The Geffen Playhouse News

The prolific playwright Jose Rivera's THE UNTRANSLATABLE SECRETS OF NIKKI CORONA world premieres at the Geffen Playhouse. With previews already begun,  opening night's set for September 12, 2018. When Nikki's twin sister Abril dies, Nikki wishes she had communicated all she should have said to her. Ricardo Chavira plays the pivotal role of Orlando, Nikki's conduit to Abril. We had the opportunity to unveil some various SECRETS of Ricardo's theatrical career.

The Untranslatable Secrets of Nikki Corona is a poignant journey through love, hope and the unknown. How many of us have wished for one more chance to say the right thing? A Better Orpheus Inc. provides an alternative to regret-a service that allows the living to communicate with the dead.

Playwright Lynn Nottage's 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning SWEAT, her raw take on the intertwining issues affecting a close-knit group of Reading, Pennsylvania townsfolk, has just opened at the Mark Taper Forum. Portraying Cynthia, the inescapable lightning rod in SWEAT's volatile scenario, Nottage stalwart Portia brings a human face to a multiple of 'faceless' generalized preconceptions. Portia gave us her thoughts on working with Lynn Nottage, Phylicia Rashad and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Hershey Felder brings his wildly acclaimed one-man show, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin to 59E59 Theaters. The production, featuring music and lyrics by the great American songwriter Irving Berlin, book by Hershey Felder and directed by longtime Felder collaborator Trevor Hay, will play from August 24 through October 28, 2018.

California Repertory Company (Cal Rep) announces its 30th Anniversary season which celebrates 3 decades of risk-taking theater by showcasing the work of local artists and bringing a range of World, West Coast and Southern California Premieres to Long Beach. 

In the Huntington Theatre Company's revival of Charles Marowitz's mystery play Sherlock's Last Case, alliances are tested, rivalries are raised from the dead, and long-simmering grudges play out in deadly ways. The beloved Sherlock Holmes, his aide de camp Dr. John Watson, and their put-upon landlady Mrs. Hudson - along with the iconic Baker Street flat - come to the Huntington Avenue Theatre Sep. 28 - Oct. 28, 2018, in a production directed by Maria Aitken.

BroadwayWorld is sad to report that legendary playwright Neil Simon has died at 91. 

Berlanti Productions and Jessica Queller will present an exclusive one-night-only reading of Terms of Endearment at the Geffen Playhouse, it was announced today. All proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit Stand Up To Cancer and Geffen Playhouse's New Play Development Program.

Following a critically acclaimed, sold out run at the Geffen Playhouse earlier this year, the Los Angeles LGBT Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center, Andrew Carlberg, and Foment Productions will welcome Tony Award-winning playwright and performer Sarah Jones (Bridge & Tunnel) to the Renberg Theatre this fall in her celebrated play Sell/Buy/Date.

Geffen Playhouse today announced the full cast for its encore production of The Cake, directed by Jennifer Chambers (Bed, Better), who also directed the world premiere for the Echo Theater Company in 2017. The cast features Morrison Keddie (Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream) as George, Shannon Lucio (The Eccentricities of a Nightingale, American Horror Story) as Jen, Rod McLachlan (What the Butler Saw, Wait Until Dark) as Tim, Carolyn Ratteray (The Imaginary Invalid, Pygmalion) as Macy and Debra Jo Rupp (That 70's Show, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) as Della, reprising the role for which she received an LA Stage Alliance Ovation Award for Lead Actress in a Play.

General on sale begins Wednesday, May 30 at Noon for award-winning actor and piano virtuoso Hershey Felder in his wildly acclaimed one-man show, HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN at 59E59 Theaters (Val Day, Artistic Director; Brian Beirne, Managing Director).

Pasadena Playhouse, the State Theater of California, is presenting In Conversation: Jason Alexander, on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 at 7:30PM.  This event will give audiences a behind-the-curtain look at Native Gardens, a new comedy by Karen Zacarias and directed by Mr. Alexander that will be performed at the Playhouse September 5 through 30.

Geffen Playhouse today announced the full cast for its production of Academy Award-nominated and Obie Award-winning Jose Rivera's (Motorcycle Diaries, References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot) The Untranslatable Secrets of Nikki Corona, directed by Obie Award- and Drama Desk Award-winning Jo Bonney (By the Way, Meet Vera Stark; Cost of Living). This world premiere marks the launch of Artistic Director Matt Shakman's inaugural season for Geffen Playhouse.

FX Picks Up New Limited Series DEVS

THEROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, present the first show of its 2018-2019 season, the world premiere of THE RESCUED, written by Julie Marie Myatt (Birder,John is a father) and directed by Marya Mazor. 

Jon Lawrence Rivera, Artistic Director of Playwrights' Arena - the first and oldest theater dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and producing original works written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights, is thrilled to announce the cast for I GO SOMEWHERE ELSE by Inda Craig-Galvan, which includes Kevin Cougal, Kita Grayson, Donna Simone Johnson, Inger Tudor, and Cheri Lynne VandenHeuvel.

Planet Connections Theatre Festivity (PCTF), the brainchild of arts professional Glory Kadigan, turns 10 years old. Known for its engaging and empowering series of plays every summer, the festivity is also celebrated for presenting readings of new works by some of New York's most prominent writers of independent theater. The multi-award-winning theatre festival, now under the direction of producing artistic director, Shaun Peknic, continues this tradition with a series of topical works making their first appearance in front of an audience.

Amanda Peet's sophomore playwrighting effort OUR VERY OWN CARLIN McCULLOUGH has already been garnering rave reviews in its current world premiere at the Geffen Playhouse. Focusing on a ten-year-old tennis phenom and her close relationships with her tennis coach and single mom, kudos has been generously spread around the cast and the creatives. We had the opportunity to verbally volley with Joe Tippett, who completely embodies the role of Carlin's coach Jay.

Amanda Peet may be best known as an actress, having appeared in films such as 'The Whole Nine Yards' and 'Syriana' and in TV shows, including the Duplass brothers' family dramedy, 'Togetherness.' But she's also a serious writer, with her second play, OUR VERY OWN CARLIN McCULLOUGH, now making its world premiere at the Geffen Playhouse. Peet says that for the Geffen production, with a cast that includes Mamie Gummer, Abigail Dylan Harrison, Caroline Heffernan, Tyee Tilghman and Joe Tippett, she was most interested in examining the mother-daughter relationship and 'the idea of how to parent and to what degree you can keep your narcissism in check.'

Planet Connections Theatre Festivity (PCTF), the brainchild of arts professional  Glory Kadigan, turns 10 years old. Known for its engaging and empowering series of plays every summer, the festivity is also celebrated for presenting  readings of new works by some of Ny's most prominent writers of independent theater.