The Sundance Institute News

Complete casting has been announced for the Good to Go Songwriters' Showcase.

Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST), in association with The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, has announced SPILL, written and directed by Leigh Fondakowski (The Laramie Project, The People's Temple).

Grey Gardens, The Musical is the hilarious and heartbreaking story of Big Edie and Little Edie Bouvier Beale, the peculiar aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The musical takes place at Grey Gardens, the Bouviers' mansion in East Hampton, New York and tracks the progression of the two women's lives. Trustus Art Director, Chad Henderson, states, "Our production, based on the real-life cousins of Jackie Onassis, is prefaced by the cult classic documentary of the same name from the 70's, an HBO film starring Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore, and even a parody piece featuring SNL's Bill Hader and Fred Armisen. America has long had a curiosity for these real women and their story continues to intrigue us - especially since they are part of the Camelot story and one of America's most popular political families. I can't fail to mention that it's an incredibly funny piece. We are delighted to produce it this Spring!"

 The Huntington Theatre Company will present the provocative and moving drama The Who & the What by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ayad Akhtar (Disgraced) and directed by Huntington Associate Producer M. Bevin O'Gara (Milk Like Sugar, Becoming Cuba). Performances begin Friday, March 31 and by popular demand the production has been extended through May 7, 2017 at the South End / Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. 

Two-time Tony Award nominee Mary Testa (Queen of the Mist, On the Town), Arielle Jacobs (Wicked, In the Heights), Krysta Rodriguez (The Addams Family, Smash) and Jason Gotay (Bring It On, Spider-Man; Turn Off the Dark) have joined the cast of the Good to Go Songwriters' Showcase.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announces acclaimed director Liesl Tommy, who received a Tony nomination for her direction of Eclipsed by Danai Gurira on Broadway, will direct Steppenwolf's world premiere production of Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu. The cast features ensemble member Jon Michael Hill and Cliff Chamberlain with one remaining role to be announced.

The Public Theater announced the fourth season of PUBLIC STUDIO, which will present two new plays this spring.

Immigration, the development of Luna Park, and new adaptations of the films Bread and Roses and Teeth are among the subjects of Prospect Theater Company's upcoming Good to Go Songwriter's Showcase, a concert celebrating new works-in-process created or co-created by women writers.

Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST), in association with The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, has announced SPILL, written and directed by Leigh Fondakowski (The Laramie Project, The People's Temple).

After 10 days, 119 feature films and three feet of snow, an evening of humor and humanity marked the 2017 Sundance Film Festival's Awards Ceremony, with host Jessica Williams emceeing and jurors presenting 27 prizes for feature filmmaking in Park City, Utah. Honorees, named in total below, range from sharp comedies to provocative and timely documentaries and represent new achievements in global independent storytelling. Human stories prevailed across categories, with Grand Jury Prizes awarded to Dina (U.S. Documentary), Last Men in Aleppo (World Documentary), I don't feel at home in this world anymore. (U.S. Dramatic) and The Nile Hilton Incident (World Dramatic). Chasing Coral, showcased in the Festival's environmental program The New Climate, won an Audience Award in the U.S. Documentary category.

The Dramatists Guild of America has announced the co-recipients of the 2017 Lanford Wilson Award are Christopher Chen and Martyna Majok.

At a reception during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival today, the beneficiaries of $60,000 in grants from Sundance Institute and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation were revealed. Doron Weber, the Vice President of Programs at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, announced the winners: Michael Almereyda's Marjorie Prime won the Feature Film Prize; Adam Benic's Levittown (Sundance Institute | Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Episodic Storytelling Grant); Darcy Brislin and Dyana Winkler's Bell (Sundance Institute | Sloan Lab Fellowship); and Jamie Dawson and Howard Gertler's Untitled Smallpox Eradication Project (Sundance Institute | Sloan Commissioning Grant).

The Kleban Foundation is pleased to announce that the 27th annual Kleban Prize for the most promising musical theatre lyricist has been awarded to Daniel Zaitchik and the 27th annual Kleban Prize for the most promising musical theatre librettist has been awarded to Lisa Kron. The 2017 prizes will be presented on Monday, February 6, 2017, in a private ceremony (by invitation only) hosted by ASCAP and BMI at ASCAP.  

San Jose Stage Company presents Pulitzer Prize winning Drama Disgraced as part of its culturally diverse 34th season.   

As part of the UtahPresents 2016-17 season, Taylor Mac will perform A 24-Decade History of Popular Music: 1946-1976 at Kingsbury Hall on Today, January 14 at 7:30PM.

The Old Globe today announced it will present the fourth annual New Voices Festival-with a new moniker: the Powers New Voices Festival, a weekend of readings of new American plays by professional playwrights, playing January 13 - 15, 2017.

This spring, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will embark on a new collaboration with Sundance Institute to present a series of theater pieces in the Terrace Gallery from Institute alumni artists representing Palestine.

The Public Theater previously announced that Richard Nelson's acclaimed trilogy THE GABRIELS: Election Year in the Life of One Family would tour to Washington D.C., Australia, and Hong Kong beginning in January 2017.

In what has become an annual ritual, a total of 32 established and emerging composers, lyricists, and librettists will converge on the Goodspeed campus from mid-January through mid-February 2017 to participate in the Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals. The writing teams, representing 18 new musicals, will populate the campus, creating a truly exciting environment for discovery and inspiration.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer; Brian Beirne, Managing Director) is thrilled to welcome the return of St. Louis Actors' Studio with their acclaimed LaBUTE NEW THEATER FESTIVAL, an evening of one-act plays featuring the NYC premieres of short plays by Neil LaBute, Gabe McKinley, Cary Pepper, andAdam Seidel. Directed by Kel Haney, Michael Hogan, and John Pierson, the LaBUTE NEW THEATER FESTIVAL begins performances on Friday, January 13 for a limited engagement through Sunday, February 5.  The performance schedule is Tuesday - Thursday at 7:30 PM; Friday at 8:30 PM; Saturday at 2:30 PM & 8:30 PM; and Sunday at3:30 PM & 7:30 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Tickets are $35 ($24.50 for 59E59 Members).  To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.59e59.org.