David Geffen News

The Los Angeles premiere of Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Schenkkan's By the Waters of Babylon brings two award-winning, long-time theater actors to the Geffen stage for the first time: Demián Bichir and Shannon Cochran. Bichir, who is currently starring as Mary Louise-Parker's love interest on Showtime's Weeds, will play the role of Arturo, a Cuban immigrant who is hired to (coincidentally) weed the garden of unconventional Austin widow Catherine. Cochran, who will star as Catherine, is straight from Chicago where she starred in sold out performances of The Lion in Winter at the Writers Theatre.

It's just been announced that Barbra Streisand will be making a rare concert appearance amongst other headliners at a September 16, 2008 fundraiser for presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Actor John Mahoney, best known for his decade-long role as Martin Crane on the award-winning sitcom Frasier, is trading his paternal sarcasm for a tipsy Irish brogue in the Geffen Playhouse's upcoming production of The Seafarer set to open in April 2009.

Actor John Mahoney, best known for his decade-long role as Martin Crane on the award-winning sitcom Frasier, is trading his paternal sarcasm for a tipsy Irish brogue in the Geffen Playhouse's upcoming production of The Seafarer set to open in April 2009.

Susan Barton, a twenty year veteran of the Los Angeles theater community will assume the role of managing director at the Geffen Playhouse until a nationwide search can be completed.

Stephen Eich, managing director of the Geffen Playhouse since August 2000, tendered his resignation effective in mid-June, after the opening of the theater's final production from its 07/08 season.

Playwright, performer and activist Daniel Beaty has been creating a community-wide buzz with his acclaimed one-man show Emergency that has enabled the Geffen Playhouse to produce a special week-long extension aimed primarily at Title I public schools (three additional performances will also be added for the general public). The production will now close at 2pm on Sunday, June 1.

Daniel Beaty is a Yale graduate, an activist, a classically trained musician, an award-winning actor and playwright, a slam poet champion … and most importantly, he's coming soon to a theater near you. The West Coast premiere of Beaty's acclaimed one-man show Emergency, which won the 2007 Obie Award for Outstanding Writing and Performance, opens at the Geffen Playhouse on April 23 helmed by award-winning director Charles Randolph-Wright.

The first Geffen-commissioned and produced play, The Quality of Life by Jane Anderson, is being picked up by San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre (A.C.T.) as part of its 2008/2009 season.