The Public Theatre News

4th Wall Theatre Company's 2017 - 2018 season wraps up with the regional premiere of Suzanne Bradbeer's hilarious comedy, Shakespeare in Vegas May 17 - June 9, 2018, at Studio 101, Spring Street Studios, 1824 Spring Street, Houston, TX 77007. 4th Wall offered a staged reading of the play during its 2017 "4th Wall Reads: Women's Voices" series. 4th Wall audiences will remember Bradbeer's work from the 2014 production of her political drama, The God Game.

ules Aaron has directed shows at GRT including The Paris Letter (a major critical success) and That Lovin' Feelin' (the Righteous Brothers musical that was extended and broke all house records).  Aaron is the winner of over 40 awards for direction around the country (including LA Drama Critics Award, Garland Award, Bay Area Critics Award, Philadelphia Critics Award, Utah Theatre Critics Award, etc.  He is bi-coastal, working frequently in fifteen California theatres including South Coast Repertory,  ICT, McCoy/Rigby, Pasadena Playhouse, Odyssey Theatre (most recently directed the acclaimed Two Fisted Love), TheatreWorks, Colony Theatre, Falcon Theatre and Theatre 40; In New York at The Public Theatre (personally developed plays with Joe Papp), Soho Rep, the Unit Theatre; regionally at the Humana Festival (Actors Theatre of Louisville), Philadelphia Theatre Co., Utah Shakespearean Theatre among many others. Aaron is currently in rehearsal for Deathtrap expected to open at Group rep Friday April 6.

Lea DeLaria, 'Big Boo' from Orange is the New Black, will bring her new live show to Queensland Performing Arts Centre's (QPAC) Concert Hall for one night only on Tuesday 5 June, 2018.

It's Episode #79 and we are seizing the day and sitting down with Tony Award winning Lighting Designer Jeff Croiter. Jeff has a wide ranging career and we're talking about all sorts of projects. Cory and Jeff discuss his recent design of the Big Apple Circus and how one goes about lighting jugglers, horses and the Flying Wallendas as well as his new relationship with Penn & Teller and what goes into lighting two of the most famous magicians in the world. He also discusses the prominent role lighting played in "Bandstand" and how he got 75 old fresnels to change color all night long and of course we're talking about the genesis of his design for "Peter and the Starcatcher" and how it has become a genre of design in itself.

The Group Rep presents Ira Levin's comic thriller Deathtrap directed by Jules Aaron, produced by Larry Eisenberg. One of the great popular successes of Broadway history and Tony nominated for Best Play in 1978, Deathtrap deals with the devious machinations of a writer of thrillers who is prepared to go to any lengths to improve his fortunes. Deathtrap runs April 6 through May 20 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood.

Blackfriars Repertory Theatre celebrates their 20th anniversary with a new production of N. Richard Nash's The Rainmaker, co-producing with The Storm Theatre Company, opening April 27, 2018 in the Black Box Theater at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture.

As a centerpiece of its 25th anniversary season, HERE (Kristin Marting, Founding Artistic Director, and Kim Whitener, Executive Director) is proud to present the world premiere of Assembled Identity, a new theatrical work by Kristin Marting created in collaboration with Purva Bedi and Mariana Newhard. Running April 24 - May 19, Assembled Identity is set to open on May 1 and features performances by Newhard and Lipica Shah, who play multiple characters and speak several languages. Assembled Identity is the 29th hybrid work by Marting, who co-founded HERE in 1993. Her multi-disciplinary work has been noted for its "striking unity of sound and meaning" (New York Times) and for being a "a true treat for the adventurous." (Time Out New York).

New York City staple Roundabout Theatre Company has just announced that Tony & Emmy Award winner Stockard Channing will return to the New York stage in the Off-Broadway premiere of APOLOGIA, by Alexi Kaye Campbell (The Pride). APOLOGIA will be directed by three-time Obie Award winner Daniel Aukin (Bad Jews, Skintight). Channing returns to the role of "Kristin" in Apologia following an acclaimed run in London's West End in 2017.

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is pleased to announce Title Wave at Bay Street: The 5th Annual New Works Festival, May 4 - 6, 2018. All readings are free, but tickets are required, as these events typically sell out. Tickets are available now at baystreet.org or by calling the Bay Street Theater Box Office at 631-725-9500, open Tuesday through Saturday 11 am to 5 pm.

After selling out every performance in February & March, PianoFight presents the final encore engagement of F*ck Tinder: a love story, Written & Performed by David Rodwin.

National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (NYTF), the longest consecutively producing theatre in the United States and the world's oldest continuously operating Yiddish theatre company, today announced that legendary stage and screen actor Joel Grey will direct the United States' premiere of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish this summer.

Will the Neighbors Say will present the New York Premiere of James Clements' THE DIANA TAPES, directed by Wednesday Sue Derrico (HVMLET for She NYC Arts Festival) at HERE (145 6th Avenue, enter on Dominick Street, one block south of Spring Street), May 24-June 10. Performances will run Tuesday through Saturday at 7pm, with matinee performances on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm. Tickets ($25/$15 for under 30 & seniors) are available for purchase in advance at www.thedianatapes.com. The performance will run approximately 70 minutes, with no intermission. This production is part of SubletSeries@HERE, a curated rental program, which provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as technical support.

The Orchard Project (Artistic Director, Ari Edelson) announced the eleven writers, composers, directors and companies for its 2018 New York City Greenhouse. In its first year, the Orchard Project NYC Greenhouse is a new NYC-based accelerator for directors, writers, composers and other generative artists to seed ambitious and unexpected work, form new relationships and develop a new generation of theater. For the Orchard Project, it aims to parlay the strength of support that has set the organization apart and transform it into a resource for its growing network of artists.

Creative Cauldron presents Witch, the fourth installment in its "Bold New Works for Intimate Stages" world premiere musical series written and composed by the internationally recognized creative team Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith. "Witch channels the zeitgeist of the current "Me To" and "Time's Up" movements while examining the cultural roots of misogyny and inequality across centuries and cultures," stated Producing Director Laura Connors Hull

"Animaniacs in Concert!" starring Rob Paulsen and Randy Rogel will be performed at the Downey Theatre in Downey, California on Friday, March 30th, 2018. The Downey Theatre is located at 8435 Firestone Boulevard Downey, CA 90241. Ticket prices range from $30-$40. Show begins at 8:00 PM.

Watch Frances McDormand's Oscar 2018 acceptance speech for Best Actress in THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI at the 90th Academy Awards. She delivered a powerful speech asking all female nominees to stand with her in solidarity. 

Lobby Hero begins previews tonight at Second Stage's Hayes Theater. Get to know the cast below as they begin Broadway performances!

At a bus stop in a run-down New Jersey town, Darja, a Polish immigrant cleaning lady, is done talking about feelings; it's time to talk money. Over the course of 20 years, and three relationships, Darja negotiates for her future with men who can offer her love or security, but never both. Award-winning playwright Martyna Majok's IRONBOUND is a darkly funny, heartbreaking portrait of a woman for whom love is a luxury-and a liability-as she fights to survive in America.

Made to Dance in Burning Buildings by Anya Pearson is an explosive mix of poetry, theatre, and violent and visceral contemporary dance, which poses the question: how do we heal from trauma?

The Diana Tapes, by James Clements directed by Wednesday Sue Derrico, is the true story of one of the greatest media scandals in British history - the publication of Andrew Morton's book about Princess Diana, "Diana Her True Story in Her Own Words", which ended her marriage and shook the monarchy to its core.