Roundabout Extends SONS OF THE PROPHET Through 1/1; Stephen Karam Gets Second Commission

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) has just announced a second commission to playwright Stephen Karam following his critically acclaimed first commission of Sons of the Prophet.

Roundabout has also announced that Sons of the Prophet will extend through Sunday, January 1st, 2012 (the production was originally scheduled to play a limited engagement through December 23rd, 2011). Directed by Peter DuBois, Sons of the Prophet opened officially on Thursday, October 20, 2011 at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre / Laura Pels Theatre (111 West 46th Street).

Karam's play Sons of the Prophet is part of Roundabout's New Play Initiative, a collection of programs, designed to foster and produce new work by emerging and established artists. The New Play Initiative cultivates new work by gifted playwrights at all stages of their careers through a three-pronged approach consisting of commissioning new works; developmental readings and workshops; and productions of new works through Roundabout Underground programs and mainstage productions. Since 1995 Roundabout has commissioned 15 playwrights, conducted developmental readings and workshops of over 100 new works, produced 6 Roundabout Underground productions, 30-mainstage productions of new works and employed over 5,000 artists across all aspects of the New Play Initiative.

Sons of the Prophet was commissioned by Roundabout Theatre Company, following his hugely acclaimed New York debut with Speech & Debate in 2007 at Roundabout Underground. That successful production of Speech & Debate not only launched the Roundabout Underground program, it also went on to play in over 100 theaters in the United States and Canada.

In March 2010, Roundabout announced a new subsidiary rights practice for playwrights at the Steinberg Center. The practice involves Roundabout voluntarily foregoing its subsidiary rights participation for its regular runs at the Laura Pels Theatre, that began with Theresa Rebeck's The Understudy, and at the Black Box Theatre, regardless of the length of the run. In announcing this new policy, Todd Haimes stated, "I've always intended for the Steinberg Center primarily to be our home for new plays. I want that home to reflect the needs of the artists, and, for playwrights, we've concluded that this means foregoing our customary participation in subsidiary rights Off-Broadway. Making this change is just one part of how I see us continuing our commitment to new work and, most importantly, to living writers."

QUOTE FROM Todd Haimes:
"Stephen's success with Sons of the Prophet is everything I could have hoped for. We created Roundabout Underground to provide opportunities for artists - like Stephen - who didn't have a home from which to launch their promising careers. To see Stephen prove that he's not just a young playwright with potential but a truly gifted and mature voice in the American theater, is incredibly satisfying. It's been a fulfilling artistic relationship to have developed Stephen's two plays here at Roundabout. I can't imagine his next play being done anywhere else. I'm thrilled Stephen is an integral part of our artistic family and our ongoing efforts to support more contemporary playwrights."

QUOTE FROM Stephen Karam:
"RTC's commitment to me has been an incredible opportunity. To be part of an artistic family while creating a play that deals so much with family has been particularly rewarding. I was able to tell the story I wanted, knowing I'd have the artistic support to see me through to the end of the journey. I've always viewed Sons of the Prophet as the first part of a larger trilogy - not three plays dependent on each other, but three stand-alone plays connected by theme, and likely, further adventures of the Douaihy family. I'm grateful I will have the opportunity to explore this idea further. And I'm fortunate to be able to call Roundabout my artistic home and to have their support and resources offered through the generous people who donate to the New Play Initiative."

Stephen Karam (Playwright). Karam is the author of Speech & Debate which was produced off-Broadway by Roundabout Theatre Company as the inaugural production of Roundabout Underground. Following an extended run in New York, Speech & Debate has received over 100 productions across the U.S. and Canada. Other plays include Sons of the Prophet (co-world premiere by Huntington/Roundabout Theater Companies), columbinus (New York Theatre Workshop), Girl on Girl (Brown/Trinity Playwrights Rep), and Emma (a re-imagining of Jane Austen's novel), performed this spring by the Professional Performing Arts High School in NYC. His work is published by Dramatists Play Service and Dramatic Publishing Company and his freelance writing has appeared in The Advocate and McSweeneys.net. Current projects include the film version of Speech & Debate and Dark Sisters, an original chamber opera with composer Nico Muhly (a co-production of Gotham Chamber Opera, Music-Theatre Group and Opera Company of Philadelphia). A MacDowell Colony Fellow, Stephen grew up in Scranton, PA and received his B.A. from Brown University.

The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre reflects Roundabout's commitment to produce new works by established and emerging writers as well as revivals of classic plays. This state-of-the-art off-Broadway theatre and education complex is made possible by a major gift from The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. The Trust was created in 1986 by Harold Steinberg to promote and advance American Theatre as a vital part of our culture by supporting playwrights, encouraging the development and production of new work, and providing financial assistance to theatre companies across the country. Since its inception, the Trust has awarded over $45 million to more than 100 not-for-profit theatre organizations.

New plays at Roundabout are supported by Roundabout Leaders for New Works. Members include Linda L. D'Onofrio, Jodi Glucksman, Laura Pels International Foundation for Theatre, Laura S. Rodgers, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Yolanda R. Turocy and the Xerox Foundation.

Sons of the Prophet is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Roundabout Theatre Company is a not-for-profit theatre dedicated to providing a nurturing artistic home for theatre artists at all stages of their careers where the widest possible audience can experience their work at affordable prices. Roundabout fulfills its mission each season through the revival of classic plays and musicals; development and production of new works by established playwrights and emerging writers; educational initiatives that enrich the lives of children and adults; and a subscription model and audience outreach programs that cultivate loyal audiences.

Roundabout Theatre Company currently produces at three permanent homes each of which is designed specifically to enhance the needs of the Roundabout's mission. Off-Broadway, the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, which houses the Laura Pels Theatre and Black Box Theatre, with its simple sophisticated design is perfectly suited to showcasing new plays. The grandeur of its Broadway home on 42nd Street, American Airlines Theatre, sets the ideal stage for the classics. Roundabout's Studio 54 provides an exciting and intimate Broadway venue for its musical and special event productions. Together these three distinctive venues serve to enhance the work on each of its stages.

American Airlines is the official airline of Roundabout Theatre Company. Roundabout productions are made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Roundabout Theatre Company's 2011-2012 season features Terence Rattigan's Man & Boy, starring Frank Langella, directed by Maria Aitken; Stephen Karam's Sons of the Prophet, directed by Peter DuBois; Andrew Hinderaker's Suicide, Incorporated, directed by Jonathan Berry; Athol Fugard's The Road To Mecca starring RoseMary Harris, Carla Gugino & Jim Dale, directed by Gordon Edelstein and John Osborne's Look Back in Anger, directed by Sam Gold. Roundabout's Tony Award winning production of Anything Goes starring Sutton Foster & Joel Grey, directed & choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, is currently playing at the Stephen Sondheim Theater.
www.roundabouttheatre.org