News tidbits

[Sylvia's girl]

Daniel Craig and David Oyelowo to Star Together in Off Broadway ‘Othello’

This fall, Daniel Craig returns to the big screen as one of film’s great spies. Next fall, he will return to the small stage as one of theater’s great villains.

Mr. Craig, whose fourth outing as James Bond, “Spectre,â€￾ opens in the United States next month, will be paired with another British movie star, David Oyelowo (“Selmaâ€￾), in an Off Broadway production of “Othelloâ€￾ that is sure to be one of the hottest tickets of the next theatrical season. Mr. Oyelowo will play the title role, and Mr. Craig his infamous tormentor, Iago.

The play will be staged by New York Theater Workshop, a prestigious but small nonprofit that plans to present the work in a 199-seat theater for a limited run in the fall of 2016 (the theater has not yet announced the production’s dates or duration).

The starry cast was assembled and offered to New York Theater Workshop by one of New York’s most in-demand directors, Sam Gold, who this year won the Tony Award as best director for his work on the musical “Fun Home,â€￾ and who is also known for his fruitful and frequent collaboration with the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker. Mr. Gold’s career has been built largely on the direction of new work; “Othelloâ€￾ will be the first time he has professionally directed a play by Shakespeare.

Mr. Craig, although best known for his film work, is also a stage actor; he has appeared twice on Broadway, in a 2009 production of “A Steady Rainâ€￾ and a 2013 revival of “Betrayal,â€￾ and earlier this year he told DuJour magazine that he wanted to do more New York theater but that “I don’t want to do Broadway anymoreâ€￾ because the audiences are too old. His interest in this “Othelloâ€￾ was previously reported by The New York Post.

In a telephone interview from Amsterdam, where he is directing a production of “The Glass Menagerie,â€￾ (in Dutch, which he does not speak), Mr. Gold said that Mr. Craig had sought him out after seeing a play that he directed and that the two have been talking and seeking a project on which to collaborate for some time. Mr. Gold said he reached out to Mr. Oyelowo through a friend; the actors read the play together and the project took off.

“I’ve been wanting to do Shakespeare for a long time — it’s what started me as a director — and I’ve almost done Shakespeare a number of times in the past few years, but it hasn’t worked out,â€￾ Mr. Gold said. “Finally, the right thing came together.â€￾

He said he had chosen “Othelloâ€￾ because it interested the actors and him.

“Honestly, I wanted to start with a really simple, straight-shot Shakespeare, and ‘Othello’ is a single-plot show, very focused and clear,â€￾ he said. “‘Othello,’ for me, is the Shakespeare that when I watch, I feel the most involved — I care the most about the people, and have the simplest connection on a gut level, so I wanted to start there. But I’ll do more of them.â€￾

Mr. Gold said that, given the cast, he could have brought the project anywhere; he chose New York Theater Workshop, he said, because of its emphasis on supporting directors, and because that’s where he had directed his first professional play. He said he was excited to do the play in a small theater, because of the intimacy it would afford; he declined to describe the production in any detail, saying it was too early.

James C. Nicola, the artistic director of New York Theater Workshop, said his organization had not presented a Shakespeare play since an adaptation of “As You Like Itâ€￾ in 1990.

“From the founding of our theater, we have had this double focus, not just on playwrights, but on directors, and for three years we have had an ongoing conversation about what we and Sam could do together that would be a challenge to him to grow and build muscle and capacity as a director,â€￾ he said.

“Because he tends to get new contemporary plays, we were looking back into the canon — we talked about a classic musical, but it hadn’t gone anywhere, and then he called and said he wanted to talk,â€￾ he added. “He said he’d put this together, and does it sound like it might fit in, so I said yes.â€￾

Mr. Nicola said he did not think a Broadway transfer of the production was likely, given the limited availability of the actors. He said New York Theater Workshop would conduct fund-raising to support the production, which he said would be relatively large for his theater — perhaps 12 to 14 actors. The production will likely help the theater attract membership support as well, because tickets will be available to next season’s members; in London, the Barbican theater similarly benefited by selling memberships to people who wanted to get tickets to see Benedict Cumberbatch in “Hamlet.â€￾

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/ ... ello/?_r=0

[SilverDragon]

More Broadway? was hoping for other movies

[Red-Snow]

I so wish I could see this!

[Germangirl]

Well, he said, he wanted to and normally, he is pretty accurate, if he says things.

Maybe he is doing something before, even though, sadly, I wouldn't bet on it.

[danielcraigss]

I wonder why he isn't pushing himself anymore. I mean 2011 we had three daniel films in a year and now people ( that aren't like us ) are just going to know him as 007 instead of Daniel, which who he is. I wonder what his issue is, besides the fact Bond takes all. I mean, why is Broadway becoming something that happens after every bond film not to mention it's live! I would think it wood be more nervous being live than making a movie, on top of that? I thought he didn't like shakespeare, said it was too many lines?


And the play would be my starting senior year in highschool...it isn’t even 2016 yet..that's a year away. He isn't going to do anything in a year?

[Dunda]

Seems I shold start saving money then


Many big names are looking for the challenge being live on stage these
days. I guess it's the pure form of "acting" that drows them in. Back to the roots so to speak.

[Corellianjedi2]

[Corellianjedi2]

Daniel Craig and David Oyelowo to Star Together in off-Broadway Othello

[Jana66]

@Elisa,
I am happy to have you back !
Ohhh...maybe you can go?
And next year...to Othello too?
(For me it is to expensive . I wish me sooo much, Daniel would do some theatre here in Europe...that would be something I could go and see him.)

[Corellianjedi2]

@Elisa,
I am happy to have you back !
Ohhh...maybe you can go?
And next year...to Othello too?
(For me it is to expensive . I wish me sooo much, Daniel would do some theatre here in Europe...that would be something I could go and see him.)

I bought a ticket to the times talk!

And strangely enough, NYTW is right down the street from my apartment!
Great to hear from you, Jana!

[Dunda]

@Elisa,
I am happy to have you back !
Ohhh...maybe you can go?
And next year...to Othello too?
(For me it is to expensive . I wish me sooo much, Daniel would do some theatre here in Europe...that would be something I could go and see him.)

I bought a ticket to the times talk!

And strangely enough, NYTW is right down the street from my apartment!
Great to hear from you, Jana!

Great.
I hope you'll report here about the Times Talk

[Corellianjedi2]

@Elisa,
I am happy to have you back !
Ohhh...maybe you can go?
And next year...to Othello too?
(For me it is to expensive . I wish me sooo much, Daniel would do some theatre here in Europe...that would be something I could go and see him.)

I bought a ticket to the times talk!

And strangely enough, NYTW is right down the street from my apartment!
Great to hear from you, Jana!

Great.
I hope you'll report here about the Times Talk

Of course!

[SmittenDramaKitten]

Hmmm.... I don't begrudge Daniel doing a play. Perhaps he feels that movies don't 'stretch' him enough and doing Shakespeare would be a challenge for him artistically. Also, doing the play in NYC means he does not have to travel and be away from the family for too long. That said, I would also like more Non Bond movies, back to the 'indies' or something. Having missed out on A Steady Rain AND Betrayal, I would really love to see him act on stage. I swore I wouldn't miss a third. I am not really familiar with Shakespeare and think it is an 'acquired taste'. I might be able to go to NYC to see Othello as its a year away.... but it is a pretty Big 'might'.....

[Red-Snow]

Daniel Craig: The Biography to be Released

John Blake Publishing is delighted to announce the publication of Daniel Craig: The Biography, in which author Sarah Marshall reveals how this Cheshire lad has grown to become one of the most successful actors of our time.

His debut as James Bond in Casino Royale in 2006 was highly acclaimed and earned him a BAFTA Award nomination but it was his contrast between his roles in Skyfall and The Girl In the Dragon Tattoo that cemented his reputation as a genuine powerhouse talent. Skyfall was a box office smash and became the second highest grossing film of 2012.

Daniel Craig’s own story is fascinating, from his poverty-stricken early years and a struggling fledging career to the assured, powerful screen-filling presence he is now. This fully updated biography examines the man who has supplanted Sean Connery as everyone’s favourite 007 actor and dives into his dalliances with high-profile celebrities like Kate Moss and Sienna Miller, as well as his current marriage to Oscar winning actress Rachel Weisz.

Bond fans are anxiously awaiting the release of the next Bond film Spectre due to be released early November and which is bound to boost the iconic status that Craig has achieved making him the most memorable MI6 agent of all time.

John Blake Publishing Ltd. 5th November 2015

[SmittenDramaKitten]

Thanks RS....
Sarah Marshall has already written a Bio on Daniel. She must have updated it to coincide with the release of Spectre. Her book was the one I infamously took to the Flashbacks premier and, on seeing the photo of him in the trunks in CR which was on the back cover, he said "I'm not signing that darling." He said it in a VERY polite way though...