The Old Globe News

The University of Washington School of Drama announced last month that Executive Director Todd London, who has served in that role since 2014, will step down in August.

GHOSTLIGHT RECORDS has announced it will record the new musical Miss You Like Hell, the New York premiere production from The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham), for an original cast recording to be released later this year. With book and lyrics by Quiara Alegria Hudes, music and lyrics by Erin McKeown, and choreography by Danny Mefford, the new musical was directed by Public Theater Resident Director and Founder of Public Works Lear deBessonet, and stars Daphne Rubin-Vega and Gizel Jimenez. The recording is being produced by Erin McKeown and Kurt Deutsch.

Set in the offices of a New York City Fortune 500 company, four unsuspecting candidates embark on the most testing job interview of their lives. This taunt play - which premiered in Barcelona in 2003 to great critical acclaim, exposes the psychological depths people will go to in order to get what they want. In our age of reality TV game shows and tweeting US presidents, The Gronholm Method explores the human capacity to manipulate, lie and 'play the game' to get ahead.

The Ogunquit Playhouse kicks off its 86th season with the all-new incarnation of the sizzling song and dance celebration Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller on stage May 16 to June 9. This exuberant production of the record breaking Broadway smash hit is directed and choreographed by Emmy Award-winner and Tony Award-nominee Josh Bergasse who will bring new life to more than 30 classic songs including 'Stand by Me,' 'I'm a Woman,' 'Hound Dog,' 'Fools Fall In Love,' 'On Broadway,' 'Yakety Yak,' 'Pearl's a Singer,' 'Treat Me Nice,' 'There Goes My Baby,' 'Love Potion #9,' 'Jailhouse Rock,' and 'Spanish Harlem.' The all-new production heads to Stage 42 (422 West 42nd Street, NYC) following its Ogunquit run.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey begins its 56th season with its first Main Stage production, Tartuffe. Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte will direct this masterful French comedy that hasn't been seen on STNJ's stage since 2001. Renowned translator Richard Wilbur brings Moliere's witty words to brilliant life for English-speaking audiences. Veteran company member Brent Harris will play the title role and will be joined by STNJ favorites Patrick Toon and Victoria Mack, as well as two-time Tony Award nominee, Vivian Reed. Performances begin May 16.

Tony award-winning actor Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Applause), in collaboration with Aruba productions, proudly presents and stars in Broadway and the Bard: An Evening of Shakespeare & Song at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, previewing Wednesday, June 6 with a press opening Thursday, June 7 and closing Sunday, June 10, 2018.

New York Classical Theatre (Stephen Burdman, Artistic Director), New York City's only all-free professional Off-Broadway theatre company, is pleased to announce a new production of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to celebrate its 19th Anniversary Season. The production, directed by Mr. Burdman, is the company's first staging of Shakespeare's tale of star-crossed lovers, and will be presented in five New York City parks - Central Park, Rockefeller Park/Battery Park City, The Battery, Carl Schurz Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park - with performances from June 5 through July 29 at 7:00 PM. There is no ticketing, and all performances are free and open to the public. New York Classical Theatre also invites audiences to experience unique behind-the-scenes access to open rehearsals on selected dates for each of the five park stagings. 

The Old Globe today announced its next cast and creative team-including numerous Globe favorites and new faces-as the 2018 Summer Shakespeare Festival once again presents the finest of the Bard's work outdoors under the stars in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. Summer will officially arrive with The Tempest, directed by Joe Dowling (formerly the Artistic Director for Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and Abbey Theatre in Ireland), with star of stage and screen Kate Burton as Prospera, running June 17 - July 22, 2018.

Tony® Award-winning actor Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Applause) comes to the Bay Area this summer, starring in his acclaimed one-man show Broadway and the Bard: An Evening of Shakespeare & Song, conceived by Cariou, Barry Kleinbort and Mark Janas, with direction by Kleinbort and musical direction by Janas.

The Old Globe today announced its next cast and creative team-including numerous Globe favorites and new faces-as the 2018 Summer Shakespeare Festival once again presents the finest of the Bard's work outdoors under the stars in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. Summer will officially arrive with The Tempest, directed by Joe Dowling (formerly the Artistic Director for Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and Abbey Theatre in Ireland), with star of stage and screen Kate Burton as Prospera, running June 17 - July 22, 2018. Tickets start at $30.00, on sale to the general public now. Previews run June 17 - 22. Opening night is Saturday, June 23 at 8:00 p.m.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents the World Premiere production of Lost Girl by Kimberly Belflower performed by the 2017/18 Professional Training Institute (PTI) ensemble this July 19-22, 2018 in the Stiemke Studio.  PTI is an advanced actor-training program for students in 8th-12th grade who may have an interest in pursuing a career as a professional theater artist.   The 2017/18 PTI ensemble features sixteen students hailing from fourteen different high schools who received free training from some of the top theater professionals in the world, culminating in this capstone performance  of Lost Girl where they will be employed as paid, professional actors.

The UC San Diego Department of Theatre and Dance presents How to Defend Yourself, written by Lily Padilla and directed by Kim Rubinstein, as part of the 2018 Wagner New Play Festival.

McCarter Theatre Center completes the 2017-2018 Theater Series with Christopher Durang's Turning Off the Morning News. His third world premiere commission for McCarter, Durang's follow-up to Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (2013 Tony Award for Best Play), is a decidedly dark and daring comedy taking hilarious aim at today's absurd and dangerous world. Directed by McCarter's Artistic Director and Resident Playwright Emily Mann, the play runs May 4 - June 3 in the Berlind Theatre. 

Mile Square Theatre, Hudson County's leading professional theatre, presents its annual 10-minute play festival, 7th Inning Stretch: 7 10-minute plays about baseball.

The Acting Company (Ian Belknap, Artistic Director; Elisa Spencer-Kaplan, Executive Director) presents William Shakespeare's beloved comedy, Twelfth Night, directed by Tony nominee Maria Aitken (The 39 Steps) with a dynamic cast of The Acting Company alumni and ensemble members of Delaware's Resident Ensemble Players (REP). When her ship is wrecked, Viola washes ashore in the unfamiliar land of Illyria and embarks on a journey to find her lost brother. Brimming with music, love and longing, Shakespeare's enchanting play transports audiences to a world of comedic mayhem, mistaken identity and unrequited passion. This co-production with the Resident Ensemble Players comes to Polonsky Shakespeare Center (262 Ashland Pl, Brooklyn), May 10-27.

Classic Stage Company announced today that Clifton Duncan, most recently seen on Broadway in The Play That Goes Wrong, will play the role of Joe in the company's new production of the musical CARMEN JONES, now beginning performances Saturday, June 9 (8pm) at CSC (136 East 13th Street).

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The Geffen Playhouse today announced the full cast for its Los Angeles Premiere production of Skeleton Crew, the third and final installment in Dominique Morisseau's award-winning three-play cycle, The Detroit Project. The play features Amari Cheatom (Roman J. Israel, Esq.) as Dez, Caroline Stefanie Clay (Broadway's The Little Foxes) as Faye, Kelly McCreary (Grey's Anatomy) as Shanita and D.B. Woodside (Lucifer) as Reggie. Patricia McGregor will direct.

Westport Country Playhouse will open its 2018 Season with an uplifting tale of bravery, pride, and sisterhood, "Flyin' West," written by Pearl Cleage and directed by Seret Scott, playing May 29 through June 16.  This year marks the historic theater's 88th season.

Theatre Forward is pleased to announce the inaugural recipients of its Advancing Strong Theatre grant program, an initiative focused on funding and promoting greater access and opportunity in the American Theatre.  Advancing Strong Theatre seeks to accelerate change in the areas of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) by providing the resources for recipients to explore, initiate or deepen collaborative relationships with those from a group currently under-represented in the activities of the theatre as audience members or participants in other programs.