Woodshed Collective News

Writer Alex Borinsky reunites with the creative team behind Clubbed Thumb's Of Government - director Jeremy Bloom and composer Joe White - for this new piece by their inventive company Rady&Bloom. An arts collective gathers to celebrate their director's birthday; fueled by Moscow Mules, the partygoers sprawl across the apartment, decompressing from their ongoing rehearsal process. They speculate about the end of the world.

The Off-Broadway League today announced nominations in 19 categories for the 33rd Annual Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway. The Lortel Awards will be presented on Sunday, May 6, 2018 at NYU Skirball Center beginning at 7:00 PM EST.  This year's event will be hosted by actors Laura Benanti and Jason Jones and will once again serve as a benefit for The Actors Fund.

The Geffen Playhouse today announced the full cast for its production of Joshua Harmon's (Bad Jews) critically-acclaimed hit play, Significant Other, directed by Stephen Brackett. The cast features Melanie Field (Paramount Network's Heathers) as Laura, Vella Lovell (CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) as Vanessa, Preston Martin as Zach/Evan/Roger, Keilly McQuail (Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Kiki, John Garet Stoker (CBS's Code Black) as Will/Conrad/Tony, Concetta Tomei (Deep Impact) as Helene Berman and Will Von Vogt as Jordan Berman.

What if, instead of drowning, Shakespeare's Ophelia had splashed through the brook water and found a parallel universe on the other side?

Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) and Teatro Publico de Cleveland (TPC) present the regional premiere of En el Tiempo de las Mariposas, a play by Caridad Svich based on the novel by Julia Alvarez. The production is directed by Julia Rosa Sosa and will be performed in Spanish, with English subtitles, by TPC ensemble members and will run February 22 - March 10, 2018, in CPT's historic Gordon Square Theatre.

What if, instead of drowning, Shakespeare's Ophelia had splashed through the brook water and found a parallel universe on the other side? In playwright Caridad Svich's lyrical deconstruction of Hamlet, Ophelia cuts a new path for herself through a neo-Elizabethan Appalachia. In this world, Hamlet is known as Rude Boy, Gertrude is a brothel madam, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are her androgynous helpers.

Hampstead Theatre announces the first two productions for 2018.The UK premiere of Sarah Burgess' breathtakingly witty Dry Powder will be directed by Anna Ledwich and begins performances today.

Ars Nova one of the most adventurous Off-Broadway companies (New York Times), piece by piece productions and Z Space present the world premiere of The Lucky Ones, a new musical by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher (Hundred Days), commissioned and developed by Ars Nova.

Following the show's development at The Orchard Project in 2017, LubDub Theatre presents The Doubtful Guest, an immersive contemporary s ance featuring cocktails and sleight-of-hand and exploring the legacy of American spiritualism. The piece premieres at The Public Hotel (215 Chrystie St., New York, NY) following sold-out developmental performances at The Inn at Saratoga and Guild Greene Gallery.

Following the show's development at The Orchard Project in 2017, LubDub Theatre presents The Doubtful Guest, an immersive contemporary s ance featuring cocktails and sleight-of-hand and exploring the legacy of American spiritualism. The piece premieres at The Public Hotel (215 Chrystie St., New York, NY) following sold-out developmental performances at The Inn at Saratoga and Guild Greene Gallery.

Following the show's development at The Orchard Project in 2017, LubDub Theatre presents The Doubtful Guest, an immersive contemporary s ance featuring cocktails and sleight-of-hand and exploring the legacy of American spiritualism. The piece premieres at The Public Hotel (215 Chrystie St., New York, NY) following sold-out developmental performances at The Inn at Saratoga and Guild Greene Gallery.

Following a year-long search, Ars Nova one of the most adventurous Off Broadway companies (New York Times) has been selected by Greenwich House as the new tenant of their historic, 199-seat Greenwich House Theater, which opened in 1917 and is located at 27 Barrow Street. In addition to operating and filling the beloved venue with new work by its emerging artists, Ars Nova will partner with Greenwich House on new community engagement and educational initiatives that will deepen the mission of both non-profit organizations.

Thank goodness for the grand feats of woke escapism that took over New York venues this year. Charles Quittner reflects on his favorite theatrical events featuring pirates, pirates, more pirates, and drag queens.

Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) starts off 2018 with the latest in its 39th season: the world premiere production of Vichet Chum's KNYUM. Vichet Chum will make both his playwrighting and acting debut at MRT with his brand new, one-man play following the story of Guy, a hotel night clerk who spends the quiet hours of the night shift studying Khmer, the language of his family's home of Cambodia, in preparation for his first visit to the country his parents fled from decades before. Guy stumbles awkwardly towards fluency to awaken to parts of his heritage, both beautiful and excruciating, which shine through in his wildly luminous dreams.

Ars Nova, piece by piece productions and Z Space present the world premiere of The Lucky Ones, a new musical by The Bengsons (Hundred Days) and Sarah Gancher, commissioned and developed by Ars Nova.

Ars Nova, one of the most adventurous Off Broadway companies (New York Times), announces NOVA BALL XX17, the non-profit's annual gala, which will take place on Monday, November 13 at Capitale (130 Bowery). NOVA BALL XX17 will celebrate the tenth anniversary of Play Group, Ars Nova's emerging playwrights' collective.

Colt Coeur and WP Theater (formerly Women's Project Theater) announce casting for the fourth annual Parity Plays Festival reading series, celebrating the work of female and trans playwrights and directors.

Get ready for a BOOOOOOOOzy episode this week for Halloween as we welcome five cast members from the spook-tacular Off-Broadway hit, PUFFS OR SEVEN INCREASINGLY EVENTFUL YEARS AT A CERTAIN SCHOOL OF MAGIC AND MAGIC! We're pouring out magnum bottles of red and white wine as we pair Harry Potter books with sandwiches, discuss awesome past Halloween costumes, and hear about the PUFFS journey from the People's Improv Theater to their current home at BOO World Stages (okay, it's really New World Stages, but...Halloween!)

In this episode of THEATER TALK, preview the 2017 fall theater season with Michael Musto (NewNowNext.com), Patrick Pacheco (L.A. Times), Elisabeth Vincentelli (The New York Times, The New Yorker, Newsday), guest co-host Jesse Green (The New York Times) and executive producer/co-host Susan Haskins-Doloff. The productions they discuss include 'SpongeBob SquarePants,' 'The Band's Visit,' 'Once on this Island,' 'M. Butterfly,' Junk,' 'Meteor Shower,' 'The Parisian Woman,' 'Farinelli and the King, John Leguizamo's Latin History For Morons, Time and the Conways, Torch Song, The Wolves, Oedipus el Rey and more.

Ars Nova, along with Ma-Yi Theater and Woodshed Collective, is presenting the world premiere of KPOP until tomorrow, October 21. The high-octane immersive event that gives audiences a backstage pass to a K-pop music factory has just launched a social media campaign for a cast album.