The Ensemble Company News

ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY is thrilled to announce the first show of its 40th Anniversary 2018-2019 Season, the deliciously hilarious THE SCHOOL FOR LIES, written by David Ives (the playwright of ETC's wildly popular 2013 production of The Liar) and directed by Jonathan Fox. THE SCHOOL FOR LIES begins previews on Thursday, October 4, opens on Saturday, October 6, and runs through Sunday, October 21, 2018 at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.

This music-infused interpretation of the Alberta Hunter's life is a true American rags-to-riches success story. Hunter, a jazz and blues singer, achieved critical and commercial acclaim in the 1920s-50s. In the late 1950s, she abruptly abandoned music to become a nurse. Several decades later, Hunter retired from nursing and returned to the stage for a two-week engagement at renowned New York blues bar, The Cookery. At age 82, this jazz legend rekindled the public's love for her powerful voice and spirit-her two-week stint at the Greenwich Village nightclub stretched into a multi-year, late-in-life comeback.

Though the classic musical A Chorus Line may be produced fairly consistently, it is always refreshing to see a good quality, professional, local production. This is exactly what you'll get when you see the Tony winner running through May 26th at Long Island's historic Gateway Playhouse soon to be celebrating their 70th year. The large Broadway caliber cast is brilliantly directed and choreographed by Mitzi Hamilton who has had a long association with the show including the original Broadway production.

From May 16 to 27, The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. will present the world premiere production of 'Hercules Didn't Wade in the Water' by Michael A Jones.  The play is winner of the troupe's 2017 Emerging Playwrights Competition.  Called a 'drama with comedy,' it is a story of displacement of Black families and the forces that lead to it in modern America.  Performances are at Theatre 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Marks Place.

ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY is thrilled to announce the fifth and final show of its 2017-2018 Season, a musical about the extraordinary life of an extraordinary woman. Infused with jazz and blues, COOKIN' AT THE COOKERY: The Music And Times Of Alberta Hunter, written, directed and choreographed by Marion J. Caffey with music direction by George Caldwell, begins previews on Thursday, June 7, opens on Saturday, June 9, and runs through Sunday, June 24, 2018 at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.

From May 16 to 27, The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. will present the world premiere production of 'Hercules Didn't Wade in the Water' by Michael A Jones. The play is winner of the troupe's 2017 Emerging Playwrights Competition. Called a 'drama with comedy,' it is a story of displacement of Black families and the forces that lead to it in modern America. Performances are at Theatre 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Marks Place.

From May 16 to 27, The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. will present the world premiere production of 'Hercules Didn't Wade in the Water' by Michael A Jones.  The play is winner of the troupe's 2017 Emerging Playwrights Competition.  Called a 'drama with comedy,' it is a story of displacement of Black families and the forces that lead to it in modern America.  Performances are at Theatre 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Marks Place.

ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY (in a co-production with the ENGLISH THEATRE FRANKFURT) is thrilled to announce the fourth show of its 2017-2018 Season, a witty and provocative new thriller, THE INVISIBLE HAND, written by Ayad Akhtar (Disgraced) and directed by Jonathan Fox. THE INVISIBLE HAND begins previews on Thursday, April 12, opens on Saturday, April 14, and runs through Sunday, April 29, 2018 at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara. The production will then transfer to the English Theatre Frankfurt on May 9, 2018.

The Invisible Handplays out events in a market atmosphere without stringent guidelines, in which capitalism can run amuck. 'Pakistan is the wild west,' says Tufts. 'How will capitalism thrive in an unregulated environment? It thrives with enormous consequence.' Directed by Jonathan Fox, The Invisible Handalso stars Mujahid Abdul-Rashid and Sarang Sharma. This Southern California premiere runs at the New Vic Theater April 12-April 29th, and then moves to the English Theater Frankfurt in May.

ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY (in a co-production with the ENGLISH THEATRE FRANKFURT) is thrilled to announce the fourth show of its 2017-2018 Season, a witty and provocative new thriller, THE INVISIBLE HAND, written by Ayad Akhtar (Disgraced) and directed by Jonathan Fox. THE INVISIBLE HAND begins previews on Thursday, April 12, opens on Saturday, April 14, and runs through Sunday, April 29, 2018 at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara. The production will then transfer to the English Theatre Frankfurt on May 9, 2018.

Tickets are now on sale for Desert Ensemble Theatre Company's world premiere production of The Thespian Radio Hour, written and directed by DETC's in-house, award-winning playwright Tony Padilla. The Thespian Radio Hour is a light-hearted romp set in the 1940s against the backdrop of a Chicago radio soap opera on the verge of cancellation. Just how far will the team go to procure a new sponsor and stay on the air?

Sharon Lawrence stars in The City of Conversation

In an era defined by a population split by divergent ideologies and heated, propagandistic rhetoric, in which productive discussion about political issues seems impossible, Ensemble presents Anthony Giardina's 'City of Conversation,' a play that brings both sides of the political agenda to the dinner table.

Ensemble Theatre Company has announced the third show of its 2017-2018 Season, the 2014-2015 Outer Critics Circle & Drama Desk award nominee for Best Play, THE CITY OF CONVERSATION, written by Anthony Giardina and directed by Cameron Watson. Meredith Baxter and Sharon Lawrence star in this deeply moving and thought-provoking story about how the political divide tears apart an American family. THE CITY OF CONVERSATION begins previews on Thursday, February 8, opens on Saturday, February 10, and runs through Sunday, February 25, 2018 at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.

To reach an expanded audience, The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. (NEC) will re-mount its 2017 revival of 'A Soldier's Play' by Charles Fuller, directed by Charles Weldon, from February 14 to March 4, 2018 at Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street. The piece is historically NEC's most famous and successful play. It was produced last fall at Theatre 80 St. Marks as the culminating event of NEC's landmark 50th season, playing to full houses and glowing notices. The cast of that revival will return intact for the Gene Frankel Theatre run.

LAByrinth Theater Company announces the selections for their Annual Barn Series, the award-winning company's free play reading series. Running January 22-28, 2018, this year's Barn Series features new plays written by members of the ensemble company.

BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature THE LITTLE MERMAID, THE LION KING, SOMETHING ROTTEN and More!

Kicking off their exciting 33rd season, the Hampton Theatre Company (HTC) offers a stellar production of Joe DiPietro's hit off-Broadway comedy Clever Little Lies. We certainly need a good laugh in these worrisome times and the outstanding cast of HTC vets deliver resoundingly. Excellently directed by Andrew Botsford, the show runs until November 12th at the adorable Quogue venue.

On July 15 and 16, The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. (NEC) will hold the 2017 edition of its NEC Alumni Summer Showcase in La MaMa's First Floor Theater, 74A East Fourth Street, presenting 'The Cost' by Aquaila Shene Barnes, directed by Barbara Montgomery.

The cast has been announced for Alan Ayckbourn's trilogy THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, which - in a first for Chichester Festival Theatre - will be staged in-the-round.