The Public Theater News

This morning, Daveed Diggs was a guest on the third hour of TODAY to talk about the new play he's starring in at the Public Theater, White Noise. When talking about the play, written by Suzan-Lori Park, Diggs says, 'It's kind of the best thing I've ever read!'

On last night's episode of  Daveed Diggs sat down with Jimmy. Diggs talked about returning to the Public Theater, Hamilton's original home, for his new Broadway show White Noise and he even performs part of a single from new music he's working on.

The New York-based theater company, Theater in Asylum (TIA), will present six performances of Alice Pencavel's Totally Wholesome Foods at Episcopal Actors' Guild in New York City.

'Isn't that the problem with political theater, too much directness?' queries one of Anne Washburn's characters in her new play - which, in meta fashion, and over a leisurely three hours, not only addresses Trump head on, but also painstakingly analyses our responses to the President and the present moment, including the role of the arts.

Magic Window Productions will present the Off-Broadway Premiere of RANDOM ACTS, a drama written and performed by Obie Award winner Renata Hinrichs (A Simple Heart, Debbie Does Dallas, Einstein's Dreams). Directed by Jessi D. Hill, previews begin February 14 at TBG Mainstage Theatre. Opening is set for Today, February 20.

Magic Window Productions will present the Off-Broadway Premiere of RANDOM ACTS, a drama written and performed by Obie Award winner Renata Hinrichs (A Simple Heart, Debbie Does Dallas, Einstein's Dreams). Directed by Jessi D. Hill, previews begin February 14 at TBG Mainstage Theatre. Opening is set for Today, February 20.

STEPHEN S MILLER presents THE BELLE OF AMHERST by WILLIAM LUCE. This production runs FEBRUARY 26th-MARCH 3rd, 2019 at AMERICAN THEATRE OF ACTORS (314 W. 54th Street, New York, NY 10019). Director: STEPHEN S. MILLER. Starring: JANE CULLEY* in this rarely done one-woman show, performing fifteen different characters including the featured historical figure, the groundbreaking poet EMIY DICKINSON. (*Appearing Courtesy of Actors Equity).

Be More Chill officially began its Broadway run last week, and while the show is already celebrating an exciting milestone, conflict as has arisen between the show and Local 802, the union for professional musicians. Orchestrator Charlie Rosen just took to Facebook to explain why the union has prevented him from performing in the pit as Guitar 2 & Ukulele. He writes:

The Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Program presents its spring thesis show, The Good Person of Szechwan by Bertolt Brecht, directed by Addie Gorlin, a third year student in the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Directing program. One of Brecht's most well-known plays, The Good Person of Szechwan is a parable about balancing moral goodness and monetary success. Performances run February 28 through March 10 at the Pell Chafee Performance Center, 87 Empire St., 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 /The-Good-Person-of-Szechwan.

Make/Shift, in association with AKIN, expands upon last year's first-ever, electrifying SHE Creates festival: an annual, all-inclusive celebration of womanhood and gender nonconformity. This year's event, SHE Creates 2k19, will take place at New Ohio Theatre and will feature: the New York Premiere of The Clark Doll, written by Liz Morgan and directed by Tyler Thomas; a variety of Opening Acts by female and genderqueer artists; an Art Gallery featuring dozens of emerging, female and genderqueer visual artists; and a Party, hosted by AKIN.

Magic Window Productions will present the Off-Broadway Premiere of RANDOM ACTS, a drama written and performed by Obie Award winner Renata Hinrichs (A Simple Heart, Debbie Does Dallas, Einstein's Dreams). Directed by Jessi D. Hill, previews began February 14 at TBG Mainstage Theatre. Opening is set for Wednesday, February 20.

ACTUALLY, WE'RE F**KED, a new play by Matt Williams, will be given its world-premiere production at Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce St. in Manhattan), with previews starting on February 26 prior to an official opening on March 7, it has been announced by Cherry Lane founder Angelina Fiordellisi and artistic director Seri Lawrence. The play is directed by John Pasquin, with whom Mr. Williams has a long-standing collaboration, including the popular television series "Home Improvement."

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Happy Monday! Kick off a brand new week by catching up on the latest Broadway news!

As BroadwayWorld reported last week, The Public Theater will conclude its summer season at the Delacorte Theatre with free performances of the Public Works' musical adaptation of HERCULES (August 31-September 8), with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by David Zippel, book by Kristoffer Diaz, and directed by Lear deBessonet. 

The Old Globe today announced the cast and creative team for the American premiere of Life After, a rapturously beautiful and stirring new musical with book, music, and lyrics by Britta Johnson. The Globe's own Barry Edelstein directs, with choreography by Ann Yee. Life After will run March 22 - April 28, 2019 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run March 22-28.

Manhattan Theatre Club announces the lineup for the 2019 Ted Snowdon Reading Series.

The New York premiere of Sea Wall / A LIFE officially opened last night, February 14. The show was written by Simon Stephens and Nick Payne respectively and directed by Carrie Cracknell, featuring Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge. Sea Wall / A LIFE runs through Sunday, March 31.

Robert Fox and Alex Turner, in association with Park Theatre and King's Head Theatre, today announce the full cast for the UK premiere of Martin Sherman's new play Gently Down The Stream, following a critically acclaimed run at the Public Theater in New York. Sean Mathias directs Jonathan Hyde, Ben Allen and Harry Lawtey. The production opens at Park Theatre on 18 February 2019, with previews from 13 February, running until 16 March.

HERE (Kristin Marting, Artistic Director) continues its 2018 2019 season with the New York premiere of Ashes from Plexus Polaire, who recently presented the New York Times critic's pick production of Chambre Noire at The Public Theater's Under the Radar festival. Under the direction of Yngvild Aspeli, Ashes is inspired by true events as told in the best-selling Norwegian novel Before I Burn by Gaute Heivoll, and features actors, video projection and life-sized puppets.

As the lights dimmed and the actors took the stage, the audience was quick to note that RENT would not be like many other musicals that graced the stage. Indeed, the story of how RENT came to be an award winning musical is as much of the story as the script and songs conceived by the late Jonathan Larson. Larson called it his breakthrough work, "Hair for the 90's" wishing to "bring musical theater to the MTV generation" (New York Times, 1997).