Read on for some recent theatre headlines and videos you may have missed.
Goodspeed Musicals Announces Season Dates
After a series of postponements, Goodspeed Musicals now aims to raise the curtain once again in summer 2021. Next year's season is now scheduled to begin June 11 with the long-awaited production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific, directed by Rob Ruggiero (the staging was originally slated for April of this year before being pushed to September). The world premiere of Anne of Green Gables, penned by Matte O’Brien and Matt Vinson and directed by Jenn Thompson, will subsequently run September 10–November 14. Ticket holders will have the option to attend in-person or watch a streaming version remotely.
Alison Fraser, Emily Cramer, Josh Davis, More Star in Audio Drama Hanukkah Haunting
Thrappo Audio launches a series of holiday audio dramas—featuring Broadway, Off-Broadway, and voice actors—with Emmy winner Jacklyn Thrapp's Hanukkah Haunting. The piece, about a Brooklyn family haunted by ghosts over Hanukkah, features Tony nominee Alison Fraser (The Secret Garden, Romance/Romance), Emily Cramer (School of Rock, Les Misérables), Josh Davis (Beautiful), Voice Arts Awards winner Sarah Natochenny (Pokémon), Mike Pollock (Sonic: The Hedgehog), Gianmarco Soresi (Bonding), Barrett Leddy (Bread Barbershop), Terrence Clowe (Wolverine), and Simona Berman (Pokémon). The drama, directed by Audie Award winner Barrett Leddy, has additional material by Leddy, Jackson Bell, and Jane Lednovich with music by Bell. Hanukkah Haunting is now available on Apple Books, Google Play, Chirp, Kobo, HiBooks, and Scribd. It will be available on Audible in late October.
Watch the Trailer for Running Lines
A new web series from Dani Marcus and Tim Werenko gives audiences a sneak peek at the world of theatre auditions. Running Lines, now available to watch on YouTube, stars Marcus, Deb Radloff, Jay Leibowitz, Francis Kelly, Anna Ty Bergman, Tom Schwans, and Jeff Hylton. The show offers a glimpse into the daily life of an NYC actor. Check out the trailer below
MIT Moves Its Emerging Playwrights Festival Online
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Music and Theater Arts program will kick off its third annual Playwrights Lab September 18. The virtual festival (running through October 3) of eight staged readings brings together MIT students and professional theatre artists to showcase new works by emerging writers. Led by playwright and senior lecturer Ken Urban, the virtual readings feature directors such as Ashley Tata, Steve Cosson, and Vanessa Stalling, along with performers like Tony nominee Mary Testa, Zoë Winters, and Adrianne Krstansky.
“The student plays range from a touching story about a woman confronting Alzheimer’s to a future where an app calculates the mortality rate of our daily activities,” says Urban. “When I tell people I teach playwriting at MIT, I can sometimes hear their surprise. But the program is at the cutting edge of theatre arts education and training.” Tickets to all virtual readings are free with RSVP, with a $5 donation encouraged. For more information, click here.
Michigan Opera on a New Level
Yuval Sharon, founder of the L.A.-based experimental opera company The Industry, will assume the role of artistic director at Michigan Opera Theatre in Detroit, effective immediately. His first production in the role will open next month: a condensed, drive-through adaptation of Wagner's Götterdämmerung (under the title Twilight: Gods) set in a parking garage. Audiences will remain in their cars and navigate the various levels as they encounter such familiar characters as Brünnhilde (sung by Christine Goerke), Siegfried (Sean Pannikar), Alberich (Donnie Ray Albert), and Hagen (Morris Robinson).
SOCIETY Theatre Collective Announces $50,000 in Grants
Due to an anonymous donor, the New York City-based theatre collective SOCIETY will provide $50,000 to theatre artists by the end of 2020 through the Hawthorne Arts Community Grant, with a goal to cover personal expenses so artists can continue their work in the ongoing shutdown. Nine artists will receive monthly $1,000 grants, while an additional $5,000 will be distributed to several artists for smaller emergency needs. The only requirement was a current lack of ability to support oneself or access to a financial safety net during this time. Recipients were selected through a nomination process by SOCIETY company members and began receiving their stipends in August. SOCIETY Theatre Collective, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization founded by playwright Mona Mansour, director Scott Illingworth, and actor/producer Tim Nicolai to produce new works through the Joint Stock Method. The collective includes over 20 theatre makers of different disciplines. For more information, visit SocietyTheatre.com.
