Bill George News

Touchstone Theatre premieres its new work Bhudoo, an original musical fable, with ten performances between March 31 and May 1, 2016 at various venues throughout the Lehigh Valley. Bhudoo, directed by Touchstone artistic director Jp Jordan, features original songs written by Jordan and Touchstone ensemble associate and Bhudoo playwright Christopher Shorr. The Touchstone acting ensemble - Bill George, Emma Chong, and Mary Wright - performs the 80-minute one-act comedy.

Below, check out George Clooney and Bill Murray performing 'Santa Clause Wants Some Lovin' from the Netflix original holiday special, A VERY MURRAY CHRISTMAS, now streaming exclusively on Netflix.

Touchstone Theatre continues celebration of its 35th anniversary season with a new year of Christmas City Follies, the theatre's annual production of a high-spirited, homegrown, vaudevillian variety show. Christmas City Follies XVI runs tonight, December 3-20, 2015 at Touchstone's home on the south side at 321 East Fourth Street in Bethlehem.

Touchstone Theatre is sponsoring its fifth Corporate Creativity Event on November 17th from 8am to 9:30am titled "The Magic of Intelligent Enthusiasm" and held at Ben Franklin Technology Partners. Admission is free; registration to bill@touchstone.org required.

Touchstone Theatre continues celebration of its 35th anniversary season with a new year of Christmas City Follies, the theatre's annual production of a high-spirited, homegrown, vaudevillian variety show. Christmas City Follies XVI runs December 3-20, 2015 at Touchstone's home on the south side at 321 East Fourth Street in Bethlehem.

Kicking off tonight, August 5, is HOLDEN, produced by George & Co, directed by Anisa George and written by Anisa George in collaboration with the ensemble. The play runs through August 8, 2015. Scroll down for a first look at the cast in action!

CrazyLady's presentation of A George F. Walker Double Bill includes the Toronto premiere of Parents Night and the world premiere of The Bigger Issue from one of Canada's most highly acclaimed playwrights. These two deeply humane but razor-sharp comedies run as a double bill, tonight, April 23 to May 17 (previews from April 21) at Theatre Passe Muraille's Mainspace. Scroll down for a first look at the cast in action!

Touchstone Theatre presents Journey from the East, a community-based theatrical production for their two-year project exploring the history, heritage, and future of the Chinese community in the Lehigh Valley and America. The free, large-scale, outdoor performance plays April 18, 19, 25, and 26 at 3:00pm at the Chinese Harmony Pavilion on the South Bethlehem Greenway.

Tickets go on sale today for CrazyLady's presentation of A George F. Walker Double Bill which includes the Toronto premiere of Parents Night and the world premiere of The Bigger Issue from this highly acclaimed, award-winning playwright. These two deeply humane but razor-sharp comedies run as a double bill, April 23 to May 17 (previews from April 21) at Theatre Passe Muraille's Mainspace.

Touchstone Theatre receives a $20,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation towards the completion of its two-year community-based project Journey from the East. The project concludes with a free, large-scale, outdoor theatrical production featuring American and Chinese epic mythology, performing April 18, 19, 25, and 26, 2015.

Come and meet the 42nd President as he cuts loose and shoots straight from the hip in his own fantasy TED talk! From the Trojan Wars to the future of democracy, his dreams, regrets, hopes and passions, Occupy, Hillary and Monica…

Touchstone Theatre founder Bill George and Allentown Public Theatre artistic director Joshua Neth announce that they will be co-teaching a year-long program of actor training starting this fall. Entitled the Valley Actor's Lab (VAL), the program seeks to provide excellent and systematic training to seriously inclined actors in the Lehigh Valley. George and Neth describe themselves as “two theatre artists who hold their love of actors and the work of the actor above all earthly things”; coming from different backgrounds and different theatre educations, they have joined teaching skills in this unique effort to advance the life of the actor in the Lehigh Valley. Their intention in creating VAL is to strengthen the work of the Valley theatre community by deepening the base of well-trained artists in the region and facilitating collaboration between producers and performers.

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER continues its 12th season TONIGHT, JULY 18 (10:00-11:00 p.m. live ET/tape-delayed PT), with a replay at11:00 p.m., exclusively on HBO. Allowing Maher to offer his unique perspective on contemporary issues, the show includes an opening monologue, roundtable discussions with panelists, and interviews with guests. Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, president, North Carolina NAACP, is the top-of-show interview guest. Actor George Takei is the mid-show interview guest. The roundtable guests are former Cal. Rep. Jane Harman, statistician Nate Silverand editor Jamie Weinstein.

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER continues its 12th season FRIDAY, JULY 18 (10:00-11:00 p.m. live ET/tape-delayed PT), with a replay at11:00 p.m., exclusively on HBO. Allowing Maher to offer his unique perspective on contemporary issues, the show includes an opening monologue, roundtable discussions with panelists, and interviews with guests. Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, president, North Carolina NAACP, is the top-of-show interview guest. Actor George Takei is the mid-show interview guest. The roundtable guests are former Cal. Rep. Jane Harman, statistician Nate Silverand editor Jamie Weinstein.

A pioneer in the world of contemporary dance, MacArthur "Genius Grant" recipient Liz Lerman's new theatrical dance piece Healing Wars examines healing in wartime, the nature of damage that continues when battles are over and the question of how individuals and societies absorb the pain and impact of war. The production features a company of performers in multiple roles, including Marjani Forte, George Hirsch, Tamara Hurwitz Pullman, Ted Johnson, Alli Ross, Samantha Speis, Keith A. Thompson, renowned stage and film actor Bill Pullman and a combat veteran to be announced at a later date. The limited engagement, world-premiere production of Healing Wars runs June 6 - June 29 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater.

Touchstone Theatre, long-renowned for creating community-transforming works of theatre, is tackling the story of the Lehigh Valley's Chinese locals and visitors. This two year process, entitled Journey from the East, will feature two performances, the first of which will be taking place April 3-13, 2014; the latter performance will be produced in April 2015, in collaboration with Chinese multidisciplinary artists of the Utopia Group, and with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Fifth & Pacific Companies, Inc. announced that it is changing its name to Kate Spade & Company to reflect the Company's mono-brand focus. In addition, William L. McComb, Chief Executive Officer of Fifth & Pacific Companies, Inc., will be stepping down from his role and will be succeeded by Craig Leavitt, currently Chief Executive Officer of Kate Spade. George Carrara, currently Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Fifth & Pacific Companies, will be promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer of Kate Spade & Company; Deborah Lloyd continues in her role as Chief Creative Officer of the renamed Company. Additionally, Mr. Leavitt and Ms. Lloyd will join the Company's Board of Directors. The corporate name change and management transition are scheduled to take place following the release of fourth quarter earnings results on Tuesday, February 25, 2014, at which time the Company will begin trading as NYSE:KATE.

This April, Touchstone Theatre premiers an original work entitled Ulysses Dreams: an exploration of origin and destiny on the South Bethlehem Greenway. Based on the classical text of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, the play runs tonight, April 13-21 and features original music and poetic text by Jp Jordan and Christopher Shorr, as well as choreography created by Bill George, Gus Ripa, and the Touchstone creative family.

This April, Touchstone Theatre premiers an original work entitled Ulysses Dreams: an exploration of origin and destiny on the South Bethlehem Greenway. Based on the classical text of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, the play runs April 13-21 and features original music and poetic text by Jp Jordan and Christopher Shorr, as well as choreography created by Bill George, Gus Ripa, and the Touchstone creative family.

Pontine Theatre announces its 35th performance season at the West End Studio Theatre in Portsmouth NH. Two things unite the wide range of work presented in Pontine Theatre's annual performance series: all use expression through movement as a primary dramatic vehicle and all are original works or adaptations created by the artists who perform them. This season the series features five productions: two by Pontine and three by invited guest artists. Pontine's West End Studio Theatre is located at 959 Islington Street in Portsmouth, NH. Performances are Fridays & Saturdays at 4pm & at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Season subscriptions are $90 ($10 discount for students & seniors). Single tickets are $24 ($3 discount for students & seniors) and may be purchased online at www.pontine.org. For information contact: info@pontine.org or 603-436-6660.