The Public Theater News

Red Bull Theater today announced that their ninth annual festival of 10-minute plays of heightened language and classic themes will feature two brand new commissions from Kia Corthron and Will Power, alongside six brand new plays chosen from hundreds of submissions from playwrights across the country. Submissions are now open through March 18, 2019.

Haven Theatre, in association with About Face Theatre, presents the Midwest premiere of THE TOTAL BENT, a dynamic new rock show about fathers, sons, social upheaval and the choice between salvation and selling out.

The Old Globe has announced The Old Globe Classical Directing Fellowship, led by the Globe's Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein, a leading Shakespearean scholar, author, and director. Four directing fellows-Daniel Jaquez, Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, Sam White, and LA Williams-will participate in the pilot session of this new initiative. They will be in residence from Tuesday, January 22 through Friday, January 26, 2019.

Primitive Grace Theater Ensemble will present the World Premiere of MASTER OF THE CROSSROADS written and directed by Obie Award winner and SAG Award nominee Paul Calderon (The Bad Lieutenant, Boardwalk Empire). Previews begin January 16th at The Bridge Theater. Opening is slated for Wednesday, January 23rd.

Victory Gardens Theater continues its 44th season with the Chicago Premiere of Pipeline, written by 2018 MacArthur Fellow Dominique Morisseau and directed by Cheryl Lynn Bruce. Pipeline runs February 1 March 3, 2019, with press performance on Friday, February 8, 2019 at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

On the fourth Monday of every month, two of NYC's most beloved underground acts join forces to bring a monthly, intimate evening of entertainment to the legendary Slipper Room. Charming troubadour and raconteur Corn Mo brings his patented combination of original songs, quirky, off-kilter anecdotes, and charisma, framed by The Love Show Dancers' dance performance, burlesque, and saucy surprises! Trivia contests entertain with questions charaded by the Love Show Dancers with prizes of insignificant worth!

Luna Stage will launch 2019 with the World Premiere of Christina Gorman's cyber-security romance Roan @ The Gates by, directed by Michelle Tattenbaum. An exploration of internet privacy and the risks of whistleblowing, this suspenseful new play examines the cost of doing the right thing.

At the commencement of MINOR CHARACTER, New Saloon's offering at the Public Theater's 2019 Under The Radar Festival, actor Madeline Wise stands downstage center, faces the audience and, with barely any body movement or facial expressions, begins rattling off the lines of various characters from the opening scene of Anton Chekhov's classic comedy of life's futility, UNCLE VANYA.

The Old Globe today announced the cast and creative team for Familiar by Tony Award nominee Danai Gurira (Broadway's Eclipsed, Black Panther, "The Walking Dead"). This funny, warmhearted look at tradition, marriage, and what it means to be an American family will be directed by Edward Torres (the Globe's Water by the Spoonful and Native Gardens, Cancion at Repertorio Español) and will run January 26 - March 3, 2019 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage, Old Globe Theatre, Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run January 26-30. Opening night is Thursday, January 31. Tickets start at $30.00 and can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE, or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

Queens Theatre announces that Gregg Mozgala has accepted the position of Director of Inclusion at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park performing arts center.

The Public Theater officially opened its 15th annual UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL on Thursday, January 3. BroadwayWorld attended the opening, and you can check out the photos below!

To the delight of her fans, the 10th anniversary special engagement of Storm Large's autobiographical, one-woman rock musical Crazy Enough goes on sale to the public on Jan. 4. Crazy Enough broke records at The Armory in 2009 with a sold-out, 21-week run. Beginning with stories of a childhood complicated by her mother's schizophrenia, Large takes us through the ups and downs of the years that follow - sex, drugs, running away to California, and the saving grace of rock 'n' roll.  Crazy Enoughfeatures original songs by Large and James Beaton, including the hilarious and incredibly catchy "My Vagina is Eight Miles Wide." It will be directed by Daniel Stern with original music director Beaton on the U.S. Bank Main Stage. Crazy Enough will open on Large's 50th birthday.

The Marsh San Francisco announces a one-night-only Marsh benefit performance of Not a Genuine Black Man, the longest running solo show in San Francisco theater history by award-winning actor, playwright, and talk show host Brian Copeland. This funny, honest, and harrowing piece recounts the struggles Copeland faced growing up in what was declared one of the most racist suburbs in America. "In the current political climate, empathy seems to be a lost commodity. By showing people the world through the eyes of a bullied and lonely little African-American boy, I hope they will develop compassion for the demonized 'other,'" says Copeland. The San Francisco Chronicle described the show as "relentlessly introspective and disarmingly honest, Copeland takes apart the false notion that black masculinity is some monolithic concept, in a way that has continued, unfortunately, to be relevant long after the show's 2004 premiere." Not a Genuine Black Man will play as a Marsh benefit performance for one-night-only at 8:00pm, Thursday, January 10, 2019 at The Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia St., San Francisco. For tickets ($30-$35 sliding scale, $55-$100 reserved) or more information, the public may visit www.themarsh.org or call The Marsh Box office at 415-282-3055 (open Monday through Friday, 1pm-4pm).

The Drama League (Executive Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks) has announced casting for DirectorFest 2019: The 35th Annual Directors Festival, the only festival in the United States exploring the art of contemporary stage directing. DirectorFest takes place at various locations around NYC: New Ohio Theatre (154 Christopher Street), The Drama League Theater Center (32 Avenue of the Americas), LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (31-10 Thompson Avenue, Long Island City), and Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street). Festival programming, tickets and additional details are available at www.directorfest.org, or by calling (212) 244-9494.

Good morning BroadwayWorld! Today top stories: The Public kicks off its Under The Radar Festival, and more!

Beth Malone was nominated for a 2015 Tony Award and Grammy for her game-changing role of 'Alison' in Fun Home. She was last seen on Broadway as The Angel in the Tony Award-winning revival of Tony Kushner's Angels In America.

The Public Theater begins performances for the 15th annual UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL on Thursday, January 3.

Chimera Ensemble presents the Chicago Premiere of How to Live on Earth, written by award-winning playwright MJ Kaufman, and directed by Gwendolyn Wiegold. The production will go up March 8-24 in The Pentagon Theater at Collaboraction Studios in The Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago IL 60622. There will be one preview performance on Friday, March 8 at 7:30 pm. Opening night, followed by a reception, will be Saturday, March 9 at 7:30 pm.

Good morning BroadwayWorld! Today's top stories: Read about 2019's upcoming shows, our picks for the top stars to watch, and more!

2018 is over and we can't help but look ahead to the 2019 Broadway season, which is bound to be filled with countless star-making (and star-preserving) performances. Who should you keep your eye on as the spring season begins and awards season approaches?