Today Berkeley Repertory Theatre, which in the last 40 years has earned a reputation for developing provocative new plays, received a prestigious grant to fund its 50th world premiere: the Edgerton Foundation presented this Tony Award-winning theatre with its coveted New American Play Award to support the latest work from the team that made Eurydice a national hit. The $54,000 grant will provide extra rehearsal time for In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), an elegant comedy that Berkeley Rep has commissioned from MacArthur fellow Sarah Ruhl.
Manhattan Theatre Club announced casting for two of its upcoming productions: ROMANTIC POETRY, the world premiere musical by John Patrick Shanley and Henry Krieger, and RUINED, a world premiere play by Lynn Nottage.
Ruth & Stephen Hendel and Roy Gabay present the world premiere of Fela!, a new musical based on the life of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Directed and choreographed by Tony® Award winner Bill T. Jones (Spring Awakening) with a book by Jim Lewis and Bill T. Jones, Fela! will feature Kuti's rousing music performed live onstage by Antibalas and other members of the New York Afrobeat community.
Jean Doumanian Productions is partnering with Barrow Street Theatre to develop new plays and musicals, explore international markets and elevate the profiles of individual artists in a concerted effort to bring new work to Off-Broadway.
The Civilians, the acclaimed New York-based experimental theater troupe, recently announced that Marion Friedman has been named as their Managing Director.
SAVED features music & lyrics by Obie Award winner Michael Friedman (The Civilians' Gone Missing and the recent Paris Commune) and book & lyrics by 2-time Olivier Award nominee John Dempsey (The Witches of Eastwick) & Obie Award winner Rinne Groff (The Ruby Sunrise, writer on Showtime's 'Weeds'), based on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture written by Brian Dannelly & Michael Urban.
Zoe Kazan and Michael Esper, both recently seen on stage in Manhattan Theatre Club productions, have won Actors' Equity Foundation's 63rd Annual Clarence Derwent Awards.
Previews for the Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) World Premiere production of the new musical SAVED, which were scheduled to begin tonight, Friday, May 9, have been postponed due to a longer than expected tech process. Tonight's 8PM performance has been cancelled and the musical will now begin previews tomorrow evening, Saturday, May 10 at 8PM. (Please note: a matinee performance had not been scheduled for Saturday afternoon.)
POSSEBLE THEATER COMPANY is pleased to announce their New York Premiere production of CINEPHILIA, directed by Michael Silverstone. CINEPHILIA will play a 3-week limited engagement at The Studio Theater at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, NYC). Performances begin Thursday, May 28th and continue through Sunday, June 15th. Opening Night is Saturday, May 31 (8 p.m.).
Les Waters, the associate artistic director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre, heads east again this week to open the world premiere of Cardenio in Cambridge.
Starting tomorrow, Wednesday, April 30 at 10AM, Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) will be accepting entries for its popular LIVEforFIVE online lottery for $5 tickets to its next production, the World Premiere of the new musical SAVED. A total of 50 tickets will be available via the online lottery.
The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Mara Manus) announced today that post-show discussions will follow performances of THE FEVER CHART: THREE VISIONS OF THE MIDDLE EAST by Naomi Wallace on Tuesday, April 29 and Sunday, May 11. Both discussions will immediately follow performances of THE FEVER CHART and no additional tickets are necessary.
The Vineyard Theatre will present the world premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney's new play WIG OUT! to kick off its 2008-2009 season in September, it has been announced by Douglas Aibel, The Vineyard's artistic director.
The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Mara Manus) announced today that post-show discussions will follow performances of PARIS COMMUNE on Thursday, April 10 and Thursday, April 17.
Rehearsals will begin on Tuesday, April 8 for the Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) World Premiere production of the new musical SAVED.
National Corporate Theatre Fund (NCTF) will hold its Annual Chairman's Awards Gala and benefit on Monday, April 14 at New York's Cipriani's Pegasus (30 Rockefeller Plaza).
Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) has announced additional casting for the sixth and final production of its 2007/2008 Season, the World Premiere of the new musical SAVED.
The 2008 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has been awarded to Judith Thompson for her critically acclaimed play Palace of the End, marking the first time a Canadian writer has received the prestigious playwriting award's highest honor. Thompson received $20,000 and a signed and numbered print by artist Willem de Kooning at a special 30th Anniversary ceremony on Monday, March 10th at the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas where Ms. Blackburn first became involved in theatre.
