Vivienne Benesch News

Red Bull Theater today announced the selections for their ninth annual festival of 10-minute plays of heightened language and classic themes, featuring two brand new commissions from Kia Corthron and Marcus Gardley, alongside six brand new plays that have been chosen from hundreds of submissions from playwrights across the country: Kate Abbruzzese, Terry Glaser, Eric Pfeffinger, BrIdgette Dutta Portman, David Lerner Schwartz, Sofya Levitsky Weitz, and Matthew Wells.

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), the not-for-profit foundation of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), announced today that nominations for the Zelda Fichandler Award, for a director or choreographer who is transforming theatre in the Central Region, are now being accepted through July 2, 2019.

Folger Theatre's Love's Labor's Lost, directed by Vivienne Benesch, compliments the uniqueness of this comedy through a delightfully funny cast and production set during the 1930's.

It's all about the words, words, words for director Vivienne Benesch as she prepares to make her Folger Theatre debut with a new 1930s-styled production of Love's Labor's Lost.

PlayMakers Repertory Company is proud to present the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, "How I Learned to Drive" by Tony Award®-nominated playwright Paula Vogel. The production, directed by Lee Sunday Evans, will run from April 3 to 21, 2019.

Mind vs. Matter. Game on. Folger Theatre concludes its 2018/19 season of characters that "shake the world" with Love's Labor's Lost, Shakespeare's quick-witted comedy filled with oaths, trickery, and confessions of love. Vivienne Benesch, the 2017 winner of the annual Zelda Fichandler Award, makes her Folger directorial debut.

Between January 2018 and August 2018, the federal government attempted to censor, misrepresent, and otherwise silence science over 150 times. That's according to the Silencing Science Tracker (SST) launched by Columbia University's Sabin Center and the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund. While most of the 150 plus SST entries involved attempts to stifle climate science, 24-percent of the entries targeted scientists working in other fields. But the government assault on science is nothing new. In fact, nearly 400 years ago, Galileo Galilei was forced to recant some of his scientific views after the church found him guilty of heresy. Subsequently, his book Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems was placed on the 'Index of Forbidden Books' by the Sacred Congregation of the Roman Inquisition, and he was placed on house arrest. Galileo's life is the subject of Bertolt Brecht's 1938 play LIFE OF GALILEO, which explores the ups and downs of going from being a celebrated scientist to a convicted dissident. More importantly, the play provides a 'big brother' commentary on humanity and the delusion of blind faith in an era of alternative facts.

PlayMakers Repertory Company What: "Life of Galileo" by Bertolt Brecht. Adaptation by Joseph Discher. Directed by Vivienne Benesch. When: February 27 to March 17, 2019. Opening Night & Press Opening Saturday March 2, 2019. Where: Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art, 120 Country Club Road, Chapel Hill, NC Tickets: Start at $15; Students tickets start at $10

Red Bull Theater today announced that their ninth annual festival of 10-minute plays of heightened language and classic themes will feature two brand new commissions from Kia Corthron and Will Power, alongside six brand new plays chosen from hundreds of submissions from playwrights across the country. Submissions are now open through March 18, 2019.

PlayMakers Repertory Company proudly presents Dominique Morisseau's 'Skeleton Crew,' the searing dramatic final installment in her Detroit Trilogy. Directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton, the production runs from October 10 to 28, 2018.

PlayMakers Repertory Company proudly presents Dominique Morisseau's 'Skeleton Crew,' the searing dramatic final installment in her Detroit Trilogy. Directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton, the production runs from October 10 to 28, 2018.

PlayMakers Repertory Company proudly presents Dominique Morisseau's "Skeleton Crew," the searing dramatic final installment in her Detroit Trilogy. Directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton, the production runs from October 10 to 28, 2018.

Casting is complete for the three "developmental productions" featured in Goodman Theatre's 15th annual New Stages Festival-a free celebration of new works by some of the country's finest established and emerging playwrights. These three plays, which are staged in repertory following two weeks of rehearsal, include There's Always the Hudson by Paola Lazaro-Muñoz, directed by Jess McLeod; Felons and Familias by Sandra Delgado, directed by Marcela Muñoz; and Graveyard Shift by Korde Arrington Tuttle, directed by Danya Taymor. Developmental productions are designed by Kevin Depinet (Set), Noel Huntzinger (Costumes for There's Always the Hudson and Graveyard Shift), Birgit Rattenborg Wise (Costumes for Felons and Familias), Jesse Klug (Lights) and Richard Woodbury (Sound).

Red Bull Theater today announced the new season of its OBIE Award-winning Revelation Reading Series, the unique opportunity to hear rarely-produced classic plays, and brand new plays in conversation with the classics, performed by the finest actors in New York.

The tale of Robin Hood is part of our collective mythology. Robin Hood is a nobleman who leaves behind his life of privilege to stand up for those in society who cannot. He is joined by a band of merry men and Maid Marian as he robs from the rich to give to the poor. But how well do we really know this legendary folk hero and what moves him? The legend of Robin Hood is one of the original resistance stories, and one man's awakening to the injustices of his society. In Ken Ludwig's frolicking, funny retelling, he's not a perfect man at all, but perfectly imperfect and surrounded by a colorful cast of characters who help challenge and shape his ideals.

This fall, Goodman Theatre presents its New Stages Festival-a free annual celebration and discovery of new plays by some of the country's finest established and emerging playwrights. Audiences experience a first look at seven new works-including three fully staged developmental productions (performed in repertory) There's Always the Hudson by Paola Lazaro-Muñoz; Felons and Familias by Sandra Delgado; Graveyard Shift by Korde Arrington Tuttle. In addition, four staged readings appear during the last weekend of the festival (October 4-7) including The Wizards by Ricardo Gamboa; Between Covers by Sarah Schulman; Birthday Candles by Noah Haidle; and Cressida on Top by Paula Vogel.

Truth be told, you'd think that a Princeton and Juilliard grad who's had 15 plays professionally produced, wrote a film that starred Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin; has TV series lined up with HBO and one already in production for Showtime starring Jim Carrey would have had a solid career destiny since the get-go.  Not so says Noah Haidle.

PlayMakers Repertory Company proudly presents the world premiere of 'Leaving Eden' a play with music, script by North Carolina playwright and UNC-Chapel Hill alumnus Mike WIley, and music & lyrics by North Carolina singer-songwriter Laurelyn Dossett. The production, the first fully commissioned work by the theatre, is directed by PlayMakers' Producing Artistic Director, Vivienne Benesch, and runs from April 4 to 22, 2018.

PlayMakers Repertory Company proudly presents Moliere's "Tartuffe," adapted by David Ball. The production is directed by Saheem Ali, in his PlayMakers directorial debut, and runs from February 3 to March 11, 2018 in rotating repertory with Lucas Hnath's "The Christians".

PlayMakers Repertory Company presents "The Christians" by 2017 Tony-nominated playwright, Lucas Hnath. The production, which is directed by Triad Stage founder Preston Lane, runs from February 1 to March 10, 2018 in rotating repertory with the Moliere classic "Tartuffe" (adapted by David Ball).