Women's Project News

Today, June 9th, at 6:00 pm Broadway theatregoers will see 200 women parading and advocating for equal representation in theatre.

?Masterworks Theater Company is proud to announce the complete cast of A Midsummer Night's Dream joining the previously announced cast of Nick Cearley (The Skivvies) as Puck, Becca Ballenger (Steel Magnolias) as Helena, Em Grosland (The Erlkings) as Flute, Sheria Irving (Broadway's Romeo And Juliet) as Hermia, Jenny Strassburg (Echoes of War) as Titania are Kevin Cristaldi (Next Fall), Andrew Ramcharan Guilarte (Fifth Planet From The Sun, Awake And Sing), Jan Leslie Harding (TV: 'The Boys That Brunch,' Broadway: The Green Bird), Emilio Paul Tirado (Web Series 'Black Arrow Fly!'), Jack Herholdt (National Tours: Peter Pan and A Christmas Carol), Lou Liberatore (Broadway: As Is, Burn This), Reynaldo Piniella (Honky), and Warren Jackson (National Tour: Macbeth).

Legendary jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker (1920-1955) was “a genius who lived fast and died young, revolutionizing an art form in a few short years” (NPR). The Grammy Award-winning bebop legend is the subject of Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD, the first world premiere in almost four decades for Opera Philadelphia, recognized by Opera News as “one of the leading instigators of new work in the country.” The new chamber opera was created for American tenor Lawrence Brownlee, a nominee for the 2015 International Opera Male Singer of the Year Award, by composer Daniel Schnyder, whose “thrilling classical-tinged jazz blend…constantly pushes the envelope” (Jazz Times), to a libretto by award-winning poet and playwright Bridgette Wimberly. Directed by Ron Daniels under the leadership of Music Director Corrado Rovaris, Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD premieres in Opera Philadelphia's Aurora Series for Chamber Opera, crowning the company's 40th Anniversary Season with a five-performance run in the Kimmel Center's intimate Perelman Theater (June 5–14). Tickets are available from Ticket Philadelphia at 215.893.1018 or operaphila.org.

Legendary jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker (1920-1955) was "a genius who lived fast and died young, revolutionizing an art form in a few short years" (NPR). The Grammy Award-winning bebop legend is the subject of Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD, the first world premiere in almost four decades for Opera Philadelphia, recognized by Opera News as "one of the leading instigators of new work in the country." The new chamber opera was created for American tenor Lawrence Brownlee, a nominee for the 2015 International Opera Male Singer of the Year Award, by composer Daniel Schnyder, whose "thrilling classical-tinged jazz blend…constantly pushes the envelope" (Jazz Times), to a libretto by award-winning poet and playwright Bridgette Wimberly. Directed by Ron Daniels under the leadership of Music Director Corrado Rovaris, Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD premieres in Opera Philadelphia's Aurora Series for Chamber Opera, crowning the company's 40th Anniversary Season with a five-performance run in the Kimmel Center's intimate Perelman Theater (June 5-14). Tickets are available from Ticket Philadelphia at 215.893.1018 or operaphila.org.

In the tradition of Facing Our Truth: Short Plays on Trayvon, Race and Privilege and HANDS UP: 6 Playwrights, 6 Testaments, The New Black Fest (guest curator playwright Dominique Morisseau) will commission five black women playwrights to write short plays entitled UN-TAMED: HAIR BODY ATTITUDE - Short Plays by Black Women. The playwrights include Cori Thomas, Nikkole Salter, Chisa Hutchinson, Lenelle Moise and Jocelyn Bioh.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is proud to announce the lineup for the 10th annual First Look, a program dedicated to new play development, August 11 - 16, 2015 in the Upstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St). Providing an early look at works-in-progress from some of the most dynamic playwrights in the field, First Look develops new plays for future production at Steppenwolf and other theaters across the country. Since its inception in 2005, First Look has developed 14 plays that have received subsequent world premiere productions at other theatres, as well as Sex with Strangers by Laura Eason, which premiered on the Steppenwolf stage.

On Tuesday, June 9th, at 6:00 pm Broadway theatregoers will see 200 women parading and advocating for equal representation in theatre.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company completes its 2014/15 Subscription Season with the Chicago premiere production of Grand Concourse, a play full of both humor and heart by Heidi Schreck and directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov. Grand Concourse begins previews July 2, 2015 (Opening night is July 12, 2015; Press performances are July 11 at 3pm and July 14 at 7:30pm) and runs through August 30, 2015 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St).

L. Frank Baum's beloved classic story of Dorothy and her friends in the land of Oz gets a reboot-literally-in a video game setting. OZ 2.5, a world premiere by Catherine Trieschmann, wraps up the Theatre for Young Audiences season at South Coast Repertory, today, May 22-June 7, on the Julianne Argyros stage. The production is directed by Shelley Butler.

Robert E. Wankel, Chairman of the Broadway League and President & Co-CEO of the Shubert Organization announced today that the League's Executive Committee has elected Charlotte St. Martin to the position of President. The Broadway League is the trade association representing commercial theatre in the United States, whose members include producers, theatre owners, and presenters of Broadway across the country and internationally.

?Masterworks Theater Company is proud to announce the complete cast of A Midsummer Night's Dream joining the previously announced cast of Nick Cearley (The Skivvies) as Puck, Becca Ballenger (Steel Magnolias) as Helena, Em Grosland (The Erlkings) as Flute, Sheria Irving (Broadway's Romeo And Juliet) as Hermia, Jenny Strassburg (Echoes of War) as Titania are Kevin Cristaldi (Next Fall), Andrew Ramcharan Guilarte (Fifth Planet From The Sun, Awake And Sing), Jan Leslie Harding (TV: 'The Boys That Brunch,' Broadway: The Green Bird), Emilio Paul Tirado (Web Series 'Black Arrow Fly!'), Jack Herholdt (National Tours: Peter Pan and A Christmas Carol), Lou Liberatore (Broadway: As Is, Burn This), Reynaldo Piniella (Honky), and Warren Jackson (National Tour: Macbeth).

InFusion Theatre Company presents Crystal Skillman's Another Kind of Love, directed by InFusion Artistic Director Mitch Golob with music direction by Jefferey Thomas and original music by Tony-nominated and Obie-winner Heidi Rodewald, lyrics by Caroline Dorsen and Crystal Skillman, now through June 14, at The Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division Ave. Opening night is slated for tomrorow, May 15. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Volunteering at a New York soup kitchen kindled a desire in Shara Ashley Zeiger to do more than fill salad bowls or greet guests for a few hours each Sunday.

Legendary jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker (1920-1955) was “a genius who lived fast and died young, revolutionizing an art form in a few short years” (NPR). The Grammy Award-winning bebop legend is the subject of Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD, the first world premiere in almost four decades for Opera Philadelphia, recognized by Opera News as “one of the leading instigators of new work in the country.” The new chamber opera was created for American tenor Lawrence Brownlee, a nominee for the 2015 International Opera Male Singer of the Year Award, by composer Daniel Schnyder, whose “thrilling classical-tinged jazz blend…constantly pushes the envelope” (Jazz Times), to a libretto by award-winning poet and playwright Bridgette Wimberly. Directed by Ron Daniels under the leadership of Music Director Corrado Rovaris, Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD premieres in Opera Philadelphia's Aurora Series for Chamber Opera, crowning the company's 40th Anniversary Season with a five-performance run in the Kimmel Center's intimate Perelman Theater (June 5–14). Tickets are available from Ticket Philadelphia at 215.893.1018 or operaphila.org.

San Francisco Playhouse continues its twelfth season with the world premiere of Trouble Cometh by Richard Dresser and directed by May Adrales.

Screen Actors Guild Foundation and Broadway World have partnered for a filmed Conversations Q&A series to recognize and celebrate the vibrant theatre community in New York City and the actors who aspire to have a career on the stage and screen. On Tuesday, May 12 (2PM), please join us for a career Conversations with the company of the 12-time Tony nominated An American in Paris. The event will take place at NYIT Auditorium on Broadway (1871 Broadway New York, NY).

Colt Coeur's Play Hotel reading series will present a free staged reading of Need to Know, by Jon Caren, directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt, Sunday May 10th at 6pm at SoHo House in Manhattan. The cast for the reading includes Katya Campbell (Disgraced, Broadway), Michael Cyril Creighton (Stage Kiss, Playwrights Horizons), and Michael Esper (The Last Ship, Broadway). The event is hosted by Sam Goldberg.

Aurora Theatre Company closes its 23rd season with the Bay Area Premiere of Lisa D'Amour's (Anna Bella Eema, Airline Highway) wicked Obie-winning satire about our uncertain economic times, DETROIT. Josh Costello (Wittenberg) directs this explosive dark comedy, featuring Amy Resnick (Body Awareness, Collapse), Jeff Garrett, Luisa Frasconi, and Patrick Kelly Jones (Metamorphosis), that brilliantly captures our current economic moment. DETROIT plays June 19 through July 19 at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. For tickets ($32-60) and information the public can call (510) 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org.

L. Frank Baum's beloved classic story of Dorothy and her friends in the land of Oz gets a reboot-literally-in a video game setting. OZ 2.5, a world premiere by Catherine Trieschmann, wraps up the Theatre for Young Audiences season at South Coast Repertory, May 22-June 7, on the Julianne Argyros stage. The production is directed by Shelley Butler. Tickets are on sale now: www.scr.org.

Encore Theatre Company has announced the world premiere of HOOKMAN, a new play by Lauren Yee whose playwriting credits includes The Hatmaker's Wife and Ching Chong Chinaman. Commissioned by Encore Theatre, Hookman dramatizes the story of Lexi, a student in her first year at college. After losing her high school best friend to a hook-handed serial killer, Lexi must learn what it means to grow up, young and female, in a world that's sometimes dangerous and lonely. Directed by Becca Wolff, Hookman opens in previews tonight, May 6 at Z Below in San Francisco, and runs for three weeks through Saturday, May 30.