Sunday Scoop Week of 8/18 What's Happening This Week or Coming Up Soon

In This Week's Scoop

1) Pigeoholed Theater Company Afterschool Acting Classes Availble in Dumbo and Williamsburg

PR Firm Roundup

2) News from DDPR
    2A) The Office A Musical Parody Extends Run Through January 2020
    2B) Who Killed Edgar Allen Poe The Cooping Theory 1969 An Immersive Paranormal Experience
3) News from DKC/O&M
    3A) Bat Out of Hell Announces "Meat Seats" Rush Policy
    3B) 44th Off Broadway Samuel French Short Play Festival
4) News from JT Public Relations
    Dates Announced for Upcoming 20at20 Promotion
5) News from Michelle Tabnick PR
    5A) TRU Accepting Appplications for Producer Mentorship & Development Program
    5B) Free Introduction to TRU's Producer Program 8/20
6) News from Polk and Co.
    6A) Come From Away & Loukoumi Foundation Announce New Book
    6B) Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles Opens August 23
7) News from Richard Hillman PR
    7A) Applications Open for 2020 Drama League Directing Fellowships and Residencies
    7B) Tickets Avaiable for Papermill Playhouse's 2019/2020
    7C) Ed Asner Presents  - Susan Campanaro is Lavinia Draper in Missing Person
8) News from Spin Cycle NYC
     The Flea Presents Mac Wellman: Perfect Catatrophes, A Festival of Plays Aug 24 - Nov 1
9) News from Vivacity NY
    Rock of Ages Extends Run Through January 12 at New World Stages

1) PIGEONHOLED THEATER

COMPANY
Offers Children’s After-School Acting Classes this Fall in DUMBO and Williamsburg

Pigeonholed, a nonprofit New York City-based theater company, announces the Fall 2019 Children’s Class Schedule, with classes in improvisation and story building, and scene study and acting technique.  All classes are taught by professional actors and Interlochen Center for the Arts faculty and feature workshops with Broadway actors.

Classes will be held at Chaos Studios at 247 Water Street, Suite 202 in DUMBO, Brooklyn
AND Center for Performance Research, 361 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Pigeonholed’s belief is that children learn and grow from doing. These classes were created from Pigeonholed founders, Justin Cimino and Sasha Lazare’s own professional experience as actors as well as their extensive experience as educators. They believe that combination is essential in creating an environment where students are challenged to mature as independent thinkers and to trust their individual creative instincts. Equally critical to their curriculum, over the course of the program students will also participate in a highly diverse set of group activities, which will be aimed at fostering a spirit of teamwork amongst all the participants. By the end of the program students can be both more self-assured and comfortable in front of a crowd, more intuitive and empathetic as artists, and will better understand how to channel their own creative impulses into productive work that the world needs to see. For more information visit https://www.pigeonholedtheater.org/classes-for-kids.

Classes offered:

Creating Your Own Character- DUMBO
(Ages 4-9)
Wednesdays September 18-December 18
3:30-4:20pm 

This age range encompasses children at their most spectacularly imaginative. In this class, we encourage the students to use that imagination to create a world and character(s) all of their own. They will learn theatre games, improvisation, listening and communication skills, as well as how to devise an original play. Throughout the session, they will develop and build upon a fully formed character and story, which will culminate in an invited rehearsal where they will present their original, short play.

Creating Your Own Character-WILLIAMSBURG
(Ages 4-7)
Thursdays September 19-December 12 
4-5pm

This age range encompasses children at their most spectacularly imaginative. In this class, we encourage the students to use that imagination to create a world and character(s) all of their own. They will learn theatre games, improvisation, listening and communication skills, as well as how to devise an original play. Throughout the session, they will develop and build upon a fully formed character and story, which will culminate in an invited rehearsal where they will present their original, short play.

Acting Technique and Scene Study- DUMBO
(Ages 10-14)
Wednesdays September 18-December 18
4:30-5:25pm

This class focuses both on improvisation and scene study with a focus on various acting techniques. At this age, students are able to develop a physical and emotional connection to characters and scenarios presented to them. The first half of the session will focus on theatre games, improvisation, clowning, and devising their own work, with the second half focusing on close scene study. By the end of the session the students will have created and written their own work as well as memorized and staged scenes from classic plays assigned by the instructors. Performance techniques taught will include Meisner, movement, and voice/speech, which will all be incorporated into their final presentation. Parents will be welcome to attend an invited rehearsal on the last day of classes.

To register, or for more information, visit 
https://www.pigeonholedtheater.org/classes-for-kids.

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PR Firm Roundup

2)News from DDPR

2A)THE OFFICE! A MUSICAL PARODY 
TO BE EXTENDED THROUGH JANUARY 19, 2020
 
THE OFF-BROADWAY SENSATION IS APPROACHING 
ITS MILESTONE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

Dunder Mifflin will remain open for funny business! Right Angle Entertainment, producers of the Off-Broadway sensation, The Office! A Musical Parody, today announced that the unauthorizedsend up of the hit TV series will extend through January 19, 2020. The extension will take place just as the show celebrates its one-year mark, a significant milestone for an Off-Broadway production.  The musical is one of the most successful Off-Broadway shows currently running - performing to full houses at nearly every performance and having shattered all Theater Center box office records in a single week by taking in nearly double that of any previous show, including the 11-year run of The Fantasticks. Fans from all over the globe have made the trek to New York to see their favorite characters skewered in this spoof that Mashable calls “a boisterous, rejuvenating escape from reality that’ll fill the void in your heart.” The production runs in The Jerry Orbach Theater at The Theater Center, 1627 Broadway. 

The wildly popular spoof of the hit TV series features a cast that includes Sarah Mackenzie Baron, Chase McCall, Tom McGovern, Taylor Coriell, Katie Johantgen, Kat Moser, Rita Posillico, Kevin Harris Bruce, Patrick Swailes Caldwell, and Sara Kase. 

The Office! A Musical Parody is currently running at the Jerry Orbach Theatre at 210 West 50th Street in New York City. Tickets are $37 - $79 and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com or by calling the box office directly at 212-921-7862. Premium VIP Tickets ($79 value) include a meet and greet with the cast after the show, as well as photos on stage at Dunder Mifflin.  

For more information on performance dates and times, visit the website at theofficemusicalparody.com or follow the show on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for exclusive behind-the-scenes content. 

**

 2B) WHO KILLED EDGAR ALLAN POE?
THE COOPING THEORY 1969
A NEW IMMERSIVE PARANORMAL EXPERIENCE 
  
PREVIEWS BEGIN MONDAY, AUGUST 19^TH
WITH AN OFFICIAL PRESS OPENING ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16^th  
AT RPM UNDERGROUND, 244 WEST 54^THST.

DDM Productions & RPM Underground today announced dates for Poseidon Theatre Company’sWho Killed Edgar Allan Poe? The Cooping Theory 1969: An Immersive Paranormal Experience. Conceived and directed by Aaron Salazar, this new spellbinding production is the only story-driven, multi-room immersive experience in the heart of Times Square and features a book by Nate Raven (who also co-directs), original score by Manuel Pelayo & Giancarlo Bonfanti with additional material by Edgar Allan Poe.  Previews begin Monday, August 19^that RPM Underground, 244 West 54^th St. between 8^th Avenue and Broadway. The official opening will be on Monday, September 16^th and the run continues through November 2. www.knock3xs.com   

Journey beneath Manhattan into RPM Underground, where a masterpiece of design and ambiance awaits you with a full bar available for your enjoyment throughout the experience. Cocktails, Myth, Mystery, Murder…Ghosts…experience the world and words of Edgar Allan Poe like you never have before. 

A modern Edgar Allan Poe story meets a 1960s horror movie. The year is 1969. After you knock 3xs (three times), your journey begins. You are invited to join the gathering. A new generation of The Poe Society hosts a cocktail party to commemorate the anniversary of the mysterious death of Edgar Allan Poe. Drink, eat and mingle with The Society.  The meeting commences, and the room is smudged for protection. An otherworldly medium arrives to reach out to the spirit of Poe. A seance ensues and quickly goes awry!As The Society seeks answers to Poe’s unresolved death, what they find out is their own terrifying truth. What happens next? Find out for yourself.

Is this like a Haunted House? No. But prepare to journey into the world of the paranormal words of Edgar Allan Poe. No one will touch you or ever jump and "spook" you and your guests.

What is the cooping theory? Cooping was a form of electoral fraud in the United States during the 19^thcentury by which unwilling participants were forced to vote, often several times over, for a particular candidate in an election. Generally, innocent bystanders would be grabbed off the street by so-called ‘cooping gangs’ or ‘election gangs’ working on the payroll of a political candidate and they would be kept in a room called the “coop” and given alcoholic beverages in order for them to comply. If they refused to cooperate they would be beaten or even killed. Often, their clothing would be changed to allow them to vote multiple times. Sometimes the victims would be forced to wear disguises such as wigs, fake beards or mustaches to prevent them from being recognized by voting officials at polling stations. Edgar Allan Poe is thought by some to have been the victim of cooping before his mysterious death in early October 1849. 

Performances of Who Killed Edgar Allan Poe? The Cooping Theory 1969: An Immersive Paranormal Experience are on Mondays at 7:00 pm, Wednesdays at 3:00pm and 7:00pmand Saturdays at 3:00pm and 7:00pm. The Halloween week (10/28 through 11/2) performance schedule will be: Monday at 7:00pm, Tuesday at 7:00pm, Wednesday at3:00pm and 7:00pm, Thursday (Halloween) at 8:00pm, Friday at 7:00pm and Saturday at3:00pm and 7:00pm. On the evening of Halloween, all ticketholders will be invited to a costume party contest hosted by The Poe Society.

Tickets are $75 and available for purchase online at https://ci.ovationtix.com/35221/production/1013243. Only 60 tickets are available per performance. 

This immersive experience is 21 +. Valid ID is required to enter. There is a $25 beverage/food minimum per guest. 

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3) News from DKC/O&M

3A) JIM STEINMAN’S

BAT OUT OF HELL – THE MUSICAL

ANNOUNCES IN-PERSON “MEAT SEATS” RUSH POLICY

A LIMITED NUMBER OF $50 IN-PERSON RUSH TICKETS 

NOW AVAILABLE

Bat Out Of Hell-The Musical will launch a $50 in-person only rush ticket policy. Rush tickets to Bat Out of Hell-The Musical will be sold in person at the New York City Center (131 West 55th Street) box office on the day of the performances beginning when the box office opens at 12pm daily. There will be a limit of two tickets per customer. Seat locations will be at the discretion of the box office and are based on availability.

In Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical, the electrifying rock songs of Mr. Steinman propel an epic story of rebellious youth and passion as Strat, the immortal leader of The Lost, has fallen in love with Raven, the beautiful daughter of the tyrannical ruler Falco.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster and at www.nycitycenter.org or by calling 212 581 1212.

**

3B) 44^th SAMUEL FRENCH

OFF OFF BROADWAY SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL

ANNOUNCES LAUREN YEE IS THIS YEAR’S HONORARY

 FESTIVAL PLAYWRIGHT

JUDGES WILL INCLUDE MASI ASARE AND 

ELEANOR BURGESS

Samuel French’s Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival (OOB), the nation's premier short play competition, is excited to announce thatLauren Yee (Cambodian Rock Band, The Great Leap, The Hatmaker’s Wife) is this year’s honorary festival playwright. Additionally, the distinguished lineup of judges will includeMasi Asare, Eleanor Burgess, Clarence Coo, Vichet Chum, Chris Giordano, Keli Goff, David L. Kimple, Margaret Ledford, Emily Morse, Salem Tsegaye, Miriam Weinerand Alexis Williams.

The OOB will take place during a week-long festival August 20-24 at the Vineyard’s Dimson 15^th Street Theatre in New York City. Chosen from over 900 submissions from the U.S. and abroad, 30 finalist plays and musicals, each running 10-20 minutes in length, will be presented. (See below for finalists and schedule.)

Yee will kick off the Festival at a private event with the 30 finalist playwrights on Monday, August 19. During each weekday performance from Tuesday, August 20, the judges will choose one to four plays to move on to the finals. These finalists will present their plays and musicals on Saturday, August 24, at which time the Samuel French staff will select the winning six pieces. These short works will be published and made available for licensing in an anthology that will become the 44^th edition of the Off Off Broadway Festival Plays series.

Presale tickets are available through Sunday, August 18 at $20. Tickets will be available Monday, August 19 through Saturday, August 24 online and at the door for $25. The Festival also offers a $90 Festival Pass. This pass gains the holder access to the first four nights of the Festival, allowing them to see all 30 productions at a 55% discount. For tickets and a complete performance calendar, click here.

To stay up to date with all Festival information, follow @OOBFestival on Twitter, facebook.com/oobfestival, and #OOBFestival on all social platforms.

Tuesday, August 20 at 7:00PM

THE GARDEN OF EDEN, ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY by Emily J. Daly

WHERE THE FIREWORKS COME FROM by Michael Pisaturo

THE BAR MITZVAH OF JESUS GOLDFARB by Andrew R. Heinze

Tuesday, August 20 at 8:30PM

CLUCK DELUXE by Bonnie Antosh
BUNKMATES by Jeff Ronan
ROUND by Johnny G. Lloyd
WEBSTER’S BITCH by Jacqueline Bircher

Wednesday, August 21 at 7:00PM

END OF THE LINE Book by Howard Ho, Lyrics by Chris Edgar, Music by Kristen Rea
ON A STRING by LyaNisha R. Gonzalez
MAYBE by Nicholas Vasilios Pappas
THE WAR SHOW by Lindsey Griffith

Wednesday, August 21 at 8:30PM

THE DARK by Serena Berman
PARTNER OF— by Rachael Carnes
WINNER by Amy Berryman
I LOVE YOU ST. PETERSBURG! by Bixby Elliot

Thursday, August 22 at 7:00PM

TIDWELL, OR THE PLANTATION PLAY by Rodney Witherspoon II
BLUE by Emily Hageman
MAMA WON’T STAY DEAD by Charlotte Higgins

Thursday, August 22 at 8:30PM

GROUND CHUCK by Benjamin Carr
LAST GIRLS TRIP by Dusty Noval
EIGHT TWENTY-EIGHT by Kevin Rich
STAY FOR DINNER by Becky McLaughlin

Friday, August 23 at 7:00PM

A SMALL BREACH IN PROTOCOL AT BIG RICK’S ROCKIN’ SKYDIVE ACADEMY by Daniel Hirsch
ALL OF EVERYTHING by Alayna Jacqueline
A RARE BIRD by Bella Poynton
THERE’S ROOM ON TOP by Richard Sebastian-Coleman

Friday, August 23 at 8:30PM

BLANCHE IN A WHEELCHAIR by Aaron Leventman
GUN PLAY by Dale Dunn
PERFECTLY NORMAL ENTERPRISES by J. Joseph Cox
CROSSTALK by Eliana Pipes

Saturday, August 24 at 2:00PM

First set of Finalists (TBD)

Saturday, August 24 at 4:30PM

Second set of Finalists (TBD)

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 4) News from JT Public Relations

THE OFF BROADWAY ALLIANCE 

Announces Dates for the Upcoming 

20at20

20 bucks. 20 minutes before.

SEPTEMBER 3 to SEPTEMBER 22, 2019

The Off Broadway Alliance announces next 20at20 discount ticket promotion

The Off Broadway Alliance has announced that its hugely popular semi-annual ticket promotion 20at20 will return from September 3 to September 22, 2019.  20at20 makes $20 tickets available to dozens of  Off Broadway shows 20 minutes prior to curtain for 20 days. This year’s participated shows will be announced soon, to be the first to know when the shows are announced sign-up at 20at20.com  

20at20 Terms and Conditions: All tickets subject to availability. Restrictions may apply. Offer valid only at the box office on the day of the performance twenty minutes prior to curtain. Offer may be revoked at any time. Not valid on prior sale.  Cannot be combined with other offers. Valid September 3rd to September 22nd. 

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5) News from Michelle Tabnick PR

5A) Theater Resources Unlimited

now accepting applications for the

TRU Producer Mentorship & Development Program

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is now accepting applications for the 2019-20 TRU Producer Mentorship & Development Program, deadlineSeptember 1, 2019 for both the Foundations Class and Master Class.Questions about the program? Come to a Free Introduction to the program and meet the program directors on Tuesday evening August 20th, 6:30 to 9:00. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit:https://truonline.org/events/intro-to-pdmp-2019-20/

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is now accepting applications for the 2019-20 TRU Producer Mentorship & Development Program, deadlineSeptember 1, 2019 for both the Foundations Class and Master Class.Questions about the program? Come to a Free Introduction to the program and meet the program directors on Tuesday evening August 20th, 6:30 to 9:00. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit:https://truonline.org/events/intro-to-pdmp-2019-20/

The 2019-20 FOUNDATIONS will be led by producer/consultant/former general manager R. Erin Craig of La Vie Productions (Himself and Nora,Stalking the Bogeyman; Mr Rickey Calls A Meeting; Austen's Pride,Academy, Right Before I Go benefit in October 2017).

The 2019-20 MASTER CLASS for Foundations graduates and other eligible candidates will be led by Broadway producers Jane Dubin (Tony winning The Prom, The Norman Conquests, Farinelli and the King, Bandstand, Peter and the Starcatcher and An American in Paris; plus Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, The 39 Steps, Ann; upcoming: The Prom, Fingersmith) and Rachel Weinstein (The Ferryman, Dear Evan Hansen, Disgraced, TheHeiress with Jessica Chastain, An American in Paris; upcoming: Jagged Little Pill, The Ferrymen).

Submissions for 2019-20 PDMP Foundations Class will be accepted now through September 1, 2019. Foundations Class is $295 for new members, $245 for returning members and students (submit valid ID with application). The program will meet one evening of each month (to be confirmed) from September through June - that's 10 sessions ($29.50 per session). You must also be a paid member of TRU, currently $95/year.

Submissions for 2019-20 Master Class will be accepted now through September 1, 2019. Master Class is $425 for new members. Limited to 12 full participants. (Adjunct memberships available - you attend all sessions on a non-participating auditor basis, $295.) Meets once a month, mostly Mondays, from September thru June - that's 9 sessions ($50 per session). You must also be a paid member of TRU, currently $95/year.

Candidates may be asked to come in and interview. Start date for classes will be announced soon.

For more information about TRU membership and programs, visit 

www.truonline.org.

**

5B) Theater Resources Unlimited

announces

Free Introduction to 

TRU's Producer Program

Tuesday, August 20, 2019 from 6:30pm-8:30pm

Polaris North Theatre

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) announces a Free Introduction to TRU's Producer Program on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 from 6:30pm-8:30pm at Polaris North Studio, 245 W. 29th St, 4^th floor, NYC. Tickets are free but space is limited! RSVP at https://truonline.org/events/intro-to-pdmp-2019-20/.

TRU will host a free meet-and-greet info session about their Producer Development and Mentorship Program (PDMP). Prospective applicants will have the opportunity to learn from and network with TRU's commercial producer instructors: R. Erin Craig of La Vie Productions (Himself and Nora, Stalking the Bogeyman; Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting; Austen's Pride, Academy) who runs the Foundations Class; and Jane Dubin (The Prom, Farinelli and the King, An American in Paris) and Rachel Weinstein (Tony Award winner for The Ferryman and Dear Evan Hansen), who run the Master Class which is open to graduates of Basic Class, and a limited number of producers with a high level of experience. Participants will also meet and hear from successful program graduates.

PDMP's purpose is to give members the knowledge and resources to become commercial theater producers, non-profit theater producers and/or self-producing artists. (There may come a time in every theater artist's life when you need to self-produce a show and create your own opportunities, and PDMP aims to provide the tools for that occasion.) TRU's program teaches necessary skills such as developing a business plan, raising money, budgeting, marketing and putting together creative production teams. For more information, here is the link to the full program description and application.

PDMP is the only theater production program to offer such in-depth instruction from accomplished and active commercial producers at such an affordable price. TRU's Basic Class meets one evening of each month for 9 or 10 months, and the cost is $295 ($29.50/class). There will be limited discount "scholarships" for college students and recent grads. Master Class costs $425 for nine sessions and has a highly competitive submission process. EmailTRUMentor@gmail.com for more details. The informational session on August 20th is completely free. Reserve using the red ticketing box at https://truonline.org/events/intro-to-pdmp-2019-20/.

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6) News from Polk and Co.

6A) The Loukoumi Foundation 

and Come From Away 

share their joint message of kindness through the stories of 75 kids, who are changing the world one good deed at a time, in the new book          

Inspiring Stories That Make a Difference.

Book is part of Make A Difference with Loukoumi Week October 19-28

The Loukoumi Make A Difference Foundation and the award-winning musical COME FROM AWAY have partnered to share their joint message of kindness in the new book Inspiring Stories That Make A Difference (Hybrid Global Publishing). The book features the stories of over 75 children who are having fun paying it forward for causes that mean something to them.

Inspired by Nick Katsoris' children's book series about a fluffy little lamb named Loukoumi, The Loukoumi Foundation teaches children to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others, uniting over 100,000 children annually to do good deeds. COME FROM AWAY is the Tony and Olivier award-winning musical about how during the week of 9/11, 7,000 stranded airline passengers found a safe harbor in Newfoundland and were embraced by the people of the town of Gander and the surrounding towns, while the world around them was thrown into chaos. 

Inspiring Stories includes heartwarming essays from children around the globe:

• When Lionel was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, he told the Make-A-Wish Foundation that he wanted to take a trip to Disneyland Paris, but after his cancer was in remission, he changed his wish to have a donation made to “Friends of Karen,” the organization that helped him and his family survive his illness.

             

• The Reda brothers lost their father on 9/11. Thanks to the support of their mentor from the organization Tuesday’s Children, they have learned the importance of paying it forward.

• Katia wanted to help the global water crisis, and so through her Thirst Project, she has raised over $30,000 to help build clean water wells in Africa—and in fact built one herself.

• When Adrianna was in foster care, she recalls how lonely it was waiting for your “Forever Family,” and so she has now created and distributed over 300 rainbow-colored ponies to other kids in foster care to let them know that they are not alone.

• Darren will never forget the day when a homeless person came to his family’s restaurant asking for food. Months later, when he saw the same homeless man on the streets of New York, he convinced his parents to offer this man a job, helping to rehabilitate his life.

• Lauren wants to be a chef when she grows up! During her Loukoumi Dream Day with celebrity chef Maria Loi she learned all sorts of culinary tips, but more importantly Maria showed her the importance of making a difference in the world.  Lauren has embarked on many good deeds including donating her hair to make wigs for cancer patients.

• Cayleigh wants to be a dancer, yet others in her school tried to bully her into believing that she was too short to follow her dream. Through resilience and dedication, she proved them wrong.

The book also contains a collection of essays by over 20 students at Gander Elementary School—the town where COME FROM AWAY is set. Although they were not born on 9/11 when the small Newfoundland town rallied behind the 7,000 stranded airline passengers, the town’s legacy of good deeds has left its mark on this new generation of do-gooders. In fact, the week prior to the release of Inspiring Stories, these students from Gander will embark on a very special Loukoumi Good Deed Bus visiting places featured in COME FROM AWAY, doing a good deed at each. The Loukoumi Good Deed buses, inspired by the book Loukoumi’s Good Deeds (narrated by Jennifer Aniston), started in New York several years ago and have spread to other cities, including Chicago and Boston, uniting over 100,000 children.

Make a Difference With Loukoumi Week

The release of Inspiring Stories That Make a Difference is part of Make A Difference with Loukoumi Week with other events taking place as follows:

Saturday, October 19:  Loukoumi Good Deed Bus will tour Gander, Newfoundland. Students from Gander Elementary School will follow in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents, visiting many of the local locations featured in COME FROM AWAY, doing good deeds at each.

Monday, October 21:  The Loukoumi Foundation will launch the new Loukoumi Make A Difference Foundation Treatment Room and Literacy Program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. As part of the program, while patients are receiving their treatments in the room, reading instructors will come in and help the children with their studies since they often have to leave their schools for months at a time to receive care. The program is funded by the donations of children, who make a caring card for patients and also donate $1 to fund this project. One of the essays in Inspiring Stories discusses the Loukoumi St. Jude room and another is by Alivia, a patient who is now raising funds for St. Jude to help, as she says, “the people who saved my life.” 

Tuesday, October 22: The day of the release of Inspiring Stories That Make a Difference, all the young authors of the book and Loukoumi are invited to attend a performance of COME FROM AWAY on Broadway followed by a talkback with the cast.

Saturday, October 26:  The Loukoumi Good Deed Bus will tour Manhattan. Stops will include celebrity chef Maria Loi cooking with children at a local school, and then together they will bring the food to a local homeless shelter. Another stop will be at the 9-11 Tribute Museum, where bus riders and COME FROM AWAY families will write “Never Forget” cards and letters to families who lost loved ones on 9-11.

Monday, October 28: Celebrity Chef Maria Loi will host a tasting event in New York City with several celebrity chefs to launch a new program, “Loukoumi Feeds the Hungry,” where quarterly Maria will cook with a different school, and then together they will bring the food they cooked to a local homeless shelter. Maria is also featured in an essay by Lauren Berg, who was inspired to make a difference by the dream day Maria created for her at her restaurant Loi Estiatorio.

For more on COME FROM AWAY, please visit: www.ComeFromAway.com

**

6B) FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES opens August 23

Exclusive engagements in New York City at The Landmark at 57 West and The Quad Cinema.

Directed by Max Lewkowicz

Written by Max Lewkowicz and Valerie Thomas

FEATURING INTERVIEWS WITH:

Lyricist Sheldon Harnick, producer Hal Prince, original cast member Austin Pendleton, Broadway figures Lin-Manuel Miranda, Joel Grey, Chaim Topol and Harvey Fierstein, and authors Fran Lebowitz, Calvin Trillin and Nathan Englander

The origin story behind one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals, Fiddler on The Roof, and its creative roots in early 1960s New York, when “tradition” was on the wane as gender roles, sexuality, race relations and religion were evolving.

For more information, visit http://roadsideattractions.com.

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7) News from Richard Hillman PR

7A) APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN FOR
THE 2020 DRAMA LEAGUE DIRECTING FELLOWSHIPS AND DIRECTOR RESIDENCIES

PARTNERSHIPS WITH RED BULL THEATER, DALLAS THEATER CENTER,
NEW YORK STAGE AND FILM, HANGAR THEATRE, SHAKESPEARE & COMPANY,
AND MORE

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN NATIONALLY-ACCLAIMED PROGRAMS

 The Drama League (Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Artistic Director) opened its applications today for the 2020 Drama League Directors Project, which offer unique Fellowship and Residency opportunities for professional stage directors at all levels of experience to advance their artistry, learn new skills, develop and present new work, and propel their careers. The only program of its kind in the nation, the deadline for completed applications is 11:59pm US EDT on Monday, February 3, 2020.

Applications are now available at www.dramaleague.org for:

● The Public Works Directing Fellowship, a partnership with Dallas Theater Center (Dallas, TX) placing directors inside the creative leadership of a large-scale, community-wide theatrical project; 
● The Leo Shull Musical Directing Fellowship, a partnership with New York Stage and Film, immersing a director in multiple projects during their Powerhouse at Vassar season, before returning to stage an Off-Broadway musical production of their choice in The Drama League’s festival, DirectorFest; 
● The New York Directing Fellowships, serving talented early-career directors with bespoke training opportunities, mentorship, assistantships at major theaters, and DirectorFest productions of their own; 
● The Hangar Directing Fellowships, embedding directors inside the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY, where they direct multiple productions and explore institutional structures as the artistic leaders of the Hangar’s Lab Company; 
● The Classical Directing Fellowship, a partnership with Red Bull Theater (New York City) and Shakespeare & Company (Lenox, MA) to bring directors onto the productions in their seasons as assistants before directing a high-profile Revelation Reading at Red Bull Theater; and 
● The Directing Fellowship in Film and Television, which places mid-career theater directors into shadowing assignments on film and television projects. 
● The Next Stage Director Residencies, which give stage directors rehearsal space, administrative materials, dramaturgical resources, and financial support to develop new plays and musicals; 
● The Beatrice Terry Residency for Womxn Writer-Directors, which provides financial and presentation support for a writer-director to create a new play and have its first staged reading; 
● The Impact Residency, a partnership with LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (New York City), which gives funding, technical resources, developmental space, and more to a director working within an ensemble.

Full descriptions of each Drama League Directors Project Fellowship and Residency, as well as application information, may be found at http://dramaleague.org.

For additional information, please visit the website at www.dramaleague.org.

**

7B) Tickets for the New Season 

at Millburn’s Paper Mill Playhouse 

On Sale Monday, August 19

New Jersey Theater Produces THREE Premieres in All Musical Season

Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz (New Jersey Premiere)

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella

Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (World Premiere)

Sister Act

The Wanderer (World Premiere)

SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE NOW!

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Michael Stotts-Managing Director), recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award, is proud to announce that tickets for individual shows for the 2019-2020 season will be available to the public on Monday, August 19, 2019. Season subscriptions are on sale now and subscribers can already purchase additional show tickets. Tickets and subscriptions may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, or at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at www.papermill.org. With three premieres and a total of five musicals, Paper Mill continues to fulfill its mission to enrich, entertain, and inspire audiences and students as the nation’s premier musical theater. 

Paper Mill Playhouse will open its 2019-2020 season with a highly anticipated new musical about one of the world’s most beloved entertainment icons. _Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz(September 26-October 27) is the story of how five-year-old Frances Gumm became Judy Garland, chronicling her early career from vaudeville to her rise at MGM, where she wins the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Next, a dash of fairytale romance, magical onstage transformations, and of course, glass slippers in this family musical just in time for the holidays, *Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella_ (November 20-December 29). This enchanting, Tony-nominated Broadway adaptation of the beloved musical will put a spell on audiences of all ages. Next winter, Paper Mill Playhouse presents the world-premiere musical Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber* (January 30-March 1), about the remarkable life and celebrated work of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Unmasked will feature new material and rediscovered gems, along with the history of their creation intertwined with Andrew’s extraordinary personal story. In the spring, Paper Mill Playhouse welcomes back our good friend and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken with his Tony-nominated musical Sister Act (April 1-April 26). Based on the 1992 hit film, this feel-good musical follows Deloris Van Cartier as she goes into hiding in a convent—where she clashes, hilariously, with cloistered life. Deloris inspires the sisters with her soulful style, but the church choir’s newfound fame attracts some unwanted attention. Paper Mill Playhouse closes its 81st season with the world-premiere musical The Wanderer (May 28-June 28), the story of Dion DiMucci and how he skyrocketed to fame as a teenage heartthrob in the 1950s and early ’60s with hits like “Runaround Sue,” “Teenager in Love,” and “I Wonder Why.” Now, his extraordinary journey comes to the stage in a moving and intimate new musical.

Paper Mill Playhouse will produce eight performances a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Three, four and five-show subscription packages are available now starting at just $111. Each subscription package includes a different level of special benefits (see www.PaperMill.org for details). Youth subscriptions are available for children ages 4-18 with the purchase of an adult subscription with accessible discount pricing. Single tickets will go on sale on August 19 starting at just $35. Tickets and subscriptions may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, or at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at www.PaperMill.org. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accepted. Groups of ten or more can receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680. Titles, casting and dates subject to change.

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE’S 2019-2020 SEASON

CHASING RAINBOWS: The Road to Oz
September 26–October 27
Book by Marc Acito
Music Adapted by & Additional Music by David Libby
Conceived by & Additional Lyrics by Tina Marie Casamento
Directed & Choreographed by Denis Jones
Major Sponsor: Bank of America

Before she burst onto the big screen as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland was a young vaudeville trouper named Frances Gumm. In this highly anticipated new musical chronicling Garland’s early career from vaudeville baby to MGM teen star in the making, the road to Oz is paved with adversity. At its heart a story of love between a father and daughter, featuring such legendary songs as “Over the Rainbow,” “You Made Me Love You,” and “Everybody Sing,” Chasing Rainbows is a poignant coming-of-age tale about “the little girl with the big voice,” who went on to become one of the world’s most beloved entertainment icons. The show has already earned praise from Liza Minnelli, who said, “My mother said that her biography is in her music, and now a talented creative team is using that music to tell the story of her early years and her extraordinary rise to fame.”

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA
November 20–December 29
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
New Book by Douglas Carter Beane
Original Book by Oscar Hammerstein II
Choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter
Directed by Mark S. Hoebee
Major Sponsor: The Goren Family and the Harmony Helper App

This enchanting, Tony-nominated Broadway adaptation of the beloved musical will put a spell on audiences of all ages. Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella showcases some of the songwriting duo’s loveliest tunes, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible,” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” as well as some new characters and surprising twists. Add a dash of fairytale romance, magical onstage transformations, and the iconic pumpkin and glass slippers—and you’re guaranteed to have a ball!

UNMASKED: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber
January 30–March 1
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Written with Richard Curtis
Directed by Laurence Connor
Choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter
Major Sponsor: JPMorgan Chase & Co.

One of the most successful musical theater composers of all time takes audiences on a behind-the-scenes journey in Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Written with Richard Curtis and directed by Laurence Connor, Unmasked is a not-always-reverential look at Andrew’s life and musical career. You’ll hear his best-loved work, including classics from Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, Phantom of the Opera, and Sunset Boulevard, in sometimes new and unexpected ways. This new production will also feature new material and rediscovered gems, along with the history of their creation intertwined with Andrew’s extraordinary personal story.

SISTER ACT
April 1–April 26
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Glenn Slater
Book by Cheri Steinkellner & Bill Steinkellner
Additional Book Material by Douglas Carter Beane
Based on the Touchstone Pictures Motion Picture Sister Act Written by Joseph Howard

Based on the 1992 hit film, this feel-good musical comedy smash sizzles with powerful music, spectacular dancing, and a story brimming with heart. The madcap plot is set in motion when disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder and must go into hiding in a convent—where she clashes, hilariously, with cloistered life. Deloris inspires the sisters with her soulful style, but the church choir’s newfound fame attracts the attention of the bad guys. Featuring original music by Tony and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), the musical was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

THE WANDERER
May 28–June 28
Book by Charles Messina
Choreographed by Sarah O’Gleby
Directed by Kenneth Ferone
Signature Support: The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation

Dion. One name set the standard of cool for a generation. But how does a kid from the Bronx make it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? In The Wanderer, the incredible musical journey of a troubled young man turned teenage heartthrob (and, ultimately, rock and roll icon) is told in intimate and no-holds-barred detail. Dion’s music helped define a generation of rock and rollers. His lifelong battle with addiction shed a stark light on the darker side of fame and success. This musical takes both subjects head on, set to the iconic sound of an incomparable era in American music, and celebrates the triumph of the human spirit against all odds. The Wanderer is the riveting true story of Dion, New York’s rebel king, the man Bruce Springsteen calls “the link between Frank Sinatra and rock and roll.”

Paper Mill Playhouse offers its audience an opportunity to enhance their theater experience with behind-the-scenes views of mainstage productions. Have you ever wanted to sneak a peek behind the curtain? Or wondered what the director was thinking, or how the cast prepares for a show? Join us for one of many revealing insider’s experiences. Visit the Paper Mill Playhouse website at www.PaperMill.org for dates for our Director's Viewpoint Series, Conversation Club Series, Q&As with the cast, and more.

Paper Mill Playhouse offers people with disabilities the opportunity to see live theater with dignity and independence through a myriad of award-winning access programs and services, including audio description and sensory seminars for the blind, Braille and large-print programs, American Sign Language interpretation for the deaf, open-captioning for those with hearing loss, and assistive listening devices. In addition, Paper Mill Playhouse provides autism-friendly performances of both mainstage and children’s shows throughout the season. odgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella will feature an autism-friendly performance on Thursday, December 26, at 1:30pm.

For more information, visirt www.papermill.org 

**

7C) ED ASNER 
PRESENTS 
MISSING PERSON
A PLAY WITH MUSIC 
STARRING SUSAN CAMPANARO AS “LAVINIA DRAPER” 
WRITTEN BY SUSAN CAMPANARO & LYNN PORTAS 
DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER SCOTT

THE PLAYROOM THEATER
(151 WEST 46TH STREET- JUST EAST OF BROADWAY)

5 PERFORMANCES ONLY!
AUGUST 21-24, 2019

Ed Asner will present Missing Person, a play with music starring Susan Campanaro composed by Lynn Portas with book by Ms. Campanaro for 5 performances only(August 21-24) at The Playroom Theater (151 West 46th Street- just east of Broadway).

Missing Person is the boozy tale of Lavinia Draper, fallen socialite and one-time Broadway understudy of Betty Buckley, who is eternally chasing her boozy dream of becoming an entertainer. The story begins with Lavinia waking up from a black out in a holding cell in South Florida on a public intoxication, drunken disorderly charge. This is a cautionary tale of a woman whose dreams have repeatedly been deferred by self-inflicted victimization and a sabotaging addiction to drama. She finds herself once again trapped by her own dysfunction, but this time she is actually missing a real opportunity to finally prove herself as an entertainer.

The performance schedule is: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday at 8pm and Saturday at 6:30pm & 9pm. Tickets are $30 and will be available at the door (cash only). For more information, please call Maximus Productions at ‪(646) 593-7303‬.‬

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8) News from Spin Cycle NYC

8B) The Flea Presents
MAC WELLMAN: PERFECT CATASTROPHES, A FESTIVAL OF PLAYS
Featuring the World Premiere of
THE INVENTION OF TRAGEDY
Festival runs August 24 – November 1

The Flea Theater proudly presents Mac Wellman: Perfect Catastrophes, A Festival of Plays featuring full productions of five works by Wellman – including the World Premiere of the full-length play The Invention of Tragedy and the premiere of a new one-act titled The Fez. As a part of the festival, The Flea will hold a symposium examining Mac Wellman's profound impact on the American theater from October 4 through 6. Perfect Catastrophes runs August 24 through November 1.

Sincerity Forever
Directed by Resident Director Dina Vovsi 
August 24 through October 7 in The Siggy, opening September 7.
Sincerity Forever is a comedy about a group of young residents from the fictional southern town of Hillsbottom, a place with a prominent community of Ku Klux Klan members, many of them in their teens. They hang out in their cars on serene nights with friends and crushes, and question, as teens do, absolutely everything. 
 
Bad Penny
Directed by Associate Artist Kristan Seemel 
August 24 through October 7 in The Pete opening September 7.
A man and a woman sit in a park. They appear to be a couple, but aren’t. The man is clutching a car tire. The woman has a penny in her pocket. The mythical Boatman of Bow Bridge is coming. He is coming to take away the person who is in possession of the penny. How do we make choices in the face of the end of the world as we know it? 
 
The Invention of Tragedy
World Premiere 
Directed by Guest ArtistMeghan Finn 
September 7 through October 14in The Sam, opening September 21.
A chorus of students, all alike and all unalike, are trying like the devil to tell a simple story—perhaps the story about the tragedy of the Sandwich Man—with sandwich boards upon which nothing is written, and hence, say nothing. The Invention of Tragedy is Wellman’s examination of the post-9/11 world and America’s general and genial acceptance of the Iraq war.
 
The Sandalwood Box*
Directed by Resident Directors Kate Moore Heaney and Tyler Thomas 
September 26 through November 1 in The Siggy, opening October 5.
In a surreal landscape on the border between dream and reality we follow the journey of Marsha Gates, a young college student who has lost her voice. On her way to speech therapy, Marsha meets Professor Claudia Mitchell, who captures the most captivating catastrophes of the world and preserves them in a sandalwood box. 
 
The Fez*
World Premiere 
Directed by Associate Artist Michael Raine
September 26 through November 1 in The Siggy,  opening October 5.
The charmed spell of the theater has somehow absented itself, and something strange
happens. A play that was originally printed on a tee shirt is finally produced! 
 
* The Sandalwood Boxand The Fez will be presented on a double-bill as one performance

Mac Wellman: Perfect Catastrophes runs August 24 through November 1,Thursdays through Mondays at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets start at $37 with a limited number of $17 tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Flea Theater is located at 20 Thomas Street between Church and Broadway, three blocks north of Chambers, close to the A/C/E, N/Q/R/W, 4/5/6, J/M/Z and 1/2/3 subway lines. Purchase tickets by calling 212-352-3101 or online at www.theflea.org
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9) News from Vivacity NY

DUE POPULAR DEMAND

THE 10^TH ANNIVERSARY PRODUCTION OF

 ROCK OF AGES

EXTENDS 14 WEEKS!

Due to popular demand, the 10th Anniversary Production of ROCK OF AGES currently playing at New World Stages (340 W 50th St), will extend its limited engagement twelve additional weeks, now playing through January 12, 2020.

Tickets are on sale via Telecharge.com, by calling (212) 239-6200 (outside NY metro area: 800-432-7250) or in person at the New World Stages Box Office. Restrictions and blackout dates may apply. The performance schedule is Monday at 8 PM, Wednesday at 8 PM, Thursday at 8 PM, Friday at 8 PM, Saturday at 2 PM & 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM & 7:30 PM. A limited number of $30 general rush tickets will be available each performance date, 2-hours before that day's performance(s) at the New World Stages Box Office (340 W. 50th Street). Rush ticket purchases are limited to two per person and are cash only.

For more information, visit www.ROCKOFAGESMUSICAL.com

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And that's the Scoop. Tune in tomorrow for More Theater Monday.