Suzan-Lori Parks News

South Coast Repertory will kick off 2012 with Suzan-Lori Parks' powerful Pulitzer Prize winner, Topdog/Underdog, running Jan. 8 - 29 on the Julianne Argyros Stage.

Women's Project's follow-up to its widely-acclaimed co-pro Milk Like Sugar is Catherine Trieschmann's How The World Began, her first play produced in New York since her highly-acclaimed and award-winning crooked and her debut film Angels Crest.

Renaissance Theaterworks (RTW) celebrates the 2nd year of its 3-year Diversity Series with NEAT by Charlayne Woodard. RTW Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director Suzan Fete will direct this play featuring UPROOTED Theatre Co-Founder Marti Gobel.

The Gershwins' PORGY AND BESS comes to Broadway in a stirring new staging, featuring such legendary songs as 'Summertime,' 'It Ain't Necessarily So,' and 'I Got Plenty Of Nothing,' plus a remarkable cast led by four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (Ragtime, 'Private Practice'), Drama Desk nominee Norm Lewis (Les Misérables, Sondheim on Sondheim) and two-time Tony nominee David Alan Grier (Race, 'In Living Color').

The Gershwins' PORGY AND BESS comes to Broadway in a stirring new staging, featuring such legendary songs as 'Summertime,' 'It Ain't Necessarily So,' and 'I Got Plenty Of Nothing,' plus a remarkable cast led by four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (Ragtime, 'Private Practice'), Drama Desk nominee Norm Lewis (Les Misérables, Sondheim on Sondheim) and two-time Tony nominee David Alan Grier (Race, 'In Living Color').

The Gershwins' PORGY AND BESS comes to Broadway in a stirring new staging, featuring such legendary songs as 'Summertime,' 'It Ain't Necessarily So,' and 'I Got Plenty Of Nothing,' plus a remarkable cast led by four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (Ragtime, 'Private Practice'), Drama Desk nominee Norm Lewis (Les Misérables, Sondheim on Sondheim) and two-time Tony nominee David Alan Grier (Race, 'In Living Color'). Yesterday, the company met the press and treated the crowd to a performance preview. BroadwayWorld was there and brings you full photo coverage of the festivities below!

The Gershwins' PORGY AND BESS comes to Broadway in a stirring new staging, featuring such legendary songs as "Summertime," "It Ain't Necessarily So," and "I Got Plenty Of Nothing," plus a remarkable cast led by four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (Ragtime, "Private Practice"), Drama Desk nominee Norm Lewis (Les Miserables, Sondheim on Sondheim) and two-time Tony nominee David Alan Grier (Race, "In Living Color"). Today, the company met the press and treated the crowd to a performance preview. BroadwayWorld was there and brings you a first look at the performances below!

The Public Theater has announced the return of Stephen Sondheim and Tony Kushner to The Public Forum on Tuesday, January 17 at 8:00 p.m.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, has announced Shinsai: Theaters for Japan.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) will present post-show discussions following select performances of the Public Lab production, TITUS ANDRONICUS, directed by Michael Sexton. The Public Lab Thursday Night Speaker Series for TITUS ANDRONICUS will be held following the Thursday, December 8 and Thursday, December 15 performances and consist of engaging conversations with notable panelists. Tickets are $15 for all performances and include free admission to the post-show discussions. TITUS ANDRONICUS runs through Sunday, December 18. Check out production shots below!

The producers of The Gershwins' PORGY AND BESS have just announced the complete cast of the show, which begin previews on Saturday, December 17th, 2011 and opens on Thursday, January 12th, 2012 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street, between 8th Avenue and Broadway). Tickets are now on sale at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 877-250-2929.

Women's Project's follow-up to its widely-acclaimed co-pro Milk Like Sugar is Catherine Trieschmann's How The World Began, her first play produced in New York since her highly-acclaimed and award-winning crooked and her debut film Angels Crest.

In the video below, members of the cast and creative team of Broadway-bound PORGY AND BESS discuss with PBS the changes made by director Diane Paulus and book-writer Suzan-Lori Parks. They address the history of the opera and that though some people have always viewed this show as racist, Audra McDonald (Bess) adamently shares why that is exaclty what the show is not. Both Diane Paulus and Suzan-Lori Parks talk about the controversy that has surrounded this revamped musical. They reveal why this is an acceptable version of the show, even for purists and die-hard Gershwin fans. Click below to chck it out!

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Patrick Willingham) will present post-show discussions following select performances of the Public Lab production, TITUS ANDRONICUS, directed by Michael Sexton. The Public Lab Thursday Night Speaker Series for TITUS ANDRONICUS will be held following the Thursday, December 8 and Thursday, December 15 performances and consist of engaging conversations with notable panelists. Tickets are $15 for all performances and include free admission to the post-show discussions. TITUS ANDRONICUS begins previews on Tuesday, November 29 and runs through Sunday, December 18.

TADA! Resident Youth Theater Ensemble is pleased to commence their season on November 18 at 6 p.m. with Sneak Peek: School of Rockwell, directed by Janine Nina Trevens, a Season Celebration fundraising event including a pre-show reception with composer Eric Rockwell, a performance, and a post-show Q&A celebrating TADA!?s 20 year collaboration with Rockwell.

The American Theatre Wing (Theodore S. Chapin, Chairman, Board of Trustees; Heather Hitchens, Executive Director) continues the 2011 season of its legendary, long running, and newly revamped television show, 'Working in the Theatre,' with an all new episode on 'The State of Theatre: Institutions and Producers.'

On Twitter Watch, Audra McDonald wrote 'So excited to go to Charleston today. Birthplace of Porgy & Bess! Can't wait to visit Cabbage Row & the DuBose Heyward House. Pics 2 come. THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS, with a score by George Gershwin, a book by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and lyrics byIra Gershwin and DuBose Heyward, has been adapted by Pulitzer prize-winning writer Suzan-Lori Parks, and two-time Obie winner Diedre L. Murray. A.R.T.'s Artistic Director, Diane Paulus, directs. The Broadway production will star Audra McDonald as Bess, Norm Lewis as Porgy and David Alan Grier as Sporting Life, reprising their A.R.T. roles. The production will begin previews on Saturday, December 17th, 2011 and open on Thursday, January 12th, 2012- running through June 24, 2012. Tickets are now on sale at ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000 '