by Karen Isaacs Every year as theaters announce their up-coming seasons, certain productions pique my interest. I circle their dates on my calendar in anticipation. So what have I circled for this up-coming year? Connecticut theaters offer a good mixture of the new, the classics, the familiar, and the rare. I have circled some of each. Read More… read more
by Geary Danihy By my count there are 15 Equity theaters in Connecticut, that is, theaters operating under some form of an Equity contract, plus over 60 other theater companies of various sizes. One would think that, theatrically speaking, Connecticut is pretty well covered, but Daniel Levine doesn’t think so. The Ridgefield resident had a dream, but unlike most dreams, this one is actually coming true. Soon there will be an Equity theater in Ridgefield, operating under the name of A Contemporary Theatre of Connecticut, or ACT of CT (not to be confused with the 4-hour test Connecticut high school… read more
Those beleaguered folks in Stratford, still trying to make that town a theatre destination with the Shakespeare festival, would do well to pay a visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada. This postcard-perfect Ontario town – just minutes from Niagara Falls – is a theatre destination spot done right. Now in its 55th season, the annual Shaw Festival converts this glorious little town with its unique shops and endless hanging baskets of flowers into a prime theatre venue from April to late October every year. It’s well worth the trip. Read more… read more
CT Critics Circle members Stephanie and Wayne Keeley interviewed Elizabeth Stahlmann, currently appearing in the Westport Country Playhouse production of Grounded. Read what she has to say. read more
Since 1978, Haupt has served as artistic director of the National Music Theater Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. In that capacity, she has selected and guided the development of more than 120 new musicals including Nine, Avenue Q, Violet, The Wild Party, In The Heights, and Darling Grenadine, which will be performed at Goodspeed Musicals’ Norma Terris Theatre in Chester later this summer. An associate producer for Polly Pen’s Goblin Market Off Broadway, Haupt has commissioned, developed, and produced new works for OPERA America, the National Alliance for Musical Theater, and Columbia Artists Management. Following her San Francisco… read more
*denotes winner Special Awards Paxton Whitehead James Lescene Tom Killen Award Paulette Haupt Outstanding Solo Performance Jodi Stevens (I’ll Eat You Last) – MTC *Jon Peterson (He Wrote Good Songs) – 7 Angels Outstanding Debut *Maya Keleher (Next to Normal) – TheaterWorks Dylan Frederick (Assassins) – Yale Rep. Nick Sacks (Next to Normal) – TheaterWorks Outstanding Ensemble Cast of Smart People – Long Wharf Cast of Trav’lin (7 Angels) *Cast of Meteor Shower (Long Wharf) Cast of Assassins (Yale Rep.) Cast of The 39 Steps (Ivoryton) The Cast of Meteor Shower is: Patrick Breen, Sophina Brown, Arden Myrin, and Josh… read more
WESTPORT — Anne Keefe, associate artist with the Westport Country Playhouse, who was part of the team that transformed the theater nearly two decades ago, will be presented this year’s Tom Killen Award from the Connecticut Critics Circle in June. The award, recognizing Keefe’s “years of extraordinary achievement and service to Connecticut theater,” will be presented at the Critic Circle’s 26th annual awards event at 7:30 p.m. June 13 at Hartford Stage. Keefe also has been a stage manager at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven and various Broadway venues. Previous winners of the award include Lucille Lortel, founder of… read more
The ceremony was held at Hartford Stage on Monday, June 13, 2016. (*denotes winner) Special Awards Lisa Gutkin Aaron Halva Outstanding Debut Mohit Gautam (Disgraced) – Long Wharf Theater Outstanding Production – Musical *Anastasia – Hartford Stage Hair – Playhouse on Park La Cage Aux Folles – Goodspeed Musicals My Paris – Long Wharf Theatre South Pacific – Ivoryton Playhouse Outstanding Production – Play Disgraced – Long Wharf Theatre Good People – Theaterworks *Indecent – Yale Repertory Theatre Red – Westport Country Playhouse Happy Days – Yale Repertory Theatre Outstanding Actor – Play R. Ward Duffy (Good People) – Theaterworks… read more
*denotes winner Special Awards Shawn Boyle – Projections for Elevada at Yale Repertory Theatre Summer Theatre of New Canaan – DramaRama Program Split Knuckle Theater Group – for their production of Endurance Tom Killen Award Carmen de Lavallade Outstanding Debut Curtis J. Cook (Brownsville Song) – Long Wharf Theatre *Carl Lundstedt (Reverberation) – Hartford Stage Dina Shihabi (Picasso at the Lapin Agile) – Long Wharf Theatre Brittany Vicars (Hamlet) – Hartford Stage Outstanding Sound Design David Budries (Picasso at the Lapin Agile) – Long Wharf Theatre Kate Marvin (Elevada) – Yale Repertory Theatre Adam Phalen (Forever) – Long Wharf Theatre… read more
*denotes winner Tom Killen Award *Athol Fugard Special Awards Billie Joe Armstrong (Songs for …Bullets) – Yale Repertory Theatre A Broken Umbrella Theatre Company Outstanding Production of a Play *Macbeth – Hartford Stage The House That Will Not Stand – Yale Repertory Theatre The Other Place – Hartford TheaterWorks *These! Paper! Bullets! – Yale Repertory Theatre Time Stands Still – Hartford TheaterWorks Somewhere – Hartford Stage Outstanding Production of a Musical Dreamgirls – Ivoryton Playhouse Hello, Dolly! – Goodspeed Opera House The Drowsy Chaperone – Connecticut Repertory Theatre The Last Five Years – Long Wharf Theatre *The Most Happy Fella… read more
