Milton Zoth

The latest standings as of Monday, December 19th, have been released for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Austin Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

The latest standings as of Monday, December 12th, have been released for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Austin Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

The latest standings as of Monday, December 12th, have been released for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Austin Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

The latest standings as of Monday, December 5th, have been released for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Austin Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

The first live standings have been announced for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Austin Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

James Goldman's bitingly witty play A LION IN WINTER has been a favorite of mine most of my life. Written in 1966, this show has everything in my opinion; warring family, a larger than life king, a queen who is, arguably, the most famous woman in history, grasping, greedy princes, all wrapped up in a real life, high stakes game of thrones. The biggest plus is some of the best dialogue ever written for the stage, and roles that are on every actor's bucket list. As a devotee of medieval history, A LION IN WINTER, is quite simply my cup of tea. The legendary Plantagenet family known as the 'Devil's Brood' on stage at the same time? It doesn't get better. Unfortunately The Wimberley Players production is sadly lacking in the passion that runs through the veins of Goldman's work like life's blood.

THE SUNSHINE BOYS is a 1972 Tony Award nominated play by Neil Simon that ran for 538 performances on Broadway. It was turned into a feature film in 1975 and a TV movie in 1996. THE SUNSHINE BOYS is the story of two old vaudeville stars, Lewis & Clark, whose iconic act ended when Al Lewis walked away after 43 years of animosity and retired leaving Willie to try to make it as a solo act. When Willie didn't succeed, the duo never spoke again. When his nephew Ben, a talent agent, tries to resurrect the act for a TV special, the big question is whether they can put aside their differences long enough to make one final appearance.

The LABUTE NEW THEATER FESTIVAL is now onstage at 59E59 Theaters through February 7th. Six fascinating one-act plays are receiving their New York Premiere.

59E59 Theaters will welcome the St. Louis Actors' Studio?with the NYC premiere of their acclaimed LaBUTE NEW THEATER FESTIVAL, an evening of one-act plays featuring new plays by Neil LaBute, Lexi Wolfe, Peter Grandbois & Nancy Bell, G.D. Kimble, JJ Strong, and John Doble. Directed by Milton Zoth and John Pierson, the LaBUTE NEW THEATER FESTIVAL begins performances on Wednesday, January 13 for a limited engagement through Sunday, February 7.  Press opening is Sunday, January 17 at 7:30 PM.  The performance schedule is Tuesday - Thursday at 7:30 PM; Friday at 8:30 PM; Saturday at 2:30 PM & 8:30 PM; and Sunday at 3:30 PM & 7:30 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Tickets are $30 ($21 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.59e59.org. 

St. Louis should feel honored that the St. Louis Actors' Studio has established a new summer tradition with their LABUTE NEW THEATER FESTIVAL which began last week. It is an opportunity for all theater-goers to see fresh one act plays that are both thought-provoking and engaging. As a special treat playwright/screenwriter/director Neil LaBute also contributes a piece each year. This event is truly special and one that should not be missed.

Harold Pinter's THE HOMECOMING has been referred to as one of his early 'menacing' comedies. I suppose that that's an accurate enough description, but I would say that the actual humor is pitch black in nature. It's a twisted tale that Pinter writes, and it's funny in the most unsettling ways. Characters ask questions that are often ignored, leaving long uncomfortable silences that truly speak volumes. The St. Louis Actors' Studio has assembled a superb cast that understands this material has to be played straight to really pay off, and under Milton Zoth's expert direction they excel.

59E59 Theaters will welcome St. Louis Actors' Studio with the New York premiere of DAY OF THE DOG, written by Daniel Damiano and directed by Milton Zoth. DAY OF THE DOG begins performances on Thursday, March 13 for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 30. Press opening is Tuesday, March 18 at 7:30 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Thursday at 7:30 PM; Friday - Saturday at 8:30 PM; and Sunday at 3:30 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Tickets are $18 ($12.60 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.59e59.org.

Nicky Silver's PTERODACTYLS is a pitch black comedy with a number of peculiar twists and turns. Like his play, The Lyons, the focus is on a highly dysfunctional family that's fraying around the edges. The St. Louis Actors' Studio has put together an engaging presentation that's both shocking and amusing in equal measure.

Shakespeare's KING LEAR can be interpreted in any number of ways. But, at it's heart, it's the tale of two families that are torn apart when their patriarchs misjudge their own offspring. King Lear turns the division of his kingdom into a test of love among his three daughters, while the Earl of Gloucester carelessly allows a note forged by his bastard son Edmund to destroy his relationship with his other son, Edgar. St. Louis Actors' Studio is presenting a slightly more scaled down and intimate production of this work that focuses our attention keenly on the story, as well as on the fine performers who populate this excellent cast.

Playwright Daniel Damiano's DAY OF THE DOG is a quirky little dramatic comedy that explores a fractured family's dysfunction through their relationship with an aggressive canine. There are a number of good laughs, and a lot of therapeutic interactions, that occur as this premiere production by the St. Louis Actors' Studio unfolds. It's still a work in progress in some regards, but it's done well, with an excellent cast doing a fine job interpreting their roles, and solid direction.

The St. Louis Theater Circle has just announced the nominees for the 2013 Louie Awards, honoring excellence in professional theater. The ceremony is set to take place on March 11 at the Gaslight Theater (358 North Boyle Avenue). To reserve tickets, email stltheatercircle@sbcglobal.net.

Playwright C.P. Taylor's work, GOOD, is a piece of theater guaranteed to make the audience think. That's a good thing. Too often, things are so cut and dry that the viewer isn't really required to ponder what they've just seen, they simply digest it and move along. But, Good stays with you, and makes you wonder just what it would take to make a person conform their values and beliefs in an effort to get ahead, even if meant the attempted extermination of a whole race of people. The St. Louis Actors' Studio has put together a fascinating and engaging presentation that truly makes you ask this question. And, with current legislation in Germany being discussed that would outlaw circumcision, it's a timely work that makes you aware of the fact that those who don't learn from their own history may be doomed to repeat it.

KILLER JOE is a killer show! I only regret not being able to see this show until I'd returned from my vacation, effectively eliminating my chance to laud the show properly in order to drive an audience to it. My sincerest apologies, because I'm a fan of playwright Tracy Letts, and, not having seen this show before, I was unprepared for its sheer rawness. It's a hilarious pulpy send-up on the classic idea of hiring a hitman to off someone in order to benefit monetarily from the situation, and the St. Louis Actors' Studio have outdone themselves with an excellent rendering of this early work. The direction and acting of the entire ensemble is fearless and superb.

Muddy Waters Theatre end their season dedicated to playwright Paula Vogel with her award-winning work, HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE, and it's easily the most accomplished and straightforward of her plays. It lacks the humor of the others that were presented this season, but it replaces the laughs with something deeper that disturbs and stays with the viewer long after the play has ended. This is a very successful staging of this haunting work powered by sharp direction and stellar performances.

St. Louis Actors' Studio concludes its fourth season, themed 'Angels and Demons,' with an evening that gets right to the heart of it. According to Mr. LaBute, these pieces were written '... to say something about love and life and betrayal and art and a number of other themes.... Each one for a different reason and for a different show or person or cause....along with some new material that is debuting here, these fragments of work have been performed in venues around the world but never before in this exciting combination. My task is to be true to my characters and to take my audience for a ride--I hope you all feel like that's the case when the curtain comes down (or the lights go out) and you've made it to the curtain call'