Keith Randolph Smith News

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces partial casting of August Wilson's Jitney. Tony Award-winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson directs his 2017 Broadway production a?' recipient of the Tony Award for Best Play Revival. Set in the early 1970s, Jitney follows a group of men trying to make a living by driving unlicensed cabs, or jitneys.

A HUMAN BEING, OF A SORT represents an examination of what may lie beneath the surface. It suggests we look more closely at a reality complicated by context. It presents many of the paradoxes seemingly present in human interaction. It is a period piece but also quite timely and relevant. We find ourselves questioning the constructs of control, freedom, power, faith, and the notion of perception versus reality. Is it possible to know what lies in the hearts and minds of men or any other creature? Can we ever truly know, why the caged bird sings?

Over 400 guests including current and past New York City high school students and their mentors who have participated in the TDF Wendy Wasserstein Project, the theatre arts mentoring program, (formerly called "Open Doors"), that TDF founded in 1998 with playwright Wendy Wasserstein, will attend this year's graduation ceremony at 5:30pm on Monday, June 3at The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College (524 West 59th Street, NYC). The graduation ceremony will open with a performance by Aisha Jackson who covers the role of Anna in Disney's Frozen.

The Acting Company (Founded by John Houseman and Margot Harley; Ian Belknap, Artistic Director; Elisa Spencer-Kaplan, Executive Director) announced casting today for the second reading in the 23rd John McDonald Salon Reading Series, Frederick Knott's classic thriller Wait Until Dark. The reading will take place on Monday, May 20 at 7 PM at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Playwrights Horizons (416 W. 42nd Street, New York, NY). Tickets are available now online at www.theactingcompany.org.

Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre Company and Jujamcyn Theatres announce the winners for the 11th Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition National Finals, held on Monday, May 6th at the August Wilson Theatre in New York. The first-place winner was Trajan Clayton from Perry, GA; second-place, Katara Willis from Buffalo, NY; and third place, Abad Viquez from Chicago, IL.

True Colors Theatre Company and Jujamcyn Theaters announce the winners of the 11th Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition National Finals.

The Drama League (Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Artistic Director) today announced the 2019 Drama League Awards Nominees for Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Production of a Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, and the much-coveted Distinguished Performance Award. The nominations were announced this morning by the current stars of Waitress, Shoshana Bean and Jeremy Jordan, at the official announcement event at Sardi's Restaurant, which was streamed live online here at BroadwayWorld.

Williamstown Theatre Festival (Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director) announced today additional casting for the 2019 summer season, including Ellen Barkin, Andre Braugher, Priscilla Lopez, Thomas Sadoski, Bernard White, JoBeth Williams, and many more. The 2019 season kicks off June 25, 2019 and runs through August 18, 2019.

Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre Company and Jujamcyn Theaters announce that the 11th Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition will take place on Monday, May 6th at 7:00 p.m. at the August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd Street).  

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has announced casting and other details for the World Premiere of Lockdown by Cori Thomas (Citizens Market, When January Feels Like Summer), directed by Kent Gash (Barbeque). This play, commissioned by Rattlestick with support from the Virginia P. Toulmin Foundation, will begin previews on April 17, 2019 at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (224 Waverly Place), with opening night set for May 2 and a limited engagement through May 19, 2019. Tickets are on sale now at www.rattlestick.org.

In HOW TO CATCH CREATION, a world premiere at Goodman Theatre, playwright Christina Anderson tackles universal themes: the desire for human connection, the pursuit of creative and intellectual passions, and the longing to leave a meaningful legacy. Niegel Smith directs this intricately crafted tale, which spans five decades and follows six Black American artists whose paths intersect in surprising ways.

I'm preparing. I'm expecting. I haven't figured out the path to creation yet. Christina Anderson's bold, imaginative portrait of three artist/intellectual couples exploring personal and professional legacy, How to Catch Creation makes its world premiere at Goodman Theatre. A playwright of note for more than a decade, with previous works at The Public Theater, Yale Repertory Theatre and Playwrights Horizons, Anderson makes her Goodman debut. Niegel Smith, who most recently directed the smash sensation Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) last season at the Goodman, directs Anderson's play, which appeared as a reading in the Goodman's 2017 New Stages Festival.

"I'm preparing. I'm expecting. I haven't figured out the path to creation yet."

Announced today, Playing on Air's Winter/Spring 2019 season will include work by playwrights Gracie Gardner and Chiara Atik. The season will also include the April release of the highly-anticipated live recording of David Auburn's AN UPSET, starring David Harbour (Netflix's "Stranger Things," Hellboy) and Steven Boyer (Hand To God, NBC's "Trial & Error") and the re-release of Lynn Nottage's POOF! with Audra McDonald, Tonya Pinkins, and Keith Randolph Smith.  

Goodman Theatre proudly announces its cast for the world premiere of How to Catch Creation by Christina Anderson-"a gifted playwright you want to pay attention to" (Variety). A vivid portrait of three artist/intellectual couples exploring life, children and marriage-coming together and coming apart-How to Catch Creation is directed by Niegel Smith, who most recently directed the smash sensation Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) last season at the Goodman.

Quick Silver Theater Company's (QSTC) third annual Citizen One Reading Series launches Friday November 16th.  QSTC will present staged readings of four emerging playwrights of color as part of their series.

Red Bull Theater today announced the cast for the next REVELATION READING, The Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd, directed by Louisa Proske: Oberon Adjepong, Matthew Amendt, Zach Appelman, Jenny Bacon, Rebecca S'manga Frank, Ryan Garbayo, Michael Genet,  Roderick Hill, Ezra Knight, Paul Niebanck, Keith Randolph Smith, and Emily Swallow. This will take place on Monday November 12th at 7:30 PM at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, between Bleecker and Hudson Streets).

The world premiere of Jonathan Payne's The Revolving Cycles Truly and Steadily Roll'd opens tonight, on September 19 at The Duke on 42nd Street, a New 42nd Street Project. Presented by The Playwrights Realm (Katherine Kovner, Founding Artistic Director; Roberta Pereira, Producing Director) and directed by Awoye Timpo, this is the first full production from the mordantly funny and unsparing voice of Jonathan Payne.

The Playwrights Realm (Katherine Kovner, Founding Artistic Director; Roberta Pereira, Producing Director) today announces the complete cast and creative team for the world premiere of Jonathan Payne's The Revolving Cycles Truly and Steadily Roll'd, directed by Awoye Timpo (Sept. 7-Oct. 6, at The Duke on 42nd Street, a New 42nd Street project).  This world premiere marks the first full production from the mordantly funny and unsparing voice of Jonathan Payne.

SPACE on Ryder Farm--a nonprofit residency program for artists and activists located on a 223 year-old working organic farm in Brewster, NY--announced that applications for all of its 2019 residency programs are now open for submission. Due to increasing demand, SPACE announced in July that it was changing its submission process to allow the organization sufficient time for review.