Read on for more theatre news you may have missed in today's headlines.
Cast Set for Off-Broadway Musical A Turtle on a Fence Post
Casting is complete for A Turtle on a Fence Post, the new musical co-written and produced by Hank Morris. Leading the company will be Garth Kravits as Morris, alongside David Aron Damane, Erik Gratton, Joanna Glushak, Kate Loprest, Josh Marin, Richard E. Waits, Janet Aldrich, Joel Newsome, and Robbie Serrano. Gabriel Barre directs the production, which will begin previews October 26 prior to an official opening November 14 at the newly renamed Theater 555. A Turtle on a Fence Post features a book by Morris (billed under the pen name Prisoner #11RO731), who pleaded guilty in 2010 for his involvement in a pension fraud scandal; Andrew Cuomo prosecuted the case as New York’s then attorney general. The musical arrives shortly after Cuomo announced his resignation as New York's governor following charges of sexual harassment. Austin Nuckols and Lily Dwoskin penned the score.
Broadway Costume Exhibit Extends
The Times Square display Showstoppers!, featuring outfits from Six, Moulin Rouge!, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, The Lion King, and dozens more, has extended its run through October 31. Benefiting the Costume Industry Coalition, a new group created in 2020 to advocate for the survival of New York City's custom costume industry, Showstoppers! Spectacular Costumes from Stage & Screen opened to the public on August 5 and was originally scheduled to run through September 26. All proceeds will continue to raise money for the Costume Industry Coalition Recovery Fund.
Statues Memorializing Women Come to Life
New Shokan Kitchen Island Project will present StatueFest On Stage, two evenings of monologues celebrating women worthy of putting up on a pedestal. “Statues almost always lift up men (usually white, straight men) on horses and with guns, in uniforms or holding decrees, posed for action. Women are missing-in-action, no matter how much they have contributed to society,” said Cindy Cooper, one of NSKIP’s founding producers. StatueFest On Stage will feature works by several writers including Cheryl L. Davis, Laura Shamas, Christine Toy Johnson, Martine Sainvil, and more, bringing to life such women as Zora Neale Hurston, Maria Irene Fornes, and Pauli Murray. The production, which originally premiered on Zoom, will have its live showing at Puerto Rican Traveling Theater September 30–October 1 at 7 PM ET. RSVP is required.
