The Royal Shakespeare Company News

Whatsonstage.com reports on the genesis and progress of REVOLUTIONS, the sweeping investigation by the Royal Shakespeare Company of life in countries under the former Soviet Union, three years in the making.

International flair, exuberant creativity, and the exploration of intimate worlds are the hallmarks of the Spoleto Festival USA 2009 theater lineup. Headlining the schedule is the UK's Kneehigh Theatre, returning to Charleston with the U.S. premiere of its newest production, Don John, a sharp and sexy retelling of the Don Juan legend. Basil Twist, another festival favorite, returns to present his ingenious and mesmerizing Japanese-inspired Dogugaeshi.

The second half of Tarell Alvin McCraney's groundbreaking trilogy The Brother/Sister Plays will begin preview performances at McCarter Theatre Center (91 University Place, Princeton, NJ) on Thursday, May 14 (press opening: May 22). Comprised of the second and third plays in the trilogy-The Brothers Size and Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet (world premiere)-Part 2 is directed by Robert O'Hara.

What goes around certainly comes around as far as revivals go. London and the theatre scene as a whole is getting a taste of 1970?s style economics (recession, unemployment) and with it a a stream of productions re-visiting that whole decade. As part of that interest and to coincide with its 50th anniversary, the Hampstead Theatre is reviving UK based Tony award winner Michael Frayn?s first play ?Alphabetical Order?.

April is the cruelest - and most hilarious - month at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, when Les Waters lets loose with another shocking script from Martin McDonagh. In 2007, the Obie Award-winning director scored a direct hit with his extended run of The Pillowman; since then, the Academy Award-winning author released his first feature film, In Bruges. Now Berkeley Rep reenlists these seasoned artists for another vicious comedy: The Lieutenant of Inishmore. Staged in the state-of-the-art Roda Theatre, this edgy farce begins previews on April 17, opens April 22, and closes May 17. BART and Wells Fargo serve as season sponsors for Berkeley Rep's 41st year of fearless theatre, and the executive producers for this show are Marjorie Randolph, Betty and Jack Schafer, and Philip and Shirley Schild.

April is the cruelest - and most hilarious - month at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, when Les Waters lets loose with another shocking script from Martin McDonagh. In 2007, the Obie Award-winning director scored a direct hit with his extended run of The Pillowman; since then, the Academy Award-winning author released his first feature film, In Bruges.

Houston Grand Opera (HGO) continues its 54 th season with Verdi's haunting and tragic tale Rigoletto. Rigoletto, which was last performed at HGO in 2001, returns to the Wortham Theater Centerwith a powerful new staging of Michael Yeargan's classic production that was inspired by Italianpainter Giorgio di Chirico.

Theatre for a New Audience's acclaimed production of Othello directed by Arin Arbus in her Off-Broadway directing debut, returns to the stage with the entire cast intact for twelve performances only, April 15 through April 24, at The Duke on 42nd StreetSM, a New 42nd Street? project, 229 West 42nd Street. Othello is following Theatre for a New Audience's production of Hamlet, directed by David Esbjornson. Hamlet begins previews Tuesday, March 17, at 7:30pm, opening Thursday, March 26, at 6:30pm, and running through Sunday, April 12.

La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club presents Abigail Nessen Bengson's whirlwind one-act solo performance, The Magic Show: The Story of the Barefoot Angels, at their downtown theater (74A East 4th Street) for a strictly limited engagement beginning Friday, April 10th. Performances run weekends through April 19th.

Bristol Riverside Theatre continues its America Rising: Voices of Today reading series with Brett Neveu's Harmless. This reading will take place Sunday, March 29 at 5 p.m. at St. James Parish Hall, 225 Walnut Street in Bristol. Individual reading tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets include entertainment, a post-show discussion and a soul food dinner.

The Tony Award®-winning Old Globe is pleased to announce the cast of its 2009 Summer Shakespeare Festival, featuring two works by Shakespeare, Twelfth Night and Coriolanus, along with Edmond Rostand's celebrated classic, Cyrano de Bergerac. The three productions will be performed in nightly rotation in the Globe's outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre June 13 - September 27, 2009.

It became official when, SPIDER-MAN, Turn Off the Dark, was announced to open on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at Broadway's Hilton Theatre, 213 West 42nd Street (preview performances will begin Saturday, January 16, 2010). Directed by Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor with 22-time Grammy Award-winning Bono and The Edge creating new music and lyrics, SPIDER-MAN will be written by Julie Taymor and Glen Berger. Well 'True Believers', since that official statement, the 'webslinging' work has heated up, and the creative process is in full 'swing' (forgive us the pun, but c'mon...).

The Royal Shakespeare Company announce birthday celebrations for April

It became official when, SPIDER-MAN, Turn Off the Dark, was announced to open on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at Broadway's Hilton Theatre, 213 West 42nd Street (preview performances will begin Saturday, January 16, 2010). Directed by Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor with 22-time Grammy Award-winning Bono and The Edge creating new music and lyrics, SPIDER-MAN will be written by Julie Taymor and Glen Berger. Well 'True Believers', since that official statement, the 'webslinging' work has heated up, and the creative process is in full 'swing' (forgive us the pun, but c'mon...).

When Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot exploded on to the London stage 50 years ago, it shocked as many people as it delighted. There had never been a play like it; two men clowning around, joking and arguing, repeating themselves, as they wait through one day and then another, waiting for the mysterious Godot. The combination of music hall, poetry and tension redefined what is possible in theatre, so that these days, Waiting for Godot is accepted as one of the most significant plays of the 20th century.

La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club presents Abigail Nessen Bengson's whirlwind one-act solo performance, The Magic Show: The Story of the Barefoot Angels, at their downtown theater (74A East 4th Street) for a strictly limited engagement beginning Friday, April 10th. Performances run weekends through April 19th.

Exigent Theatre presents HENRI GABLER, a new play by Alexander Burns adapted from Henrik Ibsen's masterpiece HEDDA GABLER, to be directed by Alexander Burns. The production will start previews on Friday, March 20th at 8pm and open on Sunday March 22nd at 7pm. Performances are Friday, March 20th through Sunday, April 5th.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director, and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced that Marsha Stephanie Blake, Chad L. Coleman, Michael Cummings, Aunjanue Ellis, Danai Gurira, Andre Holland, Arliss Howard, Ernie Hudson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Amari Rose Leigh and Roger Robinson will be featured in the cast of its upcoming production of August Wilson's JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE, to be directed by Bartlett Sher. The production, which will be presented on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44 Street) while LCT's award winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific continues its run at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, begins performances Thursday, March 19 at 8pm and opens on Thursday, April 16 at 6:45pm.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director, and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced that it will present a new production of August Wilson's award-winning play Joe Turner's Come And Gone, to be directed by Bartlett Sher this spring , while its production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific continues its run at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director, and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced that Marsha Stephanie Blake, Chad L. Coleman, Michael Cummings, Aunjanue Ellis, Danai Gurira, Andre Holland, Arliss Howard, Ernie Hudson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Amari Rose Leigh and Roger Robinson will be featured in the cast of its upcoming production of August Wilson's JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE, to be directed by Bartlett Sher. The production, which will be presented on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44 Street) while LCT's award winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific continues its run at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, begins performances Thursday, March 19 at 8pm and opens on Thursday, April 16 at 6:45pm.