The Geffen Playhouse News

The Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) has announced the appointment of Krista Carson Elhai, Peter Hagan, Elwood Hopkins and Allison Rawlings to a term on the National Board from 2020 to 2023. The ETF National Board of Trustees is composed of prominent leaders across a diverse range of industries, including entertainment, finance, hospitality, law, education, and nonprofit theatre, all with a common passion for theatre education.

Geffen Playhouse today announced six productions that will make up the 2020/2021 season in its Gil Cates and Audrey Skirball Kenis Theaters, with two additional productions to be announced. This marks the 25TH anniversary season for Geffen Playhouse, which will launch September 8, 2020, and run through July 25, 2021.

Get your first look at Man of God at Geffen Playhouse!

Playwright Anna Moench's MAN OF GOD begins previews March 3, 2020, with opening night March 12, 2020 at the Geffen Playhouse. MAN OF GOD charts an eye-opening missionary trip to Bangkok of four teenage Korean girls under the chaperone of their revered pastor. When the girls realize their pastor has violated their trust (no spoiler here), they each envision their individual methods of payback. Maggie Burrows directs the cast of Shirley Chen, Camryn Kim, Natasha Liu, Albert Park and Jenapher Zheng. A very expectant Anna managed to squeeze some time out of her multi-tasking to answer a few of my probing queries.

Casting has been announced for Pittsburgh CLO's World Premiere of the award-winning musical comedy UNTITLED: A New Musical Comedy About Serious Drama at the Greer Cabaret Theater April 3 - May 3, 2020. Originally developed during Pittsburgh CLO's SPARK Festival, UNTITLED has since gained wide acclaim, including earning writer Matt Schatz the ASCAP Foundation Harold Arlen Award. Don't miss this edgy new musical satire about showbiz, stardom and self-reflection.

Geffen Playhouse today announced the full cast for its West Coast premiere of Bernhardt/Hamlet, written by Theresa Rebeck (Dead Accounts, Seminar) and directed by Sarna Lapine (Sunday in the Park with George). The production features Diane Venora (Bird, Romeo + Juliet) as Sarah Bernhardt.

Last night, supporters of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley gathered to hear the 2019 Regional Theatre Tony Award-winning company and its Board of Trustees announce the launch of its 50th Anniversary Campaign, a $5 million fundraising campaign to ensure the future success of the nationally-acclaimed theatre, including commissions for new plays and musicals. 

Pasadena Playhouse presents The Father, written by Florian Zeller, translated by Christopher Hampton and directed by Jessica Kubzansky, February 5 to March 1, 2020.

Since the world premiere of Vietgone in 2015, Qui Nguyen has become one of the most lauded and sought-after contemporary American playwrights, as well as being a writer for Marvel and Disney. The world premiere of REVENGE SONG, his new rousing, romping, music-filled look at the real life of Julie d'Aubigny, a queer 17th century French swordswoman and opera singer, offers an exciting, entertaining, and rollicking theatrical experience, ingeniously directed by Robert Ross Parker that is sure to please rowdy fans of The Rocky Horror Picture Show during the heroine's interactive journey toward self-discovery and acceptance. Adding to the fun are satirical references to more musicals than I could count, including Hamilton, Cabaret, Company, Avenue Q, Beauty and the Beast, and Bye Bye Birdie.

Pasadena Playhouse presents The Father, written by Florian Zeller, translated by Christopher Hampton and directed by Jessica Kubzansky, February 5 to March 1, 2020.

Theatre enthusiasts packed the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts tonight to hear Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley, incoming Artistic Director Tim Bond, and Executive Director Phil Santora of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley announce the lineup for the 2019 Regional Theatre Tony Award-winning company's 2020-21 season, which launches this summer.

Primal Forces will present an outrageous new comedy A Funny Thing Happened...on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of New York City, written by Halley Feiffer, runs February 7 through March 1 at The Sol Theater in Boca Raton. Tickets are $40-$45; Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 8pm and Sunday matinees are at 2pm. For more information www.primalforces.com or call 866-811-4111.

Pasadena Playhouse presents The Father, written by Florian Zeller, translated by Christopher Hampton and directed by Jessica Kubzansky, February 5 to March 1, 2020.

The Brown/Trinity Rep MFA program presents Marie Antoinette, by David Adjmi, directed by Josiah Davis '20. Performances run February 27 through March 8 at the Pell Chafee Performance Center, 87 Empire St., in Providence. General admission is $15 with a discounted price of $10 for seniors and $7 for students. Tickets are on sale now at Trinity Rep's box office, by phone (401) 351-4242, or online at www.TrinityRep.com/marieantoinette.

Qui Nguyen's REVENGE SONG: A VAMPIRE COWBOYS CREATION will receive its world premiere at the Geffen Playhouse opening February 13, 2020 (with previews beginning February 4). Nguyen's musical, historical comedy centers on real-life 17th century opera singer/swordswoman/lesbian Julie D'Aubigny and her road towards self-discovery and acceptance. Under Robert Ross Parker's direction, the REVENGE SONG cast includes: Noshir Dalal, Beth Hawkes, Tom Myers, Amy Kim Waschke, Eugene Young, and Margaret Odette in the pivotal role of Julie D'Aubigny. I had the chance to query Margaret on her path towards becoming Julie D'Aubigny.

Geffen Playhouse today announced the full cast for its production of Man of God, written by Anna Moench (Mothers, Birds of North America) and directed by Maggie Burrows (Spacebar, Damsels). Man of God had its world premiere in January 2019 as an East West Players production at the David Henry Hwang Theatre at the Union Center of the Arts in Los Angeles.

Roundabout Theatre Company has just announced a line-up of all new work Off-Broadway at the Harold & Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre.

Primal Forces will present an outrageous new comedy. A Funny Thing Happened...on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of New York City, written by Halley Feiffer, runs February 7 through March 1 at The Sol Theater in Boca Raton.

Mona Golabek, the sole performer of a?oeThe Pianist of Willesden Lanea?? at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, has truly followed a singular path, both in her career and in her life. She first came to prominence as a virtuoso concert pianist appearing with major orchestras around the world. In 1998, she began hosting her own successful syndicated radio show, a?oeThe Romantic Hour,a?? which combined romantic poetry and classical music. Her life took another unexpected turn in 2002 when she co-wrote the best-seller a?oeThe Children of Willesden Lanea?? which tells the story of her mother, Lisa Jura, whose life was saved as a young girl by the Kindertransport which took her away from her family in Nazi-occupied Austria to safety in London. In 2012, Ms. Golabek collaborated with Hershey Felder to create the stage adaptation a?oeThe Pianist of Willesden Lane.a?? She has since taken the show across the country and toured internationally, and now makes it her mission to use her mother's story as a catalyst to bring reconciliation in our divisive world. BroadwayWorld recently spoke with Ms. Golabek from her home in Los Angeles. In conversation, she exhibits the natural warmth and ease of an accomplished radio host and has just the barest hint of a sort of pan-European accent, perhaps another sign of the enduring influence of her mother.