Theatre: New York News

London Calling with Champagne Charlie - Dateline: Spring Awakening - BW EXCLUSIVE - The Film in pre production now!

American Stage Theatre Company, the Tampa Bay area's only professional equity regional theatre, has announced its 2009-2010 season, the first in the brand new, state-of-the-art Raymond James Theater in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg.

The intricate and colorful culture of nannies in New York and the people who employ them is the subject of the new play EXIT CUCKOO, written and performed by Lisa Ramirez, receiving its Off-Broadway debut, starting previews April 17 prior to opening April 23 in a production by the Working Theater at Theater Row's Clurman Theatre (410 West 42nd Street) in Manhattan.

Last Lion Productions will present the World Premiere of 'DEAD, THEREFORE I AM,' a Goth-Punk comedy written and directed by Max Leavitt, starring Max Leavitt, Nicholas Tucci, Karen Jean Olds and Nicholas Vitulli.

Florida Studio Theatre's production of Boleros for the Disenchanted is a hit on the Keating Mainstage. Audience exit comments include 'very powerful,' 'One of the most impactful shows I have ever seen' and 'very funny.' Added performances include Thursday, March 5 at 8:00 pm, Tuesday, March 17 at 8:00 pm and Wednesday, April 1 at 8:00 pm.

FRIGID New York presents A Comedy Period debut ARE WE FREAKS? Written and Directed by One of nytheatre.com's 'people of the year ?08' Bricken Sparacino Co-Director: Lori Kee Cast: Joy Gabriel, Uma Incrocci*, Jennie Inchausti, Annalyse McCoy*, Kara M. Tyler, Bricken Sparacino*, Melanie Wehrmacher and Hannah Wolfe Performance Schedule Thursday, February 26, 2009 9:00 PM Saturday, February 28, 2009 1:00 PM Wednesday, March 04, 2009 10:30 PM Saturday, March 07, 2009 7:00 PM Sunday, March 08, 2009 2:30 PM Ticket Price: $15- go to: smarttix.com for advance tickets Where: The Kraine Theater, 85 E. 4th Street, NYC 10003 Are We Freaks: 4 short stories about 8 abnormal women. Freaks and friends-who really is normal after all? A.W.F. is a Science Fiction comedy adventure that takes you from the carnival to the campus and from love to loathing. What's a fin between friends?

Artist Bob Rauschenberg presented new ways of looking at life, the world and the United States through groundbreaking collages - 'Combines' - that incorporated everyday objects and assorted images of people, places and things. Random at times, and deliberate at others, each collection of items told a host of stories within a single canvas

Florida Studio Theatre's production of Boleros for the Disenchanted is a hit on the Keating Mainstage. Audience exit comments include 'very powerful,' 'One of the most impactful shows I have ever seen' and 'very funny.' Added performances include Thursday, March 5 at 8:00 pm, Tuesday, March 17 at 8:00 pm and Wednesday, April 1 at 8:00 pm.

Artist Bob Rauschenberg presented new ways of looking at life, the world and the United States through groundbreaking collages - 'Combines' - that incorporated everyday objects and assorted images of people, places and things. Random at times, and deliberate at others, each collection of items told a host of stories within a single canvas

Artist Bob Rauschenberg presented new ways of looking at life, the world and the United States through groundbreaking collages - 'Combines' - that incorporated everyday objects and assorted images of people, places and things. Random at times, and deliberate at others, each collection of items told a host of stories within a single canvas. Thanks to playwright Charles L. Mee, the artist's spirited, yet unconventional, vision was transplanted to a theater setting by New York's SITI Company in 'bobrauschenbergamerica' in 2001. Soon, Houstonians will have the opportunity to experience this unique stage production when it is presented by the University of Houston's School of Theatre & Dance.

Columbia University School of the Arts Theatre Arts Program and Columbia Stages Present MASTERPIECES: Part Two of SPRING, a Series of Three Springtime Events Celebrating Columbia's M.F.A. Playwriting Class of 2009 Columbia University School of the Arts Theatre Arts Program and Columbia Stages present MASTERPIECES, the second event in SPRING, a celebration in three parts of Columbia's M.F.A. Playwriting Class of 2009. In MASTERPIECES, each playwright presents a staged reading of a full-length play in various locations around New York City.

The National Arts Club announced the recipients of its Kesselring Fellowship (formerly the Kesselring Award) supporting the work of extraordinary playwrights who have yet to achieve national recognition. An industry panel of writers, literary managers, actors, producers and directors and critics evaluated twenty-five finalists. In a rare move based on extraordinary merit, the 2009 panel and the National Arts Club choose to give out two lead awards rather than one. These two playwrights, Rajiv Joseph (Bengal Tiger at the Baghad Zoo, upcoming at the Mark Taper Forum) and David Adjmi (Stunning, upcoming at Lincoln Center 3) were awarded Kesselring Fellowships. Playwrights Jenny Schwartz and Tarrel Alvin McCraney were also named as Kesselring Honorees

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) announced today that the 2009 Shakespeare in the Park summer season will begin in June with a new production of William Shakespeare?s TWELFTH NIGHT directed by Daniel Sullivan and featuring Academy Award nominee Anne Hathaway as Viola. TWELFTH NIGHT will run June 9-July 12 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. In August, JoAnne Akalaitis will return to direct Euripides?s THE BACCHAE, translated by Nicholas Rudall, and featuring original music by Philip Glass. THE BACCHAE will run August 11-September 6.

Blue Coyote Theater Group is proud to present the NY premiere of David Johnston's CONVERSATIONS ON RUSSIAN LITERATURE PLUS THREE MORE PLAYS, directed by Kyle Ancowitz, Gary Shrader and Stephen Speights. CONVERSATIONS ON RUSSIAN LITERATURE PLUS THREE MORE PLAYS begins previews on Wednesday, February 11 for a limited engagement through Saturday, March 7. Opening Night is Saturday, February 14 at 8 PM. The performance schedule is Wednesday - Saturday at 8:00 PM. Performances are at the Access Theater (380 Broadway, just north of White Street). Tickets are $18 ($10 during previews) and are available by calling SmartTix at 212-868-4444 or online at www.smarttix.com. Playwright David Johnston returns to Blue Coyote with the New York premieres of four short plays: CONVERSATIONS ON RUSSIAN LITERATURE, PLAY RUSSIA, FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE LIVED IN FRANCE and MOTHRA IS WAITING. Each play examines the romanticism, idealism and absurdism of journeys to other countries (and sometimes other planets) through the prism of David Johnston's 'fertile imagination' and his 'trademark off-kilter sensibility' (New York Times). In PLAY RUSSIA-a must-see for theater nerds-Mr. Johnston upends the most revered Russian playwright, Chekhov, with hilarious results. MOTHRA IS WAITING finds two middle-aged chanteuses waiting for the cult-horror-classic bug Mothra to rescue them from their meaningless lives in Bridgeport to become Goddesses on Infant Island. The Francophile desires of Henry Kissinger, Mary Queen of Scots and modern-day American Lunelle Snead converge in FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE LIVED IN FRANCE. In CONVERSATIONS ON RUSSIAN LITERATURE, we return to Russia where post-Cold War espionage and intrigue collides with Russia's literary masters.

Goodman Theatre is proud to present the world premiere of Naomi Iizuka?s newest work, Ghostwritten directed by Lisa Portes as part of the Goodman?s ?Strong Women, Strong Voices? Owen Theatre Series. The 2004 recipient of the Joyce Award, Ghostwritten runs April 4 ? May 3, 2009 in the Owen Bruner Theatre. Tickets are $10 ? $39. In conjunction with the ?Strong Women, Strong Voices? series, Goodman Theatre partners with six of Chicago?s most exciting theater companies focused on presenting and supporting work by women for ?Taking the Stage: A Celebration of Women Making Theater,? a celebration of the distinct voices and visions of women theater artists, and the opportunities and obstacles facing women working in the theater today. Further information regarding these events will be announced at a later date. Ghostwritten is a Goodman commission supported by The Joyce Foundation. The Sara Lee Foundation is the Owen Season Corporate Sponsor.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) and Druid will reteam in presenting Academy Award? winner and four-time Tony Award? nominee Martin McDonagh's play THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN, directed by Tony Award? winner Garry Hynes, following an acclaimed UK tour.

Florida Studio Theatre opens Jose Rivera's Boleros for the Disenchanted in its continuation of the Winter Mainstage Season. 'Boleros for the Disenchanted is one of the most moving and life affirming stories of love and commitment I have seen on the stage in the past quarter century,' stated FST Artistic Director and show Director Richard Hopkins. From 1953 Puerto Rico to contemporary America a young couple overcomes adversity and discovers a world of hope and love. Immigrating to the United States, Flora and Eusebio experience new adventures, obstacles and life lessons. In a mystical journey through the ages, they realize they have overcome the biggest obstacle of all...finding true love. Boleros for the Disenchanted made its World Premiere at the Yale Repertory Theatre in April, 2008. Other productions include the Huntington Theatre in October of 2008. Jos? Rivera's plays have been translated into six languages. His plays include Marisol (Obie Award winner for Best Play), References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot (Obie Award), Cloud Tectonics, Each Day Dies with Sleep, The Promise, The House of Ramon Iglesia, Giants Have Us In Their Books, Sueno, The Street of the Sun, Sonnets for an Old Century, Brainpeople, and Adoration of the Old Woman. He studied with Gabriel Garc?a Marquez at the Sundance Institute and was writer-in-residence at the Royal Court Theatre, London, on a Fulbright Arts Fellowship in Playwriting. Mr. Rivera's television work includes the critically lauded NBC series Eerie, Indiana, which he co-created and produced. He has also written teleplays, among them an adaptation of his own The House of Ramon Iglesia for PBS, as well as feature screenplays, including The Motorcycle Diaries (Academy Award Nominee). The native Puerto Rican also serves on the boards of The Sundance Institute and the Independent Feature Project. The Boleros for the Disenchanted cast will include New York Actor Damian Buzzerio (Don Fermin/Older Eusebio). Buzzerio regional credits include Vinnie in The Odd Couple at the Carousel Dinner Theatre, Claudius in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead and Gremio/Vincentio in Taming of the Shrew at the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey. He has also been cast in leading roles in four NYC based Independent Films. New York Actress Rainbow Dickerson (Flora/Eve) has played Kate in Taming of the Shrew and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare Saturdays, Patriot ensemble in The Accidental Patriot at Stolen Chair Theatre Company and the Dalai Lama in The Buddha Prince for Tiger Lion Productions.

FRIGID New York presents A Comedy Period debut ARE WE FREAKS? Written and Directed by One of nytheatre.com's 'people of the year ?08' Bricken Sparacino Co-Director: Lori Kee Cast: Joy Gabriel, Uma Incrocci*, Jennie Inchausti, Annalyse McCoy*, Kara M. Tyler, Bricken Sparacino*, Melanie Wehrmacher and Hannah Wolfe Performance Schedule Thursday, February 26, 2009 9:00 PM Saturday, February 28, 2009 1:00 PM Wednesday, March 04, 2009 10:30 PM Saturday, March 07, 2009 7:00 PM Sunday, March 08, 2009 2:30 PM Ticket Price: $15- go to: smarttix.com for advance tickets Where: The Kraine Theater, 85 E. 4th Street, NYC 10003 Are We Freaks: 4 short stories about 8 abnormal women. Freaks and friends-who really is normal after all? A.W.F. is a Science Fiction comedy adventure that takes you from the carnival to the campus and from love to loathing. What's a fin between friends?

Blue Coyote Theater Group is proud to present the NY premiere of David Johnston's CONVERSATIONS ON RUSSIAN LITERATURE PLUS THREE MORE PLAYS, directed by Kyle Ancowitz, Gary Shrader and Stephen Speights. CONVERSATIONS ON RUSSIAN LITERATURE PLUS THREE MORE PLAYS begins previews on Wednesday, February 11 for a limited engagement through Saturday, March 7. Opening Night is Saturday, February 14 at 8 PM. The performance schedule is Wednesday - Saturday at 8:00 PM. Performances are at the Access Theater (380 Broadway, just north of White Street). Tickets are $18 ($10 during previews) and are available by calling SmartTix at 212-868-4444 or online at www.smarttix.com. Playwright David Johnston returns to Blue Coyote with the New York premieres of four short plays: CONVERSATIONS ON RUSSIAN LITERATURE, PLAY RUSSIA, FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE LIVED IN FRANCE and MOTHRA IS WAITING. Each play examines the romanticism, idealism and absurdism of journeys to other countries (and sometimes other planets) through the prism of David Johnston's 'fertile imagination' and his 'trademark off-kilter sensibility' (New York Times). In PLAY RUSSIA-a must-see for theater nerds-Mr. Johnston upends the most revered Russian playwright, Chekhov, with hilarious results. MOTHRA IS WAITING finds two middle-aged chanteuses waiting for the cult-horror-classic bug Mothra to rescue them from their meaningless lives in Bridgeport to become Goddesses on Infant Island. The Francophile desires of Henry Kissinger, Mary Queen of Scots and modern-day American Lunelle Snead converge in FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE LIVED IN FRANCE. In CONVERSATIONS ON RUSSIAN LITERATURE, we return to Russia where post-Cold War espionage and intrigue collides with Russia's literary masters.

South Coast Repertory today announced the cast and creative team for Michael Frayn's ingenious comedic masterpiece, Noises Off. Directed by Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award winner Art Manke, Noises Off will run from Feb. 6 through March 8 on the Segerstrom Stage. Low-priced previews are available from Feb. 6 through Feb. 12. Opening night is Feb. 13. Press night is Saturday, Feb. 14 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets to Noises Off may be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or in person at the SCR box office. Noises Off follows the on-and off-stage antics of an inept acting troupe as they stumble from bumbling dress rehearsal to disastrous closing night. Everything that can go wrong does, as actors desperately try to hang on to their lines, their performances and the furniture. Add a slippery plate of sardines and many slamming doors, and you have the most hilarious backstage farce ever written. Art Manke received his fifth Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for directing SCR's West Coast premiere of Bach at Leipzig in 2006. Other work with SCR includes last season's Taking Steps, the world premiere musical version of The Wind in the Willows and choreography for numerous productions. Elsewhere in Southern California, Manke has directed The Constant Wife, Private Lives and the American premiere of Noel Coward's Star Quality for Pasadena Playhouse and the world premiere of The Ice-Breaker at Laguna Playhouse. Manke was a co-founder and artistic director (1991-2001) of A Noise Within where he directed the works of Shakespeare, Moli?re, Wilde, Coward and Sophocles. Other credits include work with Denver Center Theatre Company, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Old Globe Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, American Players Theatre, among others. The cast features Nancy Bell (Belinda Blair), Bill Brochtrup (Garry Lejeune), Kandis Chappell (Dotty Otley), Winslow Corbett (Poppy Norton-Taylor), Kaleo Griffith (Lloyd Dallas), Brian Hostenske (Tim Allgood), Timothy Landfield (Frederick Fellows), Jennifer Lyon (Brooke Ashton) and Nick Ullett (Selsdon Mowbray). The creative team for Noises Off includes John Iacvelli (Set Design), Angela Balogh Calin (Costume Design), York Kennedy (Lighting Design), Vincent Olivieri (Sound Design), Ken Merckx (Movement Consultant), David Newell (Dialect Coach), Linda Sullivan Baity (Dramaturg) and Jamie Tucker (Stage Manager). Dee and Larry Higby are the Honorary Producers of Noises Off. OC Metro is the Media Partner. Associated events taking place during the run of Noises Off include: POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS Wednesday, Feb. 18 & Tuesday, Feb. 24 Discuss the play with members of the Noises Off cast during free post-show discussions led by South Coast Repertory's literary team after the 7:30 p.m. performances on Feb. 18 and Feb. 24. INSIDE THE SEASON: Noises Off Saturday, Feb. 21, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. $12 Inside the Season is a series of interactive classes that provide a comprehensive inside look at the theatrical production process. Each two-hour class is led by School and Community Programs Director Linda Sullivan Baity and features creative personnel from South Coast Repertory's current production. Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (714) 708-5555. (Tickets to Noises Off are sold separately.) TICKETS to Noises Off can be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or by visiting the box office at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. Performances begin on Feb. 6 and continue through March 8. Ticket prices range from $20 to $64. Low-priced preview performances are available from Feb. 6 to Feb. 12. Performance times: Previews: Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 7 at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 8, Tuesday, Feb. 10 and Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m.; and Thursday, Feb. 12 at 8:00pm. Regular Performances: Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.; and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 25 years of age and under, educators, seniors and groups of 15 or more. There will be a 'Pay-What-You-Will' performance on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. ($10 Minimum) and an ASL-interpreted performance on Saturday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m.