The Public Theater News

'Oh, the thinks you can think' when Dr. Seuss' best-loved characters collide and cavort in an unforgettable musical caper from Theatre Under The Stars!

Over the Tavern opened to a full house Sunday at Theatre at the Center in Munster. The play by Tom Dudzick is directed by Ericka Mac with Janet Ulrich Brooks as Sister Clarissa, Logan Baffico as Rudy, Cory Goodrich as Ellen, Isabelle Roberts as Annie, Eric Slater as Chet, Julian Solis as Georgie and Seth Steinberg as Eddie. Over the Tavern offers a hilarious look at family life in the 1950s.  Over the Tavern continues its run through August 11.

In conjunction with their 50th Anniversary Season, Theatre Under the Stars has introduced Public Works Houston, a program designed to serve their mission of impacting lives beyond the stage through thoughtful community outreach. Public Works Houston branches off of the Public Works initiative of The Public Theater in New York, which aims to engage the community by making them creators rather than spectators.

Casting is complete for this year's SUMMER SHORTS 2019, produced by Throughline Artists (J.J. Kandel, Producing Artistic Director) at 59E59 Theaters (Val Day, Artistic Director; Brian Beirne, Managing Director). SUMMER SHORTS 2019 begins on Friday, July 19 and runs through Saturday, August 31. Two series featuring three one-act plays in each will play in rotating repertory Tuesday - Friday at 7:15 PM; Saturday & Sunday at 2:15 PM and 7:15 PM. Please note, there is no matinee performance on Saturday, July 20. Individual calendar schedule of performance dates for Series A and Series B is available for viewing/download. Press Opening for Series A is Sunday, July 28 at 7:15 PM. Press Opening for Series B is Sunday, August 4 at 2:15 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Single tickets are $25 - $35 ($26 for 59E59 Members). A Pair of Shorts (one ticket to Series A & B, available through July 21) is $60. To purchase tickets, call the 59E59 Theater's Box Office at (646) 892-7999 or visit www.59e59.org.

California Shakespeare Theater continues its 2019 summer season with the world premiere of House of Joy by Madhuri Shekar as part of their New Classics Initiative; playing August 14 through September 1, 2019 at the Bruns Amphitheater. A Pay What You Can performance will be held on Wednesday, August 14. 

"Cage in the Park," a one-time theatrical outdoor comedy event, is set to premiere on July 14th, 2019. Set in Brooklyn's iconic Prospect Park, "Cage in the Park" is a parody of The Public Theater's "Shakespeare in the Park," but instead of Shakespeare's timeless plays, we are performing Nicolas Cage's timeless movies.

The Marsh San Francisco announces an extension of Not a Genuine Black Man, the longest running solo show in San Francisco theater history. This funny, honest, and harrowing piece by award-winning actor, playwright, and talk show host Brian Copeland recounts the struggles Copeland faced growing up in what was declared one of the most racist suburbs in America

The NY Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies, New York City's premier dance awards honoring outstanding creative work in the field, celebrates a landmark 35th anniversary this year. Today, the nominees for the 2019 Bessie Awards, along with the recipients of the 2019 Juried Bessie Award and 2019 Outstanding Breakout Choreographer Award, were announced and celebrated at the Bessies press conference. (The list of nominations follows.)

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company announces that Laverne Cox, Woolly Mammoth, and Joe's Pub, a program of The Public Theater will present a reading of Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi's For Black Trans Girls...

With a bountiful supply of faith, trust, and pixie dust, a brand-new production company is ready to take the stage in Abilene. Kicking off their opening act on Saturday, October 5th at 7:30 PM, Highmont Events welcomes stars of stage and screen in Broadway Princess Party as they make their debut on the Historic Paramount Theatre (352 Cypress St, Abilene, TX) stage. Tickets ranging from $20-$99 will be on sale beginning at 10 p.m. CST on Thursday, July 11 at www.HighmontEvents.com. But certain as the sun rising in the east, this unforgettable event is sure to be one hot ticket!

A joyous girl power romp! This is the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny. With her astonishing wit, intelligence, and psychokinetic powers, Matilda becomes the school's saving grace.

Playwrights Foundation, the West Coast's premiere launchpad for exceptional emerging playwrights has named the artistic teams, actors and daily schedule for the 2019 Bay Area Playwrights Festival (BAPF). The 2019 Bay Area Playwrights Festival runs July 19-28, 2019 at Potrero Stage at the base of San Francisco's Potrero hill.

Theatre Row, a program of Building for the Arts, has long provided a home in the Theater District to nonprofit theaters without a home of their own. To support the next generation of artists, Theatre Row is launching its most ambitious initiative yet: the Kitchen Sink Residency, designed to nurture smaller, emerging performing arts companies.

The Public Theater will begin performances of the 2019 Free Shakespeare in the Park production of CORIOLANUS on Tuesday, July 16 at The Delacorte Theater.

Japan Society proudly announces its 2019-2020 Performing Arts Season, featuring works by visionary artists in dance, music, theater and more, along with one-of-a-kind related workshops and events, as detailed below.  Notably, Fall 2019 features programming thematically linked to the celebration of Japan's new era, Reiwa, following the recent May 2019 enthronement of the 126th emperor, Naruhito. 

Civic Ensemble's Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr. will perform Mike Daisey's edgy, funny, and provocative monologue The Trump Card at the Kitchen Theatre Company this Summer! Opening night is Thursday, July 18th at 8:00pm at the Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 West MLK Jr. Street, Ithaca NY. Performances are Thursday to Saturday at 8:00 pm and Sunday at 4:00 pm through July 28th. The Trump Card is an examination of our current political moment and a call for self reflection among Ithacans of every political persuasion. The production is directed by Ron Russell, Co-Founder and Executive Director,  of Epic Theatre Ensemble of New York City. 

The 2013 Tony Award Winning, MATILDA finds a place to share its powerful story at The Public Theater this summer! The highly anticipated giant of a musical, features a cast of 38 powerhouse actors, glorious lighting and more than a little magic. BWW sat down with some of the cast and crew at the Public Theater to chat about where they got their start and get the inside scoop on what its like being part of such a large-scale production.

Theatre for a New Audience announces a second and final extension of Soho Rep.'s production of Jackie Sibblies Drury's Fairview, staged by Sarah Benson and choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY remains committed to its meaningful mission to produce and develop New Work for the Stage. They have announced their upcoming 28th season, the tenth annual Summer Playwrights Festival.

Producer Jeffrey Seller and the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) announce a digital lottery for HAMILTON tickets will begin in conjunction with the show's first performance (July 23) in Providence at PPAC. Forty (40) tickets will be sold for every performance for $10 each. The digital lottery will open at 11:00 AM ET on Sunday, July 21 for tickets to the Tuesday, July 23 performance. Subsequent digital lotteries will begin two days prior to each performance. Performances run Tuesday, July 23 - Sunday, August 11.