Touchstone Theatre News

As part of their 'Spotlight on the Valley' series, Touchstone Theatre presents Allentown neighbors, Allentown Public Theatre (APT) in True West, a powerful tale of sibling rivalry by Pulitzer prize-winning author Sam Shepard. True West opens for a two-week run tonight, February 19 through March 1, 2015.

Tarragon Theatre proudly announces the casting for its world premiere of Cake and Dirt, written by one of Canada's most prolific and acclaimed playwrights, Daniel MacIvor, a Tarragon Playwright-in-Residence and a Governor General's Literary Award-winner. This darkly comic look at life in Toronto through a fractured family of privilege opens March 11 and runs to April 12, 2015 (previewing from March 3) in Tarragon's Mainspace.

Touchstone Theatre receives a $20,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation towards the completion of its two-year community-based project Journey from the East. The project concludes with a free, large-scale, outdoor theatrical production featuring American and Chinese epic mythology, performing April 18, 19, 25, and 26, 2015.

As part of their 'Spotlight on the Valley' series, Touchstone Theatre presents Allentown neighbors, Allentown Public Theatre (APT) in True West, a powerful tale of sibling rivalry by Pulitzer prize-winning author Sam Shepard. True West opens for a two-week run February 19 through March 1, 2015.

Touchstone Theatre presents a new year of Christmas City Follies, the high-spirited, homegrown, vaudevillian variety show that celebrates the Christmas season in the Christmas City. Christmas City Follies XV runs from tonight, December 4-21, 2014 in Touchstone's home theatre at 321 East Fourth Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Touchstone Theatre presents a new year of Christmas City Follies, the high-spirited, homegrown, vaudevillian variety show that celebrates the Christmas season in the Christmas City. Christmas City Follies XV runs from December 4-21, 2014 in Touchstone's home theatre at 321 East Fourth Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Touchstone Theatre presents neighbors from the north side, Mock Turtle Marionette Theater, with The Morningtime of Now, a puppet musical featuring the music of Anne Hills and the puppetry of Doug Roysdon. The play performs November 6-9, 2014 at Touchstone Theatre.

Touchstone Theatre kicks off their 2014-15 season with Hungarian theatre company Maladype Theatre in Alfred Jary's King Ubu, a schoolboy farce turned social satire. The play performs this weekend, September 25-28, 2014.

The International Centre for Women Playwrights (ICWP) reports the extraordinary level of international support that is represented by the recipients for this year's 50/50 Applause Awards, which sets out to recognize theatres that produced 50 percent or more women playwrights in their season of shows. In the spring, for the first time in the history of the awards, ICWP invited the public to nominate theatres that had produced the work of women playwrights throughout the world.

The International Centre for Women Playwrights (ICWP) reported the extraordinary level of international support that is represented by the recipients for this year's 50/50 Applause Awards, which sets out to recognize theatres that produced 50% or more women playwrights in their season of shows.

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, one of America's most beloved and revered musical institutions, has announced plans for 2014-2015 which will culminate in the 108th Bach Choir Festival in May 2015. Artistic Director and Conductor Greg Funfgeld, now in his 32rd year at the helm of the Bach Choir, will again lead the Choir, Festival Orchestra, and illustrious soloists in numerous engaging programs throughout the season.

Touchstone Theatre kicks off their 2014-15 season with Hungarian theatre company Maladype Theatre in Alfred Jary's King Ubu, a schoolboy farce turned social satire. The play performs September 25-28, 2014.

How does someone begin to describe Tom Stoppard's triple award winning play Travesties staged at American Players Theatre this August? Spring Green's indoor Touchstone Theatre hosts the devilish, deliriously funny production directed by the renowned William Brown that rotates the ambiance of a carnival, an ordinary home or library, a political convention, an Oscar Wilde play and war zones. Where scenes quickly shift between poignant drama and an evening at Chippendale's completely at Stoppard's discretion to tantalize the audience.

Touchstone Theatre founder Bill George and Allentown Public Theatre artistic director Joshua Neth announce that they will be co-teaching a year-long program of actor training starting this fall. Entitled the Valley Actor's Lab (VAL), the program seeks to provide excellent and systematic training to seriously inclined actors in the Lehigh Valley. George and Neth describe themselves as “two theatre artists who hold their love of actors and the work of the actor above all earthly things”; coming from different backgrounds and different theatre educations, they have joined teaching skills in this unique effort to advance the life of the actor in the Lehigh Valley. Their intention in creating VAL is to strengthen the work of the Valley theatre community by deepening the base of well-trained artists in the region and facilitating collaboration between producers and performers.

Wisconsin theater moves to the magnificent outdoors this summer with diverse venues presenting great classical and original productions throughout the state. In Spring Green, Wisconsin, American Players Theatre (APT) has been performing legendary playwrights under the stars for more than 30 years. At the Up the Hill Theatre, Shakespeare's comedy that spars witty conversations between the sexes Much Ado About Nothing features acclaimed actors Colleen Madden and David Daniel in the beloved roles of Beatrice and Benedict. In the company's new indoor Touchstone Theatre, Brenda DeVita directs her first production as APT's new Artistic Director. Sarah Day plays Joan Didion in the adaptation from Didion's award winning memory in her play The Year of Magical Thinking. APT extended their season in 2014 with five Up the Hill Play and now four productions instead of three in the Touchstone that runs through November.

Touchstone Theatre will be presenting the ninth year of its acclaimed Young Playwrights' Festival, a showcase of new plays written by local elementary and middle school students, tonight, May 17 at Zoellner Arts Center's Baker Hall. Immediately following the performance will be a gala reception in the Lehigh University Art Galleries.

Touchstone Theatre will be presenting the ninth year of its acclaimed Young Playwrights' Festival, a showcase of new plays written by local elementary and middle school students, on May 17 at Zoellner Arts Center's Baker Hall. Immediately following the performance will be a gala reception in the Lehigh University Art Galleries.

American Players Theatre (APT) announces its 35th Season, June 7 to November 9, 2014, a diverse lineup spanning from Shakespeare to Mamet and helmed by recently appointed Artistic Director Brenda DeVita-the company's first new artistic director in over 20 years. DeVita's season includes the first David Mamet production of the company's history, American Buffalo, and her staging of Joan Didion's memoir The Year of Magical Thinking in APT's intimate 200-seat Touchstone Theatre, alongside such classics as Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Romeo and Juliet in APT's flagship 1148-seat outdoor amphitheater Up the Hill.

Lincoln Center Theater presents Act One, a play written and directed by James Lapine from the autobiography by Moss Hart. The production is scheduled to begin previews tomorrow night, March 20 and will open on Thursday, April 17 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street). Scroll down to learn more about the full company, plus check out the latest TV spot for the production!

Touchstone Theatre presents Journey: Dream of the Red Pavilion, the first of two theatrical productions to feature in their two-year Journey from the East project. Journey: Dream of the Red Pavilion investigates the history of Chinese immigration in the Lehigh Valley and the community's continuing reaction to 'the other'; the play performs April 3-13, 2014.