Second Stage Theatre Totally Explained

Everything about Second Stage Theatre totally explained

Second Stage Theatre is a contemporary American Off-Broadway theater company. It was founded by Carole Rothman and Robyn Goodman in 1979. The name refers to the intention to give 'second stagings' to contemporary American plays that originally failed to find an audience due to scheduling problems, inappropriate venues or limited performance runs.
   Second Stage Theatre gives new life to contemporary American plays through 'second stagings;' provides emerging authors with their Off-Broadway debuts; and produces world premieres by America's most respected playwrights. Through both the production of new plays and long-term residencies that focus on artistic process rather than product, artists find a supportive environment in which to try new roles, production designs and writing techniques. Audiences are an essential factor in program development at Second Stage Theatre, which is nationally known for its dedication to building future audiences by educating teens about the art of contemporary theatre and encouraging their participation in the cultural life of New York City.
   For nearly three decades, Second Stage Theatre productions have launched the successful careers of numerous directors, actors, playwrights and artists, many of whom regularly return to work at Second Stage. The company's mission also has expanded to the commissioning of a body of multigenerational plays; the creation of a training base for young directors and a home base for mid-career directors; and the development of educational projects that are integrated with the ongoing artistic work at the theatre.
   In 1999, Second Stage moved from their uptown location of 20 years, into their new home on the corner of West 43rd Street and Eighth Avenue. Previously a bank, the 1929 structure was redesigned for the stage by world renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas.
   In 2005, the theatre was among 406 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Current season

- Edward Albee's Peter and Jerry
- Next to Normal
- Good Boys and True
- Some Americans Abroad

Uptown series

Overview

The summer series was created as a program to help develop and provide exposure for the voices of a new generation of theatre artists. It has helped launch and advance the careers of several up-and-coming playwrights, including Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Adam Bock, Rajiv Joseph, and Dan O'Brien.
The series seeks to develop the skills of emerging playwrights, to provide early-career artists with the support of a major artistic institution and to create new plays for the American Theatre. Most importantly, these Uptown writers have never been produced in New York City prior to their Uptown debuts, making Second Stage Theatre a gateway between a plethora of young American talent and the New York theatre scene.
The plays are presented in Second Stage's original and intimate theatre, the McGinn/Cazale, on Broadway and 76th Street on New York City's Upper West Side.

Notables

Plays/Playwrights

Tiny Alice and Peter and Jerry by Edward Albee
The Good Times Are Killing Me by Lynda Barry
The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane
Little Murders by Jules Feiffer
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin
A Soldier's Play by Charles Fuller
Painting Churches and Coastal Disturbances by Tina Howe
Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants and On the Stem by Ricky Jay
Living Out by Lisa Loomer
This Is Our Youth and The Waverly Gallery by Kenneth Lonergan
Afterbirth: Kathy & Mo's Greatest Hits by Mo Gaffney and Kathy Najimy
The Scene by Theresa Rebeck
Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl
Saturday Night by Stephen Sondheim
Crowns by Regina Taylor
Privilage by Paul Weitz
Uncommon Women and Others by Wendy Wasserstein
Spoils of War by Michael Weller
Before It Hits Home, Jar the Floor, and Birdie Blue by Cheryl L. West
Jitney by August Wilson
Lemon Sky, Serenading Louie, and Sympathetic Magic by Lanford Wilson
Metamorphoses and The Notebooks of Leornardo da Vinci by Mary Zimmerman

Actors

Over the years, many notable actors have brought their talent to Second Stage. For some, it was a launching pad to a successful career on stage and screen. For others it has served as an inviting place to return to the stage after years away. Among the many actors who have been through the doors include:

Actor (Season, Production)

Kevin Bacon (81-82 Flux; 91-92 Spike Heels)

Angela Bassett (85-86 Black Girl)

Annette Bening (86-87 Coastal Disturbances; 87-88 Spoils of War)

Kate Burton (05-06 Water's Edge)

Steve Carell (95-96 Sin)

Phoebe Cates (85-86 Rich Relations)

Jane Kaczmarek (87-89 Loose Ends)

Kieran Culkin (06-07 subUrbia)

Tim Daly (86-87 Coastal Disturbances)

Daniel Davis (90-91 Lake No Bottom)

Jeff Daniels (79-80 The Shortchanged Review; 85-86 Lemon Sky)

Taye Diggs (05-06 A Soldier's Play)

Vincent D'Onofrio (96-97 Tooth of Crime (Second Dance))

Laurence Fishburne (84-85 Short Eyes; 87-88 Loose Ends)

Mo Gaffney (85-86 The Further Adventures of Kathy and Mo; 03-04 Afterbirth: Kathy & Mo's Greatest Hits)

Johnny Galecki (05-06 The Little Dog Laughed)

Tony Goldwyn (05-06 The Water's Edge)

Josh Hamilton (99-00 The Waverly Gallery)

Harriet Harris (89-90 What a Man Weighs)

Patricia Heaton (06-07 The Scene)

John Michael Higgins (00-01 Tiny Alice)

Carol Kane (83-84 Linda Her and the Fairy Garden)

Nathan Lane (87-88 Film Society; 88-89 In a Pig's Valise)

Patti LuPone (81-82 The Woods)

Camryn Manheim (95-96 Sin)

James McDaniel (91-92 Before It Hits Home; 05-06 A Soldier's Play)

Alyssa Milano (83-84 All Night Long)

Esai Morales (84-85 Short Eyes)

Kathy Najimy (85-86 The Further Adventures of Kathy and Mo; 03-04 Afterbirth: Kathy & Mo's Greatest Hits)

Cynthia Nixon (85-86 Lemon Sky; 87-88 Moonchildren)

Keith Nobbs (03-04 The Triple Happiness - Uptown)

Mary-Louise Parker (04-05 Reckless)

Estelle Parsons (89-90 Baby Goya)

Rosie Perez (04-05 Reckless)

Ving Rhames (84-85 Short Eyes)

Mark Ruffalo (98-99 This Is Our Youth)

Debra Jo Rupp (06-07 The Butcher of Baraboo - Uptown)

Bob Saget (04-05 Privilege)

Marian Seldes (82-83 Painting Churches)

Tony Shalhoub (06-07 The Scene)

Ally Sheedy (03-04 The Triple Happiness - Uptown)

Christian Slater (83-84 Landscape of the Body)

Daniel Stern (80-81 How I Got That Story)

Jennifer Tilly (92-93 One Shoe Off)

Tamara Tunie (92-93 Loose Knit)

Lauren Tom (88-89 In A Pig's Valise)

Marisa Tomei (95-96 Dark Rapture)

Julie White (91-92 Spike Heels; 93-94 The Family of Mann; 05-06 The Little Dog Laughed, 2007 Tony Award)

Chandra Wilson (90-91 The Good Times are Killing Me)

Diane Wiest (83-84 Serenading Louie; 89-90 Square One)
Awards and Mentions
The company's more than 125 citations include the 2007 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play (Julie White) for The Little Dog Laughed, 2002 Tony Award for Best Director of a Play (Mary Zimmerman for Metamorphoses), the 2002 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Body of Work, 24 Obie Awards, four Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Clarence Derwent Awards, nine Drama Desk Awards, five Theatre World Awards, 11 Lucille Lortel Awards, the Drama Critics Circle Award and 15 AUDELCO Awardss.

Further Information
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