Williamstown Theatre News

Tony Goldwyn joins the company of Matthew Lopez' The Inheritance beginning tonight, January 5, for a four month limited engagement!

Playwrights Horizons (Artistic Director Tim Sanford, Managing Director Leslie Marcus) will present a return engagement of the The Movement Theatre Company (Producing Artistic Leadership Team David Mendizábal, Deadria Harrington, Eric Lockley, Taylor Reynolds) staging of Aleshea Harris' What to Send Up When It Goes Down, directed by Whitney White. The production runs June 24 - July 19, 2020 (opening June 30, 2020) at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42 Street). 'It's an honor to include this extraordinary piece in our Redux Series, which expands the audience reach for vital new plays that premiered to limited runs elsewhere,' Playwrights Horizons Associate Artistic Director Adam Greenfield said. 'Aleshea Harris' play is an urgent, visceral, kaleidoscopic reckoning with racialized police violence in America-and a theatrical experience that demands our attention.'

Playwrights Horizons (Artistic Director Tim Sanford, Managing Director Leslie Marcus) today announced the cast and creative team of Unknown Soldier, a sweeping, elegiac chamber musical that melts time, spanning three generations as it follows a woman's journey to unearth the secrets buried in her family's past. With a book and lyrics by Daniel Goldstein, making his New York writing debut, Unknown Soldier is also the last work from the late, beloved Michael Friedman (music and lyrics) to be premiered in the city. Together, they created a work that profoundly illustrates the search into the existences of those who've passed, connecting the love and loss, hope and regret of two womena?'and a country forever scarred by wara?'across a century. Unknown Soldier follows Ellen Rabinowitz, a woman who's inherited her grandmother's homea?'and with it, a clue that her understanding of her family and of herself are incomplete. Directed by Trip Cullman and choreographed by Patrick McCollum, this New York premiere production will take place in the Mainstage Theater at Playwrights Horizons (416 West 42nd Street), February 14-March 29, 2020.

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble presents 'The Cake' by Bekah Brunstetter, directed by Steve Scott, Jan.30-March 1 in the Playhouse Theatre at the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd. The LA Times calls the play 'funny and smart' and observes, 'The Cake' explores human conflict from an insightful, slightly offbeat perch with understanding, respect and compassion for opposing points of view.' There will be a preview performance 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan 30; press opening is 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 31. Performances run through March 1.

Henry Lombino will present a new oratorio: Above the Noise by Daphne Gampel premiering at Dixon Place (161A Chrystie Street) for one performance on December 21 at 7:30pm.

Grand Horizons is now in previews on Broadway!  Grand Horizons will play a strictly limited 10-week engagement, and officially open on January 23, 2020 at The Hayes Theater (240 West 44th Street).

Ryan J. Haddad is an actor and writer, he is gay and he has cerebral palsy. All of these facts about this extraordinary star of the Netflix series 'The Politician' are part of Ilana's deep dive conversation with Ryan in her latest episode of Little Known Facts. Listen as they discuss his upcoming one man show, Falling for Make Believe (Joe's Pub, January 8-17, 2020), and so much more!

Late Late Show guest host Jeff Goldblum welcomes his guests Camila Morrone and Sam Rockwell, and turns his attention to Sam's portrayal of Bob Fosse in 'Fosse/Verdon' -- including Sam flexing his dancing ability, and showing off his legs thanks to lots of scenes wearing shorts.

The Tank (Meghan Finn, Artistic Director) in association with Lucy Powis and The Hodgepodge Group will present the World Premiere of Really Really Gorgeous, written by Nick Mecikalski and directed by Miranda Haymon at The Tank (312 West 36th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues), January 23-February 9.

The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan has announced that Tony nominated actor Jonathan C. Kaplan and Zoë Winters will complete the cast performing a benefit reading of 'The Wanderers' by Anna Zeigler.The play is a funny, insightful, and mysterious new drama. Ziegler is an award-winning playwright whose widely produced play, 'Photograph 51,' won London's 2016 WhatsOnStage award for best new play.

The Drama League (Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Director Bevin Ross) announced today the acting company for the 36th annual DirectorFest, the only festival in the United States dedicated to the art of contemporary stage directing. Directorfest will take place January 10 - February 4, 2020 at various locations around NYC: The New Ohio Theatre (154 Christopher Street), The Drama League Theater Center (32 Avenue of the Americas), LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (31-10 Thomson Avenue), and Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street). For festival details and tickets, visit directorfest.org or call (212) 244-9494 x102.

The Big Chill meets This is Us in Rachel Bonds' play Goodnight Nobody. In this deeply moving and funny world premiere, a group of old friends reconnect after years apart. They reminisce with wild abandon, until the things they aren't telling each other come hurtling to the surface. The production runs January 10 through February 9 in McCarter's Berlind Theatre. More about the production at mccarter.org.

The La Paloma Prisoner Project is Raquel Almaƶán's theatre and outreach project about the reclamation of identity by incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women, and sharing those stories through workshops, advocacy and community partnerships. Developed from her longstanding work with incarcerated and impacted communities, the associated play, LA PALOMA PRISONER, directed by Estefanía Fadul, will have its World Premiere at Next Door @ New York Theatre Workshop (79 East 4th Street between Bowery & 2nd Avenue) alongside a series of initiatives aimed at raising awareness and inciting action towards the end of global mass incarceration. The play is a New Georges Supported Production. Performances begin April 19, 2020 and run through May 9, 2020. Tickets will be available at https://www.nytw.org/show/la-paloma-prisoner/. To make an advance reservation, please visit www.lapalomaprisonerproject.com

Casting is set for Studio Theatre's production of Pipeline, playwright Dominique Morisseau's searing drama about the school-to-prison pipeline and a mother desperately trying to keep her son from becoming ensnared in it. The production runs January 15-February 16, 2020 and is directed by Awoye Timpo. Starring are DC theatre favorite Justin Weaks (Studio's Curve of Departure) as high school student Omari and Andrea Harris Smith making her Studio debut as his mother, public school teacher Nya. In its recent People Issue, Washington City Paper's called Weaks a 'standout,' going on to say: 'D.C. theater audiences love Justin Weaks. ...Weaks came to D.C. for a job about four years ago, not expecting to stay. But he kept getting cast in shows, and lucky for local theatergoers, he's still here.'

Caveat NYC will present Sim Yan Ying's I LOVE WHITE MEN on January 24 - 26, 2020 at Caveat NYC at 21 A Clinton Street. Show times are January 24 at 7pm, January 25 at 1:30pm & 7pm, and January 26 at 7pm. Tickets are available for advance purchase at $20 at caveat.nyc, and $22 at the door.

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Michael Stotts- Managing Director), recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award, begins the new year with the world premiere Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and written with Richard Curtis. Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber begins performances Thursday, January 30, 2020, and will continue through Sunday, March 1, 2020 at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ). JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the major sponsor of Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Paper Mill Playhouse's 2019-2020 season is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank. Opening Night is Sunday evening, February 9, 2020 at 7:00pm.

Catherine Brunell (Something Rotten!, Thoroughly Modern Millie) will join the cast of Mean Girls as 'Mrs. Heron / Ms. Norbury / Mrs. George' beginning tonight, Wednesday, December 11. Tony Award nominee Jennifer Simard played her final performance in the roles on Sunday, December 8.

To celebrate the Mentor Project's 22nd Season, Cherry Lane Theatre (Angelina Fiordellisi, Executive Director; Seri Lawrence, Artistic Director) has announced a workshop presentation by poet/ performer Shawn Randall of his original work (The Making Of) How to Save the World in 90 Minutes. He will be mentored by Diana Oh ({my lingerie play}) in the StudioTheatre, March 4 -14, 2020. Cherry Lane then continues its season in partnership with J.A.G. Productions for the rolling World Premiere of Esai's Table by Nathan Yungerberg, originally produced in workshop format by Mentor Project in 2017. Performances of Esai's Table begin March 19, 2020, on the Cherry Lane Main Stage.For tickets, schedule and more information, please visit www.cherrylanetheatre.org.

Producers announced today the launch of THE SOUND INSIDE WRITER'S CHALLENGE. At the heart of THE SOUND INSIDE is a celebration of the passion, dedication, and drive of writers to better their craft. Entrants are invited to enter THE SOUND INSIDE WRITER'S CHALLENGE by submitting a fictional short story or play of 2000 words or less. Five entries will be selected to be read and edited by THE SOUND INSIDE playwright Adam Rapp and then published on The Sound Inside's social media accounts. Each winner will also receive two tickets to see THE SOUND INSIDE.

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents The Songs of Andrew R. Butler as part their performance series New Writers at 54! New Writers at 54! is an ongoing series at Feinstein's/54 Below showcasing exciting work by today's hottest emerging voices