Russell Baker

Windy City Playhouse Appoints Carl Menninger and David H. Bell to Artistic Staff Positions

Amy Rubenstein, Artistic Director and Evelyn Jacoby, Managing Director of Windy City Playhouse (3014 W. Irving Park Rd.) announce the promotion of Carl Menninger to Associate Artistic Director and welcome David H. Bell as an Artistic Associate for the Playhouse effective immediately.

Immersive SOUTHERN GOTHIC Invites Audience Into 1960s Cocktail Party

Windy City Playhouse announces an expansion in programming with a world-premiere immersive theatrical production, 'Southern Gothic,' premiering February 7, 2017 in an open-ended engagement.

Immersive SOUTHERN GOTHIC Invites Audience Into 1960s Cocktail Party

Windy City Playhouse announces an expansion in programming with a world-premiere immersive theatrical production, Southern Gothic, premiering February 7, 2017 in an open-ended engagement. Written by Leslie Liautaud and directed by David H. Bell, Southern Gothic gives audiences the opportunity to be a fly on the wall at a cocktail party in Ashford, Georgia in the 1960s where four couples gather together to celebrate a birthday.

Windy City Playhouse to Debut Immersive Production SOUTHERN GOTHIC

Windy City Playhouse announces an expansion in programming with a world-premiere immersive theatrical production, 'Southern Gothic,' premiering February 7, 2018 and running through April 1, 2018 as a stand-alone production following the 2017 season.

New History Book THE BAKER BOYS is Released

When Russell Baker discovered the century-old World War I diary of his grandfather, Victor Baker, he thought to himself, 'When most can be deleted with the push of a button, how much history will we leave for our own ancestors to remember us by?'

Paul Nugent & Anna Nugent to Lead THE MCGOWAN TRILOGY UK Transfer at Kino-Teatr

he cell's award-winning production of Seamus Scanlon's THE MCGOWAN TRILOGY will have its UK premiere as the opening play at the new Kino-Teatr in St Leonards-on-Sea in Sussex, opening July 9th for a strictly-limited engagement. NYC-based Irish actor Paul Nugent, who originated the lead role of dark, witty and troubled Irish revolutionary Victor M. McGowan, will return for the UK production, as will Anna Nugent, who won the Best Actress Award at the 2014 1st Irish Festival for her performance as Woman. Paul and Anna, who are married, play childhood sweethearts, now separated by violence. They will be joined in the cast by UK actors Brendan O'Rourke, Ciaran Flynn, Lisa Harmer and Patrick Knowles. Kira Simring, Artistic Director of the cell, who directed the original New York production and won Best Director at the 1st Irish Festival for it, will return to direct. Set design by Russell Baker. The UK premiere of THE MCGOWAN TRILOGY is a co-production between NYC's the cell (Nancy Manocherian, producer) and Kino-Teatr (Olga Mamonova, producer).

NDI New Mexico Named One of Top Arts Education Programs in U.S.

Celebrating its 20th year, National Dance Institute of New Mexico (NDI New Mexico) - a statewide non-profit organization which has instilled positive change in over 70,000 of New Mexico's underserved children since 1994 - has been featured by the Wallace Foundation in an exclusive list of eight 'exemplary' and 'highly effective' arts organizations in the United States.

Bill Nabel Brings TAKE ME AMERICA to Village Theatre, 9/14-11/20

Bill Nabel; a veteran actor of eight Broadway shows with 30 plus years on Broadway with over 9400 performances, a member of the original casts of '42nd Street' and 'Beauty and the Beast' - the latter of which he was the only cast member to do the entire 13 year run; has switched hats and will now see two of his many works mounted within weeks of each other. Utah Shakespeare Festival will present the World Premiere of Mr. Nabel's new play LYING TO SPIELBERG at the Auditorium Theatre (351 West Center Street) in Cedar City, Utah on August 11, 12 and 31. And the Village Theatre will present the West Coast Premiere of TAKE ME AMERICA, a new musical with book and lyrics by Mr. Nabel and music by Bob Christianson from September 14 through November 20 at the Village Theatre of Issaquah, WA and the Village Theatre of Everett, WA.