The Public Theater News

As part of its current 2019-2020 Performing Arts Season, Japan Society presents a staged reading of Cooking Up, by Japanese playwright Shoko Matsumura, led by Brooklyn-based director Jordana De La Cruz, taking place Monday, March 30 at 7:30 PM at Japan Society (333 East 47th Street).  Cooking Up marks the 15th installment of the Society's annual Play Reading Series: Contemporary Japanese Plays in English Translation, introducing topical plays from emerging playwrights from Japan to artists and audiences in the U.S.  

Tickets for the March 15th VIP Reading of Joe Gulla's 'REEL WOOD' are on sale now. Directed by Christopher Scott ('God Shows Up'), this special reading will take place at NYC's Greenwich Village Iconic Gay Bar and Landmark, The Stonewall Inn on March 15, 2020 at 7 pm. The Stonewall Inn is best-known for being the scene of the 1969 raid and riots that catalyzed the modern LGBTQ rights movement.

Theatre production company Parity Productions has released its monthly list of Qualifying Productions for March -their directory of New York City shows in which the individual creative teams have 50% of the positions filled with women and/or trans and gender nonconforming (TGNC) artists (directors, designers, and playwrights).

Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), the theatrical union that unites, empowers, and protects professional stage directors and choreographers throughout the United States, today announced a newly created position on its senior staff team as well as the merging of its existing Member Services and Communications departments.

Milwaukee Rep has announced the complete cast and creative teams for the final productions of the 2019/20 Season including the world premiere Antonio's Song / I Was Dreaming of a Son by Pulitzer Prize finalist Dael Orlandersmith and Antonio Edwards Suarez in the Stiemke Studio March 24 - April 5, 2020; the world premiere event Hootenanny: The Musicale by celebrated musician David Lutken in the Stackner Cabaret March 27 - May 24, 2020; and the telenovela of passion and deception Destiny of Desire by Karen Zacarías in the Quadracci Powerhouse April 21 - May 17, 2020.

WP Theater, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Lisa McNulty and Managing Director Michael Sag, has announced the 2020 lineup for The Pipeline Festival, the third biennial showcase of its celebrated WP Lab residency for playwrights, directors and producers. Running from March 26 - April 25, 2020 at WP Theater (2162 Broadway, at 76th Street), the festival is the culmination of the renowned two-year WP Lab residency, providing a unique opportunity for audiences to see five new plays - in various stages of development, ranging from staged readings to full-length workshop productions - presented over a span of five weeks.

Joe's Pub bids farewell to February and welcomes March with the third in a five-part concert series exploring Shakespeare's women, black female ambition, and music, Whitney White: Think, And Die; Joe's Pub Working Group 2020 member Salty Brine continues their dazzling exploration of pop music with Living Record Collection - THESE ARE THE CONTENTS OF MY HEAD: The Annie Lennox Show

Head inside rehearsals fpr Mona Mansour's THE VAGRANT TRILOGY at the Public Theater!

The Public Theater's Public Forum is taking its Civic Salons on the road!

The cast of Girl from the North Country stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, February 25 to perform a special medley performance of 'Slow Train' and 'License to Kill.'

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) announced last week that it has awarded a grant of $67,818 to Trinity Repertory Company. Trinity Rep will partner with director and community facilitator Laurie Woolery to enhance Trinity Rep's bilingual Spanish-English programming and develop theater work based on oral histories of the Latinx people of Rhode Island with director Mark Valdez. Trinity Rep was one of fourteen organizations selected for an award as a part of the foundation's Building Demand for the Arts program.

COAL COUNTRY will run at The Public Theaterthrough Sunday, March 29, with an official press opening on Tuesday, March 3.

GRANDMA & ME: An Ode to Single Parents is the sixth performance for Brian Copeland presents The Best of San Francisco Solo Series 2019/20 in partnership with The Marin Cultural Association at The Marin Center's Showcase Theater.

Huntington Theatre Company has announced the lineup of their 2020-2021 season of destination theatre that features an incredible range of compelling stories -culturally and artistically diverse - unified by the Huntington's commitment to vital, fresh and inclusive entertainment. From stories deeply rooted in Boston's history to star-studded classics, the next chapter in Huntington history is perhaps, the most exciting yet.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - the monthly gathering of the International Order of Sodomites, the centuries-old organization which sets the mythic Gay Agenda - will return to Joe's Pubthis season for regular performances after a three year hiatus. The Meeting*, now the longest-running LGBTQ variety show in New York, is known for its audacious humor, trailblazing political discourse and button-pushing cultural exploration. Sayre will present two different evenings next month, celebrating 'The Ladies of Country' on Monday, March 2, and honoring 'The Ladies of Disco' on Sunday, March 29, both at 9:30 PM. Special guests for March 2 include Bridget Barkan, Melody Berger, Drew Droege, Larry Krone, and Bobby Blue the Balladeer, with additional names to be announced. Shows are scheduled through December 2020, with the spring season continuing on April 26 and May 31. Tracy Stark serves as music director for the series.

Preview performances are underway for Girl From The North Country, which officially opens at the Belasco Theatre on March 5. Celebrated playwright Conor McPherson boldly reimagines the songs of the legendary Bob Dylan in Girl from the North Country - the soaring masterwork about the dreams we keep close, the people we hold dear, and the place we call home.

Jessie Mueller was a little-known performer from Chicago when she made her Broadway debut in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever in 2011. Since then, she has taken Broadway by storm, appearing in three Broadway revivals (Nice Work If You Can Get It, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and Carousel) and creating two original characters (Beautiful and Waitress)- the former of which earned her a Tony Award in 2014.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents Eclipsed written by Black Panther and 'Walking Dead' star Danai Gurira in the Quadracci Powerhouse, March 3 - 29, 2020. Take 5 with one of the show's stars, Sola Thompson, below!

Milwaukee Repertory Theater will honor 12 Milwaukee SHEroes during the run of Eclipsed, March 3 -29, 2020. A Milwaukee SHEro is a woman* of color who exemplifies the values of dedication to one's community, collaboration and sisterhood. Milwaukee Rep received over 100 nominations, which an outside selection committee including Milwaukee Rep employees and community members, picked the following 12 candidates honored as Milwaukee SHEroes. All 12 women are doing their part to better the Milwaukee community.

As the Public Theater prepares to wrap up its run of A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER, it was fun to chat with Andy Meyers who plays the part of…well…of…many characters central to the story. Read below to see just how Meyers keeps up with the high jinx adventures that make A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER a highly entertaining show that should not be missed. Check out BWW's Ashley Corbaley's review of the show too.