Renee Russell News

UNREHEARSED! A Midsummer Night’s Dream, presented by Barefoot Shakespeare Company, at Summit Rock in Central Park.

The beloved late-night play competition is BACK, reclaimed, and newly imagined to prioritize BIPOC and Queer voices.

presented by Barefoot Shakespeare Company, at Summit Rock in Central Park.

Independent theater company Match: Lit will present a queer take on Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT, directed by Zeynep Akca. TWELFTH NIGHT runs through February 27 at Westbeth Community Room & Gallery (55 Bethune Street, New York, NY).

Of all elements of society hit by the pandemic, the one that got hit the hardest was the performing arts. Many theatre companies were forced to close their doors while those that managed to survive were crippled by 16 months of inactivity and decimated budgets. Young Artists Ensemble has not only been a growth culture for local talent for 40 years, it has never shied away from a challenge and while other companies were subsisting on shows with small casts, YAE was determined to stage the Student Edition of 'Les Miserables,' the larger-than-life 1985 Broadway masterpiece, for its annual teen summer musical.

HENRY V: OCCUPY HARRY is an energetic, feminist telling of Shakespeare's classic history, reimagined in a post-civilization U.S.A., in which the ingrained forces of patriarchal power are challenged by a new, vibrant resistance embodied by its fearless and charismatic leader, King Harry. Through her struggle, the play explores the many obstacles to true revolutionary change, and the courage necessary to overcome them.

To celebrate their five year anniversary, TURN TO FLESH PRODUCTIONS (TTF) is celebrating with FOUR new verse plays this October: a developmental production of The Other, Other Woman, and a staged reading of the entire Love and Death Trilogy: Persephone Rises, The Seduction of Adonis and Cupid and Psyche, all written and directed by foundress and playwright, Emily C. A. Snyder. Tickets are available now, including VIP seats with an open bar and pre-show salon for The Other, Other Woman, and an all-day picnic with the gods for The Love and Death Trilogy. Package deals are available.

Simon & Schuster Children's Books (UK) today announced the acquisition of two further novels from rising star in the children's Middle Grade arena Abi Elphinstone.

Simon & Schuster UK today announced the acquisition of two middle-grade novels from debut author Sarah Carroll. The Girl in Between will publish in paperback, spring 2017.

The winners of the '46th NAACP Image Awards' were announced last night during the live broadcast from Pasadena Civic Auditorium which aired on TV One (9-11 p.m. ET live/PT tape-delayed). The two-hour live special was hosted by Anthony Anderson. There was a one-hour live pre-show from the red carpet hosted by Kevin Frazier and Shaun Robinson. Scroll down for the full list of winners!

Birmingham, Ala.

Nominations have been revealed for the 46th annual NAACP Image Awards. The event will take place on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, and be broadcast live on TV One.

Summit Entertainment has acquired all rights to author Rachel Renee Russell's #1 New York Times best-selling series Dork Diaries. Karen Rosenfelt is in negotiations to produce via her Sunswept Entertainment banner.

Simon and Schuster Children's Books today announced the launch of a new YA community, Hashtag Reads, to highlight upcoming titles and encourage interaction with older readers who are notoriously difficult to reach via traditional media channels.

Gruesome Playground Injuries has been extended through June 29 at Second Thought Theatre.

Second Thought Theatre announced today that the next production in its ninth season is Gruesome Playground Injuries by Rajiv Joseph. Joel Ferrell, Dallas Theater Center Associate Artistic Director, is making his STT directorial debut with this play, a story about life-long friendship and unfortunate injuries.

Simon and Schuster Children's Books UK today announced a partnership with Box of Awesome, a unique new initiative delivering boxes of free goodies to children across the UK. Described as 'a free Birchbox for kids', Box of Awesome aims to solve the discovery and noise problems faced by consumer companies targeting children and teenagers.

The world premiere of YOUR COLONEL, presented as a part of the Metropolitan Playhouse Founders festival, begins January 18, 2013 at the Metropolitan Playhouse, 220 East 4th Street, between Avenues A and B.