Theatre News: Broadway On Demand Rocky Bleier, The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, Open ‘Tho Shut, Broadway Advocacy Coalition For BLM, Irish Rep

Broadway On Demand, the theater-focused streaming platform, has announced that due to popular demand, the online world premiere of The Play with Rocky Bleier, an intimate portrait of famed Pittsburgh Steeler, four-time Super Bowl Champion and wounded warrior, Rocky Bleier will extend its streaming through Super Bowl Sunday, this Sunday, February 7, 2021. 

The Play with Rocky Bleier, written by Gene Collier and directed by Scott Wise, was filmed in late 2019 at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is an intimate portrait of Rocky Bleier’s multi-faceted career as four-time Super Bowl Champion, wounded warrior, family man and community activist. 

The Play with Rocky Bleier provides a poignant introspective of a living NFL legend. Share in this rare opportunity to witness Rocky Bleier in an intimate and unforgettable evening.

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has announced 10 Finalists for 2021 for its prestigious playwriting award, the oldest and largest prize awarded to women+ playwrights. Chosen from an international group of over 160 nominated plays, the Finalists are:

Glace Chase (Aus/US) Triple X

Erika Dickerson-Despenza (US) cullud wattah

Miranda Rose Hall (US) A Play for the Living in the Time of Extinction

Dawn King (UK) The Trials

Kimber Lee (US) The Water Palace

Janice Okoh (UK) The Gift

Ife Olujobi (US) Jordans

Frances Poet (UK) Maggie May

Jiehae Park (US) The Aves

Beth Steel (UK) The House of Shades

The Winner, to be announced at the beginning of April, will be awarded a cash prize of $25,000 USD, and will receive a signed print by renowned artist Willem de Kooning, created especially for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Each of the additional Finalists will receive an award of $5,000. At the discretion of the Judges, a play can also be honored with a Special Commendation of $10,000.

On Saturday, February 6 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Theater for the New City (TNC), 155 First Ave., will present the thirteenth installment of “Open ‘Tho Shut,” its afternoon of “walk-by theater” that is staged in its set shop and visible from East Tenth Street between First and Second Avenues. 

The program offers a succession of free, live performances in which acts are staged in the theater’s set shop for audiences of socially distanced passers-by, who watch through an open garage door on East Tenth Street.  These live performances are also live streamed on TNC’s website (https://www.theaterforthenewcity.net) and Facebook page.

Lineup Of Performances Feb 6, 2021

* Mistress of Ceremonies: Crystal Field

* Cobu (all-female Japanese Taiko drumming and dance troupe of Yako Miyamoto, Ayaha Otsuka, Mayu Yamashita, Micro Fukuyama and Kana Matsui).

* Amy Coleman (twice awarded Best Vocalist of the Year by Backstage), accompanied by Peter Dizozza.

* Short play by Brianna Bartenieff, “Manifesting a Means to an End.”

The Broadway Advocacy Coalition (BAC) announces Part I of its next #BwayforBLM Forum What Now, to be held on Monday, February 15 at 6PM ET. Details for Part II will be announced at a later date. 

While we celebrate the recent inauguration, we must also continue the fight for equality and equity in our political landscape and our industry. Part I of our What Now Forum asks us all to examine our commitments to supporting BIPOC leadership in the theater industry as we prepare to reopen and begin a new year. 

“The moments of accountability that have occurred since June have made me hopeful, but as we lay seeds into the new year, I’m most excited to link arms with the individuals and organizations committed for the long haul of this journey for change,” said BAC President and Co-Founder Britton Smith.

Join BAC as we gather for an open dialogue with industry leaders on the work that’s brought us here, the work ahead and how we stay engaged in the fight for change. 

BAC is an arts-based advocacy organization dedicated to creating equitable spaces and building the capacity of individuals and organizations to dismantle racism. Their recent work includes gathering a virtual crowd of over 11,000 participants for the three-day forum Broadway for Black Lives Matter, launching the Cody Renard Richard Scholarship program and the Artivism Fellowship program, along with the inaugural Broadway Vs and continuing their partnership with Columbia Law School through their full semester course, The Theater of Change: Reimagining Justice Through Abolition.

To RSVP please visit the registration page here or visit BwayForBLM.com.

Watch all nine of Irish Rep’s digital productions for free from Irish Rep Online!

Theatre @ Home Winter Festival#IrishRepOnline’s Nine “Performances on Screen” in Repertory Now through February 21

Featuring works from Brian Friel, James Joyce, Conor McPherson, Geraldine Hughes, Bill Irwin, Eugene O’Neill, and more

Reservations are free but Irish Rep suggests a $25 donation for a performance, or $100 for the festival for those who can afford to give. Advance reservations are required.