World Premiere of A TRANSPARENT MUSICAL, 1776 National Tour & More Announced for Center Theatre Group 2022-2023 Season

Programming has been announced for the 2022/2023 season at the Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum. Additional programming at the Ahmanson and Kirk Douglas Theatre will be announced later this summer.

"As we emerge from the pandemic and continue the leadership search to replace Artistic Director Michael Ritchie who retired at the end of 2021, I am proud of our artistic team and the bold collection of new work and modern classics we have assembled for the upcoming season," said Pressman. "It is an impressive slate of powerful, poignant, funny and endlessly entertaining works that are both timeless and timely."

Center Theatre Group's five associate artistic directors stated, "This is a landmark season for the Mark Taper Forum. Never, in our 55-year history, has CTG presented a Taper season written exclusively by artists that are woman-identifying, transgender or non-binary. We were specifically challenged and emboldened by artists, friends and audiences to address the longstanding predominance of male writers on our stages. The result is a collection of premieres and reimagined masterworks that speak to this extraordinary moment in time, all created by some of the most inspired and inspiring artists working today.

"Jane Wagner's biting exploration of the human condition, 'The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe' was already the stuff of legend but it is only made more poignant by Jane's evolving script and in light of the renewed attack on reproductive rights. The West Coast premiere of 'Clyde's' by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage delves into the lives of kitchen workers who've been discarded by society to remind us of the restorative power of dreams. Anna Deavere Smith's incendiary 'Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992' continues to illuminate the uneasy balance of our Southern California community as we approach the 30th anniversary of its original world premiere at the Taper. A world-premiere musical based on Joey Soloway's groundbreaking Amazon series, 'A Transparent Musical' leads us on a journey of self-discovery towards a more colorful spectrum of being and a truer version of oneself while another world premiere, the comedy 'Fake It Until You Make It' by L.A.-based Native American playwright Larissa Fasthorse examines how people define themselves."

The artistic team continued, "We are thrilled to share these productions with Los Angeles. Each play in our season was curated to entertain and enlighten, and together they form an invitation to a collective civic dialogue. No five plays can capture all the richness of Southern California, but the shows in this upcoming Taper season, joined with the upcoming seasons at the Ahmanson and Douglas, will contribute to an ongoing conversation in all our venues over many seasons to come."

"We have another exciting slate of plays and musicals coming to the Ahmanson, some we can announce now and others that will be released in the coming weeks," said Center Theatre Group Producing Director Douglas C. Baker. "'Ain't Too Proud' was a smash hit here at the Ahmanson in 2018 on its way to Broadway. It returns to Center Theatre Group with a Tony Award® to go along with the Grammy®-winning music by The Temptations."

"In a way, we are also welcoming back 'A Soldier's Play.' Before its Academy Award-nominated film adaptation in 1984 and its long-awaited Broadway debut in 2020, Charles Fuller's Pulitzer-winning play opened the Mark Taper Forum's 16th season in 1982. Now, the Roundabout's Tony Award-winning revival directed by Kenny Leon comes to the Ahmanson starring Norm Lewis.

"We'd originally planned to be a part of the pre-Broadway journey of Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus' exhilarating new production of '1776,'" Baker continued. "The pandemic delayed our run, but like our nation's founders we were undeterred. We will be a part of a select national tour after what promises to be a blockbuster Broadway opening.

"And we looked across the pond to find the supernatural thriller and West End phenomenon, '2:22 - A Ghost Story.' I am delighted to produce the U.S. premiere of this riveting production that will keep Los Angeles audiences on the edge of their seats."

Tickets to the Taper productions are now on sale by subscription only. Additional 2022 - 2023 offerings at the Ahmanson and Douglas will be announced in the coming weeks when subscriptions for those theatres will be available.

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe

By Jane Wagner
Directed by Leigh Silverman
Presented in Association with The Shed
September 21 - October 23, 2022
Opens September 28

Center Theatre Group's 2022 - 2023 Season at the Mark Taper Forum opens with Jane Wagner's "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" with "Saturday Night Live" star Cecily Strong. Directed by Leigh Silverman and presented in association with The Shed, "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" begins previews September 21, opens September 28 and runs through October 23, 2022.

Interweaving the seemingly disparate lives of a punk-rock rebel, a socialite, a feminist and a deceptively insightful observer, among many others, the Drama Desk-winning Unique Theatrical Experience "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" earned Lily Tomlin a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. Now Emmy®-nominated actress Cecily Strong slides through the tour-du-force roles created by the Peabody and Emmy award-winning writer Jane Wagner who is reimagining the legendary one-person play for 2022. This new production was originally produced by The Shed in New York, NY in 2021.

"I have long been fascinated by the mystical implications of quantum theory," said Wagner. "In truth, my dream was to get the audience to experience the universality of the deep interconnectedness of all living things - with Trudy as the guide... I wanted us to flash on just that thought - that were all connected."

Jane Wagner has won numerous awards, including two Peabodys, four Emmys and a Writer's Guild Award for her work in television as well as the seldom-given New York Drama Critics' Circle Special Award for her Broadway success, "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe." Wagner made her writing debut with the acclaimed CBS teleplay entitled "J.T." (1969) and her book of the same title. In 1971, Wagner began working with Lily Tomlin on an Edith Ann album, "Edith Ann: And That's the Truth" (1972). Wagner's later credits include two more Grammy-nominated albums, "Modern Scream" (1975) and "On Stage" (1978), which she also produced, eight Lily Tomlin television specials (1973 - 82), three Edith Ann animated specials (1994 - 96), and Edith Ann's book, "My Life, So Far" (1994). In 1977, Wagner wrote and directed "Appearing Nitely" for Broadway and also wrote the screenplay for "The Incredible Shrinking Woman." In 1985, Wagner brought "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" to Broadway where it became an acclaimed play of the Broadway season. The hardcover edition of "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" became the first play in 20 years to appear on The New York Times Best-Seller list. In 2019, Lincoln Center honored Wagner and Tomlin with a retrospective of their careers, "Two Free Women." In 2020, Wagner was honored with the prestigious Lambda Literary Visionary Award for her innovative work.

Cecily Strong is best known for her work as a cast member on "Saturday Night Live," where she recently completed her 10th season. Strong received back-to-back Emmy nominations in 2020 and 2021 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on "SNL." Strong also stars in and produces the hit musical series, "Schmigadoon!," which will return for its second season on Apple TV+. Her memoir, "This Will All Be Over Soon," was released in the summer of 2021. In Chicago, Strong improvised regularly at the iO Theater and served as an understudy for the Second City Main Stage and E.T.C. shows. She performed as a member of the Second City national touring company and has also appeared at the Chicago SketchFest, Chicago Just for Laughs, the New York Sketch Fest and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Strong has appeared in the films "The Female Brain" and Paul Feig's reboot of "Ghostbusters," as well as Melissa McCarthy's "The Boss," "The Bronze" and "The Meddler." Additionally, Strong headlined the 2015 White House Correspondents' Dinner. Strong has a B.F.A. in theatre from the California Institute of the Arts

Leigh Silverman's Broadway credits include "Grand Horizons" (2ST; Williamstown Theatre Festival), "The Lifespan of a Fact" (Studio 54), "Violet" (Roundabout; Tony nomination), "Chinglish" (Goodman Theatre; Longacre) and "Well" (Public Theater; ACT; Longacre). Recent Off-Broadway credits include "Suffs" and "Soft Power" (Public Theater; also the Ahmanson Theatre and Curran); Drama Desk nomination, "Tumacho" (Clubbed Thumb), "Hurricane Diane" (New York Theatre Workshop; Two River Theater), "Harry Clarke" (Vineyard Theatre/Audible, Minetta Lane; Lortel nomination), "Wild Goose Dreams" (Public Theater; La Jolla Playhouse), "Sweet Charity" (New Group), "On The Exhale" (Roundabout), "The Outer Space" (Public Theater) and "Suffs" (Public Theater). Encores include "Bring Me to Light," "Violet," "The Wild Party" and "Really Rosie." In addition to "Soft Power" at the Ahmanson, Silverman directed "The Wake" and "Of Equal Measure" at the Kirk Douglas Theatre and "Yellow Face" at the Taper. Silverman received 2011 and 2019 Obie Awards for Sustained Excellence.

Clyde's

By Lynn Nottage
Directed by Kate Whoriskey
A co-production with Goodman Theatre
West Coast Premiere (confirm)
November 15 - December 18, 2022
Opens November 19

Center Theatre Group's 2022 - 2023 season at the Mark Taper Forum continues with Lynn Nottage's "Clyde's" from November 15 through December 18, 2022. Director of the Tonynominated Broadway production, Kate Whoriskey, returns to lead the West Coast premiere at the Taper set to open November 19.

"), "Clyde's" serves up a story of societal struggles and sandwiches. Discarded by society and caught under the thumb of a tyrannical boss, the formerly incarcerated staff of Clyde's truck stop diner can't be deterred from dreaming of a better life and the pursuit of the perfect sandwich.

In naming it the best new play of 2021, Terry Teachout of The Wall Street Journal called "Clyde's," "A serious comedy, at once raucously funny and deeply moving," adding, "crisp and concise (100 minutes, no intermission), it is without flaw." The New York Times' Jesse Green dubbed "Clyde's" an "empowerment allegory in the guise of a workplace comedy, in which Nottage and the director Kate Whoriskey shrewdly offered a laugh riot with real meat on its bones."

Lynn Nottage, whose previous works at the Taper include "Intimate Apparel" (2004) and "Sweat" (2018), said, "I'm truly happy to be back at Center Theatre Group with 'Clyde's,' which is a play about creativity, mindfulness, community and the healing power of delicious food." Lynn Nottage's recent credits include the opera adaptation of "MJ" (Broadway), "Intimate Apparel, an Opera" (Lincoln Center Theater), "Floyd's" (Guthrie), "The Secret Life of Bees" (Atlantic). Other plays include "Mlima's Tale," "Sweat" (Pulitzer Prize, Obie, Evening Standard Award, Susan Smith Blackburn Prize), "By the Way, Meet Vera Stark" (Lilly Award), "Ruined" (Pulitzer Prize, Obie, Lortel, NY Drama Critics' Circle, AUDELCO, Drama Desk and OCC awards) and "Intimate Apparel" (American Theatre Critics and NYDCC awards). TV: Writer/Producer: "She's Gotta Have It" (Netflix). PEN/Laura Pels Master Playwright Award, Doris Duke Artist Award, Merit and Literature Award from the Academy of Arts and Letters, MacArthur "Genius Grant" Fellowship, a Guggenheim Grant, Lucille Lortel Fellowship, Associate Professor at Columbia and Member of the Dramatist Guild.

Kate Whoriskey's most recent directing credits include "All the Natalie Portmans" at MCC, "Floyd's" at the Guthrie and Benjamin Britten's "Turn of the Screw" at Mannes Opera. Broadway credits include "Sweat" at Studio 54 and "The Miracle Worker" at Circle in the Square. Off-Broadway: "Songs for a New World" (Encores Off Center); "The Cardinal," "How I Learned to Drive" (Second Stage); "Ruined" (MTC), "Her Requiem" (Lincoln Center Theater); "Aubergine," "Fabulation" and "Inked Baby" (Playwrights Horizons) and "The Piano Teacher" (Vineyard), among others. Regional credits include productions at the Guthrie Theater, The Goodman Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, South Coast Rep, Sundance Theatre Lab, Shakespeare Theatre, American Repertory Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Baltimore Center Stage and Arena Stage, among others. Her opera direction has been seen at the Mannes Opera, Theatre Du Chatelet in Paris and Teatro Municipal in Brazil.

Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992

Conceived, Written and Revised by Anna Deavere Smith
March 8 - April 9, 2023
Opens March 15

Three decades after its 1993 world premiere at the Mark Taper Forum, Anna Deavere Smith's "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992" returns to L.A. from March 8 through April 9, 2023. Opening night is March 15.

"Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992" draws on more than 300 interviews with politicians, activists, police, jurors, shopkeepers and countless other Los Angelenos to explore the uprising sparked by the acquittal of the men charged in the Rodney King police brutality case. A powerful piece of living record and one of the most important works in the history of the Taper, "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992" is a stunning and seminal play that delves into the long-simmering tensions that set the stage for the L.A. Riots and the devastating human impact of those five days of uprising.

Originally performed solo by Smith when it premiered at the Taper in 1993, "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992" has been reimagined for an ensemble of five performers. Commissioned by Center Theatre Group, "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992"'s sold-out run in Los Angeles was followed by many successful revisions of the play, with each inviting a new group of collaborators. Those include a production at The Public Theater followed by a Broadway run and two Tony nominations; a national tour mounted at Berkeley Repertory Theatre; a film produced by Ms. Smith and others in partnership with PBS; and the most recent reconceptualized production for five actors at the Signature Theatre in New York. This landmark play returns to the theatre where it was created and the community it reflects in a new revision that is disturbingly current, a full three decades after its original premiere.

Anna Deavere Smith said, "Being asked by Gordon Davidson to move through the embers of the Los Angeles uprising was a watershed moment in my life as an artist and as a human being. The can do must do spirit of Gordon, the entire institution and the community, sparked something I had never experienced and have not experienced since. Center Theatre Group provided a way for me, in tandem with other drama professionals and with local intellectuals/activists, to respond to the civic disaster through theatre. Here is where I learned that theatre can be transformative if it exudes what I have come to call 'a radical welcome.' No doubt there were folks at the table who had not ever been invited to step up before."

Anna Deavere Smith is an actress, playwright, teacher and author. She is credited with having created the new form of theatre. Smith's work combines the journalistic technique of interviewing her subjects with the art of interpreting their words through performance. President Obama awarded Smith the National Humanities Medal in 2013. Additional honors include the prestigious MacArthur "Genius Grant" Fellowship, the Medal for Spoken Language from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the George Polk Career Award in Journalism, two Tony nominations and several honorary degrees. She was runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Smith has created over fifteen one-person shows based on hundreds of interviews. Her most recent play, "Notes from the Field," looks at the vulnerability of youth, inequality and the criminal justice system. The New York Times named it among The Best Theater of 2016 and Time magazine named it one of the Top 10 Plays of that year. In 2018, HBO premiered the film version of "Notes from the Field." Smith's play "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992" was recently named one of the best plays of the last twenty-five years by The New York Times. She has appeared in television shows such as "Inventing Anna," "The West Wing" and "Nurse Jackie." Films include "The American President," "Philadelphia" and "Rachel Getting Married." She is a University Professor at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU.

A Transparent Musical

Based on the Amazon series "Transparent"
Book by Joey Soloway and MJ Kaufman
Music and Lyrics by Faith Soloway
Choreography by James Alsop
Directed by Tina Landau
World Premiere
May 20 - June 25, 2023
Opens May 31

Based on the landmark Amazon series by Joey Soloway which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Musical/Comedy Series, a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, eight Emmy Awards (28 nominations) and a Peabody, "A Transparent Musical," will have its world premiere at the Taper May 20 through June 25, 2023. Opening night is May 31.

With music and lyrics by Faith Soloway and book by Joey Soloway and MJ Kaufman, "A Transparent Musical" explores an original story featuring the characters from the "Transparent" TV show. Director Tina Landau returns to the Taper where she previously directed Tarell Alvin McCraney's "Head of Passes" and her own play, "Space." James Alsop is the choreographer.

From the very first note, this genre-bending new musical comedy follows a trail of family secrets to unearth a story of self-discovery, acceptance and celebration. "A Transparent Musical" is the uplifting comic story of the Pfefferman family, whose patriarch is finally allowing their true self to emerge as Maura, the transgender matriarch she always knew she was. Maura's ex-wife is left questioning a lifetime of partnership, her oldest daughter unravels her own perfect life, her son runs the other way and her youngest child begins to discover who they really are. "A Transparent Musical" is a groundbreaking new musical that shines a light on a Los Angeles Jewish family who are universally relatable, imperfectly human and startlingly familiar.

MJ Kaufman said, "I'm so excited to work with this incredible team and tell this powerful and hilarious story about family, identity and queerness."

ilarious story about family, identity and queerness." Joey Soloway added, "My sibling and I have dreamed of creating a stage musical that brings the experiences of being trans and Jewish into a mainstream, pop culture fantasia. I am thrilled that right here in L.A., where I live and from where the Pfeffermans hail, that CTG is launching the dream with 'A Transparent Musical' next spring!"

Faith Soloway said, "I have been hearing the Pfeffermans singing to me since first working on 'Transparent,' so getting to see this musical through to having a premiere at CTG is a dream come true."

Joey Soloway is an artist, activist and filmmaker. They created the Emmy- and Golden Globe- winning series "Transparent" and cult feminist series "I Love Dick," both from Amazon Studios. Joey is currently working on "The South Commons Experiment," a limited documentary series about growing up in a 'racial utopia.' They are also exploring the life of the mother of Abraham with a brand-new podcast and a documentary series. Joey is a co-founder of TimesUp and co-creator of 5050 by 2020 and The Disruptors Fellowship, bringing trans, undocumented and disabled artists of color into Hollywood. They launched theatre productions "The Real Live Brady Bunch," "The Miss Vagina Pageant," "Hollywood Hellhouse" and "The Gnarlie Hose Show." They co-founded community organizations including East Side Jews and Temple Nefesh. They identify as trans and nonbinary and use they/them pronouns.

Faith Soloway wrote for all four seasons of the groundbreaking television show "Transparent," and composed the songs for its "Musicale Finale." Their roots are in the musical comedy world. Faith was a musical director with The Second City from 1985-1990 and is a founding member of The Annoyance Theater where they composed and directed many shows, including "Co-ed Prison Sluts," one of the longest running original musicals in Chicago, and "The Real Live Brady Bunch" which they created with their sibling, Joey. Faith is currently working on multiple projects with Topple Productions and serves as Artistic Director for Rehearsal For Life in Boston, MA.

MJ Kaufman is a NYC / Lenapehoking-based playwright and television writer from Portland, OR. Their work has been seen at The Public Theater, WP Theater, Huntington Theatre, New York Theater Workshop, the New Museum, NAATCO, Clubbed Thumb, Playwrights Realm, Colt Coeur, Yale School of Drama, Lark Play Development Center and InterAct Theater, among others. Their work has also been performed in Moscow (Russian language) and in Australia. MJ received the 2017 Helen Merrill Emerging Writers Award, the 2013 ASCAP Cole Porter Prize in Playwriting, the 2013 Global Age Project Prize and the 2010 Jane Chambers Prize in Feminist Theatre. MJ has held residencies at the MacDowell Colony and SPACE on Ryder Farm and is currently a resident playwright at New Dramatists. MJ has been a member of The Public Theater's Emerging Writers' Group, WP Theater Lab, a core playwright at InterAct Theatre and a playwriting fellow at the Huntington Theater

Tina Landau is a writer, director and teacher whose work includes directing/conceiving "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical;" the new musical "Dave" (Arena Stage); Tarell Alvin McCraney's "Ms. Blakk for President" (Steppenwolf); "Head of Passes" (Steppenwolf, The Public and the Mark Taper Forum); "WIG OUT!" (Vineyard Theatre); "In the Red and Brown Water" (The Public), Bill Irwin/David Shiner's "Old Hats," Chuck Mee's "Big Love" and "Iphigenia 2.0" (all Signature Theatre); Paula Vogel's "A Civil War Christmas" (New York Theatre Workshop) and her musical "Floyd Collins" (also bookwriter/additional lyrics, Playwrights Horizons).

James Alsop most recently choreographed the Peacock musical TV series "Girls5eva," executive produced by Tina Fey. Her choreography has also been featured on "Pose," "Soundtrack," "Gossip Girl" and the upcoming season of "Emily in Paris." She is currently cochoreographing the upcoming Broadway musical "The Devil Wears Prada." She began her career as co-choreographer of Beyoncé's videos, tour and promotional materials for "Who Run the World (Girls)," "Dance For You" and "Love on Top." She also assisted in choreographing "Booty" by Jennifer Lopez and worked with Paul Thomas Anderson for the HAIM music video "Just A Little of Your Love." After choreographing the entire season of "Maya & Marty," she was asked by Tina Fey and Jeff Richmond to choreograph season three of "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and has since worked for shows on NBC, Showtime, Netflix and others. When not working with top stars, she teaches around the country and world, educating young artists and dancers to be who they are in their art form and love it.

Fake It Until You Make It

By Larissa Fasthorse
World Premiere
August 2 - September 3, 2023
Opens August 9

The 2022 - 2023 Season at the Mark Taper Forum concludes with the world premiere of a new comedy by award-winning Native American playwright Larissa Fasthorse. Commissioned by Center Theatre Group, "Fake It Until You Make It" will begin performances August 2 and runs through September 3, 2023. Opening night is August 9.

Set in Los Angeles, "Fake It Until You Make It" is a bold comedy about being whoever you want to be, even when it's not who you are. Celebrated for focusing her keen sense of satire to examine Native American perspectives on contemporary life, FastHorse shines a hilarious light on 'shifters' who exist in a world of self-determined identity with "Fake It Until You Make It." This thought-provoking comedic play asks, what happens when you don't believe you are the race you want to be? Change it. This new work takes an absurd look at what defines who we are, and the lengths some people will go through to change it.

A member of Center Theatre Group's 2011 - 2012 L.A. Writers' Workshop, FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation) will be the first Native American writer to have a mainstage production at the Mark Taper Forum.

"My favorite thing is to make people laugh together," said FastHorse. "Getting to do that at Center Theatre Group, in my adopted hometown, with a new play created specifically for the Taper is thrilling. It's going to be fun!"

Larissa Fasthorse is a Los Angeles-based playwright and 2020-2025 MacArthur Fellow. Her satirical comedy, "The Thanksgiving Play" (Playwrights Horizons/Geffen Playhouse), was one of the top ten most produced plays in America during the 2019 - 2020 season. She is the first Native American playwright in the history of American theatre on that list. In Spring 2023, "The Thanksgiving Play" will have its debut on Broadway produced by Second Stage, making FastHorse the first female Native American playwright ever produced on Broadway. Larissa Fasthorse is currently developing new plays with several theatres including Second Stage Theater, Center Theatre Group, The Public Theater, Guthrie Theater, Seattle Repertory Theatre and Yale Repertory Theatre. Selected additional produced plays include "What Would Crazy Horse Do?" (KCRep); "Landless" and "Cow Pie Bingo" (AlterTheater), "Average Family" (Children's Theater Company of Minneapolis); "Teaching Disco Squaredancing to Our Elders: a Class Presentation" (Native Voices at the Autry); "Vanishing Point" (Eagle Project) and "Cherokee Family Reunion" (Mountainside Theater).

In 2019, FastHorse re-entered film and television by co-creating a series at Freeform. Since then, she has set up projects with Disney Channel, NBC and DreamWorks, is writing on a series for Apple TV+ and adapting three beloved Broadway musicals. Over the past several years, Larissa has created a nationally-recognized trilogy of community-engaged theatrical experiences with Cornerstone Theater Company and her collaborative partner, Michael John Garcés. The first of the trilogy was "Urban Rez" in Los Angeles. The second project, "Native Nation," was the largest Indigenous theatre production in the history of American theatre withover 400 Native artists involved in the production in association with ASU Gammage. FastHorse and Garcés' current project, "Wicoun" is set in Larissa's homelands of South Dakota. Their radical inclusion process with Indigenous tribes has been honored with the most prestigious national arts funding from Creative Capital, MAP Fund, NEFA, First People's Fund, the NEA Our Town Grant, Mellon Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Native Arts and Cultures and others. FastHorse's other awards include the PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award for an American Playwright, NEA Distinguished New Play Development Grant, Joe Dowling Annamaghkerrig Fellowship, AATE Distinguished Play Award, Inge Residency, Sundance/Ford Foundation Fellowship, Aurand Harris Fellowship and the UCLA Native American Program Woman of the Year.

2:22 - A Ghost Story

Written by Danny Robins
Directed by Matthew Dunster
U.S. Premiere
October 29, 2022 - December 4, 2022
Opens November 4

London's West End hit "2:22 - A Ghost Story" makes its U.S. premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre produced by CTG. "2:22 - A Ghost Story" begins performances on October 29 and continues through December 4, 2022. Opening night is November 4.

Written by Danny Robins, creator of the hit BBC podcast "The Battersea Poltergeist" and directed by Matthew Dunster, "2:22 - A Ghost Story" is an intriguing, funny and scary supernatural thriller. Transporting audiences into one adrenaline-fueled night where secrets will emerge and ghosts may appear, "2:22 - A Ghost Story" asks, what do you believe? And do you dare to discover the truth?

"There's something in our house. I hear it every night, at the same time." Jenny believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam isn't having any of it. They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren and her new partner Ben. Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something feels strange and frightening, and that something is getting closer, so they are going to stay up until 2:22 a.m... and then they will know.

"2:22 - A Ghost Story" is currently running in London's West End at the Criterion Theatre. After breaking all box office records for a new play at the Noel Coward Theatre; described as the theatre event of the year and the hottest ticket in the West End; and after weeks of sell-out performances, the show transferred for another record-breaking run at the Gielgud Theatre. The run there ended in February and the production had a third West End opening, this time at the Criterion Theatre.

"2:22 - A Ghost Story" features set design by Anna Fleischle, costume design by Cindy Lin, lighting design by Lucy Carter and sound by Ian Dickinson. Casting is by David Caparelliotis and Joe Gery for Caparelliotis Casting and illusions are created by Chris Fisher. "2:22 - A Ghost Story" is produced by Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Isobel David and Kater Gordon.

Danny Robins is an award-winning writer, broadcaster and journalist. He created "The Battersea Poltergeist," a podcast series that combined drama and documentary to tell a reallife ghost story, starring Toby Jones and Dafne Keen. It became a global phenomenon - the number one Drama Podcast across the whole world - sparking a bidding war for the TV rights. Robins is now adapting the series with Hollywood producers Blumhouse. The series won the Gold Award for Best Serialised Podcast at the 2021 New York Festivals Radio Awards. Robins' first stage play, "Rudy's Rare Records," was co-commissioned by Birmingham Rep and Hackney Empire. The follow up was the acclaimed "End of the Pier," at London's Park Theatre. "2:22 - A Ghost Story" was his West End debut. Earlier this year, it won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Play and was nominated for three prestigious Oliver Awards. His first radio drama, "The Most Wanted Man in Sweden," was nominated for the Writers' Guild's Tinniswood Award. He has created and written various shows for TV and radio, including the BAFTA-nominated hit series "Young Dracula" for BBC1 and "Rudy's Rare Records" and "The Cold Swedish Winter" for BBC Radio 4. He also presented the "Haunted" podcast for Panoply. His new podcast series for BBC Sounds, "Uncanny," explores the paranormal from ghosts to UFOs. It was released last fall and has become a multi-million download hit.

Matthew Dunster is an Olivier-nominated director, a playwright and actor. Matthew directed Martin McDonagh's "A Very Very Very Dark Matter" (The Bridge), and "Hangmen" (Royal Court, The Wyndhams, West End, The Atlantic and Broadway). Directing credits include "True West" (The Vaudeville, West End); "Oedipus" (Bunkamura Theatre, Tokyo); "Liberian Girl" (Royal Court); "The Seagull," "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (Open Air Theatre); "Love's Sacrifice" (RSC); "Imogen," "Much Ado About Nothing," "Doctor Faustus" (Shakespeare's Globe); "Love the Sinner" (National Theatre); "Mametz" (National Theatre Wales); "Before the Party" (Almeida Theatre); "A Sacred Flame" (English Touring); "You Can See the Hills," "1984,"" Saturday Night and Sunday Morning," "Macbeth" (Royal Exchange, Manchester); "Mogadishu" (Royal Exchange Manchester and Lyric Hammersmith).

Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations

Book by Dominique Morisseau
Music and Lyrics from The Legendary Motown Catalog
Choreographed by Sergio Trujillo
Directed by Des McAnuff
December 13, 2022 - January 1, 2023
Opens December 14

"Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations," the smash-hit Broadway musical will be a bonus production in the 2022 - 2023 season at the Ahmanson Theatre. "Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations" begins performances on December 13, 2022, and continues through January 1, 2023. Opening night is December 14.

Featuring the Grammy winning songs and Tony winning moves, "Ain't Too Proud" is the electrifying musical that follows The Temptations' extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and unmistakable harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating an amazing 42 Top Ten Hits, with 14 reaching number one, and being voted the greatest R&B group of all time by Billboard Magazine in 2017. The rest is history - how they met, the groundbreaking heights they hit and how personal and political conflicts threatened to tear the group apart as the United States fell into civil unrest. This thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty and betrayal is set to the beat of the group's treasured hits, including "My Girl," "Just My Imagination," "Get Ready," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" and so many more.

After breaking house records at Berkeley Rep, The Kennedy Center, the Ahmanson Theatre and Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre, "Ain't Too Proud" opened on Broadway in March 2019, where it continued to play sold-out audiences and broke the Imperial Theatre's box office record. Written by Kennedy Prize-winning playwright and Center Theatre Group Creative Collective member Dominique Morisseau, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff, and featuring the Tony Award winning choreography of Sergio Trujillo, this dazzling production now brings the untold story of the legendary quintet to audiences across the country.

The creative team also includes Tony Award nominee Robert Brill (scenic design), Tony Award winner Paul Tazewell (costume design), Tony Award winner Howell Binkley (lighting design), Tony Award winner Steve Canyon Kennedy (sound design), Drama Desk Award winner Peter Nigrini (projection design), Drama Desk Award winner Charles G. LaPointe (hair and wig design), Steve Rankin (fight direction), Brian Harlan Brooks (tour resident director), Edgar Godineaux (associate choreographer), John Miller (music coordinator), Molly Meg Legal (production supervisor) and Nicole Olson (production stage manager). Orchestrations are by Tony Award recipient Harold Wheeler, with music supervision and arrangements by Kenny Seymour. Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting, Merri Sugarman, C.S.A.

The national tour of "Ain't Too Proud" is produced by Ira Pittelman and Tom Hulce, in association with Work Light Productions.

Dominique Morisseau is the author of "The Detroit Project" (a three-play cycle), "Skeleton Crew" (Atlantic Theater Company), "Paradise Blue" (Signature Theatre) and "Detroit '67" (The Public Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem and NBT). Additional plays include "Pipeline" (Lincoln Center Theater), "Sunset Baby" (Labyrinth Theater), "Blood at the Root" (National Black Theatre) and "Follow Me to Nellie's" (Premiere Stages). She is also the Tonynominated book writer on the Broadway musical "Ain't Too Proud-The Life and Times of the Temptations" (Imperial Theatre). TV/film projects: she most recently served as co-producer on the Showtime series "Shameless." She's currently developing projects with Netflix, HBO and A24, and wrote the film adaptation of the documentary "Step" for Fox Searchlight. Awards include Spirit of Detroit Award, PoNY Fellowship, Sky-Cooper Prize, TEER Trailblazer Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, Audelco Awards, NBFT August Wilson Playwriting Award, Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama, Obie Award (two), the Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, and was named one of Variety's Women of Impact for 2017-18 and is a recipient of the 2018 MacArthur Genius Grant.

Sergio Trujillo is the recipient of a Tony Award for "Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations" and an Olivier Award for "Memphis the Musical." Broadway: "Ain't Too Proud" (Tony/NAACP Award, Outer Critics Circle/Chita Rivera nominations), "On Your Feet!" (Tony Award nominee, Outer Critics Circle/Astaire Awards), "Memphis the Musical" (Olivier/OCC Award, Drama Desk/Astaire Award nominations), "Jersey Boys" (Olivier/Drama Desk/OCC/Greenroom/Dora nominations), "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical" (Chita Rivera/NAACP Award), "A Bronx Tale" (Chita Rivera Award nomination), "The Addams Family," "Next to Normal," "Hands on a Hardbody" (Drama Desk nomination), "Leap of Faith" (Drama Desk nomination), "Guys and Dolls" (Astaire Awards nomination) and "All Shook Up." Director/choreographer: Cirque De Soleil' s "Paramour" (Stage Entertainment), "Arrabal" (A.R.T.-Elliot Norton Award), "Gloria Estefan on Broadway" (Minskoff Theatre), "Flashdance: The Musical" (national tour). International Credits: Disney's "Tarzan" (Stage Entertainment), "Peggy Sue Got Married" (West End), "West Side Story" (Stratford Festival). TV credits: "Annie Live" for NBC, Kennedy Center Honors, 2021 Tony Awards, "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" (Emmy nominee).

Des McAnuff is a two-time Tony Award-winning director and former artistic director of Canada's Stratford Festival. He is also a director emeritus of La Jolla Playhouse, where, as artistic director, he staged over 30 productions of classics, new plays and musicals. He's cofounder of Broadway's Dodgers. Broadway: "Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations," "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical," "Doctor Zhivago," "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Guys and Dolls," Aaron Sorkin's "The Farnsworth Invention," "Jersey Boys" (Tony and Olivier awards: Best Musical), Billy Crystal's "700 Sundays" (Tony Award: Best Special Theatrical Event), "Dracula the Musical," "How to Succeed...," "The Who's Tommy" (Tony and Olivier awards: Best Director), "A Walk in the Woods," "Big River" (Tony Awards: Best Director, Best Musical). Selected New York: "Fetch Clay, Make Man" (NYTW); multiple productions at The Public and BAM. Stratford highlights: "A Word or Two," "Caesar and Cleopatra," "The Tempest" (all with Christopher Plummer). Opera: "Faust" (The Met, ENO). TV: "700 Sundays" (HBO). Film: "Cousin Bette" (with Jessica Lange, director), "The Iron Giant" (producer, BAFTA Award) and "Quills" (executive producer). In 2011, he was honored with a doctorate from Ryerson University where he attended theatre school. In 2012, he was awarded Canada's Governor General's National Arts Center Award and the Order of Canada.

1776

Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards
Book by Peter Stone
Directed by Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus
Choreographed by Jeffrey L. Page
April 5 - May 7, 2023
Opens April 6

The A.R.T. / Roundabout Theatre Company revival of "1776" featuring a cast of female, non-binary and transgender performers comes to the Ahmanson as part of a limited national tour following its premiere at A.R.T. and Broadway opening at Roundabout's American Airlines Theatre in New York City. "1776" begins performances on April 5 and continues through May 7, 2023. Opening night is April 6.

"1776" asks, what will it take to get two dozen powerfully passionate, exceedingly complicated and all-too-human individuals to settle their differences, while they hold the very future of a nation in their hands? This Tony Award-winning Best Musical is tuneful, witty and constantly surprising, especially in this revolutionary new production from directors Jeffrey L. Page (Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)" video, "Memphis" in Tokyo; "Violet" starring Sutton Foster at Roundabout Theatre Company) and Diane Paulus ("Jagged Little Pill," "Waitress," "Pippin"). You may never think about our country - who we are and why - the same way again.

"1776" features music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. It is based on a concept by Sherman Edwards. The design team includes Tony Award-winning Scenic Designer Scott Pask ("Waitress," "Finding Neverland" "Pippin"); Tony Award-nominated Costume Designer Emilio Sosa ("The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess"); Lighting Designer Jennifer Schriever ("In the Body of the World" at A.R.T./New York City Center; "Fingersmith" at A.R.T.); Tony Award-nominated Sound Designer Jonathan Deans ("Jagged Little Pill," "Waitress," "Finding Neverland" at A.R.T./Broadway; "Pippin" on Broadway) and Drama Desk Awardnominated Projection Designer David Bengali ("We Live in Cairo" at A.R.T., Associate Designer of "Witness Uganda" at A.R.T. / "Invisible Thread" at Second Stage).

The "1776" music team is comprised of Music Supervisor David Chase ("Finding Neverland"); Tony Award nominated Orchestrator John Clancy ("Fun Home;" "Mean Girls"); Vocal Designer AnnMarie Milazzo ("Finding Neverland"); Music Consultant and Co-Music Director Nadia DiGiallonardo ("Waitress"); and Co-Music Director Ryan Cantwell ("Pippin"). "This new production of '1776' is giving me the opportunity to not only see, but also contextualize, myself in a history that has historically occluded me and people who look like me-to realize history in a new way, and to find it in our country," said director / choreographer Jeffrey L. Page. "As I've worked with Diane [Paulus], we've explored the unsaid, unspoken, and unwritten history, and as a result, I have found myself inside of the important piece of art, inside of American history, and I have learned something new about both." "Jeffrey [Page] and I are fascinated by the idea that history isn't the clear or linear story we read in our textbooks, but instead, a predicament that we must grapple with in order to understand our past so that we can move forward together," said director Diane Paulus. "We make theatre in collaboration to expand our point of view, and I'm so excited to continue this creative partnership with Jeffrey and to work with this extraordinary cast to bring this new production to our A.R.T. audience in Cambridge, and beyond."

Jeffrey L. Page (he/him). An Emmy Award-nominated director and choreographer, Jeffrey Page spearheaded the 2015 and 2018 Tokyo productions of the musical "Memphis," which received four Yomiuri Award nominations, including Best Musical. The first African American to be named the Marcus Institute Fellow for Opera Directing at The Juilliard School, Mr. Page won an MTV Video Music Award for his work with Beyoncé, whose creative team has included him for more than 12 years. His work was featured on Beyoncé's "Formation" World Tour, in her historic Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival performance, and in two of her HBO specials. Mr. Page was the associate creative director for Mariah Carey's "Sweet, Sweet Fantasy" European Tour, and has been a featured choreographer on Fox Television's "So You Think You Can Dance." He currently is the creative director for singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan, most recently working with her on the "2020 BET Soul Train Music Awards." Mr. Page was in the original, award-winning Broadway cast of "Fela!." He worked alongside Tony Awardwinning composer Jeanine Tesori to choreograph the hit Broadway musical "Violet" starring Sutton Foster (Roundabout Theatre Company).

Diane Paulus (she/her) is the Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University. A.R.T.: "WILD," "Gloria: A Life," "Jagged Little Pill," "ExtraOrdinary," "The White Card," "In the Body of the World," "Waitress" (currently on US National Tour), "Crossing," "Finding Neverland," "Witness Uganda," "Pippin" (Tony Award, Best Revival and Best Director), "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" (Tony Award, Best Revival; NAACP Award, Best Direction), "Prometheus Bound," "Death and the Powers: The Robots' Opera," "Best of Both Worlds" and "The Donkey Show." Other work includes Cirque du Soleil's "Amaluna," "Invisible Thread" at Second Stage, and The Public Theater's Tony Award-winning revival of "HAIR" on Broadway and London's West End. As an opera director, her credits include "The Magic Flute," the complete Monteverdi cycle, and the trio of Mozart-Da Ponte operas. Paulus is Professor of the Practice of Theater in Harvard University's English Department and Department of Theater, Dance and Media. She was selected for Boston Magazine's 2022, 2020 and 2018 lists of Boston's 100 most influential people, the 2014 Time 100, Time magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world and as one of Variety's "Trailblazing Women in Entertainment for 2014."

Sherman Edwards was born in New York and taught American history at James Monroe High School. After earning an undergraduate degree in history at New York University, he later did graduate work in history at Cornell University. He appeared as an actor in "My Sister Eileen" and the Broadway revue "Pins and Needles." He began working as a pianist, playing for performers Lisa Kirk, Eddie Fisher and Mindy Carson. Later, he played in the bands of Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and Louis Armstrong. In the late 1950s, he began writing popular music, including the hit songs "Broken-Hearted Melody" (lyrics by Hal David), "See You in September" (music and lyrics co-written by Sid Wayne) and "Wonderful, Wonderful" (lyrics by Ben Raleigh). "1776" (for which he won a 1969 Tony Award) was his only Broadway score.

One of the most accomplished Broadway bookwriters, Peter Stone graduated from Bard College and earned an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama. He began writing for CBS Radio 2022 - 2023 Center Theatre Group Productions Announced - 16 -moreand soon moved to writing for television, including the shows "Studio One," "The Defenders" (for which he won an Emmy Award), "Asphalt Jungle" and "Espionage." He has written the plays "Friend of the Family" and "Full Circle." In addition to "1776," his Broadway bookwriting credits include the musicals "Kean," "Skyscraper," "Two by Two," "Sugar," "Woman of the Year," (for which he won a 1981 Tony Award), "My One and Only," "Grand Hotel" and "The Will Rogers Follies" (1991 Tony Award for Best Musical). Stone also wrote the screenplay for the film version of "1776." His other screenplays include "Charade," "Father Goose" (for which he won a 1964 Academy Award), "Mirage," "Arabesque," "Sweet Charity," "The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3" and "Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?."

A Soldier's Play

Written by Charles Fuller
Directed by Kenny Leon
May 23 - June 25, 2023
Opens May 24

Roundabout's 2020 Tony Award-winning Best Revival of the 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning "A Soldier's Play" by American playwright Charles Fuller will be a part of the 2022 - 2023 Season at the Ahmanson. The touring production directed by Tony Award winner and Roundabout Theatre Company's Senior Resident Director Kenny Leon will feature Broadway star Norm Lewis. "A Soldier's Play" begins performances on May 23 and continues through June 25, 2023. Opening night is May 24. Additional casting to be announced.

In 1944, on a Louisiana Army base, two shots ring out. A Black sergeant is murdered. And a series of interrogations triggers a gripping barrage of questions about sacrifice, service and identity in America. Charles Fuller's masterpiece opened on Broadway for the first time on January 21, 2020 at Roundabout Theatre Company's American Airlines Theatre, nearly forty years after it was written. The acclaimed production was nominated for seven Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards, winning Best Revival for both.

In his review of the Roundabout production, Terry Teachout of The Wall Street Journal called it, "A play that deserves to be staged regularly all over America."

Joining director Kenny Leon for the tour of Roundabout Theatre Company's "A Soldier's Play" is the Broadway design team that includes Derek McLane (Sets), Dede Ayite (Costumes), Allen Lee Hughes (Lights) and Dan Moses Schreier (Sound). The tour of "A Soldier's Play" is produced by Roundabout Theatre Company and Tamar Climan.

A veteran of 14 Broadway productions and countless TV and film appearances, Norm Lewis made history as the first Black Phantom in "The Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway. Most recently, he starred in Spike Lee's critically acclaimed "Da 5 Bloods" and in the groundbreaking FX series "Pose." Additionally, Mr. Lewis can be seen starring in ABC's newest series, "Women of the Movement" and offscreen, his voice can be heard in Apple TV+'s animated series "Central Park." He was also seen as Caiaphas in the award-winning NBC television special, "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert" alongside John Legend, Sara Bareilles and Alice Cooper.

His additional television credits include "Dr. Death," "Mrs. America," "Better Things," "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," "Bull," "Chicago Med," "Gotham," "The Blacklist" and "Blue Bloods" as well as in his recurring role as Senator Edison Davis on the hit drama "Scandal." Additional film credits include "Christmas In Tune" (starring opposite Reba McEntire), "Magnum Opus," "Winter's Tale," "Sex and the City 2," "Confidences" and "Preaching to the Choir."

Mr. Lewis returned to Broadway in the Fall of 2021, starring in "Chicken and Biscuits" at the Circle In The Square Theatre. He previously appeared in the Broadway revival of "Once on this Island" and as Sweeney Todd in the Off-Broadway production of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" at the Barrow Street Theatre, receiving the AUDELCO Award for his performance. He received Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle award nominations for his performance as 'Porgy' in the Broadway production of "The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess." Other Broadway credits include "Sondheim on Sondheim," "The Little Mermaid," "Les Misérables," "Chicago," "Amour," "The Wild Party," "Side Show," "Miss Saigon" and "The Who's Tommy."

Charles Fuller (Playwright) recently received the Dramatists Guild's Flora Roberts Award for his extensive body of work. Mr. Fuller's creative efforts involve a wide range of theatre, film and television. He was a member of The Negro Ensemble Company, where his "Zooman and the Sign" won him an Obie and "A Soldier's Play" won him a Pulitzer Prize, Best American Play and an Edgar Award. Mr. Fuller's adaptation of his play became the 1984 film "A Soldier's Story," which was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award and won a Writers Guild of America Award. He has written screenplays for CBS, PBS and Showtime. He has also mentored young playwrights at Cherry Lane Theatre and was commissioned by Cherry Lane to write a play, "One Night," which opened in 2014.

Kenny Leon (Director) is a Tony and Obie Award-winning; Emmy-nominated; Broadway and television director. Most recently, he directed Lifetime's Emmy-nominated "Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia" and the world premiere production of Rajiv Joseph's "King James" at the Mark Taper Forum and Steppenwolf. In 2020, he directed the Tony Award-winning Broadway premiere of Charles Fuller's Pulitzer Prize winning masterpiece, "A Soldier's Play," for which he also received a nomination for Best Director. He also directed "The Underlying Chris" at Second Stage Theater Company and the acclaimed production of "Much Ado About Nothing" at the Delacorte/Shakespeare in the Park. Broadway: "A Soldier's Play;" "American Son;" "Children of a Lesser God;" "Holler If Ya Hear Me;" "A Raisin in the Sun" (Tony Award; 2014); "The Mountaintop;" "Stick Fly;" August Wilson's "Fences," "Gem of the Ocean" and "Radio Golf." Off-Broadway: "Everybody's Ruby," "Emergence-See!" (The Public), "Smart People" (Second Stage). Television: "American Son" (adapted for Netflix), "Hairspray Live!," "The Wiz Live!," "Steel Magnolias," "Dynasty," "In My Dreams." Author, "Take You Wherever You Go." Artistic Director Emeritus, Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre Company. Senior Resident Director, Roundabout Theatre Company.