STELLAR CHARADES AT LABYRINTH THEATER BENEFIT

The Seventh Annual Benefit for the LAByrinth Theater Company features a stellar collection of celebrities scheduled to appear and compete in CELEBRITY CHARADES! "(all subject to continuing availability)" ... including Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Ortiz, Cupid himself (Bobby Cannavale), and not just one, but TWO Julias: Julia Stiles (now appearing on Bway in Mamet's Oleanna) and Julia Roberts.


Julia Stiles
Now in Oleanna
Is scheduled to compete in Celebrity Charades
Photo by Eric Roffman
(Taken at the Tribeca Film Festival)
Here's the announcement:

Artistic Directors Stephen Adly Guirgis,
Mimi O'Donnell, Yul Vázquez
and the Board of Directors of
THE LABYRINTH THEATER COMPANY
invite you to the seventh annual benefit featuring

CELEBRITY CHARADES
JACKPOT!

MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2009

VIP COCKTAILS
The 2009 Dave Hoghe Award
will be presented to
Time Warner Inc.

THE LIVE AUCTION
with John Patrick Shanley
Bid for our priceless packages,
including a chance to play Charades
with the stars and

CELEBRITY CHARADES!
with referee Eric Bogosian

PLAYERS WILL INCLUDE:
Ian Astbury
Bob Balaban
Bobby Cannavale
Erika Christensen
Tom Colicchio
Billy Crudup
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Padma Lakshmi
Jesse L. Martin
Christopher Meloni
John Ortiz
Julia Roberts
Sam Rockwell
Cynthia Rowley
Daphne Rubin-Vega
Julia Stiles
Justin Theroux
Yul Vázquez
David Zayas
(all subject to continuing availability)

Watch four celebrity teams bluff and bust
in a fearsome, hilarious no-limit charades tournament!

Be sure to check out the CHARADES WEBISODES
featuring our favorite celebrities as they try
their damnedest to find out the secret location
of this year's Celebrity Charades©.

More player announcements to come and
information at www.LABtheater.org

To Purchase Tables and Tickets
CALL (212) 513-1082
or
E-MAIL charades@LABtheater.org

THE HOUSE - $15,000
· Premium Table (seats 10) at
the VIP Cocktails and Celebrity Charades
· front page program credit,
press release and website acknowledgement*
· LAByrinth artist guest at table (optional)
**Very limited availability**
$14,000 is a tax-deductible
contribution to LAByrinth

THE PIT BOSS - $10,000
· Priority Table (seats 10)
at the VIP Cocktails and
Celebrity Charades
· program credit and website
acknowledgement*
· LAByrinth artist guest at table (optional)
$9,000 is a tax-deductible
contribution to LAByrinth

VIP - $1,100
· Priority table seating for 1
for VIP Cocktails and Celebrity Charades
$1,000 is a tax-deductible
contribution to LAByrinth

WINNERS' CIRCLE - $2,000
· Pedestal Table (seats 4) for
VIP Cocktails and Celebrity Charades
$1,800 is a tax-deductible
contribution to LAByrinth

CARD SHARK - $750
· Theater seating for 4 at
Celebrity Charades
$700 is a tax-deductible
contribution to LAByrinth

RAILBIRDS - $250
· Theater seating for 1 at
Celebrity Charades
$200 is a tax-deductible
contribution to LAByrinth

BANKROLL:
I cannot attend, but would like to
stake LAByrinth with a tax-deductible
contribution of $__________

*To appear in the program, names
must be received by Wednesday,
November 25

To Purchase Tables and Tickets
CALL (212) 513-1082
or
E-MAIL charades@LABtheater.org
or visit
https://secure.labtheater.org/charades.php

INSTANT THEATER

As part of LAByrinth Theater Company's exemplary Master Class Program, an incredibly diverse group of 16 ACTOR-DIRECTOR-WRITER-PRODUCERs (yes, quadri-hyphenates all) were challenged last Monday (11/9) to write, rehearse, produce and PUT ON LIVE FOR A LIVE AUDIENCE a REAL THEATRICAL EVENT! before next Monday (11/16 -- yep, that's 7 days).

The show will be Sunday evening (11/15) 8:00 PM
at 31-08 Northern Boulevard in Long Island CityFREE with refreshments & discussion with the artists to follow.

Watch this space for more news (Bookmark this address!)!!

LAByrinth Theater Company assembled for this Master Class a diverse team: Each member falls somewhere differently in the actor-director-writer-producer (artist, musician) spectrum, tho' all are challenged to contribute to any and all specialties, especially not their own.

Athletic ability ranges from near couch-potato to near super-athlete; experience and age range from younger and recently in college to older and taught in college; employers range from steak houses to gourmet restaurants to colleges to self-employed to unemployed; ethnicities and nationalities range all over the place; talent and enthusiasm range from very high to very high!

Here's the "official" announcement:

LAByrinth Theater Company Master Class November 2009 Presents:

Elegies, etc...
Scenes from a funeral parlor

Sunday Nov. 15th at 8pm
3108 Northern Blvd.
Long Island City
[closest subway: N or W to 39th Ave.]

Entrance is FREE, refreshments, a sumptuous Portuguese dinner and discussion with the artists will follow. Running time: approx. 45 minutes.

In a series of vignettes, the performance explores with introspection, wit and humor our reactions and relation to death and loss: why do we mourn and for whom? In ELEGIES, ETC… the parlor becomes the space where the heroes open their hearts in ways they never have before, proving that, indeed, funerals are for the living.

As part of a class project, the 16 young dynamic artists of the LAByrinth Theater Master class joined forces to create this performance from scratch in less than a week. This is your opportunity to watch passionate art in the making!

Written by: Ernio Hernandez, Geoff Schuppert and Jonathan Blitstein.

Directed and performed by the Ensemble: Anastasia Morsucci, Brandon Scott Hughes, Danielle DeVito, Aktina Stathaki, Eric Roffman, Giovanni Sanseviero, Greg Seel, Jack Barley, Katie Van Rensalier, Mia Mountain, Rachael Richman, Sara Kubida, Soraya Butler, Ernio Hernandez, Geoff Schuppert, Jonathan Blitstein

Produced by the Ensemble.

Poster Design by Katie Van Rensalier

Check the Facebook Group The LAByrinth Theater Master Class 2009 for more info.

FREE FOR ALL

Free For All is a truly great book.

It's extremely interesting and well written, with fascinating recollections of the foundation and development of The Public Theater (and the arts of producing, directing, and acting, as well as fundraising and theater construction) from Joe Papp and actors, directors, and lots of others that worked with him. The interviews were conducted long ago, but only recently was Kenneth Turan given the release to go ahead with publication.

Author Kenneth Turan
At the "Free For All" Book Party
Photo by Eric Roffman
It should be the reading of choice for anyone interested in theater...

And required reading for:

• Anyone interested in producing for the theater
• Entrepreneurs
• Anyone involved with a cultural non-profit
• Anyone involved in public policy
• Business schools
• Acting and theater schools
• Actors, directors and producers
• Literature and drama classes
• Historians of New York in the late 20th century
• Everyone else

(Seriously, it has important contributions to all these areas of study... and more. And I hope that the original tapes/transcripts, etc will be donated to a museum, library or university because they will also be invaluable to future scholars -- in all these disciplines above... and more!)

Papp and The Public Theater were pioneers in developing experimental and off-Broadway theater, developing an American tradition of playing Shakespeare, and developing non-traditional casting.

(My own opinion is that this would be a great time to develop a new, vigorous, new-theater movement. Of course, there's currently lots and lots of theater in New York -- a truly amazing amount of theater -- but I haven't seen it breakout into a new aesthetic. This book gives some clues as to how one emerges.)

The book is filled with interesting gems. Here's theater critic Clive Barnes on how Papp believed in keeping The Public alive:

Clive Barnes: "Joe has always understood the necessity of expansion -- not the desirability of expansion but the actual necessity... An arts organization is a living organism..."

The Public Theater was sufficiently well established by Joe Papp that it survived its founding Director. (Something that's not that easy to accomplish.) The current Artistic Director (Papp, of course, was Everything Director), Oskar Eustis, is leading The Public in a rich and expanding program of activities very much in the spirit of the institution that Papp established.

Oskar Eustis
Current Artistic Director of the Public Theater
At the "Free For All" Book PartyPhoto by Eric Roffman

FREE PLAY READINGS FROM LABYRINTH THEATER

Free and almost free theater of the highest quality is rampant in NY right now... at EST (aka The Ensemble Studio Theater), RED BULL & LAByrinth Theater (among others). Here's a report from the LAByrinth Theater:

It's the last day of the Barn Series (readings of new American plays), and the start of Live Nude Plays. (Not physically nude, I think, rather philosophically undressed... These are informal readings without stage dressing.)

BARN:

FRIDAY:
CYNTHIA AND THE DREADFUL KITE
Book and Lyrics by Webb Wilcoxen
Music by Jonathan Comisar
Directed by Jill DeArmon
FeaturingCarlo Alban*J. Eric CookDanelle EliavCharles Goforth*Jinn S. KimJamie Klassel*Kelley Rae O'Donnell*Aaron Roman Weiner*

Someone has struck down Cynthia Schmidt's most cherished possession ... her kite. Now she is making something not-so-nice.

Friday, October 30th - 8PM

"Everything exists in Webb. His heart is big and colorful and compassionate without being afraid of real things - and his plays are like that. He can show you how two of the biggest human motivators - fear and envy - make their home in the human heart in slow, smoothe and winding ways - the way water moves on land, the fish inside it and the fog above it."-- Andrea Ciannavei, LAByrinth Company Member



LIVE NUDE PLAYS 2009

BEAUTIFUL - October 31 - 9:30 PM
Written by David Anzuelo
Directed by Louis Moreno

An art-dealing Lucifer is on an industrial rock-fueled killing spree and only a phone-sex addicted descendant of Job can stop him: it's New York City 1994 - where everyone came to get f*cked!

HANDBALL - November 1 - 6:30 PM
Written by Seth Zvi Rosenfeld
Directed by Terry Kinney

A handball court on a hot summer day sets a handful of characters off into explosive drama. Old time neighborhood beefs, young love and real estate are the combustible elements at hand as nine characters find their way through the changing labyrinthine landscape of a neighborhood in NYC.

girl in window - November 1 - 9:30 PM
Written by Florencia Lozano
Directed by Pedro Pascal

love doesn't just stink, it sucks a**, and the people who help you get out from under the wreckage when your heart is busted open.

THE HALAL BROTHERS - November 2 - 6:30 PM
Written by Alladin Ullah
Director Liesl Tommy

When Two Bengali brothers- one unable to tell his sibling about his black girlfriend at city college and the other desperate to succeed in order to provide for family back home, try to keep afloat during the turbulent day of Malcolm X's assasination.

THE TALK - November 2 - 9:30 PM
Written by Frank Pugliese
Directed by Fisher Stevens

Four brothers come home for their mother's funeral, to find a past they never knew of, and the words to comprehend it.

NEUROTICA - November 3 - 6:30 PM
Written by David Deblinger
Directed by Padraic Lillis

Neurotica is about how someone we find so f*cking sexy and hot can also bring up sh*t about loneliness and rage and fear that can tempt fate with death ... or just the opposite. A dark comedy on love, with song and rap.

FREQUENTLY UNASKED QUESTIONS - November 3 - 9:30 PM
Written by Daphne Rubin-Vega
Directed by John Gould Rubin

Its a play! And a concert! The life and music of DRV are completely intertwined. In
FUQ's, she explores the life of her mother who immigrated from Panama and the
resulting consequences of her choices.

EST OCTOBERFEST

Free and almost free theater of the highest quality is rampant in NY right now... at EST (aka The Ensemble Studio Theater), RED BULL & LAByrinth Theater (among others). Here's a report from EST:


Final Three Weekends for Octoberfest 2009!

We've passed the halfway point of this five-week festival of works in progress from EST Members, but there are still fifteen days left of readings, comedy and cabaret.

Over 65 performances left! Check the full schedule.

All tickets are free, though a $10 donation to support the work in progress is suggested. Reservations are recommended! Save your seats by calling 212-247-4982 or emailing boxoffice@ensemblestudiotheatre.org.

Want to get an insider look at the festival? Check out the EST YouTube page for interviews with the artists involved.


This Week's Schedule:

Thursday, Oct 29
7pm: Trade by Michelle Remsen* on the 2nd Floor
7pm: Doesn't Anyone Know What a Pancreas Is? by Carole Real* on the 6th Floor
8pm: A Story About a Girl by Jacquelyn Reingold* on the 2nd Floor


Friday, Oct 30
7pm: Desert Island Days by Emily Chadick Weiss on the 2nd Floor
7pm: Ghost Party: A Cabaret by Megg Farrell on the 6th Floor - VIDEO!
8pm: Murph by Bill Bozzone* on the 6th Floor
9pm: Ofest After Hours: New Plays on the 6th Floor, Drinks on EST!
Three new short plays by Elizabeth Diggs*, Maria Gabriele*
and Lloyd Suh*... plus drinks on us!


Saturday, Oct 31 - Halloween!
2pm: A Story About a Girl by Jacquelyn Reingold* on the 2nd Floor
2pm: St. Helena by Holli Harms* on the 6th Floor
4pm: Trade by Michelle Remsen* on the 2nd Floor
4pm: Doesn't Anyone Know What a Pancreas Is? by Carole Real* on the 6th Floor
7pm: Desert Island Days by Emily Chadick Weiss on the 2nd Floor
7pm: Ghost Party: A Cabaret by Megg Farrell on the 6th Floor - VIDEO!
8pm: Murph by Bill Bozzone* on the 6th Floor


Sunday, Nov 1
2pm: Time Will Tell by Kristen Lowman* on the 6th Floor
5pm: Famous: A Hollywood Musical by Yvonne Adrian* on the 2nd Floor
7pm: Time on His Hands by Kristen Lowman* on the 2nd Floor
7pm: Flight by Kent Alexander* on the 6th Floor


Monday, Nov 2
7pm: Famous: A Hollywood Musical by Yvonne Adrian* on the 2nd Floor
7pm: Flight by Kent Alexander* on the 6th Floor
8pm: The Cooperative Extension-Apple Pruning Workshop by Grace Woodard*
on the 6th Floor


Wednesday, Nov 4
7pm: Gustie Returns by Jane Wheeler* on the 2nd Floor
8pm: The Cooperative Extension-Apple Pruning Workshop by Grace
Woodard* on the 6th Floor

* denotes EST member

OTHELLO

John Ortiz as Othello, Jessica Chastain as Desdemona, and
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Iago in OTHELLO
Photo by Armin Bardel

The LAByrinth production of Othello, (here's the text) directed by Peter Sellars, with Philip Seymour Hoffman as Iago, John Ortiz as Othello and Jessica Chastain as Desdemona, is a feast for students and directors of Shakespeare, but quite skimpy on the delivery of emotion, especially in (what is usually) the cataclysmic conclusion.

There are many strange features in this production, some of which help illuminate the richness of the play, some of which confuse the audience and dissipate the power of the story and some of which actually do both.

Peter Sellars, of course, is best known for opera productions which have a reputation for quirky originality.

The first striking feature of the production is the slow pace at which the actors speak. This allows an audience unused to Shakespearean language to understand and process far more than is ever possible when the actors (as Hamlet suggested) speak their words trippingly on the tongue. Audience members (and actors) are allowed to savor and appreciate the poetry and the words.

For audiences used to the rhythms of modern films, and more interested in the experience than the details, however, this rich but 4 hour long presentation can seem plodding and tedious.

A second feature of the production is that Desdemona's father Brabantio is cut out of the play, characters are combined, and suddenly the characters pull out cell phones and start talking to each other across the room and on microphones. This gets the play off to a shaky start (not to mention the fact that the sound system seemed to be flaky for a while the night I saw the show). People new to the play, and those who know the play by heart are equally able to be confused about who is who and why they say what they say, at the beginning. (Not surprisingly, the appearance of the cell phones provoked some not very supportive laughter from the audience.)

The play is set (mostly) in a military base in Cyprus. This provides a universal, timeless environment in which to enact the tragedy.

However, Sellars does not seem to take this setting seriously. Hoffman, with a pot belly, and casual clothes, never in uniform, is vocally a great Iago, but physically impossible to imagine as a candidate for Othello's next in command. Other characters are in and out of uniform, and the set design does not evoke a military base, except fleetingly.

In most productions, Desdemona is a problem: The relation between Othello and Desdemona (O & D) is vapid and unconvincing. Here, Desdemona is a strong, though naive character. And there is a lot of physical communication between Othello and Desdemona. They kiss a lot, and lie next to each other a lot. This is a big improvement over most productions. Yet it still seems like puppy love. Because of the open set design, the other characters can freely observe Desdemona and Othello making out on a super-modern, stylized electronic bed. But what they see and what we see is not what Iago describes to Brabantio, Desdemona's father:

IAGO: Even now, now, very now, an old black ram
Is topping your white ewe.

This -- if taken to be an accurate representation of the O & D affair -- suggests that any glimpses we see of their physical relationship should be torrid passion, not innocent necking.

(If, in Sellars version, the intention is for Iago to be misleading Brabantio about the nature of Othello's affair, and the relation between Desdemona and Othello is intended to be depicted as almost High-Schoolish, then it takes away much of the urgency of the whole play. Note -- Since Brabantio is not in this production at all, I was a little confused at the time these lines were delivered, and it is hard to remember how these lines were used in this production.)

It was Sellars intention to create an Othello for the Obama generation. Sellars seems to consider most productions of Othello as demeaning to blacks in general and Othello in particular. It seems to have been Toni Morrison who changed his mind about the play (see the video interviews -- click on see all!)

In assessing the treatment of Othello in the play, realize that here is a black man, in white Europe, hailed as a great soldier, loved by a beautiful white woman for his character, having sex with her (and possibly other women), marrying her despite some objection by her father, and commissioned for an important military expedition. This is in a play written more than 400 years ago. How many modern plays, TV shows or movies treat a black character in an interratial sexual/romantic relationship and interratial career, with such importance?

Othello, the man, the general, is not a puppet for a simple anti-black propaganda play; he should be taken seriously by the director, the audience and the world. He is a great man and a terrible killer. And his interratial marriage is at the center of the play. The play is about the reaction of all the characters to Othello, his position, and his beautiful wife.

So I think it is a mistake, even in accentuating other aspects of the play, as Sellars does brilliantly, to minimize the importance of the basic thread. The relation -- the interracial relation -- between Othello and Desdemona should not be minimized. Indeed it should be maximized to the extent of exhibiting a physically provocative -- rather than timid -- passion. (In the "pre-Obama world" a black man would not be shown coupling with a beautiful white woman. The "post-Obama world" should portray these people as they are created in the play.)

Generally speaking, the casting of a Latino as Othello, and a black man as Cassio, and a big black woman as a combination of characters, does support Sellars stated ambition of making the play more about universal issues, and less about a stupid, credulous, murderous black man than is perhaps (he believes) usually the case. Liza Colón-Zayas as Emilia, Iago's wife, excellently carries Sellars' idea of how her character's silence is as important as Iago's deception in deluding Othello, and how her courage in revealing the deception unwinds the plot. (However, casting Philip and Liza as a couple is dubious; they are not convincing as a married couple.)

Indeed Sellars' essay and video interviews about the production are extremely interesting. He did accomplish what he set out to do. But, as so often happens, it is what he did not do and did not focus on and therefore did not do, that cause the weaknesses in the production.

It is at the end that the play has the greatest and strangest lapses:

1-- The classic line:

OTHELLO: Put out the light, and then put out the light

is not matched with any action that makes sense of the line. Othello is walking in meaningless circles around the bed.

2 -- The stylized electronic bed does not allow or evoke the emotions raised by the lines:

DESDEMONA: Prithee, tonight
Lay on my bed my wedding sheets: remember;

The wedding sheets, which should carry enormous emotional power, are missing from the bed, and can not deliver the message they should carry to Othello (and to the audience).

3 -- And finally, Ortiz simply does not produce the physical or vocal strength necessary to convey the powerful emotions that would illuminate this twisting of Othello from lover to killer and then convey the cosmic remorse that suddenly erupts when he realizes what horror he has committed; how he has been deceived, betrayed and destroyed.

So, all in all, I enjoyed this production and learned much from it, but did not exit from the theater emotionally devastated!


This is only the beginning of the "Othello Project," for Peter Sellars. According to the notes distributed at the theater, Sellars and Toni Morrison are discussing a prequel to Othello, called "Desdemona," starting from the stories that Othello told Desdemona so that she fell in love with him. And Sellars is planning to return to Othello as well as Toni Morrison's "Desdemona," in part with the idea of developing a film. This project should be exceptionally illuminating to all those who love Shakespeare.


In addition, on Sunday October 4, there will be a free panel discussion about Othello:

OTHELLO DISCUSSION EVENT
FREE OTHELLO DISCUSSION SUNDAY October 4:

"Is It Possible?": Othello in the Age of Obama

Luis Argueta, documentary filmmaker;
Mary Schmidt Campbell, Dean of Tisch School of the Arts;
Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx; and
Carmen Peláez, playwright and actress.

Moderated by Dr. Avery T. Willis, who has collaborated with Peter Sellars as an assistant director and dramaturg since 2006.

OTHELLO Sunday Speakers Series

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4 3:00-4:00PM

General Admission Lobby opens at 2:15PM

NYU Skirball Center
566 LaGuardia Place & Washington Square South

Here are some interesting links:

WEB VIDEO -- James Earl Jones -- Othello's Testimony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJybA1emr_g&feature=related




Kenneth Branagh's version:


Paul Robeson as Othello & Uta Hagen as Desdemona:

NEW TERM AT HB STUDIO

The new term at HB studio starts today (sic; yes; Labor Day -- Lo-o-ong tradition of ignoring Holidays there; hey! actors work on Holidays).

There are many interesting classes:

George Bartenieff is teaching Shakespeare & Classics. George was Cadmus in this summer's production of The Bacchae at Shakespeare in the Park, Chef Max Bugnard, the cooking instructor in Paris in Julie & Julia. And, he's been on 30 Rock!

George Bartenieff
as Cadmus in The Bacchae
with his thyrsus & fawnskin outfit.
Photo by Joan Marcus.
Tracey Jackson, who wrote Confessions of a Shopaholic, is teaching screenwriting. She is a brilliant teacher, and hilarious as well. Take the class for her riffs, not just to learn how to write screenplays and deal with the real life of a screenwriter.

Anne Jackson (r) with Jerry Stiller, Eli Wallach and Anne Meara
at last year's benefit honoring Stiller & Meara.
Photo by Eric Roffman.
Distinguished actresses Anne Jackson and Louise Lasser and actor/director Austin Pendelton each teach courses for advanced actors.

There's a class this year reviewing Greek, Roman and other early plays.

Tony award winning director Jack Hofsiss is teaching a directing class as well as a career development class.

In addition to classes (in acting, speech, singing, movement, writing, and directing, etc) , there is a company of actors that regularly present plays in the theater next door. Coming up is Horton Foote's The Chase (see below **) with the HB Ensemble, including Catherine Kjome, one of my favorite actresses.

The faculty is excellent. They are all working actors (or working directors or writers or ...) Many of the faculty trace their careers back directly to Uta Hagen and Herbert Berghoff (or one generation behind, to teachers who studied with UH and HB) . The school is very serious about acting... or rather, not acting, but being real on stage.

There are classes for young 'uns too.

A la carte selection of classes is possible. There are day and evening classes. A full time program is also available. They cater to foreign students. Some classes are designed for advanced students with a required audition. Most classes are available to students at all levels, including beginners, with no prerequisites or audition required. Auditing a class before taking it is allowed and, in fact, encouraged. HB Studio is also one of the least expensive acting progams around, as well as one of the best, most professional, and most comprehensive. Many famous and successful actors have studied at HB.

Each year HB presents a benefit dinner. Last year Stiller & Meara were honored in a great evening. This year the dinner -- on November 9th -- will celebrate Horton Foote, in honor of Herbert Berghof's 100th birthday. (The Chase is being performed in conjunction with this celebration.)

HB is at 120 Bank Street. For information about classes, the benefit, the plays, or anything else... check their website: http://www.hbstudio.org/

(**The Chase, by Horton Foote opens September 13th and runs for 16 performances. For reservations call 212-989-7856 beginning August 31st. If you want to come to this, don't delay as tickets are free and will go quickly!

"The Chase" originally opened in New York in 1952, but it is still current. This HB Ensemble project was initiated a year ago. Horton Foote died this past March, so with this production we get to celebrate his life and his longtime collaboration with Herbert Berghof.

Horton Foote wrote the films "Tender Mercies," and "The Trip to Bountiful," as well as many, many important plays.)

THE BACCHAE -- AT SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK

Jonathan Groff as Dionysus & The Chorus
in The Bacchae
Photo by Joan Marcus
There’s a terrific production of The Bacchae (Βάκχαι), by Euripides’ (Εὐριπίδης), one of the greatest plays in all classic Greek theater, and indeed all theater, now at Shakespeare in the Park. Anyone with an interest in theater, Greek theater, or, generally, any theater which, remarkably, is as fresh now as if it had just been written, should see this version (playing just till Aug 30). It’s also outdoors, which is a rare connection these days with the ancient performances.

Greek gods often represented personalizations of archetypal human behavior or natural phenomena, or both. They were kind of living metaphors for strong, sometimes complex ideas.

Because the gods were archetypes, respect for the gods meant being respectful of the true nature of man and the power of nature. (Note 1 (disclaimer): This is one point of view. In one sentence. Many whole books have been written about the attitudes of Greeks to their gods.) (Note 2 (somewhat contrary view): See below: JoAnne Akalaitis, the director, takes a different point of view on the relation between the gods and men.)

Greek Gods did not exist a priori, they were created as myths, and the myths were refined by people, especially writers, and in the days of Greek theater, especially playwrights.

The story of Dionysus (aka Bacchus) and the Bacchae – the women followers of Bacchus – as described by Euripides was a combination of his invention with myths and history that were known to the Greeks. Each author that translated or adapted Euripides’ text and every director that staged the play since it was written added their own creative invention.

(Note: In a story about the National Theater of Scotland’s production of The Bacchae at Lincoln Center last year, I discussed in detail some of the alternative approaches to The Bacchae.)

Euripides’ version alludes to many themes associated with the myth of Bacchus:

THEME 1 -- It was a relatively new religion that swept in from the East.

This theme has echoes now in our modern world, where the western world is being tested by fervent promoters of a religion which is coming from the East.



THEME 2 -- Alcohol liberates the spirit, provides comfort – but also can provoke fighting.

This can be amplified to a basic cycle: a spirit of liberation, supported by forces of moderation; which is opposed by a repressive regime; and then there is an element which associates itself with the pacifist spirit, but which is violent.

This duality was certainly a part of the spirit of 1968-69 – the 40th anniversary of which we are celebrating now. It is epitomized by the journey from Woodstock (a festival of peace and love and mud) to Altamont (where, as described in Wikipedia, a member of the audience at a Rolling Stones Concert – one of whose anthems was “Sympathy for the Devil" -- was killed by a member of the Hell’s Angel’s). Or by the journey from the "summer of love" to the Manson murders.


Liberation:

Dionysus in 69
Directed by Brian De Palma & Richard Schechner, US, 1970;
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Richard Schechner

The liberation of the 60’s and its tie to the myth of Bacchus was expressed in the version of this play known as

Dionysus in 69. (Note: For a look back, visit the contemporary impressions of Time magazine, and The New York Times -- access to NYT may require registration.)

The Tribe/Chorus
in Hair
Photo by Joan Marcus

It was also expressed (with Pot more than booze as the liberating drug of choice) by Hair.

Interestingly, a terrific production of Hair is currently playing on Broadway, where it was transferred after originating at Shakespeare in the Park last summer. Hair (especially the first act) could almost be an interpretation of the spirit of the Bacchic revelers in the present age.


Jonathan Groff as Claude
in Hair
Photo by Joan Marcus
It is also interesting – and more than a coincidence I would think – that the current version of The Bacchae, now playing in Shakespeare in the Park features Jonathan Groff as Bacchus. He also played Claude in last year’s Hair at The Park, and also is part of Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock, about the festival.

The current version takes note of, but does not show (much less enjoy) the spirit of liberation. There is no sex, no nudity, no Bacchants in this production. (The chorus may be Bacchants in name, but they do not participate in any Bacchic revels.) The chorus, which in many productions takes the role of the liberated women, here are purely commentators (which they do in an especially rich fashion, as we comment below). The description of liberated women is – except in the scene with Cadmus & Tiresias (Τειρεσίας), who are sympathetic to the revels – almost entirely in terms of how Dionysus has crazed the women, especially the daughters of Cadmus.

Note: Tiresias is the blind seer. Cadmus is the old, retired legendary king of Thebes who has given his crown to his grandson, Pentheus. His daughters are: Semele, the mother of Dionysus; Agave, the mother of Pentheus; Autonoe and Ino. Dionysus is thus the cousin of Pentheus and also a grandson of Cadmus.

Dionysus claims that his father is Zeus, and therefore he has divine lineage. His mother claimed Zeus was her lover, but neither Cadmus nor his mother’s sisters believed her. This rejection is the primary motivation behind Dionysus' return to Thebes to claim the respect he and his mother were denied. Continued disrespect is the motivation for his revenge.


Revenge / Violence:

This production stresses the theme of revenge. Dionysus comes out angry. The Chorus is fierce. Dionysus gives Pentheus a chance to respect him. When Pentheus does not, Dionysus arranges for Pentheus to be brutally murdered by his own mother.

On one level this is a counter-reaction of violence to repression. On another level, this is the representation (we alluded to before) of the aspect of drink that makes people fight.

Depending on how you view the play, this is

• An expression of the barbarism of a pagan religion,
• Or the realistic depiction of the fury that gods unleash when you do not pay them the respect they require,
• Or the metaphorical description of the consequences of ignoring the reality the god represents.
• (Or just fury -- its a god, no reason needed, see theme 4.)
  

THEME 3 – Cross dressing

In the course of his revenge Dionysus convinces Pentheus to dress as a woman so that he will not be attacked by the Bacchants.

This is a strange statement on the face of it, since earlier Euripides’ has (at least according to most translations) suggested that men and women were making love among the revelries and, besides, Cadmus and Tiresias had just gone up to join the revelers. The simplest explanation is that Dionysus was lying to Pentheus.

Pentheus expresses reluctance to wear a woman’s clothes, and the reaction the play seems to be looking for is that Pentheus is humiliated by dressing as a woman.

Jonathan Groff as Dionysus
With a smear of red lipstick
in The Bacchae
Photo by Joan Marcus
Bacchus, himself, in myths is portrayed as half-man half-woman. And stage directions in many versions of the play describe Dionysus, when he comes in, as having long blond hair, kind of androgynous. In this production, Dionysus wears just a smear of lipstick.


Anne Hathaway as Viola
in Twelfth Night
Photo by Joan Marcus


Some commentators on the play treat the theme of cross dressing as the paramount theme of the play. Indeed the ads for this whole summer’s Shakespeare in the Park stress Cross Dressing: the other play this summer being Twelfth Night, in which Viola (played by Anne Hathaway) dresses as a man.

(Note: Viola dresses as a man to be safe going around in a strange country by herself (aka himself). It was, of course, convenient for Shakespeare to have women dressed as young men, since they were, in fact, being played by young men.)

Neither play seems to make too much of cross dressing in these productions. (It was a much more important part of The Scottish Theater’s version of The Bacchae.) With respect to how cross-dressing illuminates the relation between men and women, they do take almost the same view (that in the world they live in, men are more important) in very different ways (inflating women and deflating men in Shakespeare; mostly mocking women and – perhaps mockingly – almost worshipping hunting and killing as manliness in The Bacchae).

Twelfth Night notes how a woman can be just as manly as a man, when people think she’s a man. It bursts a bubble of assumed superiority for men, and elevates woman to the same level as a man.

The Bacchae, in the person of Agave, boasts how a woman can be just as strong as a man when she is crazed, while Pentheus, dressed as a woman is mocked: Men are strong, women are maddened by Dionysus; when a man is maddened, he is made to play the role of a woman and mocked; a woman can think she is as strong as a man only if she is maddened. In this view, Euripides is quite a misogynist. (Other interpretations of Euripides, stressing the androgynous nature of Dionysus, and the freedom and independence of women in the Dionysian rites, are quite different.)


THEME 4 – Human powerlessness in the face of irrational gods

I had no direct access to the creative team, but the NYT quotes JoAnne Akalaitis, the director, as saying the play is “partly about human powerlessness in the face of irrational gods…” In this interpretation, Dionysus is not even revenging himself, his fury is irrational.

(If one wishes to put this irrationality in context, it could be tied back to the idea that excessive drinking makes one irrational, and to a modern notion that the gods of Greece were pagan gods.)


THE STAGING

There is an additional element in the interpretation of a play, especially a Greek play, and that is how the play is staged.

In the story I referred to above, I discussed the staging of the play last year by The National Theater of Scotland. That staging was notable for its ability to find humor in the text, and for cross-dressing, and for its vivid effects.

The Chorus
in The Bacchae
Photo by Joan Marcus


In addition to being outdoors! (as Greek plays were originally staged), the most notable element of the staging in The Park is the magnificent score by Philip Glass, and the singing, chanting, dancing and appearance of the chorus. It is almost operatic, and is the central element for most of the play. (In the program, Eustis, the Artistic Director of The Public Theater, says the chorus was “almost really the starting point for this entire endeavor.”)

Watching The Bacchae, and listening, I thought back to the last opera I saw: Doctor Atomic, with a score by John Adams. There is something about our times that is bringing a certain musical sensibility, large in scope, concerned with real and mythical events, recent and ancient events, that remind us of the precariousness of our situation, comfortable at home, but threatened by the possibility of imminent cataclysm.

There is a similarity between our times and the times when Euripides wrote The Bacchae – Athens was in grave danger, both militarily, politically, and philosophically, with much of the danger coming from Persia and the East. The Bacchae may be 2,400 years old, but it is a modern play, and this is a timely production.

(Note: It has little to do with rest of this article, but I just wanted to note that these are extraordinary photos by Joan Marcus. These are not only great shots, but they show the extraordinary concentration and the incredible life that is going on with every one of the characters shown in the pictures. They are a great tribute both to the productions, and to the photographer.)

NOISES OFF FROM THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY

Noises Off
By Michael Frayn
Directed by Paul Mullins

Noises Off is one of the funniest plays ever written... or, more accurately, ever staged, since it is not just the words but the physical actions that are hilarious. It is classic farce.

"Noises Off (British for off-stage commotion that can be heard by the audience), by Michael Frayn pulls back the curtain on a third-rate troupe of actors performing the sex-farce Nothing On, where backstage romance, slamming doors, missing actors and a plate of sardines lead to hilarious chaos."

Scott Barrow plays Garry Lejeune, the love-struck leading man & Katie Fabel plays Brooke Ashton, the beautiful but airy ingénue.
Photo: ©Gerry Goodstein.

There's a new production this summer (with great reviews from The New York Times & other major papers), directed by Paul Mullins, at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, an independent professional company which is performing this summer at Drew University.

Highlighting the production are a fabulous young English actress, Katie Fabel, the well known American actress, Laila Robins, and Tony Award™ winning actress Harriet Harris.

The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre at Drew University
This summer's home to The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and Noises Off.
Photo by Andrew Murad

Noises Off
By Michael Frayn
Directed by Paul Mullins

August 5 - 30, 2009

F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre
at Drew University

36 Madison Avenue
Madison, NJ 07940

Phone: (973) 408-5600 Fax: (973) 408-5700
Administration: 973-408-3278

Online ticketing: http://www.shakespearenj.org/OnStage/PurchaseTickets-show4.html
Email:BoxOffice@shakespearenj.org
36 Madison Avenue
Madison, NJ 07940

Theatre Notes: The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre at Drew University is an intimate theatre with 308 seats, excellent sight-lines to the stage and no seat more than 32 feet from the stage. It is fully accessible to people with disabilities -- both audiences and Theatre employees alike, with wheelchair seating in both the orchestra and balcony and an infrared listening system for the hearing impaired.

STRAWBERRY SEASON... BULL

One of the most interesting competitive short play festivals is here again. The Strawberry Festival, sponsored by the Riant Theater, begins tonight and runs for ten days, when the best play, director, actor and actress will be announced at an awards ceremony.

One of our favorite actresses, Kathleen Wilce-Kaczan, is in TAMING THE BULL (written by C.C. Corry and directed by Rob Anderson), playing Dominique De Wilde, showing Saturday. (See below, series G.)


Here's the schedule for the festival:

STRAWBERRY ONE ACT FESTIVAL
August 13th through August 23, 2009

At The Theatre at St. Clement's,

423 West 46th Street, between 9th Avenue & 10th Avenue

Tickets are $20 for Round 1 when purchased online and $25 when purchased at the Box Office.
Click here for tickets.

Series A
Thursday, August 13th at 7pm

AT NIGHT IN PRAHA
by Steve Capra
The most awful things happen at night in Praha – under German occupation. But the heart is never defeated.

JUMPING THE GUN
by Kyle Overstreet
Falling in love is about timing, or is it?

DREAMING OF A WHITE HOUSE
by Leanna Renee Hieber
When your ex wants you back and the offer is super hot, should you stay or run away?

I DO . . . I GUESS
by Michael Musi
His future arrived before his entrée.


Series B
Thursday, August 13th at 9pm

ANOTHER CHANCE
by Keith R. Higgons
Ultimatums and hangovers seldom go hand in hand.

BUSINESS OR PLEASURE
by Tom Diriwachter
A Spanish lesson at the local Starbucks turns into more than what each player bargained for.

THE CONCRETE WALL
by J. C. Svec
The most difficult time in life is when you say goodbye.

A BROKEN BARBIE
by Ree Merrill
Barbie, broken before shipping.


Series C
Friday, August 14th at 7pm

THE DEBT
by Jerry Della Salla
There is a price to coming home.

MELT INTO THE SUN
by Camilla MaxwellDeath leaves a heartache no one can heal, and love leaves a memory no one can steal.

HOW TO BE CUTE AND BREAK HEARTS
by Tommaso Matelli
Love and fear are good to be laughed at. Especially when they surface to make and break the walls you had.

CHRYSALIS
by Sue Hodara
In the winter of their life together, a husband and wife consider the marital vows they made to each other.


Series D
Friday, August 14th at 9pm

THE BABY
by Susan Kaessinger
A husband runs for cover when his pregnant wife becomes hormonal.

STRAIGHT MEN ARE BITCHES TOO
Written & Directed by Anthony Fusco
Watch what happens when 4 friends reunite at a local gay club in NYC to celebrate a 25th birthday party that turns into SCANDAL. Dirt will be dished tonight.

COMPUBOTS
by Paul Trupia
Isn't technology wonderful?

PRESCRIPTIONS
by Ellen Orchid
House sitting for your shrink can be weird.


Series E
Saturday, August 15th at 5pm

DOUBLE FEAR
by Joseph Lizardi
A couple is suddenly paralyzed by a fear they are afraid to reveal.

DRIVING: A LESSON
by Lucy Gillespie
Do you know who is behind the wheel?

CRIME STOPPERS
by Paul Schmitt
Do you want to be prey or predator?

LOOKING FOR TALIKA
by Von H. Washington
An evening of shared memories turns sour when hidden suspicions erupt in an outpouring of accusations that threaten to destroy what has been considered an ideal relationship.


Series F
Saturday, August 15th at 7pm

JOINING THE PACK
by Will Lenihan
Things heat up when Jack's girl friend comes to his house for dinner to meet his parents.

LIZ AND PAUL
by Jude Hinojosa
Breaking up is hard to do.

GENERAL ADMISSIONS
by Crish Barth
A neurotic couple's lovely night out at the theatre turns into a relationship altering revelation.

INTRODUCTIONS
by Laurence C. Schwartz
An incoming college freshman has her own ideas about female fertility, sex and the future; only to rouse the fear of her peers.

Series G
Saturday, August 15th at 9pm

TAMING THE BULL
by C.C. Corry
A powerful emotional drama depicting the last living moments of a larger than life man and his wish to die at home.

NOVEMBER MOURNING
by Rachel Knowles
When the truth finally comes out, is it really what you want to know?

A TIME IN SOUTH AFRICA
by Ayanna Nichell
A tale of liberation and retribution.


Series H
Sunday, August 16th at 5pm

JUST LIKE YOUR UNCLE AL
by Michael Monasterial
A man reflects on his childhood and the turning point in his life.

UP A RIVER/DOWN THE AISLE
by Jake Lipman
The neurotic girl's guide to scattering ashes and finding the right wedding dress.

I JUST WISH
by Burt Grinstead
Three different people find themselves feeling something we've all felt, alone.

Series I
Sunday, August 16th at 7pm

BIRD WATCHING
by Jeffrey L. Hollman
What else can be seen when bird watching in Central Park?

THE LIFTERS
by Carol Hollenbeck
When two teenage girls rebel, they definitely have a cause.

16 T0NS
by Adam Harlan
A man has a job to do and soon that's what he becomes. The job is all he knows.

STROLLER WARS
by Heather Gault
Two Park Slope couples collide in this hilarious battle of friendship, hypocrisy, and what it means to be a parent.

Series J
Sunday, August 16th at 9pm

DIFFERENTIATION
by Charlotte Rahn-Lee
What's love got to do with it?

BEASTIE BUSTER
by Gretchen O'Halloran
A woman confronts the beasties taking away her independence.

DEUTERANOMALY
by Jessica Fleitman
If you can't see the difference between red and green, how do you know when to stop and when to go?

TURKEY DAY
by E.K. Deutsch
An Arkansas farm family experiences revelation and tragedy on Thanksgiving Day.

The Strawberry One-Acts Festival Semi-Finals Summer 2009
Monday, August 17th and Tuesday, August 18th at 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.
The best plays from Series A thru J of the competition.
Tickets: $20.00 online. $25.00 at the Box Office.
Call the box office 646-623-3488 after August 16th to see which shows are in the Semi-Finals or check OUR BLOG on our website.

The Strawberry One-Acts Festival The Wild Night Summer 2009
Wednesday, August 19th at 7pm & 9pm
The Artistic Director selects a few plays and gives them one more chance to be in The Finals. Tickets: $20.00 online. $25.00 at the Box Office.
Call the box office 646-623-3488 after August 16th to see which shows are in the Wild Night or check OUR BLOG on our website.

The Strawberry One-Acts Festival Finals Summer 2009
Friday, August 21st at 7pm
The best plays from the Semi-Finals & The Wild Night
Tickets: $25.00 online. $30.00 at the Box Office.
Price includes a reception during intermission.
Call the box office 646-623-3488 after August 19th to see which shows are in the Finals or check OUR BLOG on our website.

The Strawberry One-Acts Festival Awards Ceremony & Performance Summer 2009
Sunday, August 23rd at 1:30 pm
The four best plays from the Finals will perform.
Awards will be given to the Best Play, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Actor.
Tickets: $25.00 online. $30.00 at the Box Office.
Call the box office 646-623-3488 after August 21st to see which shows are going to be performed or check OUR BLOG on our website.

Coming: AFTER MISS JULIE

Strindberg's Miss Julie is a powerful play, which is also very strange and hard to make believable, since so much happens in a very short time, and the characters are extreme. But it is such an interesting play that people keep trying. (Here's one translation of Strindberg's script, including Strindberg's preface.)

In a new interpretation, changed enough, I guess, so that the name itself is slightly changed, one of the world's most exciting new playwrights, and three powerful young actors present their version at the American Airlines Theater in September as part of the Roundabout's new season.

After Miss Julie
By Patrick Marber
Directed by Mark Brokaw
With Sienna Miller, Jonny Lee Miller, Marin Ireland

Sept. 18 - Dec. 6, 2009
The Roundabout Theater Company
The American Airlines Theater
227 West 42 Street (btw 7th & 8th)

Patrick Marber wrote Closer.

Sienna Miller was recently in Interview and The Edge of Love.She's in G. I. Joe coming out this summer (Aug 7, 2009).

She was also in lots of gossip stories.

Marin Ireland was in Reasons To Be Pretty on Broadway, and is a rising star in films and theater.

Jonny Lee Miller was in Trainspotting. Some trivia (from Wikipedia) -- Jonny Lee Miller was in Hackers and married his co-star Angelina Jolie; he ran the London Maration in about 3 hours. He played the lead in Eli Stone, a series I rather liked, that was cancelled after 2 seasons (possibly a victim of the Writer's Strike).

Sienna Miller and Jonny Lee Miller, though both named "Miller" are not related.

The Story
In his new interpretation of August Strindberg's classic drama about class and sex, Miss Julie, playwright Patrick Marber transposes Miss Julie to the English countryside in 1945. Sequestered in her grandmother's country house on the eve of the Labour Party's historic landslide victory, young Miss Julie engages in a forbidden flirtation that quickly spins into a life and death struggle for power.

After Miss Julie
The Roundabout Theater Company

Sept. 18 - Dec. 6, 2009

American Airlines Theatre
227 West 42 St. (7th & 8th Aves)
Ticket Services: 212.719.1300

Coming: DREYFUS IN REHEARSAL

DREYFUS IN REHEARSAL

By JEAN-CLAUDE GRUMBERG
Adapted by GARSON KANIN (Born Yesterday, The Rat Race, Do Re Mi)
Directed by Chad Larabee

Poland. 1931. A troupe of amateur Jewish performers attempts to put on a play about French Captain Alfred Dreyfus. Complications ensue as the frustrated director struggles to make the company understand the relevance of live theatre and help his young lead find the conviction to play the title character. Through it all, the troupe discovers the strength of their collective voice and what they mean to each other.

Dreyfus in Rehearsal begins performances this Thursday, July 30 at the Beckett Theatre, Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street).

Tickets are $18.

Beckett Theatre,
Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street).

Thursday, July 30 at 8pm
Friday, July 31 at 8pm
Saturday, August 1 at 3pm & 8pm
Monday, August 3 at 7pm
Tuesday, August 4 at 7pm
Wednesday, August 5 at 3pm & 8pm
Thursday, August 6 at 8pm
Friday, August 7 at 8pm

To purchase:
www.ticketcentral.com
or
(212) 279-4200
Or in person at the
Box Office at Theatre Row, 410 W. 42nd Street (between 9th & 10th Ave.)

Featuring:
Paul Anthony Stewart* (2004 Revival of Fiddler on the Roof, "Guiding Light") as Morris,
Lori Wilner* (A Catered Affair, Awake and Sing) as Zina,
Bob Ari* (Frost/Nixon, The Constant Wife) as Arnold,
Ari Butler* as Michael,
Holly Ann Butler* (Lincoln Center's Happiness, 2007 Revival of Grease!) as Myriam,
Lee Zarrett* (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Jane Eyre) as Mendl,
Daniel Pollack* (Arthur Miller's The Prince) as Zalman,
Teddy Bergman* as Dr. Wasselbaum/ Bronislaw and
Timothy Sekk* as Yanek.

With set design by Ken Goldstein,
Costume design by David Zyla,
Lighting design by Cory Pattak,
Original music by Matt Gould and
Fight direction by Joe Travers.
Iris D. O'Brien* serves as the production stage manager.

Presented by:
Philip Morgaman, Emily Miller, Frankie Grande

JUDE LAW => HAMLET

Jude Law will take the role of Hamlet in a Broadway production directed by Michael Grandage.

Preview performances start September 12, with the official opening on October 6.

(NOTE: Tickets are on sale to American Express Cardmembers only through July 17! Tickets will go on sale to the general public on July 18.)

Broadhurst Theatre 235 West 44th Street (Between Broadway and 8th Avenue)
New York NY 10036

Running Time: 3 hours and 10 minutes, including one 15 minute intermission

SUMMER THEATER 2009: LINCOLN CENTER FESTIVAL

Lincoln Center Festival 09 is presenting a fascinating series of plays this July by renowned theater companies from all around Europe: Hungary, Russia, Poland & more...

A Hungarian company is presenting Chekhov's Ivanov in a 20th Century Hungarian setting. Ivanov is Chekhov's deepest, darkest, and most disturbing and shocking play. The legendary Ariane Mnouchkine is making a rare New York appearance! This Festival is quite an important theatrical event!

The Lincoln Center

Festival 09

July 7 - 26

Global Theater!

Les Éphémères, Le Théâtre du Soleil, July 7–19

To begin the season, visionary director Ariane Mnouchkine and her acting collective share life experiences and find beauty in everyday moments.


lvanov, Katona József Theatre, July 7–11
Peasant Opera, Béla Pintér and Company, July 21–26

Two Hungarian companies present radically different works: Tamás Ascher's turn at Ivanov features Chekhov’s intense title character set in 1960s and 70s Hungary, and Béla Pintér and Company performs a hilarious musical soap opera, a farcical tale of taboos and tradition in the countryside.


Kalkwerk, Narodowy Stary Teatr, July 14–18

The masterpiece of renowned Polish director Krystian Lupa brings us face to face with madness, a work rooted in psychological complexity, humanity, and stylistic innovation.


Trilogia della villeggiatura, Piccolo Teatro di Milano/Teatri Uniti di Napoli,
July 22–26

Piccolo Teatro di Milano returns to the Festival to perform this uproarious commedia dell’arte satire, starring and directed by Toni Servillo (from the film Gomorrah).


Boris Godunov, Chekhov International Theatre Festival, July 22–26
Life and Fate, Maly Drama Theatre, July 21–26

Two acclaimed theater companies arrive from Russia with deeply moving works: the Chekhov International Theatre Festival presents an exposé of corrupt Tsarist Russia and the Maly Drama Theatre follows a deranged physicist under the direction of Lev Dodin.

SHAKESPEARE LAB PARTICIPANTS

Zaidan Jah & Lanna Joffrey
Two of the new members of the Shakespeare Lab
photos from imdb
The Public Theater Shakespeare Lab starts today and runs through July 24.

Lemon Andersen, Nathan Darrow, Paloma Guzmán, Zainab Jah, Lanna Joffrey, Modesto Lacén, Rebecca Lowman, William Mapother, Leslie Silva, Ryan Brooke Taylor, Molly Ward, and Victor Williams were selected from hundreds of applications to participate in this year’s program.

These are people to watch! They are among the best classical actors of their generation, and they are getting some of the best follow-up training here.

Under the direction of Barry Edelstein, The Shakespeare Lab immerses a carefully-selected company of professional, mid-career actors in a six-week intensive exploring the rigors, challenges, and joys of performing Shakespeare. The Shakespeare Lab is a unique opportunity for working American actors in mid-career to hone their craft and expand their classical skills. It aims to build a strong and diverse collective of classically trained actors which will expand The Public Theater’s community of artists.

The Lab’s workshops in Shakespearean performance are led by some of the most respected figures in American classical theater training, including Christopher Bayes, Lisa Benevides, Barry Edelstein, Robert Perillo, J. Steven White, Grace Zandarski, Janet Zarish and others. Guest artists, including eminent members of The Public Theater community and other leading Shakespeareans, will frequently visit the Shakespeare Lab.

The Shakespeare Lab was founded in 1995, and in the 14 years since, numerous members of the Shakespeare Lab Company have gone on to secure roles in the Park, at The Public Theater, on and off-Broadway, and in regional theaters. The Lab is the cornerstone of a busy summer of Shakespeare-related activity at The Public Theater, including the production of Twelfth Night, directed by Daniel Sullivan (June 10 to July 12, 2009); Shakespeare Lab Jr., a program of free, one-week Shakespeare workshops for New York City schoolchildren; and Summer Shake-Up, a one-day celebration of Shakespeare at the Delacorte Theater for New York City schoolchildren and their families.

Here are brief descriptions of the participants.

LEMON ANDERSEN is a critically acclaimed and award-winning renaissance artist. As a poet he has the greatest number of appearances on HBO’s “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry”—seven times in five seasons. He is also an original cast member of Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. He won a Tony Award for his writing and performance, as well as a Drama Desk Award nomination. He has been a mainstay in the spoken-word and theater scene for the past decade, performing in and selling out venues such as the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Apollo Theater, Chicago Theater, Hollywood’s Kodak Theater, and Philadelphia’s Live 8 Theater. His film credits include The Soloist and Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna, Sucker Free City, She Hate Me, and Inside Man. His theater and writing credits include Slanguage (New York Theater Workshop) and the book Ready Made Real: Poems.

NATHAN DARROW’s professional work includes productions of The Little Dog Laughed, Taking Sides, Translations, To Kill A Mockingbird, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Romeo and Juliet, The Pillowman, King Henry V, The Retreat from Moscow, The Game of Love and Chance, and Much Ado About Nothing, among others.

PALOMA GUZMÁN received her BFA from Carnegie Mellon where her Shakespeare credits include the role of Celia in As You Like It under the direction of Di Trevis (RSC, NT). Her TV and film credits include “Law & Order,” “Gossip Girl,” and the recent film Confessions of a Shopaholic. She was most recently seen in Michael’s Greif’s production of Boys’ Life at Second Stage.

ZAINAB JAH. Recent credits include Tranced (Azmera) at Merrimack Rep, Intimate Apparel (Mayme) at W.H.A.T, Trojan Women (Helen) with Classical Theatre of Harlem, In Darfur at The Public Theater, and Veronica Jonkers in the national tour of Athol Fugard's Valley Song. Film and TV credits include principal roles in “100 Center Street,” directed by Sidney Lumet, Dinner Rush with Danny Aiello, and “Law & Order.” Jah is a two-time winner of the Fresh Fruit Award for Acting for Nick Mwaluko’s plays Waafrika (2007) and S/HE (2008).

LANNA JOFFREY. Recent credits include Jason Grote’s 1001 (Denver Center, Denver Post Ovation Award), Nine Parts of Desire (Lyric Stage, Carmel O'Reilly, IRNE Award for Best Solo Performance) and Joffrey’s documentary play, Valiant (Tamilla Woodard, NY Fringe Festival Performance Award, NY Innovative Theatre nomination). Other credits include Metamorphoses (Capital Repertory, Maggie Mancinelli-Carter), Five Kinds of Silence (Boundless Theatre, Tlaloc Rivas), The Snow Queen (Urban Stages, Daniella Topol), Mac Wellman’s Cellophane (The Flea, Jim Simpson), Like I Say (Len Jenkin), Saviana Stanescu’s Waxing West (Jonathan Silverstein), Homeward Bound (Shannon Fillion), Marko The Prince (Immigrants Theatre Project, Marcy Arlin), Dancing at Lughnasa (Wendy Dann) and Israel Horovitz's Security and A Mother's Love. She has collaborated with Karen Finley on Lanna’s solo piece, Rain (The Flea). Film credits include Breathtaking, Security, The New Americans, So She Fell Silent and Someday Soon.

MODESTO LACÉN has been working for the past 16 years as an actor, director and producer in Puerto Rico and the United States. A graduate from the University of Puerto Rico with a BA in Drama (Magna Cum Laude), his Puerto Rican Theater credits include Medea; Blue Surge; The Boys in the Band; Godspell; Picasso at the Lapin Agile; Hamlet; Othello; El Bombón de Elena; Salsa Gorda (Best Actor 2004). Film credits include Las dos Caras de Jano; El Cimarrón; Desamores; Entremedio; 12 horas; Animal; Back in the Day; Dirty Dancing 2; Kidnapped in Paradise; and Second Honeymoon, among others. In 1998 Lacen established the company Nueva Escena with which he has produced: The Little Prince: the musical; Yepeto; Art (Director); Salsa Gorda ( Actor); and Los Coyotes (Actor). In 2004 he was recognized by the Fundación Nacional para la Cultura Popular as “Emblematic Actor” for artistic excellence and variety. Other theater credits include The Caucasian Chalk Circle, To Shakespeare With Love, Celia: The Life and Music of Celia Crúz (ACE and HOLA nominations), and Requiem por Yarini (ACE nomination).

REBECCA LOWMAN received an MFA from Columbia University in 1997. Favorite roles include Rosalind in As You Like It, Christopher in Tom Stoppard’s On the Razzle, Horatio in Hamlet, Meg in Crimes of the Heart, and the bellboy in first national tour of the musical Titanic. She has appeared on many television shows, including “Will & Grace,” “Without a Trace,” “Cold Case,” “Criminal Minds,” “Big Love,” “Private Practice,” and “The Shield”; she starred in an independent feature called Eve of Understanding and in the play iWitness at the Mark Taper Forum, directed by Barry Edelstein.

WILLIAM MAPOTHER. Television and film credits include “Prison Break,” “Lost,” “Criminal Minds,” “Viva Laughlin,” “K-Ville,” “Robot Chicken,” “Crossing Jordan,” “Threshold,” “The Inside,” “Line of Fire,” “Touched by an Angel,” “CSI: Miami,” “Law & Order: SVU,” Warrior, Hurt, Skip Tracer, The Burrowers, Moving McAllister, Moola, The Lather Effect, World Trade Center, The Zodiac, Lords of Dogtown, Chloe, Suspect Zero, The Grudge, The Kiss, The Pennsylvania Miners’ Story, Self Storage, Minority Report, Vanilla Sky, In the Bedroom, Mission: Impossible II, Magnolia, Trickle, Without Limits, and Born on the Fourth of July.

LESLIE SILVA performed in Chicago and Sleep Deprivation Chamber at the Signature Theatre in Washington, DC. Her other theater credits include Edmond at the Linda Gross Theater. Her television and film credits include “Numb3rs,” “CSI: Miami,” “Enterprise,” “Cold Case,” “The Agency,” “Odyssey 5,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Gideon’s Crossing,” “Girlfriends,” “ER,” “Providence,” “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “Cosby,” “New York Undercover,” Reversion, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, The 70’s, and Fools Rush In.

RYAN BROOKE TAYLOR began his early performing career as a classical dancer, performing with such companies as the Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Pennsylvania Ballet. Taylor is a former student of Michael Miller's The Actor's Center where he studied with many great teachers, including Loyd Richards and Per Brah. More recently Taylor has performed as Actor and Creative Team member for Julie Taymor's Broadway company of The Lion King.

MOLLY WARD. Credits include The Seagull, Romeo and Juliet, and Three Sisters at American Repertory Theater. Three Sisters also went to The Edinburgh International Festival and she was nominated for an Elliot Norton Award. Other credits include the world premiere of Theresa Rebeck's Our House at The Denver Center; Camille at Bard Summerscape; Before Breakfast at Provincetown Theater; Othello at Hartford Stage; Nobody with Rising Phoenix Rep.; Shaving the Pickle and The Shape of Metal with Origin Theater Company; Umbrella Plays in the NYFringe Festival 2008; and The Lacy Project in Ice Factory Festival 2007; As You Like It (NYFringe Festival 2000 in a parking lot, and moved to The Public Theater's New Works Now! series in 2001); The Stronger, with Chashama; and Richard Forman's Paradise Hotel (toured in Berlin, Salsburg, Copenhagen and Paris).

VICTOR WILLIAMS. He was most recently seen in the Public LAB workshop production of Philip Roth in Khartoum by David Bar Katz (dir. John Gould Rubin). He appeared as a guest artist in The Graduate Acting Program's production of Our Lady of 121st Street (dir. Michael Sexton). Other theater credits include Satisfy Me by Johnny Garcia at the Lillian Theater in Los Angeles (dir. Andrew Borba); Ohio Tip-Off by James Yoshimura at the Dallas Theater Center (dir. Kenneth Leon); and Troilus and Cressida at the New York Shakespeare Festival (dir. Mark Wing-Davey). His TV and film credits include “Fringe,” “ER,” “Girlfriends,” “Flight of the Conchords,” “The Practice,” “Animatrix,” “The King of Queens,” Copland, The Preacher's Wife, and Traci Townsend.

Coming: DANCE OF THE SEVEN HEADED MOUSE

DANCE OF THE SEVEN HEADED MOUSE
by Carole Gaunt
directed by Christopher McElroen

The Beckett @ Theater Row
410 West 42 Street
NY NY 10036


The fault lines are exposed when a seemingly picture-perfect Fifth Avenue family faces the harshest of realities - the death of their daughter. A father turns to work to drown his sorrow, while his wife drifts into a haze of pills and booze. When their surviving child Avril inexplicably drops out of her prestigious New England boarding school, her roommate Juliana arrives for a visit, determined to lure her back. Acting as a catalyst and witness, Juliana exposes the gaping cracks in the family's Upper East Side façade, forcing its three surviving members to engage with one another and the tragedy they share. Dance of the Seven-Headed Mouse is a tale of love, loss, and acceptance from Carole Gaunt, award-winning author of the memoir, Hungry Hill.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
TUESDAY 7pm; WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY 8pm
SATURDAY 2pm & 8pm; SUNDAY 2pm

Additional Performances:
Sun 6/21 at 7pm, Mon 6/22 at 7pm, Sun 7/5 at 7pm
Talkbacks on Tuesdays after the Show - 6/30, 7/7, 7/14 & 7/21

To Purchase Tickets:

Online: Visit http://www.ticketcentral.com/
By Phone: Call 212-279-4200
In person: Theatre Row Box Office at 410 West 42nd Street (btwn 9th Ave & 10 Ave).
Open 12pm - 8pm daily.

Now playing - A BATTLE OF WILLS

Cause Célèbre/Part Time Productions
In Association with The New Group
Launches a Unique And Exciting Production
Connecting Great Theatre, Top Talent & Compelling Causes

"A BATTLE OF WILLS: Internal and External"
Three Extraordinary One-Act Plays

Written by
Susan Charlotte, Tom Fontana, Dorothy Parker and Harold Pinter

Directed by
Christopher Hart, Antony Marsellis and John Shea.

Featuring An Award-Winning Rotating Cast including:
Delphi Harrington, Tasha Lawrence, Carolyn McCormick, Larry Pine, Lizbeth Mackay, Marian Seldes, John Shea, Kevin Stapleton and Frances Sternhagen

Meet the Broadway and TV stars (including "Law and Order" and "Gossip Girl") after each show.

5 Performances Only: May 31 - June 21 Performances will run on consecutive Sundays from May 31 - June 21 at The Acorn @ Theatre Row.

The Acorn @ Theatre Row(410 West 42nd Street)

TICKETS:

http://www.ticketcentral.com/

Phone at Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200

In Person at the Theatre Row Box Office

Call-646-366-9340--

Half-Priced Tickets & Father's Day Special HALF-PRICED TICKETS--$32.50-
Purchase by June 8th

Closing show, June 21st/Father's Day Special-Limited number of tickets
BUY ONE TICKET, GET ONE FOR FREE

A Portion of Proceeds Benefit Columbia Psychiatry's Lieber Recovery & Rehabilitation Clinic

Cause Célèbre, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to causes and charity, proudly announces the launch of Part Time Productions and its inaugural presentation, A Battle of Wills: Internal and External.

This debut production consists of three one-act plays featuring award-winning actors, writers and directors.

Performances will run on consecutive Sundays from May 31 - June 21 at The Acorn @ Theatre Row.

The show leads with This is On Me, the work of Oscar-nominated screenwriter Dorothy Parker adapted by Emmy-Award® winning writer Tom Fontana and directed by Antony Marsellis. An endless battle with men and alcohol fueled the writing of Dorothy Parker. Tom Fontana, having explored the dark side of human nature through his acclaimed television hits "Oz," "Homicide" and "St. Elsewhere," is the perfect writer to probe the pathos and poignancy of Parker's work.

The show continues with Ashes to Ashes, written by Nobel-prize winning playwright Harold Pinter and directed by Christopher Hart. In this extraordinary play, a wife's torment has a profound impact upon her husband, as reality and the inner-workings of her mind become indistinguishable. Regardless of their origin, the wife's troubled thoughts and images are very real - to her.

Love Divided By, written by award-winning writer Susan Charlotte and directed by Emmy-Award® winner John Shea, concludes the show. During this compelling drama, the audience watches as a sister gives in to her brother's desperate pleas to meet, only to discover why she has pushed him away.

The film version, with original music by Philip Glass, was selected to reopen MoMA's Titus II Theatre.

For more information: http://www.causecelebre.info/

Coming: THREE SISTERS, HEDDA GABLER - HB STUDIO ENSEMBLE

HB Studio Ensemble production

JUNE 12-29, 2009

THREE SISTERS

By Anton Chekhov

Translated by Paul Schmidt

with Candace Bryant Snezhana Chernova Selma Cifka Chris Gilmer Hanna Hayes

Ross Kramberg Philip Kushner* Alicia Lobo Don Marlette* Arnie Mazer David Shih*

Robert Spence Toshiji Takeshima Marius Zilberstein

June 12, 16, 19, 20, 23, 26 at 8PM

June 14, 28 at 3PM only

Presented by special arrangement with Helen Merrill LLC

+

HEDDA GABLER

By Henrik Ibsen

Adapted by Jon Robin Baitz

from a literal translation by Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey

with Chris Chinn* Jen Danby* Mindy Luce Andy McCutcheon* Dara O'Brien

Catherine Siracusa David Smilow

June 13, 15, 18, 22, 25, 27, 29 at 8PM

June 21 at 3PM only

Produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

*member Actor's Equity Association

an Equity Approved Showcase

Directed by Amy Wright

Lighting Design: Corrie Beth Shotwell

Costume Design: Catherine Siracusa

Managing Director: Marlene Mancini

Technical Director: Giovanni Villari

Stage Manager: AJ Dobbs

Office Manager: Tara Webb

RESERVATIONS: please call: 212-989-7856

Mon - Fri 12:30-5:30PM

LIMIT (2) two tickets per request

ADMISSION: Free!

HB Playwrights Theatre

124 Bank Street (between Greenwich and Washington Streets)

New York, NY 10014

SUMMER THEATER 2009: SUMMER PLAY FESTIVAL (AT THE PUBLIC)

$10 Tickets now on sale for the Summer Play Festival (SPF)

For the second year, SPF will be held at The Public Theater on Lafayette Street in New York City. The festival runs from Tuesday, July 7th – Sunday, August 2nd 2009.

The 2009 Festival will feature seven new plays and one new musical. The productions include:

• The Chimes by Kevin Christopher Snipes, directed by Adam Immerwahr
• Departure Lounge by Dougal Irivine, directed by Christopher Gattelli
• The Happy Sad by Ken Urban, directed by Trip Cullman
• Reborning by Zayd Dohrn, directed by Kip Fagan
• The Sacrifices by Alena Smith, directed by Sam Gold
• Tender by Nicki Bloom, directed by Daniella Topol
• We Declare You A Terrorist by Tim J. Lord, directed by Niegel Smith
• Whore by Rick Viede, directed by Stephen Brackett
  

Tickets are available at The Public Theater box office, 425 Lafayette Street in Manhattan, on Sunday and Monday from 1PM-6PM and Tuesday through Saturday from 1PM-7:30PM (212-967-7555). Tickets also are available for purchase online at the Summer Play Festival website: http://www.spfnyc.com/ .

Founded by Arielle Tepper Madover (producer of such shows as Broadway’s Mary Stuart, Frost Nixon, Monty Python’s SPAMALOT, The Pillowman, A Raisin in the Sun, and Freak), the non-profit organization The Living Room for Artists, Inc provides emerging writers, directors, designers and producers an opportunity to work on their craft in a protected environment, guided by established professionals at no cost to them.


About the Plays:

The Chimes by Kevin Christopher Snipes; Nick returns to his New England boarding school still haunted by choices he made 40 years ago. The past overwhelms the present as this thrilling drama flashes back to four young pranksters drawn together by their knack for Shakespeare and ripped apart by the onset of World War II.

Departure Lounge by Dougal Irvine; It’s the end of vacation as four guys wait for their flight home in this testosterone-driven new musical. With time to kill they recount the hilarious antics of the week, and as secrets tumble out we learn more about the lads than they know about themselves.

The Happy Sad by Ken Urban; Finding love is easy. Defining love is not. New York City provides the backdrop to a contemporary comedy of sex, love and dating in a city where there are too many options and not enough time.

Reborning by Zayd Dohrn; Art and life become disturbingly interchangeable when a sculptor of baby dolls meets a woman desperate to recreate the past. This dark comedy takes an unsettling look at work, latex, and the power of creation.

The Sacrifices by Alena Smith; At first glance the family has everything. But once they leave on a Caribbean cruise, the winds change, privilege becomes a prison, and their vacation will be anything but smooth sailing in this touching comedy drama.

Tender by Nicki Bloom; A random act of violence leaves a family shattered and searching for a way to be whole again. Amid the ramifications, mystery, memory and potential murder set the stage for this haunting and suspenseful drama.

We Declare You A Terrorist by Tim J. Lord; Eight hundred civilians are taken hostage during the performance of a hit Moscow musical. In the aftermath, the playwright is plagued by the story of his captor—a young woman willing to die for her cause—in an intense drama where one person’s patriotism is another’s act of terrorism.

Whore by Rick Viede; Sara just wants to be interesting, and an unexpected one-night stand propels her into a high stakes relationship with worldly Tim. As they are drawn into the fringes this thriller exposes a world of greed, lies and fear which threatens to break the rules that hold them together.

For more information visit http://www.spfnyc.com/

Coming: INTO THE HAZARD (HENRY 5)

INTO THE HAZARD [Henry 5]
by William Shakespeare

Adapted and directed by Jessica Bauman

"INTO THE HAZARD [Henry 5] is a raw and riveting new adaptation of Shakespeare's politically charged, battle-filled history saga. Peppered with mock media footage, from Fox News to reality TV, this modern minimalist production exposes how television shapes our perceptions of war and heroism.

This just in: The fight for the French throne rages on as a young and underestimated English king rises to iconic status amidst threats to national security and a military assault designed to divert attention from issues at home.

Six actors portray over 20 different characters, on stage & screen, transporting the play's scenes from the royal court to a series of backroom negotiations and private deals.

INTO THE HAZARD [Henry 5] propels the Bard's 1599 epic into the media-obsessed world of 2009. "

Featuring: NICK DILLENBURG, DAVID MCCANN*, ERIN MOON*, LUIS MORENO*, TREVOR VAUGHN*, SCOTT WHITEHURST*

With video appearances by: KELLY AUCOIN*, CHRISTOPHER BURNS*, DENIS BUTKUS*, KEVIN KELLY*, GODFREY SIMMONS*, SAMANTHA SOULE*

Set and Lighting Design by CHRISTOPHER AKERLIND
Costume Design by EMILY PEPPER
Video Design by AUSTIN SWITSER
Sound Design by JEREMY LEE
Stage Manager EMILY PAIGE BALLOU
Assistant Stage Manager MEI LING ACEVEDO*
Choreographer SCOTT BARROW
Assistant Director SAMANTHA TELLA
Casting by JUDY BOWMAN
General Management/Line Producer LISA DOZIER
Production Manager MATTHEW CECCHINI
Graphic Design by ACEGOULET.COM

INTO THE HAZARD [Henry 5]
Presented by New Feet Productions

MAY 30 - JUNE 20, 2009

Walkerspace, 46 Walker Street,

NYC SCHEDULE
Thursday @ 8:00pm
Friday @ 8:00pm
Saturday @ 8:00pm
Sunday @ 7:00pm
Monday @ 7:00pm

Tickets: Available at Ticket Central: 212.279.4200

Or CLICK http://www.ticketcentral.com/showdetails2.asp?showid=2087 TO PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE!

Or In Person - Box Office open one (1) hour before each performance.

For more information, visit http://www.intothehazard.com/

SUMMER THEATER 2009: WILLIAMSTOWN

Interesting plays, great actors and directors, and a pleasant town make the Williamstown Theater Festival a joyous place to visit in the summer. Note: Pick your hotel reservations carefully. (They vary in quality from very nice to not so much.)

Marion Seldes, Mary Beth Hurt, the brothers Corddry, some world premieres, and revivals of some classic modern plays are highlights of the season.


Here's the schedule in brief:

Jul 01 - 12 - CHILDREN - Main Stage
Jul 08 - 19 - KNICKERBOCKER - Nikos Stage
Jul 15 - 26 - TRUE WEST - Main Stage
Jul 22 - Aug 02 - WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF THUNDER? - Nikos Stage
Jul 29 - Aug 09 - THE TORCH-BEARERS - Main Stage
Aug 05 - 16 - CAROLINE IN JERSEY - Nikos Stage
Aug 12 - 23 - QUARTERMAINE'S TERMS - Main Stage


Here's a little more detail:

Jul 01 - 12 - CHILDREN - Main Stage

A.R. Gurney (Playwright) John Tillinger (Director)

In a large summer home on an island off the coast of Massachusetts, an estranged brother’s return and a mother’s impending marriage recall painful memories of their father’s death, and seething arguments reignite one family’s struggle with its tragic past and uncertain future.


Jul 08 - 19 - KNICKERBOCKER - Nikos Stage

(World-Premiere) Jonathan Marc Sherman (Playwright) Nicholas Martin (Director)

"Are you ready?" The question looms over Jerry as the months tick by and... As the birth date creeps ever nearer, will the advice, encouragement and warnings of friends and family make Jerry more or less ready? The awe and terror of becoming a new parent shines through Sherman’s newest play as he examines whether one can ever truly be ready for parenthood.


Jul 15 - 26 - TRUE WEST - Main Stage

Sam Shepard (Playwright) Daniel Goldstein (Director) with brothers Nate & Rob Corddry

Squabbling siblings in this modern classic -- an explosive exploration of family rivalry as two very different brothers attempt to sell Hollywood their version of the great American Western


Jul 22 - Aug 02 - WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF THUNDER? - Nikos Stage

(World-Premiere) Noah Haidle (Playwright) Justin Waldman (Director)

After 27 years on the same soap opera, Ada is starting to confuse her art and her life. But after so many years of acting, her art is her life. The hilarity of day-time drama alongside the harsher, but often equally funny, realities of life.


Jul 29 - Aug 09 - THE TORCH-BEARERS - Main Stage

George Kelly (Playwright) Dylan Baker (Director & adaptation)with Marion Seldes and Becky Ann Baker.

1920s farce in which a troupe of amateur actors rehearse and perform a show-stopping new play — or try to with all their might.


Aug 05 - 16 - CAROLINE IN JERSEY - Nikos Stage

(World-Premiere) Melinda Lopez (Playwright) Amanda Charlton (Director)

Caroline is down and out in New Jersey. She’s having a nervous breakdown, her career as an actress is tragically dwindling, and a peculiar stranger has made his presence known in her new apartment. One woman’s whole-hearted attempt to accept the past and take hold of the future. "Funny & touching"


Aug 12 - 23 - QUARTERMAINE'S TERMS - Main Stage

Simon Gray (Playwright) Maria Aitken (Director) Mary Beth Hurt, Simon Jones and Jefferson Mays

Academics at a school (not the University) in Cambridge England. (Quartermaine is a teacher's name. "Terms" is a pun.)

Coming: OFFICES

Ethan Coen, Ethan of the Coen brothers, (Fargo, No Country For Old men, Burn After Reading, etc), multiple Oscar winner & many-other-awards winner, has written three short plays about the workplace, performed by a cast headlined by the distinguished actor and Oscar winner, F. Murray Abraham.

THE OFFICE

By Ethan Coen

Featuring... Daniel Abeles, F. Murray Abraham, Brennan Brown, Aya Cash, John Bedford Lloyd, Daniel London, Mary McCann, Joey Slotnick, Greg Stuhr, C.J. Wilson, Daniel Yelsky

Directed by Neil Pepe

Limited Engagement - April 15 - May 31!

Presented by the Atlantic Theater Company

Hiring and firing are antisocial acts. Workplace pressures make for nasty competition. And the work itself can be meaningless and alienating.

Accordingly, the three short plays that make up Offices are comedies.

April 15 - May 31
Tue-Fri at 8 pm, Sat at 2 & 8 pm, Sun at 3 & 7 pm

There may be special discounts available for Ticket Central patrons!
(for performances April 15-26)

ATLANTIC THEATER COMPANY
at the LINDA GROSS THEATER
336 W. 20th St., New York, NY

www.atlantictheater.org

WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM

The Public Theater will extend Christopher Durang’s WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM, directed by Nicholas Martin, through Sunday, May 3.

This is an extremely funny play. The acting and directing are matched perfectly to the script, which is hilarious. The set design is rich and attractive and, even better, gets its own punch line!

Our young ingenue wakes up to discover she is in bed with a guy she does not remember. But he looks and acts like he might be a terrorist. In this topical metaphor, he may not be the only one, if he is at all...

There are many clever inventions, including time sequences at the mercy of the actors; and this witty, entertaining and stimulating play grows in the mind from the starting moment to the closing curtain and then out of the theater... and it still grows when reflecting on it after.

"The additional week of performances will include a special performance Monday, April 27 at 8 p.m., in part to accommodate extremely high demand from within the theater industry. There will be no performance Tuesday, April 28. The remainder of the week will follow the standard performance schedule: Wednesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

“The enormous response to WHY TORTURE IS WRONG… shows that Chris Durang has captured our moment perfectly,” said Artistic Director Oskar Eustis. “We’re delighted there’s such an appetite for this wonderful production.”

"WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM tells the story of a young woman suddenly in crisis: Is her new husband, whom she married when drunk, a terrorist? Or just crazy? Or both? Is her father’s hobby of butterfly collecting really a cover for his involvement in a shadow government? Why does her mother enjoy going to the theater so much? Does she seek mental escape, or is she insane? Honing in on our private terrors both at home and abroad, Durang oddly relieves our fears in this black comedy for an era of yellow, orange, and red alerts.

"The cast of WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM features Amir Arison (Queens Boulevard at Signature), David Aaron Baker (A Raisin in the Sun on Broadway), Laura Benanti (2008 Tony winner for Gypsy on Broadway), Audrie Neenan (Oklahoma! on Broadway), Kristine Nielsen (Obie winner for Durang’s Betty’s Summer Vacation at Playwrights Horizons), John Pankow (“Mad About You”), and Richard Poe (Cry-Baby on Broadway).

"WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Gabriel Berry, lighting design by Ben Stanton, original music by Mark Bennett, and sound design by Drew Levy.

"CHRISTOPHER DURANG (Playwright) returns to The Public after writing and starring in the acclaimed 1985 production of The Marriage of Bette and Boo. His works have been staged on and off-Broadway and include Sex and Longing, A History of the American Film (Tony nomination), Miss Witherspoon, Adrift In Macao, Betty’s Summer Vacation, Durang Durang, Beyond Therapy, Baby with the Bathwater, The Actor's Nightmare, Laughing Wild, and Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You (Obie Award). Also an actor, he shared in an Ensemble Acting Obie for Bette and Boo, and performed Laughing Wild both in New York and in L.A. At Manhattan Theatre Club, he sang and tried to dance in the Sondheim revue Putting It Together with Julie Andrews. With Marsha Norman, he is co-chair of the Playwriting Program at the Juilliard School. A book called 27 Short Plays was recently published by Smith and Kraus. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

"NICHOLAS MARTIN (Director) is the artistic director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival and former artistic director of Huntington Theatre Company. He has directed the New York productions of Saturn Returns (Lincoln Center Theater), The New Century (LCT), Observe The Sons Of Ulster… (LCT), Chaucer in Rome, The Time of the Cuckoo (LCT), Fully Committed (Vineyard Theatre), Bosoms and Neglect (Signature Theatre), Sophistry, Betty's Summer Vacation (Playwrights Horizons; Obie Award, Drama Desk nomination), You Never Can Tell, The Rehearsal (Roundabout Theatre Company), Full Gallop, Overtime (Manhattan Theatre Club), Oblivion Postponed (Second Stage), and It Changes Every Year (Malaparte). His many regional credits include the Globe Theatre and the Los Angeles, San Francisco, and London productions of Full Gallop. Mr. Martin is a 1998 recipient of the TCG National Artist Residency Grant with Williamstown, where he has directed The Royal Family, Dead End, Dreading Thekla, The Matchmaker, Evolution, Camino Real."

Coming: THE QUESTION HOUSE at the FRIGID FESTIVAL

The Question House by Tara Dairman is a one-act comedy set in an office where everyone must speak in (well, what else...) questions...or be struck dead by a mysterious force.


Catherine Kjome as a paramedic in The Question House.

It is part of the FRIGID festival, and features a cast of extremely talented young actors. The director, Catherine Siracusa, in addition to many film and theatrical credits, has a long and distinguished history as writer and illustrator of children's books.

The Question House by Tara Dairman, directed by Catherine Siracusa, with Snezhana Chernova, Nick DeSimone, Howard Green, Catherine Kjome, Cam Kornman, Philip Kashner, and Tom Tinelli.

SCHEDULE:

Wednesday, February 25 - 7:30PM
Sunday, March 1 - 8:30 PM
Monday, March 2 - 10:30 PM
Friday, March 6 - 6PM
Saturday, March 7 - 8:30PM

Running time is about 45 minutes, and all shows are at the Kraine
Theater, 85 East 4th Street (between 2nd and Bowery), NYC.

Tickets at:

http://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?showCode=QUE10

Check out the entire program at the FRIGID festival. It seems very rich and interesting!

Coming: FREUD'S LAST SESSION

Continuing their long, celebrated tradtion of presenting interesting new and important theater free to the community:

HB PLAYWRIGHT'S FOUNDATION

Donna de Matteo, Executive Director

presents

FREUD'S LAST SESSION
by Mark St. Germain

as suggested by THE QUESTION OF GOD
written by Dr. Armand M. Nicholi, Jr.

Directed by Rasa Allan Kazlas**

with

Fritz Weaver* Matthew Conlon*

*member Actor's Equity Association
**member SSDC

Costume Design: Patricia Adshead,Catherine Siracusa
Lighting Design: Diana Kesselschmidt
Managing Director: Marlene Mancini
Technical Director: Giovanni Villari
Office Manager: Tara Webb

DATES and TIMES:
February 24 - March 8, 2009
All PERFORMANCES at 8PM
EXCEPT:
Sundays March 1 and March 8, 2009 at 3PM only
NO PERFORMANCE: Monday March 2, 2009

To secure your reservations, please call the
HB Playwrights Foundation reservations line: 212-989-7856

Mon - Fri 12:30-5:30PM

LIMIT: two (2) tickets per request
ADMISSION: Free!

Coming: CHERRY SMOKE

The Clockwork Theatre
Presents
CHERRY SMOKE
By James McManus
(Winner of the 2006 Princess Grace Playwriting Award)
Directed by Jade King Carroll

STRICTLY LIMITED ENGAGEMENT!
February 21 - March 14
Tuesday through Friday @ 8pm
Saturday @ 2pm and 8pm
Sunday @ 2pm

The Kirk Theatre @ Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street at 9th Ave.

Check for special ticket price:
Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200,
or visit www.ticketcentral.com

Fish, a club fighter who has spent most of his life in and out of jail, is a ticking time bomb. Despite his constant struggle to change and lead a decent life, his violent outbursts and hair trigger temper result in countless confrontations with the law. His girlfriend, Cherry, a runaway who has been on her own since the age of ten, longs for a more simple life like the one Fish's brother, Duffy, and Duffy's wife, Bug, lead. The all consuming love Fish and Cherry have for each other is put to the test in this poetic and visceral drama, enjoying both its U.S. and Australian Premieres in February, 2009.

Featuring:
Marianna McClellan, Doug Nyman, Kate Rogal, & Jay Rohloff

Lighting Designer - Taryn Kennedy
Costume Designer - Olga Mill
Sound Designer - Iæden Hovorka
Co-Scenic Designers - Vincent Vigilante and Jay Rohloff
Technical Director - Mike Zimmerman
Production Stage Manager - Owen M. Smith


For more information about how you or your organization can get involved, and to have access to premium seating and greater discounts,check into becoming... Members of Clockwork.

EST - 5 WEEKS, 3 NEW PLAYS, 1 EVENT

UNFILTERED
five weeks of brand new plays

EST

ENSEMBLE STUDIO THEATRE

NODDING OFF by Emily Chadick Weiss,
Directed by Abigail Zealey Bess*

With Chris Ceraso*, Helen Coxe, Eunice Ha, and William Oliver Watkins
Performances Thu 2/12, Mon 2/16, Fri 2/20, Sat 2/21 @ 7pm; Sat 2/14 @ 2pm

Daniel's beautiful wife is pregnant, but he falls asleep every time she mentions the babe. Can his alluring psychiatrist help him figure out why he's sleeping through life?


PRINCES OF WACO by Robert Askins,
Directed by Dylan McCullough

With Kristin Griffith*, Evan Enderle, Scott Sowers* and Megan Tusing
Performances Thu 2/19, Mon 2/23, Fri 2/27 & Sat 2/28 @ 7pm; Sat 2/21 @ 2pm

Jim can't win. Fritz just stole back what he lost. And Esme knows that win or lose, somebody's got to go down.


LAKE WATER by Delaney Britt Brewer,
Directed by Jordan Young

With Ann Talman* and Audrey Lynn Weston
Performances Thu 2/26, Mon 3/2, Fri 3/6 & Sat 3/7 @ 7pm; Sat 2/28 @ 2pm

The story of a homecoming, a mysterious lake, and a family drowning in the things they cannot say.


Plus A Special Concert Event:
MARIETTA CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR by Lucy Alibar
Directed by RJ Tolan*

Thu 3/5 7pm, Sat 3/7 2pm and 10pm

Deep in the swamps of Georgia, little Christmas Flint battles trash and wild animals in her epic musical journey to become a Woman of Substance.


*denotes EST member

To review dates and times and purchase tickets,

click here to visit OvationTix.

Ensemble Studio Theatre

549 West 52 Street

New York, NY 10019

212 247-4982

http://www.ensemblestudiotheatre.org/

CTI - THE COMMERCIAL THEATER INSTITUTE - SPRING EVENTS

CTI, The Commercial Theater Institute,

www.commercialtheaterinstitute.com

is having two programs in the spring that are extraordinarily valuable for anyone interested in theater. I've attended (see the post below) the 3-Day Weekend event and I would strongly recommend it, not only for (current & potential future) producers, but for anyone (writers, directors, lawyers, investors, actors, and...well, anyone) interested in developing projects for the commercial theater. This is far and away the most accessible, interesting, informative, useful event about theater I've ever encountered.


Producing Reading, Workshops, and Showcases: A Practical Approach will have its spring session on March 6th, from 10am – 6pm, at Theatre Row.

Many new topics and speakers have been added since the December program.

The fee for the day is $140 in advance, $175 at the door.


The 28th Annual 3-Day Weekend Producing Conference (May 15th – 17th) is now accepting registrations. The early bird price is $335 by March 27th.

Registration forms for both events are on the CTI website.

http://www.commercialtheaterinstitute.com/

Limited Engagement O'NEILL'S MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA

FROM THE NEW GROUP:

A rarely mounted production of Eugene O'Neill's great triology:

MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA

Directed by Scott Elliott.

• Lili Taylor (Aunt Dan and Lemon, Six Feet Under),
• Jena Malone (Doubt, Saved!) and
• Joseph Cross (Milk, Running with Scissors)

...portray the toxic mother/daughter/son triangle in the revival of the Eugene O'Neill's masterpiece.

At the end of the Civil War, General Mannon's wife and daughter await his return with very different agendas. When battle-scarred son Orin arrives, he finds his house divided.

In this sizzling re-imagining of The Oresteia, three plays combine to create an epic 4-hour journey.

A classic tragedy of Freudian proportions, MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA is a tale of adultery, obsession and madness.

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT THROUGH APRIL 18TH

Featuring

Carolyn Baeumler, Mark Blum, Joseph Cross, Susan Goodwillie,

Mycah Hogan, Robert Hogan, Jena Malone,

Patrick Mapel, Sean Meehan, Anson Mount,

Phoebe Strole, Lili Taylor, John Wojda .

Monday - Saturday at 7:00 PM & Saturday at 12:00 Noon

ALL SHOWS START AT 7PM AND 12PM SHARP. (Intermission Meals available, provided by Café Metro. )

For tickets, contact:

Online - Ticket Central (special discounts may be available).

Phone - 212-279-4200

The New Group @ Theatre Row

410 West 42nd Street

2009 PREVIEW -- AN INTERESTING MOMENT

The expression "May you live in interesting times," in some cultures is said to be a curse. In theater it is the blessing of creative opportunity.

Theatrical (and other cultural) explosions are often sparked by just one of the following: (How "lucky (?)" we are to have so much tinder available at one time. Should be exciting...)

• =>Major changes in government.
• =>Wars.
• =>Economic crises.
• =>Climate shifts.
• =>New technologies for media.

Times like these are fertile for the growth of small-scale, experimental, and powerful theater that resonates with new issues, new problems, new solutions, and new techniques.

BOBOOBLOG will be looking for -- and supporting -- the most exciting new theater that may arise over the next few months and years. Let's start by reviewing some of the most interesting theater companies, and some of the new productions that are planned.


SOME VERY INTERESTING COMPANIES AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING NOW:

The Public Theater -- The illustrious home of Shakespeare in the Park is currently presenting Under The Radar. Coming -- now in the works -- are a production of The Bacchae, and the move to Broadway of last year's production of Hair.

The Labyrinth Theater -- Affiliated with the Public Theater, this group of brilliant actors, co-founded by Philip Seymour Hoffman, is currently holding Master Classes and developing ensemble pieces. No plays are in the immediate schedule.

Classic Stage Company -- This important compny has an active schedule planned:

• =>Jan. 17—Mar. 1, 2009
  Denis O'Hare, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Peter Sarsgaard in Uncle Vanya. By Anton Chekhov, Directed by Austin Pendleton.
• =>Mar. 18—Apr. 19, 2009
  An Oresteia from the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.
  Translated by Anne Carson.
  Part I Agamemnon by Aeschylus & Electra by Sophocles
  Directed by Brian Kulick & Gisela Cardenas
  Part II Orestes by Euripides
  Directed by Paul Lazar, Choreographed by Annie-B Parson.
• =>Jan. 19 & 26, Feb. 2 & 9, 2009
  Open Rehearsal Series
  Monday Night Othello By William Shakespeare
• =>Feb. 23 - Mar. 6, 2009
  The Young Company In association with Columbia University
  Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare, Directed by Tony Speciale.
• =>Mar. 23 & 30, Apr. 6, 2009
  A new Adaptation Series
  The Proust Project
  Evening One: Swann In Love
  Evening Two: The Proust Screenplay
  Evening Three: Albertine Regained.
  

Ensemble Studio Theater -- Home of the annual Short Play Marathon, EST is currently hosting the First Light Festival sponsored by the Sloan Foundation. William Carden, who succeeded Curt Dempster, the founding director, is giving EST an injection of energy. On the home page, EST is inviting distinguished theater professionals to join the ensemble as members.

Red Bull Theater is a New York-based theater company specializing in plays of heightened language, with a unique focus on the Jacobean plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries.

Currently showing Women Beware Women, Red Bull Theater produces

• =>Full Productions of Great Classic Stories.
• =>Revelation Readings of Rare Classics and New Plays (Luis Alfaro's ELECTRICIDAD coming Monday, January 12th).
• =>In the Raw Workshop for New Productions ("Raw" & "Nude" -- see LAByrinth theater company -- are popular theater terms for workshops / readings of new productions, rarely actually presented "in the raw" or nude.)
• =>Bull Sessions with Literary and Theatrical Experts.
• =>Direct Address Education Outreach to Middle Schools.

Primary Stages -- Two productions are coming soon, and they are also currently enrolling classes in acting and playwriting.

• =>Shipwrecked - January 27 thru March 7 - by David Margulies, directed by Lisa Peterson.
• =>Chasing Manet - March 24 thru May 2 - by Tina Howe, with Jane Alexander & Lynn Cohen.

Lincoln Center Theater -- Always a major venue for important theater in NY. They are currently showing South Pacific. Happiness is coming. (Happiness is a new musical about a disparate group of New Yorkers caught on a subway train under unusual circumstances. It was commissioned and developed by Lincoln Center Theater. The production will reunite director-choreographer Susan Stroman and book writer John Weidman, whose last LCT collaboration was the Tony Award winning Best Musical Contact and it will mark the LCT debuts of composer Scott Frankel and lyricist Michael Korie.)

Roundabout Theater -- Presenting a bevy of major shows.

• =>Pal Joey -- currently playing.
• =>Streamers -- closing soon.
• =>Hedda Gabler with Mary-Louise Parker -- starting previews; opens Jan 25.
• =>Waiting For Godot with Bill Irwin & Nathan Lane -- starts April 10.
• =>Distracted with Cynthia Nixon, a new play by Lisa Loomer -- starts Feb 7.
• =>The Philanthropist, by Christopher Hampton, with Matthew Broderick -- starts previews April 10 and opens April 26.
• =>and a BENEFIT PERFORMANCE of A Little Night Music with Natasha Richardson, Victor Garber, Christine Baranski, Marc Kudisch and Vanessa Redgrave!
  • • Gala Performance • •Monday, January 12, 2009 at 7:30pm Studio 54

Signature Theatre Company -- Each season the Signature Theatre presents a set of closely related works. 2008-2009 is the Negro Ensemble Company season. Zooman and the Sign by Charles Fuller is next, from March 3-April 19.

Playwrights Horizons has a terrific new theater building on Theater Row. The next shows are:

• =>February 6 - March 15 - The Savanah Disputation by Evan Smith with Obie Award winner Reed Birney, Drama Desk Award winner Marylouise Burke, Tony Award nominee Dana Ivey, and Kellie Overbey; directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie.
• =>March 5 - April 5 - Inked Baby by Christina Anderson, with Tony Award winner LaChanze, Angela Lewis, Nana Mensah, and Obie Award winner Nikkole Salter; directed by Kate Whoriskey.
• =>May - June - Our House by Pulitzer Prize finalist Theresa Rebeck; directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer.

LaMama ETC (That's Experimental Theater Club) has produced more than 45 years of cutting edge theater. New productions are almost too numerous to list. Check out their site frequently. Here's a few new shows coming soon:

• =>January 2 - 11, 2009 - Vocal Migrations is a multimedia spectacle created by Mexican composer Tareke Ortiz with contemporary instrumental-choral music performed live and ancestral indigenous Totonaca Dances. A new year´s celebration of life, communication and the migratory nature of all things full of color through dance, music, and the animation art by Eamonn Farrell.
• =>January 8 - 25, 2009 -Yanagai! Yanagai!, written by Andrea James (Yorta Yorta), evokes a place where past, present and future exist as one. On the banks of "Dhungula" sacred trees, familiar fishing holes, cheeky dingoes, min-min lights and the ghosts of the past weave a deep connection to the land. A theatrical feast of story, music, puppetry and magic realism.
• =>January 15 - 25, 2009 - La MaMa E.T.C. in association with Interpretations 20 presents "Robert Ashley Three Operas"; Dust, Celestial Excursions and Made out of Concrete.
• =>January 22 - February 8, 2009 - La MaMa will remount the Dyke Division's live lesbian dramatic serial of last season (ROOM FOR CREAM SEASON ONE: THE BOX SET) for those who couldn't get in, or who couldn't get enough of it. Adult audience only.
• =>January 29 - February 8, 2009 - Hamlet, A new work by Company EAST from Japan, directed and choreographed by Kenji Kawarasaki featuring Hiroshi Jin.
• =>& much more...

Manhattan Children's Theater-- The premiere on-going off-off Bway children's theater. Currently scheduled (for all ages):

• =>Harry the Dirty Dog -- Jan 10 - Feb 22 (with shows on Feb 16, President's Day)
• =>If You Give a Pig a Party -- Feb 28 - Apr 5
• =>Stanley's Adventures -- Apr 11 - May 16
  
  

For tickets and more scheduling information for all these theaters and more try:

=>TicketMaster
=>Telecharge
=>TheaterMania

We've just scratched the surface of all the theater activity in New York (much less the rest of the country & the world): TheaterMania provides a convenient current list of 775 shows in New York.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

WELCOME

2009

BE
HAPPY
HEALTHY SUCCESSFUL PEACEFUL
AND JOYOUS

Coming: DOCTOR FAUSTUS & MORE AT RED BULL THEATER

RED BULL THEATER

presents

=>

Monday December 8th, 7pm

A STAGED READING OF

DOCTOR FAUSTUS

by Christopher Marlowe

with

PATRICK PAGE • BILL CAMP

• ELISABETH WATERSTON •

STEVEN RATTAZZI • ANDRE HOLLAND

SEAN MCNALL • ROBERT STANTON

and more

directed by MICHAEL SEXTON

Faustus sells his soul to the Devil for knowledge – only Marlowe could have told this tale this way!

http://www.redbulltheater.com/
212.352.3101

COMING SOON

=>December 9, 2008 – January 5, 2009

A full production of Thomas Middleton’s WOMEN BEWARE WOMEN
Featuring Geraint Wyn Davies, Jennifer Ikeda, Roberta Maxwell, Kathryn Meisle, Everett Quinton, and more.

SCHEDULE Tue-Fri 8pm / Sat 2pm & 8pm / Sun 3pm & 7pm

& Varies... Visit http://www.redbulltheater.com/2008/ for details

TICKETS $20 - $65


UPCOMING READINGS

=>Monday January 12, 7pm
ELECTRICIDAD: A Chicano take on the tragedy of Electra
by Luis Alfaro

Sophocles’ great classic re-imagined, set in a contemporary Los Angeles barrio.

Directed by Lisa Peterson

=>Monday February 23, 7pm
THE ROYAL HUNT OF THE SUN
by Peter Shaffer

A modern epic about the conquest of Peru by Spain and the destruction of the Inca Empire.

Directed by Joe Hardy

=>Monday March 2, 7pm
THE SIEGE OF NUMANTIA
by Miguel de Cervantes

A devastating play about honor, sacrifice, and the last days of Numantia by the creator of Don Quixote.

LOCATION

Dr. Faustus
Theater Row
410 West 42nd Street, between 9th & 10th Avenues

Other Events
Theater at St Clement's,
423 West 46th St.

http://www.redbulltheater.com/
212-352-3101, or 866-811-4111 (toll-free)


JESSE BERGER - ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
LONNIE COOPER - MANAGING DIRECTOR

Coming: MARY-LOUISE PARKER AS HEDDA GABBLER

Mary-Louise Parker is one of the most exciting actresses around. I saw her recently off-Broadway in Dead Man's Cell Phone and she was terrific. Of course, she is exceptionally captivating in Weeds. Casting her as Hedda Gabbler is a fascinating pairing:

Tony® and Emmy® Award winner Mary-Louise Parker ("Weeds," Proof) returns to Broadway to star as one of the greatest and most shocking female characters ever written. Roundabout Theatre Company presents HEDDA GABLER, a new production of Henrik Ibsen's modern classic

-adapted by Pulitzer Prize nominee Christopher Shinn (Dying City)
-directed by Ian Rickson (The Seagull)
-starring Tony winner Michael Cerveris (Sweeney Todd), Paul Sparks (Take Me Out) and Peter Stormare (Fargo).

-a strictly limited engagement.

Previews begin: January 6, 2009

To learn more, visit ROUNDABOUTTHEATRE.ORG

Roundabout Theater
American Airlines Theatre
Box Office - 227 West 42nd St. (btwn. 7th & 8th Aves.)

THE PUBLIC -- HAIR, SONDHEIM & MORE

The Public is bursting with activity: Here's some news I just received from The Public Theater -- it's a whole lotta stuff...

=>At The Public:

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING

Created and Performed by MIKE DAISEY
Directed by JEAN-MICHELE GREGORY

TAKING OVER

Written and Performed by DANNY HOCH
Directed by TONY TACCONE

=>Public LAB — All Tix $10!

PHILIP ROTH IN KHARTOUMA
LAByrinth Theater Company Presentation
Starts Dec 4 — On Sale Now!

MANDY PATINKIN: Back at The Public!
On Sale Now — Two Weeks Only!

=>2008-2009 Memberships available now!
Memberships start at $142.50 — Save up to 43% off full price tickets!

=>The Public Theater's 2008-2009 season also includes premieres by
JOHN GUARE, CRAIG LUCAS, TRACEY SCOTT WILSON, and an add-on production by CHRISTOPHER DURANG!

TICKETS/INFORMATION:212-967-7555 or PUBLICTHEATER.ORG

=>ROAD SHOW

Music and Lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Book by JOHN WEIDMAN
Directed and Set Designed by JOHN DOYLE

With Matthew Carlson, Michael Cerveris, Alma Cuervo, Aisha de Haas, Claybourne Elder, Colleen Fitzpatrick, David Garry, Alexander Gemignani, Mylinda Hull, Mel Johnson, Jr., Orville Mendoza, Anne L. Nathan, Tom Nelis, William Parry, Matthew Stocke, Katrina Yaukey, William Youmans, Kristine Zbornik

Spanning 40 years from the Alaskan Gold Rush to the Florida real estate boom in the ‘30s, Road Show is the story of two brothers whose quest for the American dream turns into a test of morality and judgment that changes their lives in unexpected ways. Director John Doyle (Sweeney Todd on Broadway), acclaimed for re-imagining Sondheim's works, joins Weidman and Sondheim in exploring some of the great American issues: real estate, capitalism and crooks.

Now thru Sun Dec 28
Tues at 7pm,
Wed - Fri at 8pm,
Sat at 2 & 8pm,
Sun at 2 & 7pm
Added Perfs:
Wed 11/26 at 2, Wed 12/10 at 2, Wed 12/17 at 2, Mon 12/22 at 8

TICKETS: 212-967-7555 or PUBLICTHEATER.ORG

Rush Tix: There will be a limited number of $20 Rush Tix available at the box office for every downtown theater performance on sale to the general public one hour prior to curtain. There is a 2 ticket limit per person. Cash only.

=>Official Broadway HAIR Website is now live! Visit http://www.hairbroadway.com/ and sign up for the e-newsletter to receive the latest information on the future of HAIR!

* * *WIN 2 TIX TO THE BROADWAY OPENING NIGHT OF HAIR!
Enter to win 2 free tickets to the star-studded Opening Night performance and Cast Party of HAIR! (See: http://www.hairbroadway.com/)

To enter: Tune in to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday November 27, on NBC and watch the cast during a live on-air performance. Afterward, visit playbill.com to answer a question based on the performance for your chance to win. One lucky person will win the grand prize, plus four runners-up will each win a groovy HAIR Cast Recording.

HAIR starts performances at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on February 13. Tickets go on sale to the general public December 6. Contest ends December 2. Only one entry per person.

=>Musical Theater & More at Joe's Pub

December is chock full of your favorite Broadway stars — catch them all, only at Joe's Pub:

LaChanze The Tony-award winner for her role in "The Color Purple," LaChanze brings her tremendous talents to the truly intimate setting of Joe's Pub. 12/1 & 2 at 7:00 PM, $30

Norm Lewis: This Is The Life CD Release Join Lewis on his night off from The Little Mermaid as he celebrates the release of his debut CD, "This is the Life," 12/1 at 9:30 PM, $30

A Night O' Naughton Kelli O'Hara is a little bit Broadway and Greg Naughton is a little bit Rock N Roll. Tonight, they bring their music (& friends) together for a special genre-mixing late night show, 12/1 at 11:30 PM, $25

Billy Porter: The Standard Porter returns to Joe's Pub for an evening of song, featuring new American Broadway standards, gospel, and soulful originals, 12/7 & 8 at 7:30 PM, $25

A Spring Awakening Holiday Concert To Benefit Safeplace Featuring the cast of the Broadway show "Spring Awakening," including special guest, original cast member Tony-Award nominee Jonathan Groff. The evening will feature all new arrangements by "Spring Awakening" vocal arranger Ann Marie Milazzo, and musically directed by Kimberly Grigsby.
12/15 at 11:30 PM, $25

For tickets and the complete Joe's Pub schedule visit joespub.com!

=>Not For Tourists announces a brand new product!
The NFT Wallet Map puts New York City in the comfort of your own pocket. Getting around town has never been easier thanks to NFT's stylish and user-friendly design. Each wallet map contains a MTA Subway and Bus Map, Address Locator, and 159 listings of NFT's favorite places to eat, drink, shop, and hang out. Pull it out. Check your destination. Fold it up. Repeat as necessary. Price: $5 Click here for the NFT web shop!

THE PUBLIC THEATER 425 LAFAYETTE STREET NEW YORK, NY 10003212-967-7555 PUBLICTHEATER.ORG

COMING: eKATHERINE KERR'S "THE EDGE OF CHAOS"

PLAYHOUSE ON THE GREEN PRESENTS STAGED READINGS...

The next entry in the “Page to Stage” Series takes place on Sunday, November 23 at 7PM when eKatherine Kerr’s play -- about a woman who decides to create a soap opera based on her life: "The Edge of Chaos" -- will receive a staged reading.

I've heard readings of selections from "The Edge Of Chaos" and it is very, very funny!


PLAYHOUSE ON THE GREEN
177 State Street, Bridgeport, CT 06604

Tickets: 866-811-4111
Information: (203) 333-3666
www.playhouseonthegreen.org

PHOTOS FROM HB'S STILLER AND MEARA GALA

Presentation of the Award!
Jerry Stiller, Eli Wallach, Anne Meara and Anne JacksonAll photos: by Eric Roffman from the Gala for QPORIT
The HB Studio -- one of New York's oldest acting studios -- was founded in 1945 by renowned actor Herbert Berghof. He was joined in 1948 by the legendary actress Uta Hagen. The two master teachers trained several generations of master actors in theater, theatre and film. On Monday, Nov 10, the HB Studio and the HB Playwrights Foundation honored Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara at a benefit Gala.


Jerry Stiller and Edith Meeks, Executive Director
Speakers, especially Jerry and Anne in their remarks, honored the tradition of the studio. Anne remembered her studies with great fondness. Jerry celebrated Herbert Berghof's passion for theater, recalling the time Berghof called him at two in the morning to come down to the studio to study, work on and read a new, strange play (Waiting for Godot). He remembered how Uta Hagen was nice, tough. After his audition, while accepting him into her acting class, Uta suggested that Jerry also work on keeping his day job.




Ben Stiller

Among the many speakers, Ben Stiller and Amy Stiller recalled what it was like to be brought up in a loving house with parents who were performers.

Jerry Stiller
Talking about bringing up children, Jerry mentioned that when Amy was about two, he was rehearsing a sketch called "I Hate You" with Anne and they were screaming at each other. When Amy came out of her bedroom, all upset, Jerry and Anne explained that they were rehearsing. Later when they had a real fight, Amy came out cheerfully to say... "You're rehearsing!"



Eli Wallach & Anne Jackson

The award was presented by Stiller and Meara's old friends, Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson. Anne Jackson is still actively teaching at HB Studio. Many distinguished alumni of the Berghof-Hagen era have taught at the school, including Bill Hickey, actress Jill Clayburgh and screen writer Tracey Jackson (whose "Confessions of a Shopaholic" is scheduled for release in Feb 2009).


Letty Ferrer, Uta Hagen's daughter,
an active member of the HB Staff,
was among the guests.


---
Anne Meara, David Amram and Ben Stiller

Among the entertainments at the Gala was a terrific, long concert by David Amram -- accompanied by his son and daughter in law.


Doris Roberts

Doris Roberts, an old friend of Stiller and Meara, was among the speakers.

Sam Groom
In the post Berghof-Hagen era, The HB Studio continues to evolve. Sam Groom, a link between the B-H era and the current world, teaches a class in acting for the camera. Anything other than pure theatre was very rare in the olde days.





Snezhana Chernova

Snezhana Chernova, a brilliant actress, acting teacher, and member of the staff, and her husband Aleksey Burago, who teaches directing, both of whom were trained in Russia (not at HB with Hagen & Berghof), are among the new generation at HB Studio. With his unique energy and style, Aleksey renews the tradition of passion for theater!

Julia Wolfermann


Performer Denusia Trevino

Julia and Denusia are members of a new generation of actors studying at HB and working with the HB Playwrights Foundation. At the Gala, Denusia presented an excerpt from the one-woman show she is developing at HB, about the immigrant experience.

Posters of productions with legendary directors, actors and playwrights line the walls of the Playwrights Foundation Theatre next door to the studio. Continuously operating through the years, recent productions have included a new adaptation of Chekhov's stories by Aleksey Burago, and work directed by Tony Award winning Jack Hofsiss, who also, currently, teaches directing at HB.

The re-assertion of the values of Hagen and Bergof and their passion for acting and theater were the spirit of the remarks by Stiller and Meara, and were then echoed in the comments of their children, Ben and Amy. As this Benefit Gala is a link to the past, it is the next generation... it is the evolution of HB into the future that will benefit!

STILLER AND MEARA HONORED BY HB STUDIO

The invitation to the Stiller & Meara Gala perched on my desktop

HB Studio & HB Playwrights Foundation will host

A Gala Benefit to Honor Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2008 at 6:00 P.M.
at The Players, 16 Gramercy Park South

I was lucky enough to take the class that Jerry Stiller taught one semester at the HB Studio. And on days he couldn't make it to class, I was also lucky enough to study with Anne Meara, who came in to substitute for him.

He was a kind and generous teacher. Nice to everyone, although he never liked my "English accent" in my scene from "The Real Thing". (I put "English accent" in quotes because he was right... I never did have a real English accent.)

It was a very good class. I had a wonderful time working on scenes with Isabelle Fokine (grandaughter of the great choreographer), perhaps the most charismatic scene partner I've ever had; and there were many other fine students in the class.

Stiller used free-form improvs and scene study, and remembrances of his own days as a student. When one student took off his shirt for a gritty scene, he talked about Uta Hagen's objections to Steve McQueen who, Stiller suggested, seemed to almost always act with his shirt off. Anne Meara was gently focussed on getting to the emotional heart of a relationship, often using targetted improvisation to zero in on the truth of a scene.

I was most impressed because, more so than perhaps any other teachers I've had at HB (and I've studied there off and on for decades with many teachers -- it's a great place!), they were people with a generous and deeply human warmth.

Here's more information about the benefit, and the recipients of the honors:

The Herbert Berghof (HB) Studio and the HB Playwrights Foundation will host a tribute to the acclaimed and accomplished actor/comedians Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller in a gala celebration at The Players Club on Monday, November 10, 2008. Richard Pergolis of Pergolis Swartz will be the Corporate Chair of the event and television personality Joy Behar will be the MC for the evening. Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach will present the third annual Herbert Berghof - Uta Hagen Achievement Award to Ms. Meara and Mr. Stiller, given in memory of the actor/director Herbert Berghof and his wife and partner, the storied actress and master teacher Uta Hagen. The award recognizes theatre artists of extraordinary talent, achievement, and humanity who, in the conduct of their professional and artistic practice, have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to the vitality, integrity, and mission of the theatre and its community.

The evening will include a cocktail reception, dinner, and a musical presentation featuring jazz musician David Amram and an excerpt from HB Ensemble member Danusia Trevino's one woman show "Wonder Bread." The tribute will also feature remarks by 2007 Honoree Fritz Weaver, John Guare, Kevin James, Doris Roberts, Amy and Ben Stiller and Joseph Benincasa, Executive Director of The Actors' Fund. Ticket prices range from $300 for an individual ticket to $5,000 for a table for 10 and a full-page tribute in the souvenir program for the event.

The honorary committee for the gala includes Jason Alexander, Barbara Barrie, Jill Clayburgh and David Rabe, Tom Fontana, New York State Assemblymember Deborah Glick, John Guare, Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach, Kevin James, Rochelle Oliver and Fritz Weaver, Carol Ostrow, David Hyde Pierce, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Doris Roberts, Jon Stewart, Christine Taylor and Ben Stiller, Amy Stiller, Renee Taylor and Joe Bologna, and Marlo Thomas.

For information and reservations, please email to gala2008@hbstudio.org, or contact Peter Bloch, Managing Director, at 212.675.2370 x6.



BIOS FOR ANNE MEARA & JERRY STILLER


Anne Meara has been nominated for five Emmy Awards. Her recent credits include appearances on Sex in the City and King of Queens. Her writing credits include After-Play produced Off-Broadway at Theatre Four and The Manhattan Theatre Club, for which she won the John Gassner Award. Another play, Down The Garden Paths, was done Off-Broadway and regionally starring Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach. Anne also created the role of Bunny in John Guare's House of Blue Leaves, received a Tony Award nomination for Anna Christie at The Roundabout Theatre, appeared in the feature film Like Mike, and in Night at the Museum with her son, Ben Stiller. She was also co-writer and star of The Other Woman, a CBS movie of the Week, which won a Writer's Guild Award.

Jerry Stiller was nominated for an Emmy Award and won the American Comedy Award for his portrayal of Frank Costanza on Seinfeld. He just finished nine years as Arthur Spooner on King of Queens. In film, Jerry was most recently seen as Mr. Pinky in the movie Hairspray and Doc in the Farrelly Brothers movie Heartbreak Kid, where he starred opposite his son, Ben Stiller. Broadway has seen Jerry in Hurlyburly, The Ritz and Three Men on a Horse, while other film appearances include The Taking of Pelham One-Two-Three, Airport '75, the original version of Hairspray, Zoolander (also with his son, Ben) and the starring role in The Independent. He has also lent his voice to animated films including Teacher's Pet, Lion King 3, Lion King 1½ and the CBS holiday special, Robbie the Reindeer.

As Stiller and Meara, Anne and Jerry played record-breaking engagements at Max Gordon's Blue Angel and The Village Vanguard and were seen on the Ed Sullivan Show 36 times and received many awards for their radio and TV commercials that include Amalgamated Bank, Blue Nun wines and United Van Lines. They have been honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; with the Productive Aging Award, presented by the Jewish Council For the Aging in Washington, D.C.; and with the Thalia Award from Humber College in Toronto.

DAEL ORLANDERSMITH

Dael Orlandersmith has won a $50,000.00 prize from the Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation.

As a playwright, Dael is a Guggenheim, Pen/Laura Pels Foundation Award and Lucille Lortel Playwrights Fellowship winner, and a Pulitzer prize finalist; and, as an actor, a Drama Desk Award nominee.

Dael has been teaching a class in writing for solo performance at HB Studio. I've been to the class. She is informative, helpful, and encouraging.

Along with Dael, nine other writers received prizes for their work.

Congratulations:

Mischa Berlinski, fiction. His first novel, Fieldwork, was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2007. He is at work on a second novel and living in Haiti.

Rick Hilles, poetry. His first collection, Brother Salvage, was published by the University of Pittsburgh Press. He is an assistant professor in the MFA Program at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Donovan Hohn, nonfiction. His essays have appeared in Harper’s, The New York Times Magazine, Agni, The Bedford Reader, and Internazionale. His first book will be published by Viking in 2010.

Douglas Kearney, poetry. He is the author of Fear, Some (Red Hen Press, 2006) and the forthcoming collection, The Black Automaton, which will be published by Fence Books in 2009. He has an MFA in writing from the California Institute of the Arts, where he now teaches.

Laleh Khadivi, fiction. Her first book, The Age of Orphans, will be published by Bloomsbury in 2009. She is currently the fiction fellow at Emory University in Atlanta.

Manuel Muñoz, fiction. He is the author of two collections of short stories, Zigzagger (Northwestern University Press, 2003) and The Faith Healer of Olive Avenue (Algonquin Books, 2007). He lives in Tucson, where he is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Arizona.

Dael Orlandersmith, plays. Her plays include Yellowman, The Gimmick and her Obie-Award winning Beauty’s Daughter, in which she also starred. She is currently an artist-in-residence at Sarah Lawrence College, has been teaching at HB Studio, and is at work on a memoir..

Benjamin Percy, fiction. He is the author of two short story collections, The Language of Elk (Carnegie Mellon, 2006) and Refresh, Refresh (Graywolf, 2008). He teaches in the MFA program at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

Julie Sheehan, poetry. She is the author of two collections of poems, Thaw (Fordham University Press, 2001), and Orient Point (Norton, 2006). She teaches in the graduate Writing and Literature program at Stony Brook Southampton and lives in East Quogue, New York.

Lysley Tenorio, fiction. He has recently completed a collection of short stories and is working on a novel. He lives in San Francisco and teaches at Saint Mary's College in Moraga, California.

Coming: DUST

DUST -- A Thriller

By Billy Goda
Directed by Scott Zigler
Starring Emmy® Award nominee Richard Masur and Tony Award® nominee Hunter Foster.

DUST is a power play.

Martin is an executive with money and a paunch. Zeke is an ex-con with street smarts and a minimum wage position.

Early one morning, in the fitness center of the Essex House, the battle of will begins over the most trivial of requests. And when Martin’s daughter Jenny becomes entangled in the situation, the stakes are raised even higher, escalating a war for respect into one for revenge and survival. Who will be standing when the dust settles?

Starring Emmy® Award nominee Richard Masur and Tony Award® nominee Hunter Foster:

Richard Masur (Martin) has appeared in over 80 movies during his career. Masur is also well-known to television audiences for his roles in "Rhoda," "One Day at a Time" and "All My Children." An Emmy® nominee for "The Burning Bed," his many Broadway and off-Broadway appearances include roles in "Democracy," "The Changing Room," "A Feminine Ending" and "Two Thousand Years."

Hunter Foster (Zeke) received an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for his role in the original Broadway cast of "Urinetown" and Tony Award® and Drama Desk Award nominations for playing Seymour in the Broadway revival of "Little Shop of Horrors." He has also been seen on Broadway as Leo Bloom in the Tony Award® winning production of "The Producers."


TO ORDER:

Check for special offers: Special offers may be available from Telecharge.com.

1.
ONLINE. www.broadwayoffers.com.

2.
BY PHONE. Call 212-947-8844

3.
IN PERSON. Westside Theatre Box Office, 407 West 43rd Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues). Box office open Mon.-Sun. noon – 6pm.

If you have any questions or comments, please send an e-mail to tickets@telecharge.com.

Discounts available for large groups at Telecharge.com/Groups.

RED BULL READINGS: CENCI & MORE

RED BULL THEATER
presents
Monday October 27th 7pm
A STAGED READING OF
THE CENCI
by
Percy Bysshe Shelley
featuring
Roger Rees • Lisa Harrow
Ezra Knight • Matthew Rauch
John Douglas Thompson • Sam Tsoutsouvas
Julie Jesneck • Peter Kim • Ben Rappaport
Emma Canalese • Vayu O'Donnell

Tyranny, incest, and assassination – a 16th century tragedy comes to vivid life in the hands of one of the great Romantic poets.

Adapted and Directed by
Eleanor Holdridge

www.redbulltheater.com

212.352.3101


REVELATION READINGS
OBIE AWARD-WINNING READING SERIES CONTINUES

NOVEMBER – DECEMBER READINGS
Monday November 17, 7pm
THE MALCONTENT
by John Marston
A truculent tragicomedy, this scathing attack on government corruption is timely, terrifying, and disconcertingly amusing.
Directed by Ethan McSweeny (The Persians, 1001)
Featuring Matthew Rauch (Revenger’s Tragedy)

Monday December 8, 7pm**
**(SEE NOTE BELOW FOR THEATER LOCATION)
DOCTOR FAUSTUS
by Christopher Marlowe
Faustus sells his soul for knowledge – the classic tale, as only Marlowe could have told it!
Directed by Mark Lamos (Cymbeline)

DECEMBER 9, 2008 – JANUARY 5, 2009
A full production of
Thomas Middleton’s WOMEN BEWARE WOMEN
Directed by Jesse Berger


2009 READINGS

Monday January 12, 7pm
ELECTRICIDAD: A Chicano take on the tragedy of Electra
by Luis Alfaro
Sophocles’ great classic re-imagined, set in a contemporary Los Angeles barrio.
Directed by Lisa Peterson

Monday February 23, 7pm
The Royal Hunt of the Sun
by Peter Shaffer
A modern epic about the conquest of Peru by Spain and the destruction of the Inca Empire.
Directed by Joe Hardy

Monday March 2, 7pm
THE SIEGE OF NUMANTIA
by Miguel de Cervantes
A devastating play about honor, sacrifice, and the last days of Numantia by the creator of Don Quixote.
Directed by Moisés Kaufman

LOCATION
Theater at St. Clement’s
423 West 46th Street, between 9th & 10th Avenues
Subway: A/C/E to 42nd Street, Exit on 44th Street
Parking: 415 West 45th Street, between 9th & 10th Avenues
**Note: Doctor Faustus on December 8th will be held at Theatre Row, 410 W 42ndSt.

TICKETS
$25 Adults
$10 Students/Industry*
$65+ Subscription Packages Available

Purchase at www.redbulltheater.com
or call 212-352-3101, or 866-811-4111 (toll-free)

*Valid ID required.


Red Bull Theater is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit company dedicated to the presentation of vital and imaginative productions of heightened language plays and to the development of new plays written in a similar vein. With a special focus on the Jacobean plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, Red Bull Theater aspires to challenge the intellect and engage the imagination of today’s theatergoers through language-based, company-created, resonantly provocative stagings of great classic stories.


JESSE BERGER
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

LONNIE COOPER
MANAGING DIRECTOR

RED BULL
PO BOX 250863
NEW YORK NY 10025
www.redbulltheater.com
212.414.5168

FREE NIGHT NYC -- FREE THEATER !!!

Free Night NYC invites you to GET LIVE!

Free Night NYC is offering 5,000 tickets to over 100 theaters across the city. Tickets will be offered to performances from October 16th through October 30th and can be reserved beginning October 1st at 10:00am on freenightnyc.net.

Tickets are limited, first come, first served, but check back because more tickets may be added throughout October. In the event that tickets sell out in one day, a special group of tickets will be released Oct. 2nd to accommodate potential post Rosh Hashanah audience.

On the national day of Free Night of Theater — Thursday October 16th — we'll also be hosting a kick-off event in Union Square and an all city theater rocks party at Element, a club on the Lower East Side.

Join us for a full day of celebrating the amazing diversity of New York theater!

EQUUS

EQUUS incorporates at least six major elements, intricately and elegantly intertwined.

• The basic plot driver: Why did the boy blind six horses?

• The philosophical, psychological question: The conflict between human need for extreme passion (even if pathological) and health (even if absent any passion).

• The substitution of horses for male-female (and male-male) eroticism.

• Sadomasochistic and other extreme expressions of religious passion.

• The theatricality of the stylistic staging with men in brown body suits, wearing beautifully constructed and strikingly lit wire horse heads, playing the horses.

• And also nudity. Complete male and female nudity that was extremely daring when the play was first staged. Less so now, but heightened by the fact that in this production the nude 17 year old boy is played by Harry Potter (aka Daniel Radcliff).

EQUUS was written by Peter Shaffer and has had many successful revivals after a very successful initial run. It opened for previews in NY on Sep 5th, and the official opening is Sep 25th.

As most everyone knows, Daniel Radcliff (aka Harry Potter) is playing Alan. He is a boy whose crime of blinding six horses is being investigated by Dysart, a psychiatrist played by Richard Griffiths, (aka Dursley in the Potter films, and also known for "The History Boys") who is fascinated by the pagan passion possessed by Alan.

EQUUS (Latin for horse) is a play that also deals in themes of equi-sexuality (man-horse love) and equi-religiousity (horse as god).

The part of Alan, in addition to being required to make credible his insanity and his passions, also requires extensive and complete nudity. Radcliffe is just about perfect in the role. It is sensational, on-the-money acting.

Richard Griffiths, as the psychiatrist, and Anna Camp as Jill, Alan's friend, are also excellent.

The challenge in producing or directing the play, in addition to realizing the part of Alan, is to understand Dysart, who is arguably an even more important character than Alan. The problem is that we understand that Dysart is torn between his job of returning Alan to normalcy, and his fear that he is thereby taking away Alan's most essential passions. But it is not clear that he ever comes to catharsis or satisfying resolution of his dilemma.

For me, the major structural problem in the play is that it never addresses the legal fate of Alan after Dysart's treatment of him has completed. What are the stakes? Does Alan escape jail and have a chance to live a normal life if he is cured? Or is he then sent to prison for his crime stripped (as Dysart would say) of his passions. What might become of Alan is critical to understanding how important Dysart’s treatment is, and what its goals might be. It would be quite different depending on whether, after successful treatment, Alan would still end up in jail, or committed to an insane asylum, or be free and able to live a normal life.

This is a classic play, and a fine production: well acted, well directed, and staged with great style. Questions about the interpretation of the performances and of the play itself are part of the power of EQUUS.



(Note about the theater: It is time for Broadway theaters in general, and the Majestic in particular, to give each seat more room (people must be bigger now than when the theater was built), and expand the capacity of the rest rooms (which failed to service everyone needing them during the intermission). The theater seats are nicely raked, and there is no trouble seeing over the people in front (except when they stand prematurely to applaud). There are two rows of seating behind and over the stage. The first of these rows seems like they have a fine view; I'm not so sure about the second row. When it is raining, the theater should be able to let the audience in early, rather than letting them gather outside and beyond the overhang getting wet in the rain until the normal time to open the theater.)

SHOWBIZ EXPO

Julia Amsterdam
Associate Director, TVI Actor's Studio, NY
at Showbiz Expo

I rather enjoyed Showbiz Expo (Sep 21).

It is most appropriate for young actors. It's a medium size show, not quite at critical mass for other demographics in showbiz, but, since the exhibition is free, most directors, producers and more-advanced actors are likely to find something, or someone, or some company in the exhibition space that will be useful.

Actors starting out will find it very valuable.

There is a networking party, and seminars as well (not free).

I heard part of one talk by Alan S. Nusbaum, Chairman of TVI Studios. It was a solid presentation for actors starting to market themselves as paid professionals. I also talked with several members of the TVI staff, and TVI seems like an excellent place to learn commercial acting skills -- the kind of acting skills you need to land paid jobs.

Coming: CLOSE TIES

CLOSE TIES

by Elizabeth Diggs

The Frye family gathers at their vacation home in the Berkshires, ruled for three generations by Josephine, their willful matriarch and center of the family. But what happens as the younger Fryes discover their center cannot hold? Close Ties celebrates the humor, the truth and the mystery of family.

Directed by Pamela Berlin.

Featuring: Jack Davidson, Julie Fitzpatrick, Fiona Gallagher,David Gelles Hurwitz, Polly Lee, Carole Monferdini, Judith Roberts, Tommy Schrider

at Ensemble Studio Theater
549 West 52 Street, NY NY
212 247-4982

(Pamela Berlin is the distinguished director of the 1987 production of Steel Magnolias. I've studied with her. I can enthusiastically recommend anything she will direct; for that matter, anything at EST is worth recommending also!)

Previews: September 17 - 21 Wed - Sat & Mon, 7 pm > Sat & Sun, 2 pm
Opening Night: September 22, 7 pm
Performances: September 22 - October 12 Wed - Sat & Mon, 7 pm > Sat & Sun, 2 pm

Tickets: $30 Previews: $20 Students & Seniors: $15
Tickets at Ovationtix.com or by calling 212.352.3101

Sets: Michael Schweikardt
Costumes: Suzanne Chesney
Lights: Chris Dallos
Sound: David Lawson
Casting: Janet Foster, C.S.A.
Production Stage Manager: Mary Leach
Assistant Stage Manager: Christine Fisichella
Producer: James Carter
Associate Producer: Annie Trizna
Press Representative: David Gersten & Associates

Coming: KINDNESS

KINDNESS

A new play written and directed by
Obie Award winner ADAM RAPP(Red Light Winter, Essential Self-Defense)

An ailing mother (ANNETTE O'TOOLE, "Smallville") and her teenaged son (CHRISTOPHER DENHAM, Red Light Winter) flee Illinois and a crumbling marriage for the relative calm and safety of a midtown Manhattan hotel. Mom holds tickets to a popular musical about love among bohemians. Her son isn't interested, so Mom takes the kindly cabdriver instead, while the boy entertains a visitor from down the hall, an enigmatic, potentially dangerous young woman. Kindness is a play about the possibility for sympathy in a harsh world and the meaning of mercy in the face of devastating circumstances.

Also starring Ray Antony Thomas and Katherine Waterston.

SEPTEMBER 25 THRU NOVEMBER 2 ONLY!
Perfs. Tues-Fri at 7:30, Sat at 2:00 & 7:30, Sun at 2:00 & 7:00

* Purchase online at www.TicketCentral.com
* Call TICKET CENTRAL at (212) 279-4200 (Noon-8pm daily).
* Visit the TICKET CENTRAL box office window at 416 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues (Noon-8pm daily).


Playwrights Horizons Peter Jay Sharp Theater
416 WEST 42ND STREET (BETWEEN 9th & 10th AVENUES)

Coming: LOVE AND WAR

Phil's Literary Works

presents a staged reading of a new play

LOVE AND WAR - A POLITICAL LOVE STORY
or what happens when enemies fall in love?

Written and directed by Phillip W. Weiss

A bitter Israeli soldier ... a beautiful Palestinian woman ... war ... passion ... romance

2 performances only!
Sunday, September 14th at 4:30 P.M.
Wednesday, September 17th at 7:30 P.M.

The Roy Arias Theater Center Off-Off Broadway Playhouse
300 West 43rd Street, 5th Floor, NYC
(212) 957-8358

Admission: $15.00 (payable by cash, check or money order)

pwnycny@aol.com

Warning: this play contains language and content not suitable for minors.Ticket purchases are non-refundable.

Coming: A NUMBER

The Clockwork Theatre Presents

A NUMBER

Written by CARYL CHURCHILL
Directed by BEVERLY BRUMM
Featuring:SEAN MARRINAN* & JAY ROHLOFF
September 6 - September 26, 2008
THE BECKETT THEATRE @ THEATRE ROW

410 West 42nd Street, between 9th and Dyer Avenues

"Like all Churchill's best plays, A Number deals with both the essentials and the extremities of human experience... The questions this brilliant, harrowing play asks are almost unanswerable, which is why they must be asked." - The Sunday Times

Caryl Churchill's play, A Number, centers around Salter, a father who is suddenly faced with the startling results of his decision to clone a child thirty years earlier. It is unexpectedly revealed that this experiment resulted in "a number" of sons, three of whom now confront him with the consequences of his actions. With unexpected turns, stunning developments and a dramatic examination of the issues of nature vs. nurture, A Number is both an emotionally compelling and intellectually provocative drama.

The production features scenic design by Larry Laslo, lighting design by Ben Tevelow, and costume design by Jocelyn Melechinsky. Sound by Jason Sebastian, Casting by Todd Thaler. Stephanie Cali is the Production Stage Manager.

Designer Larry Laslo was named as a Design Icon by The World Market Center Las Vegas in honor of his highly regarded interior design work. Laslo has become famous for his "liveable contemporary" style, which he's used in many commercial design projects, such as the Takashimaya flagship store and Bergdorf Goodman, both in New York.

A NUMBER plays the following regular schedule through Friday, September 26th:
Wednesdays - Saturdays at 8 pm;
Sundays at 2 pm .
Call Ticket Central at (212) 279- 4200.
www.ticketcentral.com.
Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the Theatre Row Box Office, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

What do you get when you mix a picnic lunch, your local NYC neighborhood park and a fun and friendly, no frills Shakespeare production?

Curious Frog Theatre Company's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING!

IT'S A COMEDY. IT'S FREE. AND IT'S COMING TO A PARK NEAR YOU.

· SAT 8/23/08 SUNSET PARK
· SUN 8/24/08 ASTORIA PARK
· SAT 8/30/08 INWOOD HILL PARK (Very close to mi casa)
· SUN 8/31/08 EAST RIVER PARK
· SAT 9/06 BAISLEY POND PARK
· SUN. 9/07 RIVERSIDE PARK
· SUN 9/21 FORT GREENE PARK
· SAT 9/27 ASTORIA PARK
· SUN 9/28 QUEENSBRIDGE PARK

ALL PERFORMANCES AT 4:00 PM

Maps, Directions & ALL THE DETAILS AT:
WWW.CURIOUSFROG.ORG

REVELATION READINGS AT RED BULL THEATER

RED BULL THEATER

presents

REVELATION READINGS

OBIE AWARD-WINNING READING SERIES

September 15th 2008 – March 2nd 2009


SEPTEMBER – DECEMBER READINGS

Monday September 15, 7pm

A BENEFIT READING OF

RESTORATION COMEDY

by Amy Freed (The Beard of Avon)

New York Premiere, directed by Jesse Berger

Featuring Michael Urie (Ugly Betty, Revenger’s Tragedy), Bill Camp, and More!

A hilarious fusion of Vanbrugh’s classic sex-farce The Relapse and its wild prequel Cibber’s Love’s Last Shift, this new comedy is not to be missed.

VIP reception with the artists beforehand. Cocktail party with live music follows the reading.

Admission: $100 Reading & Party, $250 VIP Reception + Reading & Party

Reserve now at www.redbulltheater.com
or 212.352.3101


Monday September 29, 7pm

THE SILENT WOMAN

by Ben Jonson

This Jacobean gem is satirically savvy, with a surprisingly sexy twist.

Starring F Murray Abraham (Amadeus, Merchant of Venice)


Monday October 6, 7pm

A HORSE’S ASS

by David Greenspan, loosely adapted from Pietro Aretino’s Renaissance comedy, Il Marescalco.

1526. Mantua. A homosexual man will be forced at knifepoint to marry a woman. He’s tearing his hair out.

Directed by Leigh Silverman (Well)



Monday October 27, 7pm

THE CENCI

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Tyranny, incest, and assassination – a 16th century tragedy comes to vivid life in the hands of one of the great Romantic poets.

Directed by Eleanor Holdridge

Featuring Lisa Harrow (Wit) and Roger Rees (Indiscretions)



Monday November 17, 7pm

THE MALCONTENT

by John Marston

A truculent tragicomedy, this scathing attack on government corruption is timely, terrifying, and disconcertingly amusing.

Directed by Ethan McSweeny (The Persians, 1001)

Featuring Matthew Rauch (Revenger’s Tragedy)



Monday December 8, 7pm

DOCTOR FAUSTUS

by Christopher Marlowe

Faustus sells his soul to the Devil for knowledge – the classic tale, as only Marlowe could have told it!

Directed by Mark Lamos (Cymbeline)



COMING THIS SEASON

A full production of
Thomas Middleton’s WOMEN BEWARE WOMEN

Directed by Jesse Berger

Tickets on sale soon…


2009 READINGS

Monday January 12, 7pm
ELECTRICIDAD: A Chicano take on the tragedy of Electra
by Luis Alfaro

Sophocles’ great classic re-imagined, set in a contemporary Los Angeles barrio.

Directed by Lisa Peterson


Monday February 23, 7pm
The Royal Hunt of the Sun
by Peter Shaffer

A modern epic about the conquest of Peru by Spain and the destruction of the Inca Empire, a clash of cultures brought about by an occupying force.

Directed by Joe Hardy

Monday March 2, 7pm
THE SIEGE OF NUMANTIA
by Miguel de Cervantes

A devastating play about honor, sacrifice, and the last days of Numantia by the creator of Don Quixote.

Directed by Moises Kaufman


LOCATION

Theater at St. Clement’s

423 West 46th Street, between 9th & 10th Avenues

Subway: A/C/E to 42nd Street, Exit on 44th Street

Parking: 415 West 45th Street, between 9th & 10th Avenues



TICKETS

$25 Adults

$10 Students/Industry*

$100/$250 Benefit

$65+ Subscription Packages Available

Purchase at www.redbulltheater.com
or call 212-352-3101, or 866-811-4111 (toll-free)


Red Bull Theater is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit company dedicated to the presentation of vital and imaginative productions of heightened language plays and to the development of new plays written in a similar vein. With a special focus on the Jacobean plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, Red Bull Theater aspires to challenge the intellect and engage the imagination of today’s theatergoers through language-based, company-created, resonantly provocative stagings of great classic stories. Donations to Red Bull Theater are fully tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.


DONATE
To give to Red Bull Theater right now, click HERE or go to http://www.redbulltheater.com/2008/cms.php?menu=join.


MAILING LIST
Don’t miss out on events that get announced by regular mail only. Send your mailing address to info@redbulltheater.com to be kept completely up to date. To Subscribe or Unsubscribe to email announcements, click here: http://www.redbulltheater.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi.




JESSE BERGER
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
PO BOX 250863
NEW YORK NY 10025
www.redbulltheater.com

212.414.5168
info@redbulltheater.com

THREE CHANGES

THREE CHANGES

A new play by NICKY SILVER (Pterodactyls, The Food Chain)
Directed by WILSON MILAM (The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Killer Joe)

Nate (Dylan McDermott, "The Practice") and Laurel (Maura Tierney, "E.R.") are a comfortably married, Upper West Side couple-until Nate's wayward brother Hal (Scott Cohen, Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?) arrives from Hollywood. What at first seems a casual visit, a chance to reconnect, is quickly revealed as something more ominous. Hal may have had success, but human connection is all that matters, and he intends to make connections-no matter who pays the price.

Three Changes is a funny and darkly suspenseful look at the joy of family, and how far we'll go to get it.

AUGUST 22 THRU SEPTEMBER 28 ONLY!
Playwrights Horizons Mainstage Theater
416 WEST 42ND STREET (BETWEEN 9th & 10th AVENUES)

Perfs. Tues-Fri at 8:00, Sat at 2:30 & 8:00, Sun at 2:30 & 7:30

For tickets:

TicketCentral.com

or
Call TICKET CENTRAL at (212) 279-4200 (Noon-8pm daily).
or
Visit the TICKET CENTRAL box office window
416 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues (Noon-8pm daily).

LOVE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS

Elizabeth Bove will be a featured actress in

LOVE and OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS

Manhattan Repertory Theatre
Presents: Summerfest 2008

LOVE and OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS

4 one-acts

written and directed by Karen B. Song

Featuring: Chris Brescia, Elizabeth Bove, Evan Dahme, Athena Kazantzis, Helen Kim, Joe Medina, Stephanie Parrott, Catherine Zubkow

Stage Manager: Sarah Nochenson
Sound Design: Hollis Smith

7 PM shows Wed. Aug. 6th, Thurs. Aug. 7th, Fri. Aug. 8th
(Possible Extended Run: Sat/Sun, Aug. 9/10th -- Call for details)

General Admission $20*
For Tickets: (646)329-6588

Manhattan Repertory Theatre
303 W. 42nd Street (at 8th Ave.) Third Floor
http://www.manhattanrep.com/

STAIN

STAIN

A new play by Tony Glazer
directed by Scott C. Embler
presented by Choice Theatricals

What doesn't kill you leaves a mark.

Featuring:

Karina Arroyave - (Film: Crash, "24", Theatre: The Public's School of the Americas)

Joanna Bayless - (Sweet Bird of Youth)

Peter Brensinger - (Film: Red Cockroaches)

Summer Crockett Moore - (Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, IT Award for Best Featured Actress)

Jim O'Connor - (Film: Sweet Home Alabama, Last Request, Mystic Pizza. TV: "The Secret Life of...")

Tobias Segal - (MTC's From Up Here - Drama League & Drama Desk Award nominations, Playwrights' Doris To Darlene).

Now thru August 23rd, 2008
at The Kirk Theatre
Theatre Row, NYC - 410 West 42nd Street

For tickets: call 212-279-4200 or visit www.ticketcentral.com

FRINGE NYC 2008

The New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC)
August 8th - 24th, 2008:

The New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) may well be the largest multi-arts festival in North America, with more than 200 companies from all over the world performing for 16 days in more than 20 venues - for a total of more than 1300 performances!

Every year there are exciting discoveries plus shows you will see nowhere else!

Home page -- http://www.fringenyc.org/

List of all shows (alphabetical) -- http://www.fringenycdata.com/basic_page.php?ltr=num

Download the program guide (it's big!) -- http://www.fringenyc.org/seeing/pguide.asp

List of shows & ticket purchases from Theatermania (This is a terrific, convenient way to look up, browse and purchase tickets for more than 40 of the the huge number of offerings!) --
http://www.theatermania.com/content/festival_sortable.cfm?festival=15


Volunteer to help out this year -- http://www.fringenyc.org/Vol/volunteers.asp

Get a headstart on performing next year by reading this year's application information--
http://www.fringenyc.org/About/application.asp

Here is some detailed programming information:


@lice in www.onderland
Theater 80 August 15-August 22 Old Campus Productions Dance @lice in www.onderland is a modern dance/multimedia adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The piece explores issues of identity and liveness that arise from society's engagement with the Internet...our www.onderland. Follow Alice on her adventures down the rabbit hole as she encounters various familiar characters and is forced to confront questions such as "Who are you?" "What are you?" and "Where are you going?"


The Alice Complex
Cherry Lane Theatre August 8-August 24 Tall Story Productions and The New York International Fringe Festival Drama Past, present and future collide in this darkly funny, psychological thriller about inspiration and betrayal between two women of different generations.


Anais Nin Goes to Hell
Connelly Theater August 8-August 24 Maieutic Theatre Works Comedy MTWorks presents the world premiere of David Stallings' Anaïs Nin Goes to Hell. Anaïs Nin goes to Hell will play a limited engagement as part of the 11th annual New York International Fringe Festival. Imagine an island in hell where Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, and Queen Victoria...wait for their men. What happens when women's lib icon Anaïs Nin arrives to turn their afterlife upside down?


Becoming Britney
The Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street August 8-August 24 Endless Supply Productions Musical Comedy How does a pop sensation wind up bald and trapped in her own musical? Becoming Britney is a caustic (but loving) PG-13 fable that chronicles the rise...the dip?and the salvation of a foolhardy celebrity phenom. The show features six kick-ass actors and eleven original songs that pay snarky homage to multiple musical theatre genres. Are you ready to face your inner Divas, y'all?


But for the Grace...
Walkerspace August 8-August 17 FringeNYC Drama
Solo Performance
Play But for the Grace... tells the stories of the people who are forced to rely on food pantries in order to put food on their tables, putting a true face on hunger in the US.


Control
The Studio at Cherry Lane Theatre August 14-August 22 New York Artists' Community Play Hold on to your remotes!! When vertically-challenged and sexually confused Brady gets fired he's forced to move in with loudmouth college dropout Holly. Together they crash into a quarter-life crises leaving them susceptible to the manipulation of bizarrely accurate infomercials. Radio, News Paper, Magazine, Internet, Television?CONTROL takes a hard humorous look at the media's role in the rise of anxiety disorders among America's youth.

Creena DeFoouie
Cherry Lane Theatre August 15-August 23 Ruby Bloomsbury Theatre Comedy
Musical
Mystery/Thriller Welcome to the home, retreat, boudoir of the vampish Creena. Her unique counseling services help half-wits who lack harmony and hormonal balance. Mental patients go missing---a case for extraordinarily well-endowed Superintendent Russell Hardon? AB FAB meets ADDAMS FAMILY by way of ROCKY HORROR! A two-man trip created and performed by UK siblings Charlotte Barton-Hoare and James Hoare.


Cruising To Croatia
Bleecker Street Theatre August 8-August 24 Onisland Communications Musical Comedy Mark and Teddy, a couple of goofy blind guys pose as musicians on a cruise ship to search for Teddy's new love, a seductive internet voice.


CYCLE- A Vaudeville Comedy
Spiegeltent August 9-August 23 WILTSIE BRIDGE PRODUCTIONS and OFF THE LEASH PRODUCTIONS Vaudeville Critics rave: "Hilarious!", "picture perfect", "A luscious, enjoyable show." A desperate New Yorker has one day to find the "Secret Of Success" in this whirlwind comedy with eight actor/musicians playing over 70 roles. CYCLE features live accompaniment on the piano, accordion, guitar, flute, fiddle, slide whistle and more. From Shakespeare to soft-shoe, it's a charming, retro dream.


The Deciders
Michael Schimmel Center For The Arts, Pace University August 16-August 22 Within Reach Entertainment Musical Power! Patriotism! Propaganda! The Deciders is about power -- those who have it and those who want it. Mitch Kess' driving rock score reveals in song and satire the secrets, dreams, motives and misinformation of those who make the decisions and those who live with the consequences from the Washington Power Elite to Baghdad and beyond. Directed by J. Michaels. Music direction by David Fletcher.


Eggs and the Rebound Guy
CSV Flamboyan Theater August 8-August 23 2 Little People Productions Comedy A comical, yet heartrending story of Dru, a single thirty-something, disenchanted with the dating game, who sets out to have a baby on her own. When she meets Terrence, a handsome new prospect, she must decide if she really needs Mr. Right to have a baby.


The Fabulous Kane Sisters in Box Office Poison
Cherry Lane Theatre August 9-August 22 Red Light District in association with Stephen Morfesis Comedy It is 1956, in Pocatello, Idaho, and murder, mayhem and muscular bodies fill the stage as the Fabulous Kane Sisters attempt to solve a mystery and prevent their own murders in this bawdy, burlesque comedy. It's like a trip through the sewer in a glass bottom boat!


The "Gay No More" Telethon
Michael Schimmel Center For The Arts, Pace University August 8-August 24 The Fringe Festival Musical Comedy Reverend Wiley Ray Henderson's Religious Broadcasting Network presents The "Gay No More" Telethon. Your generous contribution will help turn every homosexual straight by the Rapture or the 2014 Winter Olympics ... Whichever comes first. "Let's Get One Thing Straight ... You!" - Comedy Musical


GEM! A Truly Outrageous Parody!
Barrow Street Theatre August 9-August 23 Musical Comedy Based on one of the greatest animated, dual-personality songstresses of the Me Decade, our Gem and her band, The Holographs, must enter a battle of the bands against their archenemies, evil Spizazz and the Misfires. Will rock-n-roll, hope, and a talking hologram machine be all she needs to win?


George the Fourth
Players Theatre August 9-August 20 Michael T. Middleton Comedy
Drama
Play Diana's fiancé thinks he can outduel her estranged, acerbic parents with one simple weapon: Honesty. But nobody is quite prepared for a dead coyote in a Santa hat to sabotage their agendas and become the center of every argument. With a comedy this dark, what else is there to say but "Pass the scotch"?


The Golden Aurora
Bleecker Street Theatre August 16-August 23 Working Artists Theatre Project Drama The Golden Aurora is a modern fable about an unusual love affair. When Ned, a veterinarian's helper, falls in love with a rare and beautiful dog, his Midwestern town is turned upside down. Rejected by people closest to him, Ned becomes an outcast. In this haunting tale, we learn that when love runs deeply, there is no knowing where the human ends and the animal begins.


The Grecian Formula
45 Bleecker August 8-August 22 Followspot Entertainment Comedy Commanded to write the world's first drama, Homeric celebubard Thespiotis orders his servant, Alidocious, to ghost-write it for him. And so the witty slave does write on cue, though mayhem, masks, and choral odes ensue in this new play about the backstage comedy behind the first drama.


Green Eyes
Theater 80 August 16-August 23 Musical The new musical, green eyes tracks the rise and fall of a relationship through folk-rock music and modern dance. A contemporary love story, green eyes utilizes two singers, two dancers, and a five-piece orchestra to fuse both song and dance. Featuring Nick Blaemire (Cry Baby, Altar Boyz), Celina Carvajal (MTV's "Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods," Cats), Ryan Watkinson (Movin' Out, Xanadu), and Melissa Bloch (Leopold Group).


Heaven Forbid(s)!
The Jazz Gallery August 9-August 16 Martice Enterprises Comedy Life's a bitch, then you die! The ultimate multi-cultural experience! Outcast souls-pimps, transgender, and others, convene in "purgatory" to convince the man upstairs to let them in. Heaven doesn't want them and hell is at capacity. God and the Universe appear as a cholo gang-banger and a 60's bohemian love child. It's comedy from beyond! 2007 Dallas/Fort Worth Critic's Award Winner for Outstanding New Play.


I Heart Hamas: And Other Things I'm Afraid to Tell You
The Players Theatre Loft August 8-August 24 Jajeh & Co. Comedy
Solo Performance

I Love You, Petty, & Favre
Barrow Street Theatre August 8-August 23 Scott-Works Productions Comedy
Drama
Play She had the name of a football legend, he had Tom Petty concert tickets. It was a match made in heaven. For anyone that has loved, lost, persevered, or played air guitar... a heartwarming tale of life, family, football, and runnin' down a dream.


III
Cherry Lane Theatre August 13-August 23 joes & co. Drama Playwright and director Joe Salvatore tells the true story of an all-male ménage-a-trois set in the first half of the twentieth century and based on the real lives of George Platt Lynes, Glenway Wescott, and Monroe Wheeler.


KABOOM!
Cherry Lane Theatre August 9-August 23 Red House Group/Joan Cullman Productions Comedy
Play
Farce It's the tale of San Francisco's wiliest crook, who plans to cash in on the ultimate rip-off: a drug called Krokk that may extend orgasms up to 37 minutes. When his stash is accidentally destroyed, he has one day to recoup his losses and get out of town. As he rakes in cash from his many other con jobs, it seems as if nothing can stop him -- except maybe a neurotic New Yorker, a kazoo virtuoso, a loopy bike messenger, and an act of nature.


La Vigilia (the Vigil)
Connelly Theater August 13-August 23 TEATRO OSCURO Comedy A sly Italian comedy of manners, La Vigilia refers to the Christmas Vigil feast celebrating Christ's birth, when feuds are settled, strangers are welcomed and love is served in equal measure with the food. Romantic complications ensue when a mysterious stranger shows up at the dinner of a rich noblewoman. Is he her long lost husband or an errant con man? Set in Post-World War II Italy, La Vigilia is a story of passion rediscovered and reclaimed.


The Legislative Process
Schaeberle Studio Theatre at Pace University August 10-August 23 The Six Chapter Company Play Dexter is thrilled to be spending his junior year in Washington as a congressional page. But he discovers that Capitol Hill is not so different from high school. For one thing, only the pretty boys seem to get ahead.... Could you "make it" in Washington?


Mourn the Living Hector
CSV Flamboyan Theater August 14-August 23 Performance Lab 115 Drama Winner of two Fringe Excellence Awards, PL115 returns to the FringeNYC to investigate wartime violence on the home front, interweaving the Trojan hero's last day with the home-leave of an American Marine; a comedic tragedy of ambient violence, failed connections, and unexpected happy-endings.


Murder of the Seas
The Jazz Gallery August 8-August 24 Murder Company Mystery/Thriller Want to see the sordid underbelly of the caribbean cruise industry? Neither does recovering alcoholic Chester B. Fields. But he doesn't have a choice. He's got to find the body, solve the murder and get the girl without ending up in the drink.

Not Dark Yet
Walkerspace August 13-August 22 Present Tense Productions Play Tom has a big hairy muse named Norman who's wrecking his life. When Norman shows up in a tutu and feeds his doubts about his marriage, Tom realizes that a writer can pick his friends, pick his wife, but can't pick his subconscious.


Now That She's Gone
SoHo Playhouse August 12-August 22 EMP Theatricals Comedy
Drama
Solo Performance Now That She's Gone is a tremendously personal, yet universal journey of self-discovery & parental relationships as seen through the filter of a feminist activist. Politics aside, the relationship of mother to daughter is explored in a real & grounded way that speaks to audiences of all backgrounds, political philosophies & cultures. The show represents a slice of American history as well as a personal story with which the audience can relate.


the october crisis (to laura)
Players Theatre August 8-August 18 Packawallop Productions, Inc Drama 1962. Spy planes uncover missiles in Cuba and a cryptic telegram uncovers painful memories for singer Marguerite Stone. Contacted by her estranged son, Marguerite is transported back to a choice she made around her debut. An efficient assistant, her suspicious lawyer and a repertoire of her songs performed by her younger self force Marguerite to face her past decisions and reunite with her son.


Operation Adelmo
Spiegeltent August 8-August 20 G&W, LLC Vaudeville Live entertainment for the YouTube generation filled with music, magic, singing, showgirls, clowns, kazoos, Rice Krispies, Bugs & Elmer, toreadors, accordions, banjos, ukuleles, guitars, razors, and pie! Starring Adelmo Guidarelli, the voice New York critics have compared to "Ettore Bastianini and Robert Merrill". He has played to standing ovations all over the world, including New York, Las Vegas, Rome, and of course, New Jersey. www.OperationAdelmo.com.


Panopticon
The New School for Drama Theater August 13-August 23 Glass Slipper Solutions Drama
Mystery/Thriller
One-Acts Trapped in a sinister prison known as the Panopticon, Patrick is stripped of his identity to become prisoner 67401. In his cell he is confronted by the demons of his past only to realize the true nature of his incarceration.

The Permanent Night
Barrow Street Theatre August 9-August 22 Imago Film Productions Drama New York City. Blackout. Secrets and betrayals illuminate the flaws of a wealthy couple's seemingly perfect marriage, a first encounter sheds light on the scars of a young woman's past, and the night leaves an indelible mark on them all.

Raised by Lesbians
Barrow Street Theatre August 9-August 21 Geek Ink Comedy Joe is 16. He can't decide whether to live with his mom or his dad. Meanwhile, his best friend Gracie puts him at the center of her silent movie, and his step-mother quilts everything that isn't nailed down. His dad is badgering him about his manhood. His mom has a new girlfriend. Joe isn't sure if other kids call him names at school because his mom is a lesbian, or just because they think he's a dork.

Salt Lake, a New Ballet
The Lafayette Street Theater at The Theaters at 45 Bleecker August 20-August 24 Virgin Dance Dance Theater Salt becomes a metaphor for desire and passion in Vicky Virgin's new dance creation, Salt Lake, a New Ballet in 3 Acts


Sex, Cellulite and Large farm Equipment: One Girl's Guide to Living and Dying
The Jazz Gallery August 13-August 21 River Huston Productions Solo Performance River Huston, stand-up comic, award winning poet, sex columnist, former aerobics instructor, musician, pot farmer, dominatrix, armed robber, takes a humorous look at her life experiences including an arrest for obscenity, running a marathon, marriage, financial ruin, surviving two terminal illnesses, and several unexplained rashes. If you have had a bad day or bad decade River will help you laugh at life's challenges.


Shots: A Love Story
The Lafayette Street Theater at The Theaters at 45 Bleecker August 9-August 17 Progressive Theatre Workshop Experimental HER, HER AGAIN, and HER ONCE MORE are beaten to a bloody pulp by HIM... repeatedly. These three women find themselves trapped in the chaotic and wet world that is their addiction. Bullets fly and vodka drenches. Direct from two sold out runs in the Phoenix desert, SHOTS is an addictive, assaulting, soaked, and sometimes humorous look into the psyche of an addict.


Strange Attractor
Spiegeltent August 10-August 23 The Present Company Interactive
Solo Performance
Magic Show STRANGE ATTRACTOR is an interactive theatrical showcase of Magic and Mystery - Willy Wonka meets Hitchcock! Witness extraordinary phenomena! Help Imagination Man Marco save the world from the mundane! Defy the skeptical scrooges and partake in strange occurrences! Witness incredible feats of mind-reading, teleporting, and other interactive feats with Marco, a Magic Man out to save the world... and the world beyond! 60 minutes


Thoroughly Stupid Things or The Continuous Importance of Being Earnest
Bleecker Street Theatre August 10-August 23 Whirled Peas Productions Comedy
Play In this sexy, new sequel to Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, Gwendolen and Cecily go undercover as attorneys Ernest and Ernest to find out why Jack and Algernon spend so much time at the local men's club. When they meet alluring cabaret singer Bibi LaFlam and a menacing French Inspector, the ladies get more than they bargain for in this thoroughly "Wilde" comedy.


Tough Guys Don't Shoot Blanks
Barrow Street Theatre August 11-August 21 Grayce Productions and FringeNYC Comedy Join Skip and Dottie, hosts of the 1950s television show "Cinema Cavalcade," as they unearth another action-packed gangster flick. Can fist-swingin' copper, Chick Donahue, squash the crime and corruption on the streets of New York ? Will on-the-lam Lefty find his hard-boiled sis before mobster Sonny Rocco rubs him out? A parody-within-a-parody, Tough Guys Don't Shoot Blanks delightfully sends up two genres of yesteryear.


Traffic Jam
SoHo Playhouse August 9-August 22 Sumo Productions Comedy In Traffic Jam, Cassie, an absolute train wreck, waits for Death to arrive in a hospital waiting room. She wishes to assume the mantle of the strong woman in her family, and slay her monster grandfather if Death will not do his job. Cassie is absolutely convinced that he is stuck in traffic. She meets Gary, who (like everyone else in her life) betrays her.


Trees Like Nails
Schaeberle Studio Theatre at Pace University August 8-August 20 Maggie's Farm Theater Company Comedy
Drama
Mystery/Thriller Sex. Drugs. Death. Slurpees. Trees Like Nails follows two brothers who find the mutilated body of a girl in the woods. Over one night, six small-town teens are covered in the trail of blood. Brazenly revealing danger at the heart of growing up, Snider's play challenges us to look inward for answers. A dark coming-of-age tale about drinking and dealing in the suburbs.


Triumph of the Underdog
Schaeberle Studio Theatre at Pace University August 8-August 12 Triumph Team Solo Performance Geeks! Dorks! Fanboys! Lend your pointed ears! Peter Howell's mind-bending lecture speeds through the history of Science Fiction -- from Mesopotamia to Star Trek in twenty minutes -- and might just save your life. Can the washed-up author really prevent an astronomical catastrophe threatening to annihilate the entire solar system?


Velvet Scratch- Voyage of No Return
Barrow Street Theatre August 8-August 13 Theatre Lab Company Performance Art Unwanted souls and their dark stories: Victorian vampires, velvet hearts, strawberries, piercing needles...the voyage begins. A gothic musical with macabre humour, powerful images and theatrical animation. "Wildly experimental theatre, spellbinding to the last second; a weird little gem" *****Skinny Fest, Edinburgh 2007; " Imagine Tim Burton directing Gabriel García Marquez?.The level of invention is breathtaking, the whole is bloody beautiful" Prague Post, 2007.


Walls
Cherry Lane Theatre August 12-August 17 New York Rep Comedy A couple wakes up and finds a WALL splitting their house in half. The furniture, the bed, even the fish are severed in two. On the night of their anniversary, the confrontation begins and the secrets come out?


Woodhull: A Play About The First Woman Who Ran For President
Michael Schimmel Center For The Arts, Pace University August 9-August 15 Elephant Ensemble Theater Drama Based on a very true story, this play tells the true story of Victoria Woodhull, an outrageous and revolutionary former prostitute who--with a platform that included abolition of the death penalty, legalized prostitution, and free love--was the first woman to run for President in 1872.


ZOMBIE (world premiere)
The Players Theatre Loft August 9-August 21 Razors Edge Drama "I'm not Jeffrey Dahmer. I'm Quentin P. They say I murder, torture, and rape young boys. That's not how I see it. I'm trying to create a ZOMBIE. Join me. I'll tell you my side of the story." A sexual psychopath tries to create zombies to fill his every need. From one of America's greatest storytellers, best-selling author Joyce Carol Oates.

EMERGING WRITER'S GROUP AT THE PUBLIC

The Public Theater is now accepting applications for the 2009 Emerging Writer's Group.

Playwrights in the Writer's Group will:

--Receive a stipend of $3,000
--Participate in a biweekly writers group led by The Public’s Literary Department
--Receive at least one reading at The Public
--Participate in master classes led by established playwrights
--Observe rehearsals for productions at The Public
--Receive an additional stipend for theater tickets to productions at other theaters
--Receive complimentary tickets to Public Theater shows, invited dress rehearsals and other special events
--Receive career development advice from mid-career and established writers
--Receive artistic and professional support from the literary department and artistic staff.

This sounds like a tremendous opportunity for new playwrights!

Applications will be accepted through August 29.

Details and application information are available at:

http://www.publictheater.org/content/view/88/155/

OLD BROADWAY THEATERS

I was just recently in one of those old Broadway theaters. It was terrible. It's time to shut those old theaters down and re-build them all.

The seats are too narrow. Were people all skinny when they were built? (Probably yes.)

There were few stalls in the ladies' room and not much more in the men's room. Did people pee less in the old days? (Probably not, so why did they build the bathrooms so small?)

And the rows of seats were not very well raked, making any tall person in a row ahead a serious obstacle.

New theaters, in addition to being more comfortable, and possible safer (who know what lurks in those old floors and walls?) could be roomier in a way that would allow more creative concession income. It's too crowded now to sell anything efficiently.

With an evening at the theater for two (tickets, not to mention transportation, parking, and possibly a restaurant) running into the hundreds of dollars, patrons deserve a pleasant experience in every way (including a quick trip to the bathroom at intermission + something from the vending concession without missing the start of the next act). They may also be interested in a significant souvenir from the show (especially since -- with the falling dollar -- more and more of the visitors are here on a big trip from some other country).

While many shows do sell a program... or shirts and caps... or other items, the poor marketing display and inefficiency of making a sale in the crowded old theaters means the show is probably giving up the possibility of significant additional revenue.

It seems to me that these uncomfortable old theaters are doing a disservice to Broadway (by discouraging people who were uncomfortable in one show from going to another show); a disservice to the audience (which deserves a better experience); and a disservice to themselves (for giving up income from concessions) .

Lets give a big cheer for each new theater that arrives!

THE BACCHAE

Alan Cumming & The BacchaeFrom the2008 international tour of The BacchaeNational Theatre of ScotlandPhoto credit: Rhuary Grant

The Bacchae of Euripedes dramatizes themes and issues that are as important today as they were 2500 years ago, and does so with a style as modern as if it were just written.

In fact, The Bacchae was written in about 407 BC (2008+407 = 2415 years ago) and had its premiere, some two years later, about a year after Euripedes died, posthumously winning first prize at the Dionysia.

The play was written in Greek Macedonia where Euripedes had moved from Athens (on the invitation of the King of Macedonia) about a year before writing the play.

It is helpful to understand some of the background of the creation of the play: the world as seen from Athens in 407 BC. It was written during the Peloponnesian war between Athens and Sparta, and war was coming to a climax. It was a bitter conflict. In addition to the dangers of war, politics in Athens were very unstable. Among other events, for example, a coup, about 3 years before Euripedes’ departure from Athens, overthrew the Athenian democratic system in favor of oligarchic rule by a group of 400 prominent and wealthy Athenians.

In Macedonia, Euripedes was removed from danger and from the politics. Also, it has been suggested that he was exposed to Dionysian Mysteries and rituals in Macedonia which were much more intense than the -- rather tame -- ceremonies in Athens.

The play takes place in Grecian Thebes in ancient times. During the Peloponnesian war, Thebes was Athens’ enemy, allied with Sparta. Thebans may also have been regarded by Athenians as a bit dense or stupid.

Persia, Lydia and Phrygia, which are described as the lands from which Dionysus has just arrived from the East, were important kingdoms when the play was written. Lydia and Phrygia lay Northeast of Athens in what is now Turkey, and in the direction of Persia, which had, not long ago, attacked Greece, but had been repelled.

The Bacchae is a very powerful play. The conclusion is very shocking, and the developments that lead to the conclusion are very theatrical, with both humor and spectacle, and an ever-present suggestion of sex.

Much of the power of the play is that is not a perfect play. Most productions of the play seem to succeed on one level, and yet be incomplete and unconvincing on some other level. It touches on many themes, but is not a simple exposition of any one. Given any interpretation, it could equally be taken to support a different or even opposite interpretation. The freedom of directing the play from any one of many thematic emphases is part of the reason the play is often presented, and often presented at a time of national stress, when one or another of the issues with which it deals become matters of popular relevance and importance.

There is also the issue of language. Ancient Greek drama is said to have been written in a form of poetry which has strong rhythm (without rhyme). Last summer I saw and heard Euripedes’ Medea at Cambridge University in England presented in Ancient Greek. The sound of the language was a revelation. Without understanding the language (but following along: a running translation was provided on an overhead screen), the beauty and power of the sound of the language was evident.

(Note: Cambridge produces a play in Ancient Greek every three years (in years divisible by 3). Oxford also produces a play in Ancient Greek every three years and will be presenting Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, (the first play in the Oresteia trilogy) in Oxford in mid-October this year. It will be directed by Claire Catenaccio who has just graduated with numerous honors and prizes from Harvard, directing and studying ancient Greek drama. I recommend a visit to Oxford this fall! )

There has been a major production of The Bacchae playing in a theater in New York: The National Theatre of Scotland at the Lincoln Center Summer Festival. And at least one more is in development. Later this year, JoAnne Akalaitis is scheduled to present a production at The Public Theater.

Some of the fundamental themes of the play are:

Sexual

=> Androgyny and possible suggestions of homosexuality
=> Sexual, spiritual and emotional liberation and freedom
=> Empowerment of women
=> Spiritual liberation


Religious

=> The need to honor a god
=> The cruelty of a god
=> The history and true nature of the god of wine


Political

=> The need for a government to respect the laws of human nature. Here, the human spirit and the need for liberty is embodied in the god Dionysus. (Note: This is directly suggested in the play by Tireseus, and takes as implicit the notion that a Greek god is an embodiment of some aspect of human behavior, and worship of the god is respect for the corresponding laws of human nature.)
=> The attitude of the chorus to the events
=> The conflict between a liberating political movement and a repressive political government, and the notion that a liberal movement can turn vicious when it meets with excessive resistance
=> The importance of moderation=> The need to honor both the stability of law and the liberation of the spirit
=> The fall of a government when it does not pay due respect to the gods
=> The hypocrisy of those who repress sex in others but secretly lust themselves; and the hypocrisy of those who profess liberation, but when they are challenged become more cruel and repressive than the repressors; (This theme of hypocrisy could also have been listed under the sexual themes!)


Familial

=>The difficulties of family relationships, especially in the ruling class

That is quite a load of themes, any of which can be the basis for an interpretation.

In addition, the play has humor, violence (which is off-stage in the text, but can be brought on-stage by the director), magic, special effects, drugs (alcohol at least), madness, tragedy, cross-dressing, music and dance. And any of these can be the stylistic basis for an interpretation.

None of these themes or styles are developed completely enough in the script to determine the obvious, completely satisfying interpretation; each one of them competes for attention when any other is taken as the primary focus. That is one reason why the play is a failure, and why it is an enduring success.

The director, John Tiffany, of the Scottish National Theatre presentation at the Lincoln Center Festival has taken as his primary interests the cross-dressing, androgynous nature of Dionysus, and the musical and visual potential of the chorus. Stylistically, he emphasizes the theatrical spectacle, and humor. Serving these decisions, Alan Cumming as Dionysus is terrific; the rest of the cast somewhat less so. Cal Macaninch as Pentheus, the ruler of Thebes, and the primary antagonist to Dionysus, is simply not a strong enough presence to challenge Cumming in a dramatically effective way. Paola Dionisotti as Agave and Ewan Hooper as Cadmus, Pentheus grandfather, are not dramatically powerful enough in the final scenes.

There are many terrific elements in this production, and many things that don’t go quite right.

Among the most effective elements of this production are:

=> The special effects and spectacles, especially the initial entrance of Dionysus
=> The clarity of the production in the script, the direction and the acting, making it always possible to understand the characters’ meaning (when you could hear them – the volume level was a bit low and with traces of Scottish accents and a strange play, not all the words were clear)
=> The costumes, which were colorful, bold and interesting, especially effective at making the first entrance of each character exciting
=> The choral music and dance which had a gospel style and nice melodies
=> The comedy
=> And the effective delivery of an interpretation which stressed the androgyny and sexual identity issues in the play.

The clarity of this production probably stems in part from the manner in which it was created. First a literal translation of the play was created by Ian Ruffell. Then a writer, David Greig, was commissioned to turn the literal translation into a play that directly served the director’s interpretation. The script was neither archly old fashioned, nor jarringly modern (two problems most scripts fail to avoid), but seemed ideally suited to the director’s intentions.

Some things were not so effective:

I’ve already mentioned the weak supporting cast, and the low volume sound design, which made words difficult to understand, (a particular problem when the chorus was singing, since the text of what they say is important to the development of the play’s themes).

Although the costumes were stiking and impressive, most characters wore the same thing throughout the show, so that the visual excitement began to fade. I also found the costume design somewhat confusing: some of the costume choices seemed wrongly conceived. This play is set in ancient Thebes, yet the clothes are conspicuously modern and not-Greek. When Cadmus and Tireseus set out for the mountain to join the maenads, they seem to say that they are in fawnskin (or soon to change) and they are carrying the thyrsus; but they are dressed in tuxedos with strangely decorated hats and carrying walking sticks. I also thought Pentheus could have used a uniform or other clothes that marked him as the king-- to give him more gravitas in his encounters and conflicts with Dionysus.

One special effect -- a huge bank of spotlights aimed at the audience -- seemed both pointless in terms of the play, and dangerous to the audience’s eyes.

The play takes place in one location, near Pentheus’ palace. This production sets it firmly there, and never tries to even suggest the licentious behavior of the maenads in the mountainous forest. Only the bacchae that came with Dionysus from the East are seen. Portrayed as gospel-like singers, these women in the chorus seem to have no visceral connection to Dionysus, and there is no chemistry between them and Alan Cumming. So the whole element of the liberating nature of the god of wine, of the Bacchic mysteries, is almost completely lost.

But the main weakness of the production is that it did not do justice to the tragedy of the play. Aside from the weak acting by the two main characters in this section of the play, the use of a patently fake plastic or rubber head was a disastrous dissipator and destructor of the tension, surprise and horror that should characterize the climax of this play. Agave does not treat the head as the lion’s head she believes it to be, or as any important object at all. It has no reality because of the way it is carried and treated by the actress. In addition, it is introduced too early. There are specific lines in the play which seem designed to be the ideal place to make the reveal, to maximize the shock value and horror of bringing on-stage the severed head of her son, which she believes to be the head of a lion she has killed. Displaying the head earlier dilutes the intensity of the climax.

While the play can be presented in many ways, for me the most brilliant and modern and lasting insight in the play is its depiction of the nature of the political cycle of (1) a movement of liberation, then (2) attempts at repression and then (3) a counter reaction or co-option of the liberation movement with radical violence. It is, for example, the story of the French Revolution; and we saw it in the sixties in the journey from Woodstock to Altamont. It happens in big ways, and it happens in small ways, and it is a cycle that we must always beware of.

The Tiffany version from Scotland, as we’ve noted, stresses other themes, which the director has said he has been interested in for 20 years. For even longer than that, I’ve wanted to do an adaptation that stresses the political elements of the story, especially this issue of achieving liberation without descending into violence. I hope some day I get to do that!!!

The National Theatre of Scotland has brought to life The Bacchae in one of the many ways it’s possible to experience this extraordinary drama. Despite some faults, I highly recommend a visit to this production wherever in the world it may travel to, for its spectacle and theatricality, its clarity, humor and, given its intentional focus on the themes of androgyny and sexual identity, its success in accomplishing what it set out to do.

FOOD OF LOVE - SHAKESPEARE & CHARDONNAY

Long Island Wineries Serve Up Shakespeare & Chardonnay with

FOOD OF LOVE

July 11 & 12

This July, two Long Island wineries will serve up FOOD OF LOVE, a light-hearted look at love with words by William Shakespeare and wine by the glass.

Produced by Spitfire Theatre, this unique theatrical experience is created and directed by Abigail Anderson, an English director who has worked at Shakespeare's Globe in London and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Anderson has been described by The Oxford Times as "one of the most exciting and eclectic young directors in the UK."

Laugh with Benedick and Beatrice, sigh with Romeo and Juliet, get steamy with Petruchio and Kate! FOOD OF LOVE brings together some of Shakespeare's most romantic love scenes, songs, and poems in a specially created show for some of Long Island's most picturesque outdoor locations.

Audiences will have the chance to sample the local wines as part of a relaxed summer evening, in addition to exploring the vineyards and enjoying the show.

Director Abigail Anderson says, "The beauty of Shakespeare's language is perfectly complemented by the beautiful surroundings of Long Island's wineries. We're delighted to have the chance to perform here and, in doing so, throw the spotlight on to the flourishing wine-growing community on the North and South Forks."

The 50 minute performance showcases the talent of four professional actors, all experienced Shakespearean performers, who will move in and around the audience to create an unforgettable and intimate theatre experience. The cast is: Khris Lewin, Adam Mastrelli, Amy Prosser, and Laura Rikard.

FOOD OF LOVE is the beginning of a long term project by Spitfire Theatre to bring high quality, accessible and inspiring Shakespeare performances to Long Island.

Performances will take place rain or shine as follows:

Friday, July 11 at 7:00pm
Palmer Vineyards in Aquebogue, Long Island
Located at 5120 Sound Avenue Aquebogue, NY 11931

Directions: Take the LIE to last exit (exit 73). Continue east on RT 58 to Osborne Ave. Turn left. Drive to end (Sound Ave). Turn right. Drive 6 miles to Palmer Vineyards, on the left.

Wine writer Howard Goldberg once described Palmer as, "Long Island's most important winery." Palmer wines are sold in many states across the country and can be found in many top restaurants such as Gallaghers Steak House, Fultons Crabhouse, The View Restaurant, and many more.


Saturday, July 12 at 7:00pm
Castello di Borghese in Cutchogue, Long Island
Located at 17150 County Route 48, Cutchogue, NY 11935

Directions: Take the L.I. Expressway I-495 to Exit 73 toward Greenport/ Orient. This is CR-58. Follow for 2 miles until reaching roundabout. Take 2nd exit off roundabout, continuing on CR-58. Turn left onto Northville Turnpike/CR-43 at traffic light. Turn right onto Sound Ave. at stop sign. Castello di Borghese will be approximately 9 miles on your right.

Winner of "Best Winery" Editor's Choice Award from Long Island Press. Borghese Vineyard has the oldest vines producing the finest wines in this winemaking region. Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc are their signature wines, along with many award winners including Meritage and Chardonnay.



All tickets are $55.00 in advance and $60 at the door. Tickets are available at http://www.theatermania.com/ or toll-free 1-866-811-4111.

Doors open 30 minutes prior to each performance.

For more information visit http://www.spitfiretheatre.com/.

MACBETH (IN POLISH)

MACBETH

performed in Polish with English supertitles.

Directed by GRZEGORZ JARZYNA

From the TR WARSZAWA Polish theater company.

"The best international theater New York still needs to see"
- The Village Voice

Presented by St. Ann's Warehouse in association with the Polish Cultural Institute in New York.


June 17 - 29 9PM

Tobacco Warehouse
Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, DUMBO

"A masterB- of suspense, the heir of Hitchcock, Jarzyna composes his performances like movies."
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

TR Warszawa, Poland's most exciting theater company, arrives in New York with a spectacular production of Macbeth that boldly reinvents Shakespeare's classic for the twenty-first century.

With a huge cinematic sweep, the production takes multi-media theater to the limit. A dramatic two-story set, video walls, special effects, and a deep well of acting tradition transform Shakespeare's web of intimacy, politics and the supernatural into a contemporary living film.

For this production, St. Ann's Warehouse will create an outdoor theater in the Civil War-era Tobacco Warehouse, located in Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, across the street from St. Ann's Warehouse.

Jarzyna heightens his Macbeth with an extraordinary, layered soundscape of original music, pop songs, atmospheric and recorded sound effects. Because of ambient noise from the Brooklyn Bridge and the waterfront, the entire sound design will be mixed live each night with the spoken text of the actors onstage, and amplified through a network of individual headsets to be worn by each audience member.

More info:
http://www.stannswarehouse.org/current_season.php?show_id=19


WATCH MACBETH VIDEO TRAILER:
http://www.stannswarehouse.org/current_season.php?show_id=19

READ VILLAGE VOICE FEATURE:
http://www.villagevoice.com/theater/0821,macbeth-brooklyn-waterfront,446629,11.html



Schedule:
Everyday at 9PM except Tue, June 24

STITCHING

EXTENDED TO AUGUST 2!

Stitching -- A twisted love story

by 'In Your Face' playwright Anthony Neilson

The Controversial Play that Shocked the UK

Starring Meital Dohan (Weeds, Bath Party)& Gian Murray Gianino (Roadhouse, Fatal Attraction, The Jaded Assassin, Nightmare Haunted House)

Directed by Timothy Haskell

Adamanto Productions and Electric Pear Productions in association with Liebman Entertainment


"Anthony Neilson's Stitching is one of the most exciting plays of the year... I left the theatre with my pulse, and my mind racing."
- Time Out London

A limited Off-Broadway run of the U.S. premiere of Stitching - a twisted tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat - by British playwright Anthony Neilson.

Stu and Abby love each other so madly, they're driving each other crazy. Stitching follows the increasingly disturbing and inventive games the couple plays in order to connect. As they circle and test each other, they role-play with reality and fantasy to the point where even they don't seem sure what is real anymore. When Abby discovers she's pregnant, the choices they make will haunt them forever. The visceral poetry and physicality between the lovers creates a surprisingly tender, often humorous, brutal romance. Stitching is a complex love story that takes a bracing look at the startling casualties of modern romance.

The play stars renowned Israeli actress Meital Dohan, recently seen as 'Yael Hoffman,' the sexy rabbinical scholar, in the hit Showtime series, Weeds.

"Dohan has a sharp wit and notable ability to find the unlikely joke."
- The Village Voice

"Gianino brings a focus and power to the stage."
- Variety

http://www.stitchingtheplay.com/


June 17 - July 19 (EXTENDED TO AUGUST 2!)

at Wild Project
195 East 3rd Street
New York, NY 10009

Schedule:
Mondays and Tuesdays at 7:00pm;
Wednesdays - Fridays at 8:00pm;
Saturdays at 2:00pm & 8:00pm

TONY AWARDS

There were twenty-six Tony Awards given out for Broadway plays, plus three special Tony Awards. Here's a summary, first in order of the awards, then by the title of the play. For full details about the plays, see the Offical Tony Site.


THE AWARDS:

BEST PLAY: August: Osage County - Author: Tracy Letts

BEST MUSICAL: In The Heights

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL: Passing Strange - Stew

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: In The Heights - Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY: Boeing-Boeing

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL: South Pacific

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY: Mark Rylance - Boeing-Boeing

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Deanna Dunagan - August: Osage County

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Paulo Szot - South Pacific

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Patti LuPone - Gypsy

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY: Jim Norton - The Seafarer

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Rondi Reed - August: Osage County

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Boyd Gaines - Gypsy

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Laura Benanti - Gypsy

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY: Anna D. Shapiro - August: Osage County

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL: Bartlett Sher - South Pacific

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY: Andy Blankenbuehler - In The Heights

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS: Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman - In The Heights

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY: Todd Rosenthal - August: Osage County

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Michael Yeargan - South Pacific

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY: Katrina Lindsay - Les Liaisons Dangereuses

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Catherine Zuber - South Pacific

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY: Kevin Adams - The 39 Steps

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Donald Holder - South Pacific

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY: Mic Pool - The 39 Steps

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Scott Lehrer - South Pacific

SPECIAL TONY AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE THEATER: Stephen Sondheim

REGIONAL THEATER TONY AWARD: Chicago Shakespeare Theater

SPECIAL TONY AWARD: Robert Russell Bennett (1894-1981)


BY TITLE

5 - August: Osage County Author: Tracy Letts
BEST PLAY: August: Osage County Author: Tracy Letts
LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Deanna Dunagan - August: Osage County
FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Rondi Reed - August: Osage County
DIRECTION OF A PLAY: Anna D. Shapiro - August: Osage County
SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY: Todd Rosenthal - August: Osage County

4 - In The Heights
BEST MUSICAL: In The Heights
ORIGINAL SCORE: In The Heights Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda
CHOREOGRAPHY: Andy Blankenbuehler - In The Heights
ORCHESTRATIONS: Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman - In The Heights

2 - Boeing-Boeing
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY: Boeing-Boeing
LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY: Mark Rylance - Boeing-Boeing

7 - South Pacific
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL: South Pacific
LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Paulo Szot - South Pacific
DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL: Bartlett Sher - South Pacific
SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Michael Yeargan - South Pacific
COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Catherine Zuber - South Pacific
LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Donald Holder - South Pacific
SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Scott Lehrer - South Pacific

3 - Gypsy
LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Patti LuPone - Gypsy
FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Boyd Gaines - Gypsy
FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Laura Benanti - Gypsy

2 - The 39 Steps
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY: Kevin Adams - The 39 Steps
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY: Mic Pool - The 39 Steps

1 - The Seafarer
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY: Jim Norton - The Seafarer

1 - Les Liaisons Dangereuses
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY: Katrina Lindsay - Les Liaisons Dangereuses

1 - Passing Strange
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL: Passing Strange: Stew

SPECIAL TONY AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE THEATER: Stephen Sondheim

REGIONAL THEATER TONY AWARD: Chicago Shakespeare Theater

SPECIAL TONY AWARD: Robert Russell Bennett (1894-1981)

SINGLE BLACK FEMALE

SINGLE BLACK FEMALE, by Lisa B. Thompson, directed by Colman Domingo, and co-starring Soara-Joye Ross and Riddick Marie, takes a comic look at the pleasures and perils of being a single middle class black woman who's got everything she wants and needs except more R-E-S-P-E-C-T -- and a man! The play mines topics such as dating (on the Internet and the old-fashioned way!), gynecology, family gatherings, shopping, racial bias, white folks and, poignantly, the odd sense of loss a black woman feels when she does find a man and leaves her single sisters behind.

June 10 - 29, 2008
Tuesday - Saturday 8:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday 2:00 pm


Single Black Female stars Soara-Joye Ross (Jerry Springer: The Opera at Carnegie Hall, Dessa Rose at Lincoln Center, Dance of the Vampires on Broadway) and Riddick Marie (A House with No Walls at New Repertory Theatre, Faust at the Metropolitan Opera). Director Colman Domingo, whose acting credits include Well and Passing Strange on Broadway, has directed productions at Geva Theatre and the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Rep.

Playwright Lisa B. Thompson is the author of Monroe; Dreadtime Stories: One Sista’s Hair; and her newest play Underground.

New Professional Theatre – the New York-based company that is home to minority playwrights and theatre artists – presents the limited Off-Broadway return engagement of Single Black Female, back by popular demand.

CIRQUE DREAMS

CIRQUE DREAMS is coming to Broadway for a limited 10 week run beginning June 12.

CIRQUE DREAMS JUNGLE FANTASY is an exotic theatrical adventure of athleticism, imagination and fantastical feats. An international cast of 28 aerialists, spine bending contortionists, acrobats, jugglers and musicians bring to life over 150 whimsical costumes in a jungle setting ignited by striking visual effects and a compelling original score.

OFF-BROADWAY TODAY

Here's a list of Off-Broadway shows as of May 23, with links to more show information and tickiets from Telecharge:

A Brush with Georgia O’Keefe
St. Luke’s Theatre
A Dangerous Personality
Julia Miles Theater
A Perfect Couple
DR2 Theatre
Absent Minded Comedy Uncensored
Times Square Arts Center
All Star Comedy
Times Square Arts Center
Almost an Evening
Bleecker Street Theatre
Altar Boyz
New World Stages
Baby Wants Candy
Barrow Street Theatre
BabyLove
The Green Room at 45 Bleecker Street
Christiaan Oranje: Boy Meets Piano
The Green Room at 45 Bleecker Street
College Night hosted by Bill Dawes
Times Square Arts Center
Dinner For Two / Cena Para Dos
Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre
Downtown Urban Theater Festival: Billie's Blues
Cherry Lane Studio Theatre
Downtown Urban Theater Festival: Couple of the Century
Cherry Lane Studio Theatre
Downtown Urban Theater Festival: Honor and Fidelity / Ballad of Sad Young Men
Cherry Lane Studio Theatre
Downtown Urban Theater Festival: Manchild Machismo / El Building
Cherry Lane Studio Theatre
Downtown Urban Theater Festival: Missa Solemnis or the Play About Henry
Cherry Lane Studio Theatre
Downtown Urban Theater Festival: On the Rocks
Cherry Lane Studio Theatre
Downtown Urban Theater Festival: Osage Avenue
Cherry Lane Studio Theatre
Downtown Urban Theater Festival: The Mummy and the Bodhisattva
Cherry Lane Studio Theatre
Downtown Urban Theater Festival: W.A.C. Iraq / This Train is Bound By Glory
Cherry Lane Studio Theatre
Edgewise
Cherry Lane Studio Theatre
Eight is NEVER Enough!
Times Square Arts Center
Eightballs
The Green Room at 45 Bleecker Street
End of Summer
Cherry Lane Studio Theatre
Feminazi
The Player’s Theatre
Flamingo Court
New World Stages
Forbidden Broadway
47th Street Theatre
FUCT As Seen On TV
Cherry Lane Studio Theatre
Fuerzabruta
Daryl Roth Theatre
How Theater Failed America
Barrow Street Theatre
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
Westside Theatre Upstairs
Jackie Mason: The Ultimate Jew
New World Stages
John Lithgow: Stories by Heart
Mitzi Newhouse Theatre
Joyce Theater: Various Shows
Joyce Theater
Midnight All-Stars
Times Square Arts Center
My First Time
New World Stages
My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish, and I'm in Therapy!
Westside Theatre Downstairs
Naked Boys Singing!
New World Stages
Pinkalicious, The Musical
New World Stages
Shoot the Messenger
The Green Room at 45 Bleecker Street
Slightly Known People
The Green Room at 45 Bleecker Street
The Castle
New World Stages
The Gazillion Bubble Show
New World Stages
The New Century
Mitzi Newhouse Theatre
The Sound and the Fury(April Seventh, 1928)
New York Theatre Workshop
theAtrainplays
New World Stages
Two Men Talking
Barrow Street Theatre
Van Driver!
Cherry Lane Studio Theatre
*Subject to change. Current as of May 23, 2008.

TONY AWARD NOMINATIONS 2008

Nominations for the 2008 American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards®
Presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing


Best Play

August: Osage County
Author: Tracy Letts
Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Jean Doumanian, Steve Traxler, Jerry Frankel, Ostar Productions, Jennifer Manocherian, The Weinstein Company, Debra Black/Daryl Roth, Ronald & Marc Frankel/Barbara Freitag, Rick Steiner/Staton Bell Group, The Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Rock 'n' Roll
Author: Tom Stoppard
Producers: Bob Boyett & Sonia Friedman Productions, Ostar Productions, Roger Berlind, Tulchin/Bartner, Douglas G. Smith, Dancap Productions, Jam Theatricals, The Weinstein Company, Lincoln Center Theater, The Royal Court Theatre London

The Seafarer
Author: Conor McPherson
Producers: Ostar Productions, Bob Boyett, Roy Furman, Lawrence Horowitz, Jam Theatricals, Bill Rollnick/Nancy Ellison Rollnick, James D'Orta, Thomas S. Murphy, Ralph Guild/Jon Avnet, Philip Geier/Keough Partners, Eric Falkenstein/Max OnStage, The National Theatre of Great Britain

The 39 Steps
Author: Patrick Barlow
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy, Bob Boyett, Harriet Newman Leve/Ron Nicynski, Stewart F. Lane/Bonnie Comley, Manocherian Golden Prods., Olympus Theatricals/Douglas Denoff, Marek J. Cantor/Pat Addiss, Huntington Theatre Company/Nicholas Martin/Michael Maso, Edward Snape for Fiery Angel Ltd.


Best Musical

Cry-Baby
Producer: Adam Epstein, Allan S. Gordon, Élan V. McAllister, Brian Grazer, James P. MacGilvray, Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Anne Caruso, Adam S. Gordon, Latitude Link, The Pelican Group, Philip Morgaman, Andrew Farber/Richard Mishaan

In The Heights
Producers: Kevin McCollum, Jeffrey Seller, Jill Furman, Sander Jacobs, Goodman/Grossman, Peter Fine, Everett/Skipper

Passing Strange
Producers: The Shubert Organization, Elizabeth Ireland McCann LLC, Bill Kenwright, Chase Mishkin, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, Broadway Across America, Emily Fisher Landau, Peter May, Boyett Ostar, Larry Hirschhorn, Janet Pailet/Steve Klein, Elie Hirschfeld/Jed Bernstein, Spring Sirkin/Ruth Hendel, Vasi Laurence/Pat Flicker Addiss, Wendy Federman/Jackie Barlia Florin, Joey Parnes, The Public Theater, The Berkeley Repertory Theatre

Xanadu
Producers: Robert Ahrens, Dan Vickery, Tara Smith/B. Swibel, Sarah Murchison/Dale Smith


Best Direction of a Play

Maria Aitken, The 39 Steps
Conor McPherson, The Seafarer
Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County
Matthew Warchus, Boeing-Boeing


Best Direction of a Musical

Sam Buntrock, Sunday in the Park with George
Thomas Kail, In The Heights
Arthur Laurents, Gypsy
Bartlett Sher, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific


Best Choreography

Rob Ashford, Cry-Baby
Andy Blankenbuehler, In The Heights
Christopher Gattelli, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Dan Knechtges, Xanadu


Best Book of a Musical

Cry-Baby
Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan

In The Heights
Quiara Alegría Hudes

Passing Strange
Stew

Xanadu
Douglas Carter Beane


Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Cry-Baby
Music & Lyrics: David Javerbaum & Adam Schlesinger

In The Heights
Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda

The Little Mermaid
Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater

Passing Strange
Music: Stew and Heidi Rodewald
Lyrics: Stew


Best Revival of a Play

Boeing-Boeing
Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Bob Boyett, Act Productions, Matthew Byam Shaw, Robert G. Bartner, The Weinstein Company, Susan Gallin/Mary Lu Roffe, Broadway Across America, Tulchin/Jenkins/DSM, The Araca Group

The Homecoming
Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Jam Theatricals, Ergo Entertainment, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, Michael Gardner, Herbert Goldsmith Productions, Terry E. Schnuck, Harold Thau, Michael Filerman/Lynne Peyser, Ronald Frankel/David Jaroslawicz, Love Bunny Entertainment

Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy

Macbeth
Producers: Duncan C. Weldon & Paul Elliott, Jeffrey Archer, Bill Ballard, Terri & Timothy Childs, Rodger Hess, David Mirvish, Adriana Mnuchin, Emanuel Azenberg, BAM, The Chichester Festival Theatre


Best Revival of a Musical

Grease
Producers: Paul Nicholas and David Ian, Nederlander Presentations Inc., Terry Allen Kramer, Robert Stigwood

Gypsy
Producers: Roger Berlind, The Routh-Frankel-Baruch-Viertel Group, Roy Furman, Debra Black, Ted Hartley, Roger Horchow, David Ian, Scott Rudin, Jack Viertel

Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Bernard Gersten, Bob Boyett

Sunday in the Park with George
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy, Bob Boyett, Debra Black, Jam Theatricals, Stephanie P. McClelland, Stewart F. Lane/Bonnie Comley, Barbara Manocherian/Jennifer Manocherian, Ostar Productions, The Menier Chocolate Factory/David Babani


Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play

Ben Daniels, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing
Rufus Sewell, Rock 'n' Roll
Patrick Stewart, Macbeth


Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play

Eve Best, The Homecoming
Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County
Kate Fleetwood, Macbeth
S. Epatha Merkerson, Come Back, Little Sheba
Amy Morton, August: Osage County


Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

Daniel Evans, Sunday in the Park with George
Lin-Manuel Miranda, In The Heights
Stew, Passing Strange
Paulo Szot, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Tom Wopat, A Catered Affair


Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

Kerry Butler, Xanadu
Patti LuPone, Gypsy
Kelli O'Hara, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Faith Prince, A Catered Affair
Jenna Russell, Sunday in the Park with George


Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play

Bobby Cannavale, Mauritius
Raúl Esparza, The Homecoming
Conleth Hill, The Seafarer
Jim Norton, The Seafarer
David Pittu, Is He Dead?


Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play

Sinead Cusack, Rock 'n' Roll
Mary McCormack, Boeing-Boeing
Laurie Metcalf, November
Martha Plimpton, Top Girls
Rondi Reed, August: Osage County

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical

Daniel Breaker, Passing Strange
Danny Burstein, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Robin De Jesús, In The Heights
Christopher Fitzgerald, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Boyd Gaines, Gypsy

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

de'Adre Aziza, Passing Strange
Laura Benanti, Gypsy
Andrea Martin, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Olga Merediz, In The Heights
Loretta Ables Sayre, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Peter McKintosh, The 39 Steps
Scott Pask, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Todd Rosenthal, August: Osage County
Anthony Ward, Macbeth

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

David Farley and Timothy Bird & The Knifedge Creative Network, Sunday in the Park with George
Anna Louizos, In The Heights
Robin Wagner, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Michael Yeargan, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific

Best Costume Design of a Play

Gregory Gale, Cyrano de Bergerac
Rob Howell, Boeing-Boeing
Katrina Lindsay, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Peter McKintosh, The 39 Steps

Best Costume Design of a Musical

David Farley, Sunday in the Park with George
Martin Pakledinaz, Gypsy
Paul Tazewell, In The Heights
Catherine Zuber, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Kevin Adams, The 39 Steps
Howard Harrison, Macbeth
Donald Holder, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Ann G. Wrightson, August: Osage County

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Ken Billington, Sunday in the Park with George
Howell Binkley, In The Heights
Donald Holder, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Natasha Katz, The Little Mermaid

Best Sound Design of a Play

Simon Baker, Boeing-Boeing
Adam Cork, Macbeth
Ian Dickinson, Rock 'n' Roll
Mic Pool, The 39 Steps

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Acme Sound Partners, In The Heights
Sebastian Frost, Sunday in the Park with George
Scott Lehrer, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Dan Moses Schreier, Gypsy

Best Orchestrations
Jason Carr, Sunday in the Park with George
Alex Lacamoire & Bill Sherman, In The Heights
Stew & Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange
Jonathan Tunick, A Catered Affair
* * *

Regional Theatre Tony Award
Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Special Tony Award
Robert Russell Bennett (1894-1981), in recognition of his historic contribution to American musical theatre in the field of orchestrations, as represented on Broadway this season by Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific.

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Stephen Sondheim
* * *

Tony Nominations by Production

In The Heights - 13
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific - 11
Sunday in the Park with George - 9
August: Osage County - 7
Gypsy - 7
Passing Strange - 7
Boeing-Boeing - 6
Macbeth - 6
The 39 Steps - 6
Les Liaisons Dangereuses - 5
Cry-Baby - 4
Rock 'n' Roll - 4
The Seafarer - 4
Xanadu - 4
A Catered Affair - 3
The Homecoming - 3
The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein - 3
The Little Mermaid - 2
Come Back, Little Sheba - 1
Cyrano de Bergerac - 1
Grease - 1
Is He Dead? - 1
Mauritius - 1
November - 1
Thurgood - 1
Top Girls - 1

www.TonyAwards.com

FOR TEENS: SHAKESPEARE LAB JR @ THE PUBLIC

Calling all New York City Teenagers!

Are you a New York City teenager who is interested in the arts, theater or poetry? Do you enjoy acting onstage and meeting new people? Are you looking for something fun and rewarding to do during your summer vacation?

How about a FREE SHAKESPEARE WORKSHOP in the heart of the East Village!

If you, or someone you know, is a teenager (ages 13-19) who lives in one of the Five Boroughs, then the Public Theater's Shakespeare Lab Jr. program is right for you.

Located near Astor Place in the heart of the East Village, Shakespeare Lab Jr. is an intensive summer workshop program for highly motivated young people entering grades 9-12. Participants spend 5 action-packed days inside the world-famous Public Theater working with our energetic staff of professional teaching artists to engage in a unique and exciting exploration of history's most famous playwright—William Shakespeare.

Over the course of one full week, participants will gather inside the Public Theater's landmark building to:

EXPLORE Shakespeare's most powerful plays, plots, themes and characters;

PLAY theater games and interact with their peers in a safe environment;

LEARN acting, movement and voice skills;
WRITE and perform their very own sonnets!
Participants who complete the program will have the chance to:

PERFORM onstage at the Public Theater for family and friends!

JOIN Summer Shake Up: a special one-day event at the famous Delacorte Theater in Central Park home of the world renowned "Shakespeare in the Park". Exclusive backstage tour of the theater, workshop with Public Theater Artists, and a free box lunch.

GET FREE TICKETS to see the Public Theater's highly anticipated production of Shakespeare's Hamlet at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park (participants get 2 free tickets without having to wait in line!)

PLUS a special NEW program: SUMMER SHAKEUP -- a special visit to the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home of the world-famous "Shakespeare in the Park." Games, workshops, activities, a free lunch, and a chance to act on one of the most important Shakespeare stages in the world.

Shakespeare Lab Jr. is FREE, and is open to students in New York City. Workshops take place August 11-15 and August 18-22, Monday through Friday. Participants may choose between a morning session (9:30-1:30pm) and an afternoon session (2:30-6:30pm).

Register ONLINE Today!

If you are registering a GROUP — CLICK HERE.

If you are registering as an individual — CLICK HERE.

"I am much more confident about my speaking now and this will definitely help me out when I speak and present projects" -Ohahida Arabi, Shakespeare Lab Jr. participant

"What I liked most about the workshop is how you were able to meet new people and interact in a safe environment, learning Shakespeare in a fun way." -Kelsey Knutsen, Shakespeare Lab Jr. participant

"This workshop gave (my daughter) the confidence she needed to tackle Shakespeare!" -parent of participant, Sarah Gaines



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PRIMARY STAGES 24TH SEAS0N

PRIMARY STAGES
24TH Season

BUFFALO GAL

July 22 - August 31, 2008

A BODY OF WATER

September 30 - November 9, 2008

SHIPWRECKED! AN ENTERTAINMENT

January 27 - March 7, 2009

CHASING MANET

March 24 - May 2, 2009

July 22 - August 31, 2008

BUFFALO GAL - A New York premiere
by A.R. Gurney
Directed by Mark Lamos

September 30 - November 9, 2008
A BODY OF WATER - A New York premiere
by Lee Blessing
Directed by Maria Mileaf

January 27 - March 7, 2009
SHIPWRECKED! AN ENTERTAINMENT - A New York premiere by Donald Margulies
Directed by Lisa Peterson

March 24 - May 2, 2009
CHASING MANET - A World Premiere by Tina Howe
Directed by Michael Wilson
With Jane Alexander

Click here for show descriptions.

ACT NOW, PLAY LATER: Subscribe to Primary Stages 24th Season today and secure your tickets at a 30% savings!

Subscribers also receive such benefits as
- ticket exchange privileges; discounts for additional tickets, local restaurants and parking;
- a special opportunity to see Dividing the Estate on Broadway and more!
- 4-Play Subscriptions are $170 (plus $8 processing fee, per subsciption)

All performances at 59E59 Theaters.
http://www.primarystages.com

TWO EASY WAYS TO ORDER:
* Call Ticket Central at 212.279.4200 (noon-8pm daily)
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MANDY PATINKIN IN BENEFIT FOR CSC

Solo Tour de Force Concert
to benefit
Classic Stage Company

Mandy Patinkin on Broadway
with Paul Ford on piano

One Night ONLY
Monday, May 19th at 8pm!

Tony Award winner Mandy Patinkin returns to Broadway with Paul Ford on piano for one night only to benefit Off-Broadway's
Classic Stage Company.

"Mandy Patinkin is in the business of showstopping... He is a musical force
of nature!"
- The New Yorker

Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor Mandy Patinkin takes the stage in a one-night-only musical event. Mr. Patinkin belongs to the special breed of singer who doesn't merely dramatize songs, but incorporates them into his very being. From Rodgers and Hammerstein to Stephen Sondheim, Patinkin's interpretations of popular standards come straight from the heart, mesmerizing audiences from coast to coast.

Now in its 40th season as one of New York's most venturesome Off-Broadway theaters, CLASSIC STAGE COMPANY is the award-winning theatre committed to re-imagining the classical repertory for a contemporary American audience.

Tickets to MANDY PATINKIN ON BROADWAY range from $50 to $125 for the 8pm concert on Monday, May 19 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater (236 W 45 St). Benefit sponsorships are available from $1,000 to $15,000, which includes tickets, pre-show reception, champagne reception with Mr. Patinkin, and other VIP benefits.

Ticket Prices:
Orchestra/Front Mezzanine: $125
Mezzanine: $75
Rear Mezzanine: $50

PORT AUTHORITY

PORT AUTHORITY

by CONOR McPHERSON
directed by HENRY WISHCAMPER

April 30 - June 15

Atlantic Theater Company presents the New York premiere of this play.

It received a sold out run in London's West End.

"MR. McPHERSON IS QUITE POSSIBLY THE FINEST PLAYWRIGHT OF HIS GENERATION."-The New York Times.

In Port Authority we meet Kevin, Dermot and Joe, three generations of Irishmen. Set against the backdrop of contemporary Dublin, each man's story is a beautifully woven tale of failure, loss and the elusiveness of love. With great wit and compassion Conor McPherson (recently represented on Broadway with his show The Seafarer, as well as past Broadway shows Shining City and The Weir) expertly exposes the heart of the common man.

Port Authority marks the return of three celebrated actors to the Atlantic stage. Brian d'Arcy James last appeared at Atlantic in the American premiere of The Lieutenant of Inishmore, and reprised his role with the Broadway transfer. He will star in the title role in Shrek the Musical, when it debuts next season on Broadway.

John Gallagher, Jr. originated the role of "Moritz" in Atlantic's world premiere of the musical Spring Awakening, and won a Tony Award® for his performance when the hit musical transferred to the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on Broadway.

Jim Norton won an Obie Award for his performance in McPherson's Dublin Carol at Atlantic, and recently starred on Broadway in the playwright's The Seafarer, for which he won a 2007 Oliver Award® in the West End production.

April 30 - June 15
Tue-Fri at 8, Sat at 2 & 8, Sun at 3
ATLANTIC THEATER COMPANY at the LINDA GROSS THEATER 336 West 20th St, NY

www.atlantictheater.org

BROADWAY DISCOUNT TICKETS

Telecharge is offering "everyday" low prices to many Broadway shows. These are great prices!

Personally, most of the time, I like to have great seats -- center, close, orchestra, or (especially if there is dancing) front balcony. Still, (even if the discount tickets are not always the best seats), the opportunity to see great theater at these fantastic prices in any seat is a truly exceptional opportunity!

Here are some spectacular Broadway shows that offer low-priced tickets all the time...



AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
(A steppenwolf production. Very highly recommended by many critics!)
AS LOW AS $26.50!

BOEING-BOEING
AS LOW AS $26.50!

THE HOMECOMING
(A modern classic play by Harold Pinter)
AS LOW AS $26.50!

PASSING STRANGE
AS LOW AS $26.50!

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
(The long-running, classic musical!)
AS LOW AS $26.50!

A CATERED AFFAIR
AS LOW AS $29.50!

MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT
(Directed by Mike Nichols. This one is hilarious!)
AS LOW AS $36.50!

XANADU
AS LOW AS $41.50!

GYPSY
(A revival. In previews now, opens March 27. With Patti LuPone!)
AS LOW AS $42!

TOP GIRLS
(By Caryl Churchill)
AS LOW AS $46.50!

NOVEMBER
(A comedy by Mamet with Nathan Lane!)
AS LOW AS $46.50!

CHICAGO
(One of my all-time favorite shows!)
AS LOW AS $59!

These aren't discounts or special offers, just great prices available to anyone, anytime!

So what are you waiting for?
Visit http://www.telecharge.com/ or call 212-239-6200
for affordable tickets today!

Prices current as of 3/14/08.

(This information is based on a Telecharge.com advertisement. Prices subject to change. Phone and online service fees may apply. All sales final. Subject to availability. No refunds or exchanges.)

THE COUNTRY GIRL

This April, Academy Award® winners Morgan Freeman and Frances McDormand join two-time Tony Award® nominee Peter Gallagher in a revival of

THE COUNTRY GIRL

Directed by Oscar® winner and 8-time Tony® winner Mike Nichols, The Country Girl is Clifford Odets’ classic backstage story of a down-on-his-luck actor and the two people in his life that can make – or break – his comeback.

Performances begin April 3 and end July 20 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

Diuscount tickets may be available from TheaterMania.

PRINCESS IDA

Blue Hill Troupe
Presents
PRINCESS IDA

To Benefit Covenant House
New York Infant/Toddler Center

Princess Ida was betrothed in babyhood to Prince Hilarion of a neighboring kingdom. Now grown, Ida runs a women's university, where men—"Nature's sole mistake"—are forbidden. As her wedding day approaches, she refuses to submit, so Hilarion and his buddies dress as women and sneak into the university. When one of them gets drunk and starts kissing the girls, their cover is blown and a battle of the sexes is waged!

The award-winning Blue Hill Troupe, now in its 84th season, is the only musical theater group dedicated to supporting charities that address New York City’s most pressing needs. Net proceeds from PRINCESS IDA will benefit Covenant House New York Infant/Toddler Center.

April 4-12, 2008

Schedule:
April 4, 9, 10, 11 & 12 at 8:00 pm;
April 5 & 6 at 3:00 pm;
April 12 at 2:00 pm

DISCOUNT SEATS MAY BE AVAILABLE FROM THEATERMANIA

BOEING-BOEING

When BOEING-BOEING took off to a roar of laughter in 2007, it was crowned “THE FUNNIEST SHOW ON THE LONDON STAGE” by the Daily Telegraph and quickly became the first-class champagne toast of the town. Now this Olivier and Evening Standard Theatre Award-nominated production of the classic comedy is coming in for a landing on the Great White (Run)Way!

The new Broadway cast includes Tony® and Emmy® Award winner CHRISTINE BARANSKI (“Cybill”), Emmy winner BRADLEY WHITFORD (“The West Wing”), GINA GERSHON (“Ugly Betty”) and MARY McCORMACK (“The West Wing”). Reprising his star turn as Robert is acclaimed British actor MARK RYLANCE.

In BOEING-BOEING, Bernard, an architect living in Paris, has been successfully juggling three fiancées who are all flight attendants. Bernard’s housekeeper reluctantly plays romantic air-traffic controller as they fly in and out of his swank bachelor pad. But when an old college pal visits, things get rather turbulent! Schedules change, flights are delayed and chaos ensues in this hysterical, high-flying fiancée fiasco.

For more information, go to www.BoeingOnBroadway.com
or www.telecharge.com

EST 10 MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL

MARCH MADNESS!
EST 10 Minute Play Festival

Series A - March 28 @ 7pm
Series A - March 29 @ 2pm
Series B - March 29 @ 7pm
Series B - March 30 @ 2pm

on the EST Mainstage

The Ensemble Studio Theatre's Playwright's Unit presents two series of 10 minute plays featuring the talents of:

Romulus Linney, Gina Barnett, Laura Maria Censabella, David Zellnick, Jonathan Bernstein, Jeremy Kareken, Joe Gilford, Tim Pinckney, Suzanne Bradbeer, Julie McKee, Jeanne Dorsey, Annie Evans, Jacquelyn Reingold, Jennifer Camp, Susan J. Vitucci

More information to come as it gets closer to the date!

For reservations, call: 212-247-4982 x20

NEW YORK CITY CENTER ENCORES: JUNO

New York City Center Encores!
presents
Juno

5 Performances Only!
March 27-30

A musical based on the 1924 play Juno and the Paycock by Sean O'Casey, Juno chronicles the disintegration of an Irish family in Dublin in the early 1920s, during the confrontations between the Irish Republican Army and the British. Juno Boyle is the hardworking matriarch who struggles heroically to hold the family together in the face of war, betrayal, and her husband's drinking. Songs include “I Wish It So,” “We’re Alive” and “One Kind Word.” This will be the first production since the original Broadway staging in 1959 to use the original orchestrations by Blitzstein, Hershey Kay, and Robert Russell Bennett.


NEW YORK CITY CENTER ENCORES!®
Artistic Director Jack Viertel
Music Director Rob Berman

JUNO
Book by Joseph Stein
Music and lyrics by Marc Blitzstein

Starring
Victoria Clark, Conrad John Schuck,
Celia Keenan-Bolger, Michael Arden

Also Starring
Clarke Thorell, Tyler Hanes,
Louisa Flaningam, Jennifer Smith, Kay Walbye,
With
Rosaleen Linehan
And
Dermot Crowley

Featuring The Encores! Orchestra
Guest Music Director Eric Stern
Directed by Garry Hynes

DISCOUNT PRICES MAY BE AVAILABLE THROUGH THEATERMANIA

March 27 - 30

Schedule:
3/27 8pm, 3/28 8pm,
3/29 2pm, 3/29 8pm,
3/30 6:30pm

EST WORKSHOP READINGS

The Ensemble Studio Theatre Workshop Series presents staged readings on the EST Mainstage

For Reservations Call:212-247-4982 x20

Monday, March 17th @ 6:00pm
THREE ITALIAN WOMEN
by Laura Maria Censabella
directed by Melia Bensussen
featuring: Leslie Lyles, Carmen Roman, Ann Talman

Carla worked with the partisans during World War II. Antonia, her daughter, survived the war with her. Olivia, Antonia's daughter, tries to survive them both. A NYFA-Award winning play about heroism, betrayals, the costs of surviving a war, gnocchi and the ephemeral nature of truth.

Wednesday, March 19th @ 7:00pm
EST Mainstage
FLASHBACK
created by Penny Coleman, Elana Michelson & Patricia Lee Stotter
directed by Abigail Zealey Bess
featuring: Judith Delgado, Christine Farrell, Dion Graham, Ilene Kirstén, Elia Monte-Brown, Annie O'Sullivan, Gloria Sauve, Karen Young

Flashback is a theatrical event that gives voice to six women who survived a war that their husbands did not. In their own words, these remarkable figures reflect upon the loss of their loved ones and the multi-generational fallout of war. This multimedia performance takes a pervasive look at the repercussions of the Vietnam war, both on the battlefield and the homefront.


Thursday, March 20th @ 7:30pm
EST Mainstage
HOME FIRES BURNING
by Christopher Ceraso
directed by Jamie Richards
featuring: Dan Bittner, Rebecca Nelson, Annie O'Sullivan, Scott Sowers

A West Virginia coal miner's second chance at life and love is threatened in a fierce battle with his prodigal son, who is now infused with righteous fire for birthright in a tattered American heartland.

Friday, March 21st & 22nd @ 7:00pm
EST Mainstage
Going to the River presents: PUBERTY RITES
by Elaine Jackson
directed by Woodie King, Jr.
featuring: Akua Taylor & Melissa Picarello

Monday, March 24 @ 3:00pm
EST 6th Floor Theater
THE TILTED HOUSE
by Susan Haar
directed by Victor Slezak

Sunday, March 30 @ 3:00pm
EST Mainstage
BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
by Marcia Jean Kurtz
featuring: Alexandra Napier, Bobeniu Zipporah, Ean Sheehy, Franny Silverman, Georgia Cohen, George Guidall, Jacob White, Nick De Simone

For Reservations Call:212-247-4982 x20