Neil Pepe News

Two Unrelated Plays by David Mamet, including a world premiere production, opened over the hot Los Angeles weekend drawing a recognizable crowd to the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City...

ALMOST AN EVENING, Academy Award® winning film maker Ethan Coen's trio of comic plays directed by Neil Pepe, will welcome Kate Blumberg and Peter Maloney to the cast of the hit Off-Broadway production on Tuesday, May 13, 2008.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Andrew D. Hamingson, Managing Director) is proud to announce the world premiere production of Annie Baker's play BODY AWARENESS, directed by Karen Kohlhaas and featuring Jonathan Clem, Peter Friedman, Mary McCann and JoBeth Williams.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Andrew D. Hamingson, Managing Director) is proud to announce an extension of the New York premiere production of Olivier Award® winning playwright Conor McPherson's play PORT AUTHORITY, directed by Henry Wishcamper and featuring Tony Award® nominee Brian d'Arcy James (Sweet Smell of Success), Tony Award® winner John Gallagher, Jr. (Spring Awakening) and Olivier Award® winner Jim Norton (The Seafarer).

The Perry-Mansfield New Works Festival (June Lindenmayer, Executive Director; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director) has announced the line-up for the 2008 summer season of music, dance and theatre at the venerable performing arts camp and school in Steamboat Springs, CO. The 11th Annual New Works Festival of workshops and classes is scheduled from June 11 -20. The festival will culminate June 20 - 22 with staged readings of the plays and a special dance presentation. Now in its 95th year, Perry-Mansfield, founded by Charlotte Perry and Portia Mansfield, is recognized as the oldest continuously operating performing arts school and camp in the nation. The Perry-Mansfield New Works Festival, co-chaired by James Steinberg and Karolynn Lestrud, brings performing arts professionals together in the Rocky Mountains to develop new pieces of drama, musical theater and dance, and to mentor new talent in each medium. The 2008 New Works Festival welcomes the addition of New York's Atlantic Theater Company to the successful artistic partnership with Actors Theatre of Louisville, Denver Center Theatre Company, and Off-Broadway's Primary Stages. The New Works Festival continues Perry-Mansfield's founding principle of nurturing new talent with new work. Andrew Leynse and Primary Stages will bring the new play MAMA HATED DIESELS The Songs and Stories of the American Truck Driver conceived and adapted by Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman (Tony Award nominees for It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues; Joseph Jefferson Award nominees for Fire On The Mountain). The play is based on actual interviews from truck drivers and their families, and is filled with hard-drivin' traditional trucker tunes. Mr. Myler will also direct. Marc Masterson and Actors Theatre of Louisville will bring a piece titled Wild Blessings -- a Celebration of Wendell Berry, a collage piece from the writings of poet and philosopher Wendell Berry, created by Marc Masterson and Adrien-Alice Hansel. Mr. Masterson will also direct. Kent Thompson and the Denver Center Theatre Company will bring playwright Rogelio Martinez (Fizz, Learning Curve) to workshop a new play entitled When Tang Met Laika, with the following theme: In the 1990s Americans and Russians started to work together building the International Space Station. With more than a half century of hostilities under their space suits, can two old foes start to trust one another again? A play about the Cold War warming up, a space shuttle program finding its purpose as it nears retirement, one very large robotic arm, weightlessness, and a gun. Directed by Terrence J. Nolen. Neil Pepe and Atlantic Theater Company will bring a new musical What's That Smell: The Music of Jacob Sterling with book & lyrics by David Pittu and music by Randy Redd. What's That Smell: The Music of Jacob Sterling is an absurd musical-theater satire featuring songs and stories from the fictitious career of composer/lyricist Jacob Sterling and presented in a cable talk show format. A rare opportunity to catch up with an artist of questionable gifts as he discusses his inspiration and performs from his stunning repertoire of misbegotten shows. Written by and starring David Pittu, and featuring songs with lyrics by Mr. Pittu and music by Randy Redd. Co-directed by Neil Pepe and Mr. Pittu. All rehearsals and performances will take place at Perry-Mansfield (40755 Routt County Road 36, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487). Free open rehearsals will take place June 11 - 20. Single tickets for each presentation are $15 for performances June 20-22 and will be available for purchase after June 1st. A special Festival Weekend Ticket Package is available for $65 and includes all staged play readings, dance presentation and festival reception. For tickets and information, please call 800-430-2787 or 970-879-7125, or visit the website at www.perry-mansfield.org.

The Perry-Mansfield New Works Festival has announced the line-up for the 2008 summer season of music, dance and theatre at the venerable performing arts camp and school in Steamboat Springs, CO.

Currently running at The Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street, Ethan Coen's 'Almost an Evening' sold out before performances began in its first home at the Atlantic Theater Company. Here, actor Del Pentecost sits down with BWW and talks about his experiences working with Ethan Coen, doing his first nude scene, and his favorite parts of the show.

In addition to his revival productions of 'American Buffalo', the New York Times is reporting that playwright David Mamet will have a second revival of his 1988 play 'Speed The Plow'

Currently running at The Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street, Ethan Coen's 'Almost an Evening' sold out before performances began in its first home at the Atlantic Theater Company. Here, actor Joey Slotnick sits down with BWW and talks about the success of the show, his career in theater, and what it was like working with such a talented cast and crew.

Atlantic Theater Company's (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Andrew D. Hamingson, Managing Director) 2008 Annual Spring gala, entitled 'Why Can't It Be a Musical? An Evening of Unexpected Musical Adaptations,' will be hosted by Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham and Atlantic ensemble member and Emmy Award winner Kristen Johnston on Monday, April 28th, 2008 at the fabled Rainbow Room (30 Rockefeller Plaza, 65th floor).

Actor Tim Hopper sits down with BroadwayWorld.com and talks about his career and experiences working on 'Almost an Evening'--three one act plays written by Ethan Coen and directed by Neil Pepe currently running at the The Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street.

On April 2nd, 2008 'Almost an Evening' opened on Bleecker Street. Ethan Coen's series of three one act plays unsuccessfully tackle important questions: Waiting - Someone waits somewhere for quite some time. Four Benches - His voyage to self-discovery takes a British intelligence agent to steam baths in New York and Texas, and to park benches in the U.S. And U.K. Debate - Cosmic questions are taken up. Not much is learned.

Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus), now starring in Atlantic Theater Company's hit world premiere production of Academy Award winning film maker Ethan Coen's ALMOST AN EVENING, will appear live on 'CW 11 Morning News' on Monday, March 31st, and on Bloomberg Television's 'Night Talk with Mike Schneider' on Tuesday, April 1st, 2008.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Andrew D. Hamingson, Managing Director) is proud to announce the New York premiere production of Olivier Award® winning playwright Conor McPherson's play PORT AUTHORITY, directed by Henry Wishcamper and featuring Tony Award® nominee Brian d'Arcy James (Sweet Smell of Success), Tony Award® winner Jonathan Gallagher, Jr. (Spring Awakening) and Olivier Award® winner Jim Norton (The Seafarer).

Tonight, March 20th, 2008 Almost An Evening will begin previews at the Bleecker Street Theatre. Direct from its sold-out run at the Atlantic Theater Company, Ethan Coen's series of three one act plays unsuccessfully tackle important questions Almost An Evening, directed by Atlantic artistic director Neil Pepe, sold out before previews began on January 9, opened on January 22, and played a limited engagement through February 10, 2008 Off-Broadway at Atlantic Stage 2 (330 West 16th Street). The Off-Broadway transfer of Almost An Evening will be produced by Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Andrew D. Hamingson, Managing Director) and Art Meets Commerce (Chip Meyrelles, Executive Director; Ken Greiner, Producing Director). The Atlantic Stage 2 engagement of Almost An Evening featured Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham, Jonathan Cake, J.R. Horne, Jordan Lage, Mark Linn-Baker, Elizabeth Marvel, Mary McCann, Del Pentecost and Joey Slotnick.

Catch this special video feature of 'Almost An Evening' in rehearsals!

Tony Award® nominee Johanna Day and Steppenwolf Theatre Company member Tim Hopper join the cast of Atlantic Theater Company's acclaimed world premiere production of Academy Award®-winning film maker Ethan Coen's Almost An Evening.

Atlantic Theater Company (Artistic Director, Neil Pepe; Managing Director, Andrew D. Hamingson)announces a one week extension of the world premiere production of Jez Butterworth's new play PARLOUR SONG, directed by Neil Pepe.

Film star Emily Mortimer (Lars and the Real Girl, Match Point), now starring in world premiere of Jez Butterworth's Parlour Song, will sit down live with CW 11 Morning News host Emily Frances tomorrow morning Tuesday, March 4

'Parlour Song,' by Jez Butterworth and featuring Chris Bauer, Jonathan Cake and Emily Mortimer, will officially opening Wednesday, March 5 and a limited engagement through Saturday evening, March 29, 2008 Off-Broadway at Atlantic Theater Company at the Linda Gross Theater