The Public Theater News

Sure, Broadway is traditionally known for its glitz and glamour, but New York audiences have never shied away from socially relevant theatre, either. And while controversial issues are more frequently discussed Off-Broadway, 2018 saw a great many political and social themes brought up throughout Manhattan's stages. So here are ten times New York theatre tackled political and social issues in 2018

New York City's premier TGNC cabaret returns to The Duplex with their final show of 2018 today, December 29th at 9:30pm. The show is directed by Donnie Cianciotto, with Musical Direction by Anessa Marie.

With the dust settled from midterm elections and freshman members of Congress learning to navigate the maze of Capitol Hill 2.5 miles away, Studio Theatre presents Kings, part of its Studio X series, written by Alexandria, VA native Sarah Burgess and directed by Marti Lyons. With a deft hand at the fast talk and power dynamics of lawmaking and fundraising, Burgesss play is a swamp tour of the Beltway power-broking that fuels her hometown. A Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist, Burgess quickly rose to notoriety exploring the cutthroat world of finance in her breakout play, Dry Powder, at the Public Theater in New York, which starred Claire Danes, John Krasinski, and Hank Azaria.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Today's top stories: the star-studded cast is announced for an upcoming reading of Parade, watch the full Kennedy Center Honors, and more!

The Circuit Playhouse, in partnership with super sponsor Dr. Thomas Ratliff, offer the 2017 Pulitzer Prize winner as its first play of the new year.

Legendary choreographer, National Medal of Arts (2013) and MacArthur "Genius" Award (1994) recipient, and artistic director of New York Live Arts, Bill T. Jones welcomes a discussion with Oskar Eustis-Artistic Director of New York's Public Theater, who has nurtured one game-changing hit after another for the Public, including the award-winning musicals Fun Home and Hamilton. As both leaders in the arts world and change-makers, Jones and Eustis delve into the responsibilities of both arts organizations and artists.

The Marsh Berkeley has announced that due to popular demand it has scheduled an extended run of Lisa Rothman's hit show, Dragon in the Drop-Off Lane. This hilarious and cautionary tale describes what happens when Rothman's Oakland-raised kids venture into the fairytale world of Marin, where all the children seem to know how to sew, speak in a "Crystal Cave whisper," and decorate their (vegan) gingerbread men with stevia icing, carob chips, and unsweetened coconut flakes. Of course, no fairytale would be complete without a fairy godmother to help Rothman reckon with her parenting choices.

It's the last week to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld San Antonio Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

California Shakespeare Theater (Cal Shakes) today announced directors for the 2019 Season at the Bruns Amphitheater, including the Cal Shakes debuts of directors Megan Sandberg-Zakian (House of Joy) and Victor Malana Maog (Macbeth).

Following the success of The New York Times critic's pick The Tricky Part by Martin Moran, The Barrow Group, under the leadership of Co-Artistic Directors Seth Barrish and Lee Brock and Executive Director Robert Serrell, continues its 2018-2019 season with the world premiere of AWAKE, written and directed by K. Lorrel Manning.

Full casting has been announced for Pride Films and Plays' production of SOUTHERN COMFORT. The musical will open to the press on March 4, 2019 in the Broadway theater of the Pride Arts Center and play through March 31.

An all new photo has been released of Stephen Rea for David Ireland's Cyprus Avenue.

Long Wharf Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Jacob G. Padron and Managing Director Joshua Borenstein, presents Miller, Mississippi, by Boo Killebrew, directed by Lee Sunday Evans, from January 9 through February 2, 2019.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director/CEO) is thrilled to announce the eighth annual Roundabout Underground Reading Series, a five-night event that includes nightly readings of new works written and directed by emerging artists, as well as post-show receptions. The Reading Series will feature new works by Aaron Carter, Emily Feldman, Dave Harris, Jonathan Spector and Sanaz Toossi.

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T) at Harvard University, under the leadership of Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director Diane Paulus and Executive Producer Diane Borger, announces the cast and creative team for Othello by William Shakespeare. The first Shakespeare production from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) to play the east coast, the acclaimed staging by award-winning director Bill Rauch begins previews Sunday, January 13; opens Friday, January 18; and closes Saturday, February 9, 2019 at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, MA.

In January 2019, Utah Opera unveils its new production of composer Rachel Portman and librettist Nicholas Wright's 'The Little Prince' (2003), an operatic adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's classic children's novella published 75 years ago

The Sol Project (Jacob G. Padron, Artistic Director), the national theater initiative dedicated to amplifying Latinx voices and building a body of work for the new American theater, is proud to announce that founding member and artistic producer David Mendizabal will become the Associate Artistic Director, beginning immediately. Rebecca Martinez and Julian Ramirez will also join the company as members of the artistic collective.

Some people go to the theater to find a place to escape from the world around them. If you are one of those people, Studio Theatre's production of Kings wont be your cup of tea. This production is often an uncomfortably real exploration of politics, lobbyists and daily life in the heart of our nation. It takes a moment for the plot to get moving, but once it has left the station, Kings proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable ride.

This poetic new play with music follows Ed, a gay Jesuit priest who leaves the Catholic church to reconcile with his estranged brother in an isolated and icy township in Alaska. As Ed confronts his tragic past and tenuous future, he unexpectedly finds love beneath the starry Alaskan sky, and support from an unlikely ally. Introducing an auspicious new voice in American theatre, The Hour of Great Mercy by Miranda Rose Hall, is a tender, insightful and compassionate story about our collective relationship to illness, family, and redemption.

Just in time for the holiday season, THE WOMAN IN BLACK is inviting guests to try something new this year with a holiday ticket package. For those looking to bond over a spine-tingling live theater performance, THE WOMAN IN BLACK will include a drink from the bar with the purchase of a ticket using the code HOLIDAY through January 6, 2019. An experience surely not to miss, the production has been called "Spectacular" by the Chicago Sun-Times, and "Brilliant" by Chicago Theater Review, receiving rave reviews from critics across the board.