The Public Theatre News

San Jose Repertory Theatre is honored to present the cast of Ronald Harwood's compelling drama The Dresser. Ken Ruta takes the role of 'Sir,' a tyrannical Shakespearean actor-manger attempting to keep his dying company together during the air raids in World War II Britain.

American Theater Company (ATC) continues its 26th season with the World Premiere of The Big Meal, written by New York Times 2010 Outstanding Playwright Award-winner Dan LeFranc and directed by Dexter Bullard.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) has announced that STEPHANIE J. BLOCK, DANIEL BREAKER, KIMBERLY HÉBERT GREGORY, KEVIN ISOLA and KAREN OLIVO will star in the world premiere comedy, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK, the new play by Lynn Nottage, directed by Jo Bonney. BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is Ms. Nottage's first play to be produced in New York since she won the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined in 2009.

Anthony Rapp (Rent) will make a guest appearance during Robi Hager's (Spring Awakening, Bye Bye Birdie) Joe's Pub concert Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 9:30PM.

Robi Hager, of the Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening, will make his solo debut January 18th at Joe's Pub.

Upcoming Theatre Communication Group Member Shows - 1/16 for Maine

With gaseous energy and outrageous jokes, the first rehearsals of The Imaginary Invalid at Portland Center Stage are underway, in a new adaptation by Constance Congdon of the classic comedy by Molière. The Imaginary Invalid previews on Tuesday, January 11, 2011, with opening night set for January 14, and performances through February 6. Performance times are Tuesday through Sunday, 7:30 pm, with matinees at 2:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday, and some Thursday matinees at noon. Tickets start at $33 for full adult prices, with student and under age 30 discounts available. Rush tickets may be available for some performances at $20 each. For a full calendar of performances and ticket availability, visit the show page at http://www.pcs.org/invalid.

American Theater Company (ATC) continues its 26th season with the World Premiere of The Big Meal, written by New York Times 2010 Outstanding Playwright Award-winner Dan LeFranc and directed by Dexter Bullard.

Classic Stage Company (CSC), under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Jessica R. Jenen, will present Anton Chekhov's THREE SISTERS, featuring 2010 Academy Award nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal (Masha), Josh Hamilton (Andre) 2010 Tony Award nominee Jessica Hecht (Olga) and acclaimed actor Peter Sarsgaard (Vershinin).

Harold Bloom, America's leading literary critic and author of the best-seller 'Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human," will join Classic Stage Company Artistic Director Brian Kulick in a rare public appearance on Monday evening, February 7 at 7 pm at CSC (136 East 13th Street) as a special one-night-only event to benefit CSC's ongoing Shakespeare programming.

TriArts Sharon Playhouse (Sharon, CT) is pleased to announce that John Simpkins has been appointed Artistic Director, effective immediately.

Upcoming Theatre Communication Group Member Shows - 1/09 for Maine

American Repertory Theater will present THE BLUE FLOWER by Jim and Ruth Bauer at the Loeb Drama Center December 1, 2010 - January 8, 2011. The production will be directed by Will Pomerantz, with movement by Tom Nelis, and music direction by Mark Rubenstein.

Since COIL began in 2006, 50+ companies from NYC, the US, UK, Australia, continental Europe, Latin America and Asia have been presented as part of this mid-winter festival.

The first show of 2011 on the Hubbard Stage is Yasmina Reza's Tony Award- winning God of Carnage, directed by Wilson Milam.

Obie Award-winning director Annie Dorsen (PASSING STRANGE, DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA) returns to New York - after having spent the last year creating theatre and dance throughout Europe - with the U.S. premiere of her ground-breaking, human-less new play for computers HELLO HI THERE, as a part of PS122's 6th annual COIL festival, their annual winter festival of contemporary performance featuring hits from past, present and future seasons of PS122.

Anthony Rapp (Rent) will make a guest appearance during Robi Hager's (Spring Awakening, Bye Bye Birdie) Joe's Pub concert Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 9:30PM.

Obie Award-winning director Annie Dorsen (PASSING STRANGE, DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA) returns to New York - after having spent the last year creating theatre and dance throughout Europe - with the U.S. premiere of her ground-breaking, human-less new play for computers HELLO HI THERE, as a part of PS122's 6th annual COIL festival, their annual winter festival of contemporary performance featuring hits from past, present and future seasons of PS122.

Upcoming Theatre Communication Group Member Shows - 1/02 for Maine

Obie Award-winning director Annie Dorsen (PASSING STRANGE, DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA) returns to New York - after having spent the last year creating theatre and dance throughout Europe - with the U.S. premiere of her ground-breaking, human-less new play for computers HELLO HI THERE, as a part of PS122's 6th annual COIL festival, their annual winter festival of contemporary performance featuring hits from past, present and future seasons of PS122.