Syracuse University News

Signal Ensemble Theatre announces its 2012-2013 10th anniversary season.

The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival's 21st season will feature daytime television star Tom Degnan in the role of Brick Pollitt in Tennessee William's Pulitzer Prize winning classic, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

As part of the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre's Summer Season, acclaimed US playwright Joshua Conkel makes his UK debut with the world premiere of the darkly comic The Sluts of Sutton Drive, opening at the Finborough Theatre for a strictly limited run of six Sunday and Monday performances from Sunday, 24 June 2012 to the 9th of July.

Trinity Repertory Company previously announced that Rhode Island's own Academy Award-nominated actress, Viola Davis, would be honored with the 2012 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts at the 16th annual Pell Awards. Theater educator Elaine Foster Perry will receive the Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts, Brown University President Ruth J. Simmons will receive the Pell Award For Leadership in Arts Education, and J.L. "Lynn" Singleton, President of the Providence Performing Arts Center and Professional Facilities Management, will be honored as the recipient of the Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts. All awardees are past or current Rhode Islanders.

TheatreSquared today announced the lineup for the 2012 Arkansas New Play Festival, the theatre's fourth annual celebration of new works for the stage. The festival will feature staged reading performances of four professional plays, a showcase of ten-minute plays by Arkansas high school students, and Northwest Arkansas's sixth annual 24-Hour Play-Off. In partnership with the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, T2's lineup of new works will also be presented at Oxford American Magazine's new venue in Little Rock (1300 Main Street, May 17-18). The lineup of events in Northwest Arkansas will take place at Walton Arts Center's Nadine Baum Studios (505 W. Spring St., Fayetteville). Each new play reading will be followed by a conversation with the playwright, director and cast.

TheatreSquared today announced the lineup for the 2012 Arkansas New Play Festival, the theatre's fourth annual celebration of new works for the stage. The festival will feature staged reading performances of four professional plays, a showcase of ten-minute plays by Arkansas high school students, and Northwest Arkansas's sixth annual 24-Hour Play-Off. In partnership with the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, T2's lineup of new works will also be presented at Oxford American Magazine's new venue in Little Rock (1300 Main Street, May 17-18). The lineup of events in Northwest Arkansas will take place at Walton Arts Center's Nadine Baum Studios (505 W. Spring St., Fayetteville). Each new play reading will be followed by a conversation with the playwright, director and cast.

Writer for stage and screen Aaron Sorkin spoke at Syracuse University's 158th Commencement yesterday; read a transcipt from his speech below!

The Peccadillo Theater Company presents a special industry reading of Sherri Heller's new comedy MY MOTHER, MY SISTER & ME starring Valerie Harper on tonight, May 14th at 7 pm at the DR2 Theatre (103 East 15th Street). The presentation will be directed by OBIE Award winner, Dan Wackerman. A full cast announcement will be forthcoming.

The Peccadillo Theater Company announced complete casting today for the sold out industry reading of Sherri Heller's new comedy MY MOTHER, MY SISTER & ME, starring Valerie Harper, this Monday, May 14th at the DR2 Theatre (103 East 15th Street). The presentation will be directed by OBIE Award winner, Dan Wackerman. Along with Valerie Harper, the cast will feature Marcelo Pereira, Anthony Reimer, Randy Schein, Barbara Walsh, Zoe Winters and Remy Zaken.

LaToya Ruby Frazier: A Haunted Capital features approximately 40 photographic works that intimately connect the artist's family and hometown, Braddock, Pennsylvania through portraiture and social documentary. The project addresses how the effects of industrialization and de-industrialization creates sociological, economic and environmental shifts; impacting the lives of individuals as well as their communities.

BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was thrilled to sit down and speak with nearly all of this year's Tony Award nominees at the official Tony Brunch on May 2, 2012, and we will be bringing you special coverage on all of them throughout the awards season. Today we bring you Josh Young, nominee for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Jesus Christ Superstar.

Vineyard Theatre will present its 5th annual Paula Vogel Playwriting Award to emerging playwright Erika Sheffer, author of the play RUSSIAN TRANSPORT, it has been announced by Vineyard Theatre's Artistic Director Douglas Aibel and Co-Artistic Director Sarah Stern.

Piece by Piece productions, Rising Phoenix Repertory, and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater have announced that the world premiere of 3C, written by David Adjmi and directed by Jackson Gay, will begin performances Wednesday, June 6 at 7pm at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 224 Waverly Place. The opening night is set for Thursday, June 21 at 7pm.

Josh Young, who stars as Judas in Broadway's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, was featured WNBC-TV's 'New York Live' yesterday afternoon. Young gave a backstage tour and talk about how he prepares for his performance. View the segment below!

Josh Young, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR 'I feel amazing. I honestly didn't expect a thing so I wasn't the least bit nervous. I figured I would sleep in as late as possible and wake up to find out that my show was nominated but that I wasn't. But, when I got up to walk the dog and checked my phone and saw a text from my agent saying 'atta boy!' These past couple of months have been a crazy roller coaster and have been some of the hardest weeks of my life. I was sidelined with a horrible chest infection and couldn't breathe, but trying to do the show as much as I could...and let me tell you, if there is ever a role where you need to breathe it's 'Judas.' So I'm just so appreciative to all of the nominators who came back to the show to see me. I want to celebrate but I think I need to go back to sleep so I can do a good job onstage tonight!'

Tune in to watch Josh Young, who stars as Judas in Broadway's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, on WNBC-TV's "New York Live" tomorrow, Tuesday, May 1 from 3:00pm to 4:00pm. Josh will give a backstage tour and talk about how he prepares for his performance. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is now playing at the Neil Simon Theatre, 250 West 52nd Street.

The Peccadillo Theater Company will present a special industry reading of Sherri Heller's new comedy MY MOTHER, MY SISTER & ME starring Valerie Harper on Monday, May 14th at 7 pm at the DR2 Theatre (103 East 15th Street). The presentation will be directed by OBIE Award winner, Dan Wackerman. A full cast announcement will be forthcoming.

TheatreSquared today announced the lineup for the 2012 Arkansas New Play Festival, the theatre's fourth annual celebration of new works for the stage. The festival will feature staged reading performances of four professional plays, a showcase of ten-minute plays by Arkansas high school students, and Northwest Arkansas's sixth annual 24-Hour Play-Off. In partnership with the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, T2's lineup of new works will also be presented at Oxford American Magazine's new venue in Little Rock (1300 Main Street, May 17-18). The lineup of events in Northwest Arkansas will take place at Walton Arts Center's Nadine Baum Studios (505 W. Spring St., Fayetteville). Each new play reading will be followed by a conversation with the playwright, director and cast.

Thom Fogarty directs the World Premiere of THE ARTIFACTS by Steven Fechter (THE WOODSMAN), presented through April 29th, 2012, by Other Side Productions and Thom Fogarty. This intimate 'black box' production of Steven Fechter's exciting new work has a cast of four : Lulu Fogarty*, Caitlin Rose McMahon, Amy Newhall and Armand Anthony. Music by reknown jazz artist "Blue" Gene Tyranny. Costume, Lighting and Stage design by Thom Fogarty.

New York native, Outasight, has released his brand new single 'Now or Never.'