J. Barry Lewis News

Celebrated playwrights Eugene O'Neill, Eugene Ionesco, and Anton Chekhov will be the focus of Palm Beach Dramaworks' 2nd annual 'Master Playwright Series,' beginning October 27th (7PM) and running through June 2nd at their intimate downtown theatre (322 Banyan Boulevard.) Sponsored by Nancy and Jay Parker, 'The Master Playwright Series' is scheduled in three segments and will devote several evenings to each playwright. Scenes from the author's plays as well as full staged readings will be presented including: 'The Hairy Ape' by Eugene O'Neill, 'The Bald Soprano' by Eugene Ionesco and 'Uncle Vanya' by Anton Chekhov. In addition to the readings, the evenings will invite audience participation, discussion and an overview of the work and themes.

Stephen Temperley's Souvenir is an affectionate salute to the fascinating story of a unique artist who suffered under the delusion that she was a great coloratura soprano. Unfortunately, she had no ear for pitch and those in her circle of friends, mostly out of politeness, would compliment her voice to the point where she decided to hold small recitals for charity. The cult status of her regrettable singing spread through New York, culminating in a smash hit record and a sold-out Carnegie Hall solo concert.

West Palm Beach's only resident professional theatre, Palm Beach Dramaworks will present lectures on the life story and musical career of Florence Foster Jenkins. This wealthy New York society eccentric of the 30's and 40's and the subject of Stephen Temperley's play with music 'Souvenir,'

Souvenir was first developed at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. It has since played New York's York Theatre Company and Broadway's Lyceum Theatre, where it starred Judy Kaye as Jenkins and won her a 2006 Tony Award nomination.

'Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins,' Stephen Temperley's comedy with music opens July 5th at Palm Beach Dramaworks.

Some of South Florida's finest actors including Loureleen Snedecker, Patti Gardner, John Van Dalen and Justin Sims will bring the written word to life, when West Palm Beach's only resident professional theatre, Palm Beach Dramaworks, presents scenes from Kim Edward's book 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter,'as part of the county-wide 'Read Together Palm Beach County: One Book One Community' program on May 15th (5:30PM) at the Harriet Himmel Theater at City Place. This one-time-only performance will feature scenes adapted and staged for the program by Mark Lynch with J. Barry Lewis as dramaturge.

Michael Frayn is an English playwright and novelist. He began as a reporter for The Guardian and The Observer after graduating college in 1957. His first novel, The Tin Men, was published in 1965 winning him his first of many accolades. His other award winning novels include Headlong, The Russian Interpreter and Spies. Considered to be Britain's finest translator of Anton Chekhov, he adapted four major plays along with several smaller plays for an evening called The Sneeze in London in 1988. Theatrically, Frayn is the playwright for such well received plays including Noises Off, Copenhagen, and Democracy, which won the Tony Award in 2000.

'Benefactors' was first staged in London in 1984 winning the Olivier Award for Best New Play before its Broadway premiere in 1985. The original Broadway cast included Glenn Close, Mary Beth Hurt, Simon Jones and Sam Waterston and was nominated for two Tony Awards.

This year's red carpet season got off to a shaky start as a strike derailed the glamour in Los Angeles and New York. South Florida shows the nation how to get it right as the 32nd Annual Carbonell Award nominations were released today along with details of the awards ceremony, which is one of the most anticipated events of the theatrical season. The Carbonell Awards, sponsored by The Law Firm of Broad & Cassel, P.A., will take place Monday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Amaturo Theater of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

Tenth Season of Summer Shorts--Series of One Act Plays in South Florida