Author: ATCA

ATCA elects new leadership

Martha Wade Steketee The ATCA executive committee just selected Martha Wade Steketee as its new chair, succeeding Bill Hirschman (chair for four years), and Frank Rizzo as vice chair, succeeding Steketee.  Robert Sokol was re-appointed secretary-treasurer. David Chávez, Mark Lowry and Kelundra Smith are the new executive committee members, joining other continuing members Charles Giuliano, Lou Harry, Chris Jones, and Wendy Rosenfield. Coming to...

ATCA names three finalists for Primus Prize

The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) has selected three finalists for the 2018 Francesca Primus Prize, sponsored by ATCA and the Francesca Ronnie Primus Foundation. The award, presented annually since 1997, recognizes the best work by an emerging woman playwright who has not yet achieved national prominence. This year’s...

NEW ATCA MEMBERS | Washington, Baltimore, Chicago, New York

For the fourth week in a row, the UPDATE is able to welcome another new member to our ranks. Ramona Harperhas in excess of 100 reviews to her credit on Washington’s DCMetroTheaterArts website. She says she is “committed to the expansion of public awareness about the...

ATCA at the National Black Theatre Festival, July 31-Aug 4!!

Registration is now open for ATCA-WS19, our 2019 conference at the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, NC. This biennial festival draws thousands of attendees and participants from around the country. As previously announced, the conference dates are July 31 to August 4, 2019.  Conference activities begin late afternoon on...

Theater critic longevity (insert your own witticism here)

Who is the longest-serving theater critic? Queried in March by Ada Tseng of the LA Times, we replied that ATCA doesn’t keep statistics, but we cited Michael Billington, who’s been reviewing for The Guardian in England for 48 years and reviewed for smaller papers for 10 years before that...

SHARON EBERSON | Pittsburgh

Sharon Eberson, the theater critic and pop culture writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has received second place recognition for a series of theater-related stories in the Pennsylvania News Association’s 2019 Keystone Press Awards in the new category, Diversity. She points out that both she and...

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley to Receive 2019 Regional Theatre Tony Award

Tony Awards to Broadcast Live from Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 9th     April 29 — The Tony Awards® Administration Committee has announced that based on the recommendation by the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA), TheatreWorks Silicon Valley will be the recipient of the 2019 Regional Theatre Tony...

Lauren Yee wins 2019 Steinberg/ATCA Award for “Cambodian Rock Band”

“Cambodian Rock Band” had its world premiere at South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa, California. Previously, Yee won ATCA’s Francesca Primus Award in 2016 for her play “in a word.” Lauren Yee “Cambodian Rock Band” by Lauren Yee has been named the winner of the Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American...

Spenser Davis wins 2019 Osborn New Play Award for “Plainclothes”

ATCA is pleased to announce that Spenser Davishas won the 2019 M. Elizabeth Osborn New Play Award for an emerging playwright. The Osborn Award recognizes Davis’ “Plainclothes,”which premiered at The Den Theatre in Chicago. The award will be presented at the Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville on...

CRITICS’ LONGEVITY

Not an individual milestone, this is about milestones for many. Reporter Ada Tseng of the Orange County bureau of the LA Times was writing a story about Tom Titus, who has been writing an “On Theater” column for 54 years. She asked if ATCA had statistics...