Trip Cullman News

New York Stage and Film and Vassar College, this summer celebrating thirty years of their Powerhouse Theater collaboration, have announced the Play Readings Festival lineups that will bookend their upcoming 30th Powerhouse Theater Season, running from June 20 - July 27 at Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, New York).

Tony Award-winner Julie White (The Little Dog Laughed) is set to host the Spring Benefit for the Off-Broadway theatre company Page 73 Productions on Friday, April 25, at City Winery, 155 Varick Street. The evening's festivities begin at 7:00pm and include dinner, cocktails (including specialty cocktail "The Clare Barron" in honor of the 2014 P73 Playwriting Fellow) and the annual New Play Bake Off.

MCC THEATER has announced its four-show 2014-15 Main Stage Season, which runs Fall 2014 through Summer 2015. All productions will be staged at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street). This announcement comes on the heels of one of MCC's most acclaimed seasons yet, which began in Fall 2013 with the New York premiere of John Pollono's Small Engine Repair and continued with the Off-Broadway premiere of Robert Askins' Hand to God. The final production of MCC's 2013-14 Season, Penelope Skinner's The Village Bike starring Greta Gerwig and directed by Sam Gold, has its North American debut beginning May 22, 2014. For more information on MCC Theater, please visit www.mcctheater.org.

Written by Jon Robin Baitz and directed by Trip Cullman, THE SUBSTANCE OF FIRE is now in previews and officially opens on Sunday, April 27 at Second Stage's Tony Kiser Theatre, (305 West 43rd Street). Tickets are available through 2ST.com or by calling the box office at 212-246-4422. Check out a first look at the cast in action below!

On April 7, Ars Nova hosted their Diamond Ball, not just another f*@%ing benefit. The evening honored Elizabeth Meriwether, Ars Nova's inaugural Playwright-in-Residence and creator of Fox's New Girl, Stephen Siderow, member of Ars Nova's Board of Directors and Co-founder and President of BlueMountain Capital, and Beau Willimon, founding member of Ars Nova's Play Group and creator of Netflix's House of Cards. Scroll down to see some photos from the event!

The Geffen Playhouse has announced four plays for the eight-play 2014-2015 season, including the Co-World Premiere, with the Sydney Theatre Company, of the Geffen commissioned, Switzerland, written by Joanna Murray-Smith (The Female of the Species); the West Coast Premieres of The Night Alive, written by Olivier and Evening Standard Award winner and Tony nominee Conor McPherson (The Weir, The Seafarer) and directed by Geffen Artistic Director Randall Arney; and The Power of Duff, written by Stephen Belber and directed by Peter DuBois (Rapture, Blister, Burn); and The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord, written by Scott Carter.

BroadwayWorld has just learned that the Second Stage production of SUBSTANCE OF FIRE has cancelled tonight's performance due to an actor illness. All ticket patrons have been notified.

Second Stage Theatre kicks off the 2014 Uptown Series with the New York premiere of AMERICAN HERO, written by Bess Wohl and directed by Leigh Silverman. AMERICAN HERO will feature ARI GRAYNOR (2ST Trust), DAOUD HEIDAMI (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo), JERRY O'CONNELL (Seminar) and ERIN WILHELMI (The Great God Pan). Previews begin Monday, May 12th and opening night is Thursday, May 22nd.

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center announced today its six new plays selected for development at the 50th annual National Playwrights Conference (NPC):

Ars Nova hosts Ars Nova's Diamond Ball, not just another f*@%ing benefit tonight. The evening will honor Elizabeth Meriwether, Ars Nova's inaugural Playwright-in-Residence and creator of Fox's New Girl, Stephen Siderow, member of Ars Nova's Board of Directors and Co-founder and President of BlueMountain Capital, and Beau Willimon, founding member of Ars Nova's Play Group and creator of Netflix's House of Cards.

The Daily Mail reports that Claire Forlani, Alice Sanders, Patricia Potter, Isabella Calthorpe, Charlotte Parry and Ronke Adekoluejo will star in the world premiere production of Adam Bock's new play THE COLBY SISTERS OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, beginning at the Tricycle Theatre from June 19, 2014.

The Geffen Playhouse is announcing three plays of its eight-play 2014-2015 season, including the West Coast Premiere of Choir Boy, written by 2013 MacArthur Fellow Tarell Alvin McCraney, directed by Trip Cullman, with its off-Broadway star Jeremy Pope; Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, directed by Trevor Hay; and the West Coast Premiere of Bad Jews, which received rave reviews for its off-Broadway production, written by Joshua Harmon and directed by Matt Shakman.

Ars Nova announces Ars Nova's Diamond Ball, not just another f*@%ing benefit. The evening will honor Elizabeth Meriwether, Ars Nova's inaugural Playwright-in-Residence and creator of Fox's New Girl, Stephen Siderow, member of Ars Nova's Board of Directors and Co-founder and President of BlueMountain Capital, and Beau Willimon, founding member of Ars Nova's Play Group and creator of Netflix's House of Cards.

Second Stage Theatre will continue to celebrate its 35th Anniversary Season by once again offering its popular retro prices ($19.79 - the year in which the Company was founded) as well as audience perks for all of the productions this season.

Currently celebrating its 35th Anniversary Season, Second Stage Theatre has announced complete casting and new performance dates for its upcoming production of JON ROBIN BAITZ's drama, THE SUBSTANCE OF FIRE. The company will feature HALLEY FEIFFER (2ST's suburbia, The House of Blue Leaves), DANIEL ERIC GOLD (2ST's subUrbia, Ugly Betty) CARTER HUDSON (The Whipping Man), JOHN NOBLE (TV's Fringe and Sleepy Hollow), and CHARLAYNE WOODARD (2ST's Sorrows and Rejoicings, Ain't Misbehavin').

The readings kick off Monday, March 24 and will be held on consecutive Mondays through April 7. The readings will take place at New York City Center - Stage I (131 West 55th Street). All readings are free and open to the public, but space is limited and RSVPs are required. To RSVP, visit https://www.formstack.com/forms/?1685583-1KMR9JvsKh or call (212) 399-3000 x 4163.

Nylon Fusion Theatre Company presents two thoughtful and poignantly funny takes on the meaning of trying to define yourself in the world, and the nature of performance in life, on film and on stage with the world premiere of Don Nigro's noir comedy A Snowfall in Berlin (running March 12 - April 5) alternating with the revival of John Patrick Shanley's seldom-seen The Big Funk: A Casual Play (running March 13 - April 6). The plays will be presented in repertory at separate performances at Teatro LaTea @ Clemente Soto Velez, located at 107 Suffolk Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side.

ONE NIGHT STAND, the fascinating behind the scenes documentary tracing the creation of a handful of new musicals as part of the 24-Hour Musicals celebration, will be shown as part of the ongoing Docularious! Presents series later this month, which will feature participating director Trip Cullman.

Ars Nova announces a February and March lineup featuring exciting new comedy, music and theater programming.

Ars Nova announces a February and March lineup featuring exciting new comedy, music and theater programming.