Ruined - 2010 - West End Articles Page 14

Following two previous much-acclaimed seasons of American drama, the Ustinov presents The American Season 2014: three UK premieres, Dan LeFranc's The Big Meal, directed by Michael Boyd; Keith Huff's gritty two-hander, A Steady Rain, directed by David Grindley; and Lynn Nottage's multi award-winning Intimate Apparel, directed by Laurence Boswell. Casting will be announced in early 2014.

Marin Theatre Company, in association with Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, announces the casting of its spring production of August Wilson's Fences, directed by Derrick Sanders. Fences, which won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize and 1987 and 2010 Tony Awards, will feature veteran film and television actor Carl Lumbly as Troy Maxson, Steven Anthony Jones, the artistic director of Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, as Jim Bono and award-winning actor, playwright and director Margo Hall as Rose, as well as Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Eddy Ray Jackson as Cory, Adrian Roberts as Gabriel and Tyee Tilghman as Lyons. MTC's production of Fences will run from April 10 through May 4.

Vancouver, BC ~ Effervescent, intoxicating, and just a little daft, Vancouver Opera's colourful production of Albert Herring bursts onto the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Stage in less than two weeks. Benjamin Britten's fast-paced, clever and hummable opera, directed by Glynis Leyshon, transports audiences to the 1950s in a riot of scrumptious costumes, devastating satire, and charming slapstick.

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director, Manhattan Theatre Club), Barry Grove (Executive Producer, MTC), Mandy Greenfield (Artistic Producer, MTC), Jason Eagan (Artistic Director, Ars Nova), and Jeremy Blocker (Managing Director, Ars Nova) have announced the 2013-2014 participants for The Writer's Room a new program to commission, develop and support playwrights in the process of creating new work for the stage.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University and the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research (formerly known as the Du Bois Institute), in conjunction with Hilton Als of The New Yorker, will present a staged reading of Alice Childress's Wedding Band: A Love-Hate Story in Black and White, co-directed by Hilton Als and A.R.T. Artistic Associate Shira Milikowsky. It takes place at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, starting at 7:30pm, and will be followed by a post-reading discussion.

The most wonderful time of the year is underway as rehearsals begin this week for Goodman Theatre's A Christmas Carol, 'a joyous present for the entire family' (Chicago Sun-Times), in its 36th annual production. Directing the holiday favorite for the first time, Henry Wishcamper's production features all-new on stage magic-set elements, special effects and more. The cast of 27 (below, includes 14 new and 13 returning cast members) stars Larry Yando, who most recently appeared in Mary Zimmerman's production of The Jungle Book as Shere Khan, in his sixth turn as Ebenezer Scrooge and 8-year-old Matthew Abraham as Tiny Tim for the second year. A Christmas Carol runs tonight, November 16 - December 28 in the Goodman's Albert Theatre.

A rare and intimate glimpse into the dynamic process of creating and launching new plays, Playwright: From Page to Stage follows two outstanding young playwrights through the writing, development, staging, rehearsal, and public performance of their plays.

The busybodies of proper English village life are brilliantly skewered in Benjamin Britten's devastatingly satirical Albert Herring, onstage at Vancouver Opera for four performances only. Fast-paced, effervescent and musically clever, this sparkling 1950s-style company premiere is a scrumptious treat for Vancouver audiences.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University and the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research (formerly known as the Du Bois Institute), in conjunction with Hilton Als of The New Yorker, will present a staged reading of Alice Childress's Wedding Band: A Love-Hate Story in Black and White, co-directed by Hilton Als and A.R.T. Artistic Associate Shira Milikowsky. It takes place at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, starting at 7:30pm, and will be followed by a post-reading discussion.

Dr. Barbara Ann Teers's National Black Theatre (NBT) will open its 45th Season with the New York Premiere of The Last Saint On Sugar Hill, written by Keith Josef Adkins and directed by Seret Scottannounced NBT's Director of Theatre Arts Program, Jonathan McCrory. Preview performances begin tonight, October 29th at NBT, 2031 Fifth Avenue starting at 7:30pm. The opening night is set for Friday, November 1st at 7pm. The production will run through Sunday, November 24th.

The question of who determines a child's fate amidst drug addiction, religion and child custody laws takes center stage in Rebecca Gilman's newest work, Luna Gale, directed by Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls.

Playwrights Horizons presents its New York premiere production of Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, a new play by Anne Washburn, with music by Obie Award winner Michael Friedman. Directed by Steve Cosson, the Obie Award-winning Artistic Director of The Civilians, Mr. Burns is being presented as the first production of Playwrights Horizons' 2013/2014 Season.

The most wonderful time of the year is underway as rehearsals begin this week for Goodman Theatre's A Christmas Carol, 'a joyous present for the entire family' (Chicago Sun-Times), in its 36th annual production. Directing the holiday favorite for the first time, Henry Wishcamper's production features all-new on stage magic-set elements, special effects and more. The cast of 27 (below, includes 14 new and 13 returning cast members) stars Larry Yando, who most recently appeared in Mary Zimmerman's production of The Jungle Book as Shere Khan, in his sixth turn as Ebenezer Scrooge and 8-year-old Matthew Abraham as Tiny Tim for the second year. A Christmas Carol runs November 16 - December 28 in the Goodman's Albert Theatre.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the full company for Charles Randolph-Wright's world premiere drama Love in Afghanistan. Randolph-Wright, a Resident Playwright through Arena Stage's American Voices New Play Institute and director of Motown the Musical currently on Broadway, joins forces with director Lucie Tiberghien (MCC Theater's Don't Go Gentle) to bring to life the tale of two fantastically different people discovering love in the most unlikely of places: war-torn Afghanistan. One, an emerging hip-hop artist, the other, a high-level Afghan interpreter, both fight to navigate the pitfalls of romance, religious differences and political unrest. Love in Afghanistan runs tonight, October 11-November 17, 2013 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG) has announced the publication of By the Way, Meet Vera Stark by Lynn Nottage, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Ruined. Declared 'one of our finest playwrights' by Time Out New York, Lynn Nottage premiered her newest play at Second Stage Theatre in spring 2011. In the 2013-2014 season, the play will receive productions at seven theaters across the country, including the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta and the Actor's Theatre of Charlotte.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is pleased to announce the East Coast premiere of Appropriate, an audacious comic drama written by native Washingtonian Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and directed by Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed). Jacobs-Jenkins' brazen reimagining of the classic Southern family drama will continue Woolly's season-long excavation of the secrets that lie beneath America's sunny exterior.

Dr. Barbara Ann Teers's National Black Theatre (NBT) will open its 45th Season with the New York Premiere of The Last Saint On Sugar Hill, written by Keith Josef Adkins and directed by Seret Scottannounced NBT's Director of Theatre Arts Program, Jonathan McCrory. Preview performances begin Tuesday, October 29th at NBT, 2031 Fifth Avenue starting at 7:30pm. The opening night is set for Friday, November 1st at 7pm. The production will run through Sunday, November 24th.

Before rehearsals began, Education Dramaturg Ted Sod asked playwright Joshua Harmon to discuss his work on Bad Jews.

Stephen Pier has achieved a uniquely rich and varied career as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer. His credits as a performer include many years with the Jose Limon Dance Company where the New York press hailed him as '...one of the most gifted dancers on the modern dance scene today.' He went on to become a leading soloist with the Hamburg Ballet in Germany, performing the title roles in John Neumeier's Othello and Saint Matthew's Passion, and creating numerous other major roles during his nine years with the company. As a member of the Royal Danish Ballet for six years, Mr. Pier had the privilege of dancing leading roles in works of Bournonville, Balanchine, MacMillan, Bejart, and collaborating with many of Europe's finest contemporary choreographers.

Due to critical acclaim and popular demand, Playwrights Horizons has announced an extension of its New York premiere production of MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY, a new play by Anne Washburn, with music by Obie Award winner Michael Friedman. Directed by Steve Cosson, the Obie Award-winning Artistic Director of The Civilians, MR. BURNS is being presented as the first production of Playwrights Horizons' 2013/2014 Season.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the full company for Charles Randolph-Wright's world premiere drama Love in Afghanistan. Randolph-Wright, a Resident Playwright through Arena Stage's American Voices New Play Institute and director of Motown the Musical currently on Broadway, joins forces with director Lucie Tiberghien (MCC Theater's Don't Go Gentle) to bring to life the tale of two fantastically different people discovering love in the most unlikely of places: war-torn Afghanistan. One, an emerging hip-hop artist, the other, a high-level Afghan interpreter, both fight to navigate the pitfalls of romance, religious differences and political unrest. Love in Afghanistan runs October 11-November 17, 2013 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle.

After a flash flood swept through the City of Ithaca on the evening of August 8th, damaging numerous sites around the city and flowing into the recently remodeled Hangar Theatre, rigorous efforts were make to keep the theatre open and functioning for audiences. The Hangar staff, board, and other supporters worked tirelessly to curtail the waters that entered the building, causing the cancellation of opening night of Clybourne Park on August 9th. Ultimately, the redesign of the building in 2010 and the extraordinary teamwork that took place allowed the theatre to close for only one night, reopening the following day for the matinee and evening performances. Hangar Theatre reseated opening night ticket holders and finished the remainder of the season. The upcoming CabarETC performances of Back to the Garden on September 20 - 21 at 8pm will go on as planned.

Rogue Machine continues with World Premiere of ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI... by Kemp Powers, extending through September 15, 2013, playing 8pm Fridays and Saturdays, 3pm on Sundays at ROGUE MACHINE.

"Remixing the March," Goodman Theatre's year-long commemoration of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, continues this summer: youth participants in General Theater Studies (GTS) combine talents with senior citizens of the GeNarrations writing program to create a performance piece that views the historic event through a contemporary lens. As part of the annual GTS six-week summer program (through August 12), 80 teenage participants initiate discussions with GeNarrations participants about their recollections of the March, including Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech. From these interviews, the students blend their own stories into an original performance piece to be presented almost 50 years to the day.

Take Wing And Soar Productions, in partnership with Voza Rivers/New Heritage Theatre Group, present TWAS' Tenth Year Anniversary Season main stage production of Oscar Wilde's celebrated comedy, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, directed by Kevin Connell for a limited run at the Poet's Den Theater, from tonight, June 14th through 30th, 2013.