Jeffrey Blair Cornell News

When Zack Fine's play BEWILDERNESS begins, it feels like a time machine has landed at PlayMakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill and philosopher and writer Henry David Thoreau has emerged. Fine, playing himself, directly addresses the audience while Thoreau, eagerly played by company member Geoffrey Culbertson, wanders aimlessly about the stage pondering the question: Is the afterlife a regional theater in North Carolina? The curtain opens and the time travelers find themselves at Thoreau's cabin on Walden Pond, roughly built to scale on the Kenan stage. What happens next borders on the ridiculous, absurd, and downright funny.

PlayMakers Repertory Company proudly presents "Bewilderness," a PlayMakers commission and the second production in its 2018/19 PRC2 Kenan Stage series. Written and directed by Zack Fine, "Bewilderness" invites us into the upside-down, creatively chaotic world of a playwright inspired by and obsessed with the great American philosopher, Henry David Thoreau. In this madcap comedy, the famous cabin on Walden Pond plays host not only to Thoreau, but also to his brother, his mother, Ralph Waldo Emerson, some singing doctors, and a wisecracking woodchuck.

Love is in the air at PlayMakers Repertory Company. That's because the musical romance SHE LOVES ME opened earlier this week at the Paul Green Theatre as a love letter to the Triangle to ring in the holiday season. It's a familiar story, especially to fans of the rom-com film genre. Boy and girl meet through a lonely-hearts club ad and begin corresponding through a series of letters. Little do the pair know that the object of their affection may be someone they already know, perhaps even a coworker at that shop around the corner. Inspired by the 1937 play PARFUMERIE by Miklos Laszlo, SHE LOVES ME opened on Broadway in 1963. Two revivals followed one in 1993 and the other in 2016. The latter revival, starring Laura Benanti, Zachary Levi, Jane Krakowski, and Gavin Creel, broke the Guinness World Record for being the first Broadway show to be live-streamed. If the plot sounds familiar, it just might be because Laszlo's 1937 play also spawned the 1940 Jimmy Stewart film 'The Shop Around the Corner,' the 1949 Judy Garland movie musical 'In the Good Old Summertime,' and the 1998 film, 'You've Got Mail,' starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

Acclaimed playwright Mike Wiley returns to PlayMakers with singer-songwriter Laurelyn Dossett to lead us on a musical journey across time, unearthing the cycles of history in a small North Carolina town.

PlayMakers Repertory Company presents "The Christians" by 2017 Tony-nominated playwright, Lucas Hnath. The production, which is directed by Triad Stage founder Preston Lane, runs from February 1 to March 10, 2018 in rotating repertory with the Moliere classic "Tartuffe" (adapted by David Ball).

PlayMakers Repertory Company's 'Sense and Sensibility' by Kate Hamill, opened last night, October 18.

PlayMakers Repertory Company proudly presents Sense and Sensibility by Kate Hamill (based on the classic Jane Austen novel). The production is directed by Taibi Magar, in her PlayMakers directorial debut.

PlayMakers Repertory Company kicks off its 2017/18 season with the world premiere of 'Count,' in the first production of its PRC2 second-stage series. This docu-drama written by Lynden Harris is co-produced with the North Carolina based collective, Hidden Voices. The production is directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams, member of the PlayMakers resident acting company, in her PlayMakers directorial debut. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

PlayMakers Repertory Company proudly presents Lerner and Loewe's 'My Fair Lady' at the Paul Green Theatre, now through April 29, 2017.

PlayMakers Repertory Company proudly presents Lerner and Loewe's 'My Fair Lady' at the Paul Green Theatre, from April 5 through 29, 2017.

Support two good causes through a night of musical theatre fun - with a twist. Local and Broadway talent will perform gender-swapped Broadway hits for the second annual 'Broadway Twisted' benefit concert at Chapel Hill's Local 506 on Monday, April 14 at 8:00pm, presented by the PlayMakers production of Assassins and the Manbites Dog Theater production of Spirits to Enforce.

1. Top East Coast Editor 2013: Marina Kennedy, New Jersey. Our Senior Editor of New Jersey, Marina Kennedy writes articles and reviews for Broadwayworld.com on performance venues in New York and New Jersey. She also has a weekly column in BWWFitnessWorld.com, 'Fit Food Finds,' which discusses healthy eating in the New York City area. Her interest in fitness, dance, and theatre stem from the many years she owned and operated a dance school, 'Dance Unlimited' in New Jersey in the late 70's and 80's. She enjoys an active journalism career and loves writing for BroadwayWorld.com. 2. Top West Coast Editor 2013: Don Grigware, Los Angeles, CA. Our Senior Editor of Los Angels, Don Grigware is an Ovation nominated actor and writer whose contributions to theatre through the years have included 6 years as theatre editor of NoHoLA, a contributor to LA Stage Magazine and currently on his own website: www.grigwaretalkstheatre.com. Don hails from Holyoke, Massachusetts and holds two Masters Degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in Education and Bilingual Studies. Don is a teacher of foreign language and ESL. Don is a member of the prestigious Road Theatre Company in NoHo and is in his fifth year with BWW, currently serving as Senior Editor of the Los Angeles Page. 3. Top Southeast Editor 2013: Jennifer Perry, Washington, D.C. Our Senior Editor of Washington, D.C., Jennifer Perry has been a DC resident since 2001 having moved from Upstate New York to attend graduate school at American University's School of International Service. When not attending countless theatre, concert, and cabaret performances in the area and in New York, she works for the US Federal Government as an analyst. Jennifer previously covered the DC performing arts scene for Maryland Theatre Guide, DC Metro Theater Arts, and DC Theatre Scene. 4. Top Southwest Editor 2013: Jeff Davis, Austin, TX. Jeff Davis is a graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television where he obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Theater with an emphasis in Directing. 5. Top International Editor 2013: Oliver Oliveros, Philippines. Our Senior Editor of the Philippines, Oliver recently received a master's degree in public relations and corporate communication from New York University while serving as regional director for BroadwayWorld.com. For nearly 20 years, Oliver has been handling public relations and corporate communication for numerous brands (including Pepsi), Broadway shows, Broadway stars, non-profit organizations, and mainstream celebrities. He is also the editor-in-chief for FIL-AM WHO'S WHO, a monthly magazine that tells the real-life success stories of Filipino Americans from the New York Tri-State area. 6. Top New International Editor 2013: Barry Lenny, Adelaide, Australia. Our Senior of Adelaide, born in London, Barry was introduced to theatre as a small boy, through being taken to see traditional Christmas pantomimes, as well as discovering jazz and fine music at a very young age. High school found him loving the works of Shakespeare, as well as many other great playwrights, poets and novelists. Moving to Australia, he became a jazz musician, playing with big bands and his own small groups, then attended the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide, playing with several orchestras. This led to playing in theatre pits, joining the chorus, playing character roles, playing lead roles (after moving into drama), then directing, set and lighting design, administrative roles on theatre boards and, finally, becoming a critic. After twenty years of writing he has now joined the Broadway World team to represent Adelaide, in South Australia. Barry is also a long time member of the prestigious Adelaide Critics Circle. 7. Top New Editor 2013: Teresa Rodrick, Boise, ID. Senior Editor of Boise, ID, Teresa Rodrick was born in Edmonds, Washington - grew up in Mountlake Terrace (WA), married a man from Everett (WA) and her folks moved to Lake Stevens (WA). She lived in England for 2 years, Germany for 6 years and moved to San Antonio, Texas. In San Antonio, she decided she had put her own career off long enough and started going to Palo Alto Community College. She got my Associates Degree in Drama in May 2005. From San Antonio, she moved back to England for just over 3 years. She did one stint in community theatre then moved to Boise, Idaho where she received her Bachelors in Arts in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Secondary Education in May 2012 from Boise State University. 8. Most Creative Male Editor 2013: Stephen Hanks, Cabaret. Senior Editor of BWWCabaret. During more than 30 years as a magazine editor/writer, website writer, and book author for a variety of national magazines and websites,Stephen Hanks has written about sports, health and nutrition, parenting, politics, the media, and most recently, musical theater, and cabaret. While by day, Stephen is the Advertising Sales Director forHabitat Magazine (a publication covering life in New York Metro area co-ops and condos), by night he writes reviews and columns about New York City cabaret for BroadwayWorld.com. Stephen also writes feature stories about cabaret for Cabaret Scenes Magazine and CabaretScenes.org. He is also the Board President of Manhattan Musical Theatre Lab, which workshops new musicals in New York City, and he is the founder, producer and director of theBroadway Musical Fantasy Camp, which is a workshop for amateur performers that rehearses and presents staged readings of classic Broadway Musicals. In 2011, Stephen was an Associate Producer for the Off-Broadway show The Fartiste. Stephen most recently staged his debut solo cabaret show, 'Beyond American Pie: The Don McLean Songbook' at the Metropolitan Room in New York. Please contact Stephen with your comments and questions at: stephenhanks41@gmail.com 9. Most Creative Female Editor 2013: Marakay Rogers, Central PA. Senior Editor of Central PA. America's most uncoordinated childhood ballet and tap student before discovering that her talents were music and writing, Marakay Rogers finally traded in her violin for law school when she realized that she might make more money in law than she did performing with the Potomac Symphony and in orchestra pits around the mid-Atlantic. Unfortunately, she forgot to factor in the student loan repayments! She has never recovered from being chewed out by Terrence Mann in public for hanging up her bow. A graduate of Wilson College (PA), Marakay is also a writer, film reviewer and interviewer for the Wilkes-Barre (PA) Independent Gazette, science-fiction publications, and other news outlets. Additionally, as of 2014, she serves as vice-chair of the Advisory Board of the revived Beaux Arts Society, Inc. She's also taught college-level communications, writing, and English literature classes, has received multiple writing awards for several small-press novels, and is listed in Marquis' 'Who's Who in America'. She has done additional post-collegiate coursework with Open University (UK) in drama and literature. Her junior high English teacher was Broadway star Katrina Yaukey's mother, Kay Yaukey. (Her high school math teacher was Ordean Yaukey, Katrina Yaukey's father, but between Marakay's mother, an editor, and Katrina's mother, English won out.) Marakay is senior theatre critic for Central Pennsylvania and a senior editor for BWWBooksWorld as well as a classical music reviewer. In her free time, Marakay practices law and often gets it right. 10. Best Overall Editor 2013: David Clarke, Houston, TX. Senior Editor of Houston, TX and Editor-in-Chief of Broadway Recordings, David Clarke has had a lifelong love and passion for the performing arts, and has been writing about theatre both locally and nationally for years. He joined BroadwayWorld.com running their Houston site in early 2012 and began writing as the site's official theatre recording critic in June of 2013.

PlayMakers Repertory Company kicks off the New Year with a sparkling comedy classic, 'Private Lives' by Noel Coward, onstage today, Jan. 22-Feb. 9.

PlayMakers Repertory Company kicks off the New Year with a sparkling comedy classic, 'Private Lives' by Noel Coward, onstage today, Jan. 22-Feb. 9.

PlayMakers Repertory Company kicks off the New Year with a sparkling comedy classic, "Private Lives" by Noel Coward, onstage Jan. 22-Feb. 9.