with a fabulous evening of performances honoring Vicki Reiss (Executive Director, The Shubert Foundation), Emily Tow Jackson (Executive Director & President, The Tow Foundation), and Carol Auerbach (Atlantic Board Member, Auerbach Family Foundation) for their extraordinary leadership in arts philanthropy.

Atlantic will present their Annual Gala on Monday, March 4, 2019 at The Plaza (768 Fifth Avenue).

Atlantic Theater Company is proud to announce that Little Known Facts at Atlantic, a live podcast hosted by Ilana Levine, will be returning as a full series this spring. Little Known Facts at Atlantic was originally presented as a one night only event featuring Atlantic Ensemble member Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson. Following the first event's success, three additional live podcasts have been announced.

Theatre Communications Group has announced that its 2019 Gala will be directed by Tony Award-winner Michael Mayer and feature performances from Oklahoma!'s Ali Stroker, Hadestown's Patrick Page and Eva Noblezada, and Angels in America's Beth Malone.

Dramatists Guild Foundation (DGF) has announced the second-ever recipients of the DGF Writers Alliance Grants. These Grants provide $5,000 to both a non-profit theater's production of a new work and $5,000 to the writer or group of writers whose work is being produced. Gary Garrison, who serves on both the DGF Advisory Board and the Writers Alliance Grant selection committee, said: "The DGF's Writers Alliance Grant is the perfect combination of support for both writer AND theater. It acknowledges that the writer has a story that should to be told while also smartly pointing to the theater that should be telling it."

The League of Professional Theatre Women (Kelli Lynn Harrison & Catherine Porter, Co-Presidents), an organization which has been leading the gender parity conversation and championing women in the professional theatre for over 35 years, will present its first Oral History Project of 2019 with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage on Monday, February 4 starting at 6pm in the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (111 Amsterdam Avenue at 65th Street).

Works & Process at the Guggenheim is pleased to announce its spring 2019 season. Since 1984 the performing arts series has championed new works and offered audiences unprecedented access to leading creators. Programs explore the artistic process through stimulating discussions and riveting performance highlights. Each 70-minute program takes place in the intimate Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Peter B. Lewis Theater. Additional information is available at worksandprocess.org.

Atlantic Theater Company announces casting for the world premiere production of The Secret Life of Bees, book by Lynn Nottage (Sweat), music by Tony and Grammy Award winner Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening), lyrics by Drama Desk winner Susan Birkenhead (Jelly's Last Jam), directed by Tony Award winner Sam Gold (Fun Home), and based on the best-selling novel by Sue Monk Kidd.

Last night, the Dramatists Guild Foundation (DGF) held its annual Dramatists GuildFoundation Gala at the Manhattan Center in NYC. BroadwayWorld was there and you can check out photos from the event below!