Touchstone News

The debut date for the documentary VERY SEMI-SERIOUS: A PARTIALLY THOROUGH PORTRAIT OF NEW YORKER CARTOONISTS has changed.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre continues its 2015-16 season with the new emotional family drama AUBERGINE, written by Julia Cho and directed by Michael Leibert Artistic Director Tony Taccone. This will be the first production presented on the newly renovated Thrust Stage and the second world premiere of the 2015 -16 season, following AMELIE, A NEW MUSICAL.

Smuin Ballet returns with what has become an essential holiday tradition for Bay Area families: Smuin's annual The Christmas Ballet. With equal parts sugar and spice, offering something for both the naughty and nice, this ever-changing carousel of mischief and elegance includes something for everyone, from ballet, tap, and swing to a wealth of other dances drawn from holiday traditions from around the world. This edition of The Christmas Ballet will include new choreography from Smuin's acclaimed Choreographer-in-Residence Amy Seiwert and another exciting addition by Smuin dancer Nicole Haskins. Proclaimed 'the freshest show in town' by the San Francisco Chronicle, The Christmas Ballet will tour the Bay Area, beginning with shows in Walnut Creek (November 20-21), continuing in Carmel (December 4-5), and Mountain View (December 9-13), and finishing up with its annual holiday run at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco (December 17-27). Tickets ($23-$71) are available by calling the individual venues (see below for details) or visiting www.smuinballet.org.

Cleveland Public Theatre's Executive Artistic Director, Raymond Bobgan, announces the return of a holiday favorite, The SantaLand Diaries by David Sedaris, adapted by Joe Mantello, produced by the Cleveland Theatre and presented at the Outcalt Theatre at Playhouse Square this holiday season.

Every Tuesday, eager cartoonists line up outside the office of New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff to show off their work. After he sifts through thousands of submissions, the magazine ends up buying and publishing about 15 each week. 

The Old Globe presents the Old Globe/University of San Diego Graduate Theatre Program's production of William Shakespeare's AS YOU LIKE IT, running tonight, November 14 - November 22 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center.

The Holy Cross Student Theater (HCST) is proud to announce William Shakespeare's timeless classic AS YOU LIKE IT as its' fall production for the 2015-2016 school year. Performances run at Holy Cross High School (HCHS) in Waterbury this weekend, November 13th & 14th at 7:00 p.m. and November 15th at 2:00 p.m. The production is under the direction of HCHS faculty member, Paul Whealon (Waterbury).

Below, watch a promo for the HBO documentary film VERY SEMI-SERIOUS: A PARTIALLY THOROUGH PORTRAIT OF NEW YORKER CARTOONISTS, debuting Dec. 7 at 9PM on HBO.

Olney Theatre Center, a Mid-Atlantic destination for extraordinary theater performance and education, continues its 2015-2016 season with the classic American musical GUYS AND DOLLS tonight, November 11 through December 27 on the Mainstage.

As the galaxy prepares for the next generation of Star Wars, the six epic films will each release as commemorative Blu-ray steelbooks today, November 10th.

Andrew Carroll, author of 'If All the Sky Were Paper,' lost everything in a fire - most importantly, letters he'd saved from his ancestors, a family history in a series of first-person accounts. Relief came from an unlikely source: A distant cousin sent Carroll a bundle of letters that he was planning to throw away if Carroll didn't want them. Carroll accepted the gift and was inspired by the contents - letters from wartime and letters sent from combat half a world away.

Today, EA and DICE shared the first live action STAR WARS: Battlefront promo featuring Pitch Perfect and Into the Woods star Anna Kendrick. Check it out below!

Not all books are promoted equally, but no matter the time and money spent, there are always surprises. We recently spoke to Wendy Sheanin, v-p, director of marketing at Simon & Schuster, about two debut novels--neither was a lead title, but booksellers turned them into bestsellers.

American Players Theatre (APT) stages Pierre D. Marivaux's romantic romp The Game of Love and Chance surrounded by the warmth of Spring Green's Touchstone Theatre. What could be more enchanting and elegant on their intimate stage than a golden Rococo chandelier illuminating Nathan Stuber's mimimal and sophisticated set design? Only these APT actors who dazzle the audience dressed in their lush, period Robert Morgan costumes.

The first UK production for twenty five years of the Off Broadway musical 3 GUYS NAKED FROM THE WAIST DOWN.

Touchstone Theatre is sponsoring its fifth Corporate Creativity Event on November 17th from 8am to 9:30am titled "The Magic of Intelligent Enthusiasm" and held at Ben Franklin Technology Partners. Admission is free; registration to bill@touchstone.org required.

Cafe Carlyle is pleased to welcome back acclaimed husband-and-wife duo John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey for a four-week engagement, tonight, November 3, through November 28.

The Old Globe today announced the cast and creative team for the Old Globe/University of San Diego Graduate Theatre Program presentation of William Shakespeare's AS YOU LIKE IT, running November 14 - November 22 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Opening night is Saturday, November 14 at 8:00 p.m.

American Players Theatre (APT) is excited to announce its 37th season, which will run June 4 to October 16, 2016. In APT's flagship outdoor amphitheater, William Shakespeare will bookend the Hill season with The Comedy of Errors and King Lear. Also playing on the Hill: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde and Arcadia by Tom Stoppard.

Touchstone Theatre continues celebration of its 35th anniversary season with a new year of Christmas City Follies, the theatre's annual production of a high-spirited, homegrown, vaudevillian variety show. Christmas City Follies XVI runs December 3-20, 2015 at Touchstone's home on the south side at 321 East Fourth Street in Bethlehem.