Lynda Gravátt News

The restructuring of the industry continues - in North Carolina, Raleigh has lost one of its major institutions (for the time being) as North Carolina Theater suspends their 2024 season and files for bankruptcy. The labor movement continues to notch wins in New York, as the Atlantic Theater workers have voted to join IATSE.

We’ve all heard about the shuttering of media outlets and the departure of entertainment journalists from publications still in business. In the last couple of months, I’ve been thinking a lot about how the dearth of theater coverage is changing our perception of the art form.

Crossroads Theatre will welcome CHICKEN & BISCUITS, a comedy written by Douglas Lyons and directed by Lynda Gravátt. The hilarious play will celebrate its Opening Night on Wednesday, December 21st, for a limited engagement through Tuesday, December 31, 2022.

Project Y Theatre Company will present the final programming in the 7th Annual Women in Theatre Festival: ALL HANDS ON DECK, a reading and commission series dedicated to supporting the creation of new works by Female playwrights of the African diaspora.

The third online production in the series, and the second from Kennedy’s Alexander Plays, is a penetrating, seemingly straightforward tale of mid-20th century discrimination in academia, blended with unspeakable crime.

AUDELCO has announced the nominees for their 2018 'Viv' Awards, honoring Black Theatre in New York City.

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.

Foy mesmerizes in this powerful slice of an early 19th century New Orleans in which women of color were often mistresses to wealthy landowners.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) (Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director Jeremy Blocker) announced today a one-week extension for the New York Premiere of The House That Will Not Stand by Marcus Gardley (X: Or, Betty Shabazz v. The Nation), directed by NYTW Usual Suspect and Obie Award winner Lileana Blain-Cruz (Red Speedo; Pipeline). The House That Will Not Stand began previews on Wednesday, July 11, 2018, and opened Monday, July 30 at New York Theatre Workshop (79 E. 4th Street New York, NY 10003). Originally set to close on Sunday, August 12, The House That Will Not Stand will now run through Sunday, August 19, 2018.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) presents the New York Premiere of The House That Will Not Stand by Marcus Gardley (X: Or, Betty Shabazz v. The Nation), directed by NYTW Usual Suspect and Obie Award winner Lileana Blain-Cruz (Red Speedo; Pipeline). The play opened just last night, July 30 at New York Theatre Workshop (79 E. 4th Street New York, NY 10003), for a limited run through Sunday, August 12, 2018.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) presents the New York Premiere of THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND by Marcus Gardley (X: Or, Betty Shabazz v. The Nation), directed by NYTW Usual Suspect and Obie Award winner Lileana Blain-Cruz (Red Speedo; Pipeline).  The play opened just last night, July 30 at New York Theatre Workshop (79 E. 4th Street New York, NY 10003), for a limited run through Sunday, August 12, 2018.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) announces the full cast and creative team for the New York Premiere of THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND by MarcusGardley (X: Or, Betty Shabazz v. The Nation), directed by NYTW Usual Suspect and Obie Award winner Lileana Blain-Cruz (Red Speedo; Pipeline).

Happy opening! THIS FLAT EARTH, directed by Tony Award winner Rebecca Taichman, held its Opening Night at Playwrights Horizons last night! The performance marked the play's World Premiere. Other members of the theatre community, including Lois Smith and Jamie Brewer, joined the cast and crew for last night's celebration.

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) presents the world premiere production of THIS FLAT EARTH, a new play by Lindsey Ferrentino (Ugly Lies the Bone, the current Amy and the Orphans). Directed by Tony Award winner Rebecca Taichman (Familiar, Stage Kiss, Milk Like Sugar at Playwrights; Indecent), the play is the fourth production of the theater company's 2017/2018 Season. See photos from the production here!

Previews begin this Friday, March 16 for the Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) world premiere production of THIS FLAT EARTH, a new play by Lindsey Ferrentino (Ugly Lies the Bone, the current Amy and the Orphans).  Directed by Tony Award winner Rebecca Taichman (Familiar, Stage Kiss, Milk Like Sugar at Playwrights; Indecent), the play is the fourth production of the theater company's 2017/2018 Season.  

Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) begins accepting entries today, Monday, March 5, for the LIVE for FIVE online lottery for $5 tickets to the world premiere of THIS FLAT EARTH, a new play by Lindsey Ferrentino (Ugly Lies the Bone, the current Amy and the Orphans). Directed by Tony Award winner Rebecca Taichman (Familiar, Stage Kiss, Milk Like Sugar at Playwrights; Indecent), the play is the fourth production of the theater company's 2017/2018 Season.

Last night two-time Tony Award-winner Viola Davis made history as the first African-American to win an Emmy in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category. She was recognized for her role as the brilliant attorney and professor Annalise Keating on the Shonda Rhimes drama HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER. In addition to her Emmy and Tonys, Davis has won three Drama Desks and three SAG Awards. During her acceptance speech, Davis quoted Harriet Tubman and talked about breaking boundaries and redefining what Hollywood thinks of as beautiful.

Geva Theatre Center presents Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, a funny and poignant stage adaptation of the beloved Academy Award©-winning film.  Adapted by Todd Kreidler and based on the screenplay by William Rose, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is directed by Skip Greer and will be performed in the Wilson Stage from February 14 to March 12.

Last night two-time Tony Award-winner Viola Davis made history as the first African-American to win an Emmy in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category. She was recognized for her role as the brilliant attorney and professor Annalise Keating on the Shonda Rhimes drama HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER. In addition to her Emmy and Tonys, Davis has won three Drama Desks and three SAG Awards. During her acceptance speech, Davis quoted Harriet Tubman and talked about breaking boundaries and redefining what Hollywood thinks of as beautiful.