Aristophanes News

'If at First' and 'The Big Match', the first two comedies in this collection were produced and directed Off Broadway by Gary Beck for the traditional theatre going audience.

State of the Union - American Sketches a poetry collection by Gary Beck is available now. 

After running Neverland Theatre for 31 years, Artistic Director Andy Diskes (Greek American) has finally realized his goal of producing his own new adaption of Lysistrata which he is dubbing The Naughty Ancient Greek Comedy. The production is playing April 29 to May 1, 2022 at Peabody's Black Box Theater, 22 Foster St., Peabody, MA.

Director and writer Gary Becks has released a new poetry book, Lacerations. Lacerations is a poetry collection that looks at the many injuries we incur, mentally, emotionally and physically as we strive to do better in this difficult life.

Through modern adaptations and classic takes on the original plays and myths; TAM’s 53rd Season will feature gods, demigods, heroes, and heroines, and every satyr in-between.

Emmy-winning composer Jim Dooley teams up with Troubies’ founder Matt Walker to world premiere the ‘dynamic plot-concepted’ The Revue at the Colony Theater opening March 17, 2022. Matt directs the cast of himself with Rick Batalla, Katie DeShan, Tiffany Daniels, Isaac Robinson-Smith and Travis Leland. Jim carved some time from rehearsals to explain his novel dynamic plot concept and chat on some highlights of his varied career.

Katsura Sunshine will continue performances of Katsura Sunshine's Rakugo as part of his year-long residency at the Leicester Square Theater.  Sunshine is also preparing to simultaneously return to New York City on March 10, 2022, where the show ran for six months until COVID shut it down.  

In the best-case scenario, by the end of the 21st century, the Earth will “only” become warmer by 1.5 degrees Celsius. Realistically, it will be much hotter. Severe heat waves and rising water levels are only two of the main symptoms of this; coral reefs will disappear almost entirely and animal species will go completely extinct. Seas will swallow cities whole. Polar bears will become a fever dream.

Mrs. Doubtfire, the new musical comedy, officially opened on Broadway tonight, December 5, at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 W 43rd St). Check out what the critics are saying!

The most important figure in musical theatre history is gone; let's celebrate his life by listening to his incredible works. Reviewer Peter Nason gets you started by listing his choices for the 91 greatest Sondheim songs.

The world’s only Western Rakugo Master, Katsura Sunshine, will return to live performances on two continents simultaneously. Beginning on December 12th, Katsura Sunshine’s Rakugo will play the West End with a year-long residency at the Leicester Square Theater and will return to New York City’s New World Stages on January 27th, 2022.

Getty has announced the return of its in-person Villa Theater Lab with After Iphigenia, a kaleidoscopic composition written and directed by Nancy Keystone, created in collaboration with her ensemble, Critical Mass Performance Group. It takes place at the Villa Auditorium from Friday, November 12 to Sunday, November 14. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased online here.

HERE has announced full casting for The Hang, featuring book and lyrics by Taylor Mac, music by Matt Ray and directed by Niegel Smith. Co-presented with PROTOTYPE: Opera | Theatre | Now, The Hang will begin performances on Friday January 7, 2022, on the HERE Mainstage (145 Sixth Avenue, NY, NY 10013) for a run through Sunday February 20, 2022.

During the opening number, the Troubadour Theatre Company, affectionately known to all as the Troubies, comment how thrilled the troupe, and the audience by extension, is to have returned to live theatre. The audience responded with glorious applause, and both the occasion and the Troubies deserve that adulation. The Troubies, who have rocked Los Angeles for the last 25 years, are one of the most creative teams in the city. Their imagination and gumption has entertained with parodies of classical works infused with a musical motif such as Alice In One-Hit Wonderland, Much ADoobie Brothers About Nothing, and A Charlie James Brown Christmas. Their latest, Lizastrata, based on both the Greek Aristophanes comedy Lysistrata and the songs made popular by Liza Minnelli, could have been a dazzler, but with a gossamer plot, too many recycled jokes, and a venue ill-equipped to allow the cast to sing with heft, the latest production is uninspired.

Amas Musical Theatre is accepting applications for the fall semester of The Rosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy, its award-winning pre-professional performance program for musical theatre lovers ages 12-18.

244 Productions will present “The Last Night of the Oki Dog,” a new play by Jeff Smith and Len Wechsler, part of the Broadway Bound Theatre Festival (BBTF) 2021 which will be held at Theatre Row (Theatre 2) 410 West 42nd Street (Between 9th & Dyer Avenues).

The infamous Troubies will be back LIVE on the Getty Villa stage in LIZASTRATA world premiering September 9, 2021. Since 1995, the Troubadour Theater Company has been producing laugh-filled, stomach-clutching programs of entertainment marrying the Classics with modern pop songs and references (i.e., FLEETWOOD MACBETH, MUCH ADOOBIE BROTHERS ABOUT NOTHING, CHRISTMAS CAROLE KING). Had the chance to revisit with Matt Walker, the Troubadour Theater Company’s founder/artistic director/director to chat about Troubies’ latest, sure-to-please creation.

'Bryant Park is at 42nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues in New York City that was first a potters field, then a reservoir with 50 foot walls, a Union Army encampment and finally a jewel of a park in 1934. By the 1970's it had become a drug infested, dangerous place. My theatre company presented a week long celebration with Broadway plays, music and more to try to draw attention to its needing help. Finally in the 90's a corporation was formed that renewed the park and it's now again a little jewel. I played chess in the park for many years and the poems were written in the park.'

This September, the Getty Villa welcomes audiences back to its outdoor theater with LA-based Troubadour Theater Company's LIZASTRATA.

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK. After sixteen months of closure, the Chain Theatre is opening its doors to the playwrights, actors, directors, and audiences hungry in NYC for a festival of original works.