The Public Theatre News

THE GIVER, with a book by Lois Lowry and Nathan Christensen, music by Scott Murphy, and lyrics by Nathan Christensen, will hold a premiere reading at the Theatre Company at CAP21 on November 23rd. The cast for the reading will include Nick Blaemire, Vivienne Cleary, Jeff Edgerton, Frank Galgano, Bridget Harvey, Jaimie Kelton, Heather Matarazzo, Kathleen Oliva, Eric Peterson, and Nick Wyman. The reading will be directed by Pamela Berlin.

The New Jersey Repertory Company located at 179 Broadway in Long Branch is proud to present the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of Seth Rozin's Two Jews Walk into a War. December 10, 2009 through January 10, 2010.

In celebration of Black History Month 2010, The Working Theater (Mark Plesent, Producing Director) will present award-winning Broadway star André De Shields performing his solo work-in-progress entitled Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory: From Douglass to Deliverance for 12 performances only from Thursday, February 4 through Sunday February 14 at the Abingdon Theater. Conceived, researched and written by Mr. De Shields, Mine Eyes is directed by Alfred Preisser, former Artistic Director, Classical Theatre of Harlem, where Mr. De Shields has frequently performed.

Academy and Tony Award-winning actor and photographer Joel Grey returns to television in a new episode of ABC's 'Grey's Anatomy.' Grey, whose recent TV credits include critically acclaimed appearances on 'Private Practice,' 'Brothers & Sisters' and 'House,' will guest star in the November 12, 2009 episode titled 'New History' as Izzie Steven's (Katherine Heigl) high school mentor suffering from dementia.

La Jolla Playhouse announced today the addition of the world-premiere musical Bonnie & Clyde, to its 2009-10 season, replacing The Big Time. This production features music by Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel), lyrics by Tony Award-winner Don Black (Sunset Boulevard, Song and Dance), book by Ivan Menchell (The Cemetery Club, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), and direction by Jeff Calhoun (Deaf West's Big River and Pippin, Grease!). Bonnie & Clyde will run November 10 - December 20, 2009 in the Playhouse's Mandell Weiss Theatre.

La Jolla Playhouse is pleased to announce the complete cast of its world-premiere musical Bonnie & Clyde, music by Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel), lyrics by Tony Award-winner Don Black (Sunset Boulevard, Song and Dance), book by Ivan Menchell (The Cemetery Club, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), with direction and musical staging by Jeff Calhoun (Deaf West's Big River and Pippin, Grease!), playing November 10 - December 20, 2009 in the Playhouse's Mandell Weiss Theatre.

Following enthusiastic reviews, The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will extend the world premiere of IDIOT SAVANT, written and directed by Richard Foreman, through Sunday, December 20. Presented in association with Ontological-Hysteric Theater, IDIOT SAVANT began previews October 27 and was originally scheduled to close on Sunday, December 13.

The Theatre Company at CAP21 presents The Dorothy Strelsin New Works Reading Series -Salvation, a New Comedy by James McLindon. Salvation will be presented Monday, November 9th, 7:30PM.

Acclaimed theater company Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) has announced nine initial performers who will participate in the return of its unique benefit evening STORIES ON 5 STORIES on Monday, November 9. Among those taking part in the special event will be two-time Academy Award winner and two-time Obie Award winner Diane Wiest (Memory House at Playwrights Horizons/PH, Hannah and Her Sisters, Bullets Over Broadway), Tony Award winner Debra Monk (Assassins at PH, Redwood Curtain, Curtains), Obie Award winner Jason Butler Harner (current Stage Manager in Our Town, Hedda Gabler, The Coast of Utopia), Clarence Derwent Award winner Zoe Kazan (100 Saints You Should Know at PH; Come Back, Little Sheba; Things We Want), Theatre World Award winner Cassie Beck (The Drunken City and Prayer for My Enemy at PH), Cristin Milioti (The Retributionists at PH, the upcoming The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter), Sue Jean Kim (The Drunken City and BFE at PH, 365 Days/365 Plays), Carmen M. Herlihy (The Thugs, Crooked) and Greg Keller (Broadway's Uncle Vanya, The Rainmaker). Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

20 new stage works, including plays by John Patrick Shanley and Daphne Rubin-Vega, will be featured as part of the upcoming fall reading series offered by the LAByrinth Theatre Company and hosted by The Public Theatre. The tenth annual 'Barn Series' will run from October 6-30, and 'Live Nude Plays' will follow from October 31- November 9.

Acclaimed theater company Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) has announced it will present the return of its popular benefit evening STORIES ON 5 STORIES on Monday, November 9.

If you don't remember the '60s... you were probably there! Rick Sparks directs Guerin Barry, John Bigham, Bruce Katzman, Kelly Lester and Tait Ruppert in a world premiere comedy about lost dreams set in the San Fernando Valley.

Tony Award winner Victoria Clark (the Light in the Piazza), will team up with Broadway vets John Hillner (La Cage) and Andy Karl (9 to 5) for a staged reading of the 1983 Maltby and Shire musical Baby on November 16 at The Shop at CAP 21. The reading is part of CAP 21's regular Monday night Classic Concert Series.

According to a report in the New York Post, off-Broadway star Shami Chaikin, sister of the late, famed director Joseph Chaikin, was critically injured in Greenwich Village on Bleeker Street and 8th Avenue yesterday morning when a garbage truck hit her on her mobility scooter. Chaikin, 78, who had been riding in the bicycle lane underwent surgery at St. Vincent's hospital and remains in critical condition.

Barbara Manocherian, Richard Willis and Anthony Barrile in association with Naked Angels (Geoffrey Nauffts, Artistic Director; John Alexander, Managing Director; Andy Donald, Associate Artistic Director; Brittany O'Neill, Producer) are pleased to announce that the critically acclaimed original cast will return for the Broadway run of NEXT FALL, the new American play by Geoffrey Nauffts and directed by Sheryl Kaller. The production will open on Broadway on Thursday, March 11, 2010 with preview performances beginning Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at the Helen Hayes Theatre (240 West 44th Street).

The Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre continues the celebration of its 20th anniversary season with a series of cabaret evenings November 17 - 22 spotlighting the exciting Helen Hayes Award-winning actress/singer Natascia Diaz and the acclaimed Scottish singer Euan Morton, whose performances have been called 'sensational' by The New York Times.

Parsons Dance presents REMEMBER ME, an all-new version of last season's collaboration with the lead vocalists of East Village Opera Company (EVOC), featuring the music of the acclaimed rock opera band at The Joyce Theater from February 2-14, 2010.

In the late 1980s LA Times writer Kenneth Turan began to conduct interviews of over 160 people close to Joeseph Papp to produce a book about his life. This process lasted for over 18 months, and when Papp read the nearly finished manuscript he halted the process by refusing to let the book be published.

Astoria Performing Arts Center is pleased to announce their production of the 2005 Tony Award nominee for Best Play, Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman, directed by Tom Wojtunik.

20 new stage works, including plays by John Patrick Shanley and Daphne Rubin-Vega, will be featured as part of the upcoming fall reading series offered by the LAByrinth Theatre Company and hosted by The Public Theatre. The tenth annual 'Barn Series' will run from October 6-30, and 'Live Nude Plays' will follow from October 31- November 9.