Author: Ashley Roberts

Maricela de la Luz Lights the World

HB Studio presents Maricela de la Luz Lights the World

 

Maricela de la Luz Lights the World

by José Rivera

directed by David Deblinger

with this exciting Cast and Creative team:

Maricela: Vanessa Aspillaga

understudy for Maricela/Ensemble: Jennifer Hernandez

Riccardo: Johnny Rivera

understudy for Riccardo/Ensemble: Jorge Felipe Guevara

Ofelia, Orpheus, Frowning Face, Snow Wolf, Snow Person, Shopper: Sara Koviak

Xbalanque, Jason, Smiling Face, Huhnahpu, Snow Wolf: Satoshi Deleanu

Cyclops, Polar Bear, Snow Wolf, Shopper, Snow Person: Kevin Hobaichan

Dragon, Shopper, and more: Samantha Posyton

Voice of Fog, Loki, Voice of Hydra, Shopper, Snow Wolf, Snow Woman: Maria Fontanals

Hercules: Nya Yeanafehn

Ensemble: Quaz Degraft

Stage Directions/Narrator: Mike Faccioli

Assistant Director: Agnes Chrakowiecka

Technical Director: George Port

Maricela de la Luz Lights the World is a fanciful play by Academy-award nominated writer José Rivera. The story follows the adventures of Maricela and her brother Riccardo as they save the world from impending climate catastrophe, reminding audiences that the power to change the world lies within each of us. Directed by David Deblinger, co-founder of the iconic LAByrinth Theatre Company, and featuring an array of HB Alumni, we hope you can join us for this special holiday presentation! A FREE holiday cast party will take place on Friday night after the show, and FREE holiday cookies and cider will be served at the Saturday matinee.

Friday, December 6th at 7PM & Saturday, December 7th at 2PM
HB Playwrights Theatre | 124 Bank Street, New York

Free! | RSVP

AMERICAN SCOREBOARD: The Need for Leadership to Combat Climate Change and Protect National Security

American Scoreboard Staged Reading HB Playwrights Theatre

AMERICAN SCOREBOARD
Performance of Testimony from the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform Hearing on The Need for Leadership to Combat Climate Change and Protect National Security

Conceived and Produced by Fran Kirmser
Created and Produced by Christopher Burney

 

Wednesday, November 20th and Thursday, November 21st at 7pm
HB Playwrights Theatre | 124 Bank Street, New York

Free! | RSVP

HB Studio is pleased to welcome back AMERICAN SCOREBOARD for a series of presentations in the HB Playwrights Theatre. In November, we present a verbatim staged reading of transcripts from testimony given on April 9, 2019 before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Combating Climate Change and Protecting National Security.

AMERICAN SCOREBOARD is an ongoing series which, through timely verbatim readings of U.S. Congressional hearing transcripts performed by stage and screen actors, reflects the issues that face the current administration, President Trump, and the American people today. The series is conceived and produced by Tony Award winning Broadway Producer Fran Kirmser and produced by Tony Nominee and Tony Nominating Committee member Christopher Burney. For questions regarding the program, please call 212-554-3431.

This new series marks the return of AMERICAN SCOREBOARD to HB STUDIO where it premiered in January 2017 with a hearing concerning corporate fraud and the Wells Fargo Bank.

Public Conversation: Theater as Ritual for Community with Cusi Cram and Daniella Topol

Cusi Cram and Daniella Topol in Conversation

Public Conversation: THEATER AS RITUAL FOR COMMUNITY
A Discussion with Playwright Cusi Cram and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater Artistic Director Daniella Topol about their current site-specific, interactive production, NOVENAS FOR A LOST HOSPITAL

Monday, November 4th at 7pm
HB Playwrights Theatre | 124 Bank Street, New York

Free! | RSVP

HB Studio explores the current critically-acclaimed production of Novenas for a Lost Hospital with playwright Cusi Cram and Rattlestick Theater Artistic Director Daniella Topol.

Novenas for a Lost Hospital is a communal experience to remember, honor, re-imagine and celebrate St Vincent’s Hospital. Inspired by the caretakers and patients of St. Vincent’s Hospital, and guided by Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, this unique event takes a 60-person audience on a journey from an enclosed garden to Rattlestick’s intimate West Village theater to the NYC AIDS Memorial Park.

Public Conversation: The Actor and the Truth with Jonathan Lynn and Austin Pendleton

 

Jonathan Lynn and Austin Pendleton in Conversation

Public Conversation: THE ACTOR AND THE TRUTH
A Discussion with Actor Austin Pendleton and Writer-Director Jonathan Lynn

Moderated by Marsha Mason

Thursday, October 24th at 7pm
HB Playwrights Theatre | 124 Bank Street, New York

Free! | RSVP

HB Studio kicks off its Public Conversations series with actor-director-writer and HB Studio faculty member Austin Pendleton and writer-director Jonathan Lynn (My Cousin Vinny and the Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister TV series). We’ll look at the wide-ranging and illustrious careers of these two extraordinary artists, and explore what it means to seek the truth in the theater in the “post-truth” era.

HB Studio Featured in Studio 360 Broadcast on Uta Hagen’s Centennial

Uta Hagen at HB Studio | Studio 360 Broadcast

“June marked the centennial of actress, activist and teacher Uta Hagen’s birth. Her stage performances were legendary — she created the role of Martha in Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and starred in Othello with Jose Ferrer and Paul Robeson, which featured the first interracial kiss on Broadway. But because of her activism, she was blacklisted by Hollywood, so there are relatively few examples of her work in film.

Beyond her acting, her greatest legacy may be how she influenced generations of actors, teaching at HB Studio and writing two books that are popular with acting students across the globe. Reporter Jeff Lunden speaks with some of those former students and colleagues, including F. Murray Abraham, Mercedes Ruehl and David Hyde Pierce, about what made Hagen such an important figure in the history of American theater.

The goal, Hagen said, was to learn ‘how to be a human being on stage. And that never stops. You never stop learning about that. And not look like an actor, but look like a human being onstage and still have total communication with that audience. That’s the real craft and that’s bottomless.'”

Listen to the story at Studio 360.

CASTING CALL: Fall 2019 Pat & Julie Project

HB Studio Seeks Actors

HB’s Director’s New Play Lab, taught by director Pat Golden and Playwriting II-Studio Practice, taught by playwright Julie McKee seek actors for scenes from new plays to be performed as Staged Readings.

Performances: Saturday, November 9 and Sunday, November 10, 2019
HB Playwrights Theatre, 7:00 PM

  • Tech: November 6th or 7th
  • Dress/Tech: November 8th
  • Final Dress: November 9th

Directors will schedule regular rehearsals at the actor’s convenience including Class Presentations on select Mondays between 2:30P-5:30P

Producer: HB Studio

Casting Directors: Catherine French, Sarah Chiriboga, Elizabeth Hupper, Adi Ray

Actors Wanted to Play (updated):

SPECIFIC ROLES: Continue reading →

AMERICAN SCOREBOARD: Protecting Dreamers and TPS Recipients

American Scoreboard Protecting Dreamers and TPS Recipients Staged Reading

A Staged Reading of Transcripts from the Hearing on Protecting Dreamers and TPS Recipients

A PERFORMANCE SERIES IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS

Produced By: Fran Kirmser & Christopher Burney

Featuring students of HB Studio

HB Studio is honored to welcome back AMERICAN SCOREBOARD this season for a performance series in the democratic process! Because knowledge is power, we hope you will join us for these important and edifying presentations.

Kicking off the series on September 16 will be a verbatim staged reading of transcripts from testimony given on March 6, 2019 before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on Protecting Dreamers and TPS (Temporary Protected Status) recipients.
Tickets are FREE. Please RSVP via Eventbrite.

Monday, September 16, 2019 | 7:00 pm 
HB Playwrights Theatre
124 Bank Street, New York City

Reservations are open! RSVP NOW

AMERICAN SCOREBOARD is an ongoing series that reflects the issues that face the current administration, President Trump and the American people today. Conceived and produced by two-time Tony Award winning Broadway Producer Fran Kirmser and produced by Tony Nominee and Tony Nominating Committee member Christopher Burney, AMERICAN SCOREBOARD are readings of timely verbatim Senate hearing transcripts presented in the theater performed by stage and screen actors. For questions regarding the program, please call 212-554-3431.

This new series marks the return of AMERICAN SCOREBOARD to HB STUDIO where it premiered in January 2017 with a hearing concerning corporate fraud and the Wells Fargo Bank. The subjects of the remaining readings in the series at HB Playwrights Theatre will be announced at a later date.

Playbill Goes Inside HB Studio’s Uta Hagen at 100 Gala

Playbill article on Uta Hagen at 100 HB Studio Gala

On Monday, June 10, HB Studio held their Uta at 100 Gala, which celebrated actor Uta Hagen’s centennial birthday and honored actors Marlo Thomas and John David Washington and HB Studio supporter Alexander Bernstein. The gala was hosted by Tony winner David Hyde Pierce and Katie Finneran, and saw Tony winner Elaine May, Phil Donohue, Victor Garber, Helen Gallagher, Debra Monk, Caroline Aaron, Lonny Price, Scott Ellis, Stephen Bogardus, Gus Solomons jr., Laila Robins, Mark Blum, Jamie Bernstein, and surviving members of Hagen’s family in attendance.

Proceeds from the gala went to support HB Studio’s training and development programs for professional and emerging theatre artists.

View the Playbill Gala photo slideshow.

Town & Country: UTA HAGEN AT 100 GALA “New York’s Most Exclusive Event”

Town & Country Magazine Headline on Uta Hagen at 100 Gala

Elaine May at HB Studio Gala

If there was ever an age to celebrate with a blowout party, it would be 100. And while the actress and activist Uta Hagen passed away in 2004, her 100th birthday was cause for a big celebration on June 10, when nearly 250 guests attended the HB Studio Gala held in her memory. A crowd including Elaine May, Phil Donohue, Victor Garber, and three generations of Hagen’s descendants joined hosts David Hyde Pierce and Katie Finneran to celebrate Hagen and honor a group including Marlo Thomas (who won the Uta Hagen Legacy Award), John David Washington (who won the HB Next Generation Award), and Alexander Bernstein (who won the HB Community Leader Award). Proceeds from the evening will support HB Studio’s training and development programs for actors, playwrights, and directors. Read the article.

Actress + Activist: Uta Hagen at 100 Gala Tickets On Sale

Tickets to Actress + Activist: UTA HAGEN AT 100 GALA are now on sale! PURCHASE TICKETS HERE.

Actress + Activist: UTA HAGEN AT 100 GALA
Celebrating the legacy of one of the greatest women of American theater
Monday, June 10, 2019 | Tribeca Rooftop

GALA HONOREES
Uta Hagen Legacy Award: Marlo Thomas
HB Next Generation Award: John David Washington
HB Community Leader Award: Alexander Bernstein

Proceeds support HB Studio’s world-renowned training and development programs for professional and emerging actors, playwrights, and directors.

Learn more about UTA HAGEN AT 100 GALA.