R. Eric Thomas News

The Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia has announced that they are the recipients of funding from the Paycheck Protection Program, a Small Business Administration loan that helps businesses keep their workforce employed during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

Having raised over $20,000 to date in support of arts organizations and other charities impacted by the COVID-19 virus, Play-PerView announces programming and casting for five upcoming events through May 8th.

Given the growing scope of efforts to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, 1812 Productions has postponed the production of its newest musical Tyndale Place until the 2020-2021 theatre season. The show will have its world premiere production at a time to be determined at Plays & Players Theatre in Center City, Philadelphia.

The Dramatists Guild of America has announced that the recipient of the 2020 Lanford Wilson Award is Madhuri Shekar. The award will be presented at the Guild's annual awards ceremony on Monday, July 27, 2020, at Joe's Pub in New York.

American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces the winner of the 2020 Blue Ink Playwriting Award is Recent Unsettling Events by Andrea Stolowitz. A staged reading of the play will be presented as part of the 2020 Blue Ink Playwriting Festival, along with new work by finalists Football Football Football Football (or I Love Lave Dash) by Kristoffer Diaz, The Mermaids' Parade by Gina Femia, and Crying on Television by R. Eric Thomas. The Blue Ink Playwriting Festival runs May 2-4, 2020 at 4809 N Ravenswood, Suite #126, in Chicago.

There is no question that R. Eric Thomas has serious things to say about the state of race in our country. In a Single Carrot press release, he is quoted, for instance, as saying that the play was written now to address a?oethe scourge of white supremacy,a?? and that the play is a?oeabout priorities for the future and a way out.a?? He calls his thoughts a?oecomplicated.a?? And complicated is fine, so long as the audience is given as concrete and coherent a map of the way through that complication as Thomas can fashion. But that work has not been done.

1812 Productions will present the newest comedy cabaret from Philly's favorite stage couple Tony Braithwaite and Jennifer Childs. Together Again for the First Time will run from February 12 thru February 23 at Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Place, in Center City Philadelphia. Tickets are $35 and are available at 215.592.9560 or at www.1812productions.org.

For the second production of its site-specific Season 12, Single Carrot Theatre is producing Safe Space, by Baltimore playwright R. Eric Thomas. The production will be staged in the basement of historic Clifton Mansion in Clifton Park on St. Lo Drive, and runs January 31 - February 23.

PlayPenn, the nationally-recognized new play organization based in Philadelphia,  has announced their Spring 2020 Education Program courses. Curated by Director of Education Julia Mauro Bumke, the semester features a variety of courses and workshops designed for writers of all skill levels.

Baltimore Center Stage has announced a special event featuring a staged reading of Thornton Wilder's The Long Christmas Dinner, which will take place on Monday, December 16, 2019.  This one-night-only presentation of this revered classic features notable personalities with Baltimore ties in the classic roles of the Bayard Family during their 100-year-long Christmas dinner. The reading will serve as a launch-point for a post-performance conversation on the importance of family traditions, moderated by Artistic Director Stephanie Ybarra.

Baltimore Center Stage has announced a special event featuring a staged reading of Thornton Wilder's The Long Christmas Dinner, which will take place on Monday, December 16, 2019.  This one-night-only presentation of this revered classic features notable personalities with Baltimore ties in the classic roles of the Bayard Family during their 100-year-long Christmas dinner. The reading will serve as a launch-point for a post-performance conversation on the importance of family traditions, moderated by Artistic Director Stephanie Ybarra.

As part of its ongoing dedication to community engagement and producing thought-provoking new work, Single Carrot Theatre is launching its 12thseason with three site-specific productions staged at venues throughout Baltimore. Included are two works by Baltimore playwrights-R. Eric Thomas and Miranda Rose Hall-and a powerful piece by award-winning playwright Rajiv Joseph

The Dramatists Guild of America is has announced the co-recipients of the 2019 Lanford Wilson Award are Abe Koogler and Charly Evon Simpson. Their awards will be presented at the Guild's annual awards ceremony on Monday, July 29, 2019, at the American Airlines Theatre's Penthouse Lobby in New York.

The About Face Youth Theatre Ensemble is celebrating its 20th anniversary with the world premiere of 20/20, an exhilarating dive into recent queer history devised and performed by members of the About Face Youth Theatre Ensemble and co-directed by Associate Director of About Face Youth Theatre (AFYT) Donny Acosta and Artistic Director Megan Carney.

It's that time of the week, theater lovers! With the weekend set to kick off at any moment - personally, we like to consider Thursday morning at 12:01 a.m. the official start of the weekend (that's directed primarily to the Dowager Countess of Grantham who quite clearly didn't understand what actually constitutes a 'weekend') - so we are back with a few suggestions of our own to help make your job easier. There are some new shows opening, others which are continuing their runs and still more which will be winding up their slate of performances this weekend!

Today, we continue with our in-depth look at the Ingram New Works Project with a conversation with Nate Eppler, Nashville Rep's playwright-in-residence, whose work with the new playwrights has been an integral part of the experience since it first began. Eppler's new play, This Red Planet, will be given its world premiere production by Nashville Rep during its upcoming 2019-20 season.

It's another busy weekend in Nashville - but when is Music City not packed with events, festivals, affairs? - and we're back with our Critic's Choice recommendations to have you cut through the theatrical flotsam and jetsam and find a cultural opening that's a good fit for your harried lifestyle. Nashville Opera opens its staging of Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock at Noah Liff Opera Center, Way Off Broadway Productions unveils its version of Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Music Valley Event Center, Street Theatre Company invites you to the see their staging of Lynn Nottage's Sweat at their new venue on Elm Hill Pike and Nashville Rep continues its celebration of 10 years of The Ingram New Works Festival at Nashville Children's Theatre.

Today, we continue with our series of interviews, The Play's the Thing, focusing on the four emerging playwrights and their new works which will premiere over the next ten days at the Ingram New Works Festival. Next up is Dean Poynor, whose play The Second Avenue Subway will have its premiere public exposure in Nashville.

Today, we continue a series of feature stories, focusing on the four emerging playwrights and their new works which will premiere over the next ten days at the Ingram New Works Festival. First up is Lindsay Joelle, whose play The Messengers will have its premiere public exposure in Nashville.

The About Face Youth Theatre Ensemble presents the world premiere of 20/20, an exhilarating dive into recent queer history devised and performed by members of the About Face Youth Theatre Ensemble