The Weekend Report: Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Finalists; School Girls Around the Country
(© David Gordon)
Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Finalists
The 10 finalists for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize have been announced. The list of plays and playwrights is as follows:
• Zoe Cooper (UK) – Out of Water
• Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig (US) – The King of Hell's Palace
• Aleshea Harris (US) – What to Send Up When It Goes Down
• Anchuli Felicia King (Australia) – Golden Shield
• Kimber Lee (US) – untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play
• Dominique Morisseau (US) – Confederates
• Lucy Prebble (UK) – A Very Expensive Poison
• Stef Smith (UK) – Nora: A Doll's House
• Celine Song (US) – Endlings
• Anne Washburn (US) – Shipwreck: A History Play About 2017
The winner will receive a cash prize of $25,000 and a signed print by artist Willem de Kooning, created especially for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Each of the additional finalists will receive an award of $5,000. The ceremony will take place on March 2 at Playwrights Horizons.
(© David Gordon)
The Walter and Brooke Who Came to Dinner
Complete casting is set for Marsha Mason's upcoming Bucks County Playhouse benefit readings of Kaufman and Hart's The Man Who Came to Dinner at the Playhouse in New Hope on February 5 and WP Theater on February 10.
As previously announced, the cast will be led by Walter Bobbie and Brooke Shields as Sheridan Whiteside and Lorraine Sheldon.
They will be joined by John Behlmann as Bert Jefferson, Jimmy Brewer as Richard Stanley, Jill Eikenberry as Harriet Stanley, John Glover as Beverly Carlton, Ruth Gottschall as Sarah, Tessa Grady as June Stanley, Larry Marshall as Dr. Bradley, Marsha Mason as Mrs. Dexter, Jill Paice as Maggie Cutler, Patricia Richardson as Mrs. Stanley, Lance Roberts as Professor Metz, Grant Shaud as Mr. Stanley, Jeffrey Schecter as Banjo, David Shih as John, and Prudence Wright Holmes as Miss Preen. Additional roles will be played by Brad Forenza, Jeremiah Maestes and Edward O'Blenis. Steve Sanpietro will read stage directions.
(© David Gordon)
Meet the School Girls Across the Country
Casting for multiple productions of Jocelyn Bioh's School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play has been announced.
At Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where the dark comedy will be directed by Awoye Timpo, the company will include Afua Busia (Ama), Santoya Fields (Eloise), Omozé Idehenre (Headmistress Francis), Paige Mays (Gifty), Gabriella Momah (Nana), Al-Nisa Petty (Mercy), Lily Santiago (Ericka), and Akilah A. Walker (Paulina). it will run March 19-May 3.
At the Goodman Theatre, Adia Alli (Gifty), Katherine Lee Bourné (Ama), Kyrie Courter (Ericka), Ashley Crowe (Nana), Ciera Dawn (Paulina), Tiffany Renee Johnson (Mercy), Tania Richard (Headmistress Francis), and Lanise Antoine Shelley (Eloise), will star in Lili-Anne Brown's staging, running March 7-April 12.
In the play, the reigning queen bee at Ghana's most exclusive boarding school sets her sights on the Miss Universe pageant, and a new student unexpectedly changes the game.
(© David Gordon)
Announcements
• Broadway Records will release the original cast recording of Andrew R. Butler's Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future digitally and in stores on Friday, March 27.
• The McKittrick Hotel has extended its immersive production of The Woman in Black at the venue's Club Car pub through April 19.
• André De Shields, Kate Burton, and Theatre Development Fund will receive Red Bull Theater's 2020 Matador Awards for Excellence in Classical Theater, presented at the company's gala on March 30 at the Bowery Hotel.
• Ben Platt will performance the 31st annual GLAAD Media Awards on Thursday, March 19.
See Photos From All of This Week's Fancy Events:
Watch the Cast of Aladdin Serenade Star Jonathan Freeman on His 70th Birthday:
