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.