Odds & Ends: John Cameron Mitchell's Return to Hedwig, Anna D. Shapiro Will Lead Steppenwolf & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you may have missed today.

John Cameron Mitchell's Return to Hedwig
Hedwig and the Angry Inch creator and original star John Cameron Mitchell has recently been in London and treating those lucky Brits to numbers from the show. Now, Michael C. Hall takes over from Andrew Rannells at Broadway's Belasco Theatre on October 16, but who should play the East German transgender rock goddess after that? Check out just some of the recent footage of Mitchell, below, and you'll know what we're thinking (dreamcasting)...



Anna D. Shapiro Will Lead Steppenwolf
Anna D. Shapiro has been named the new artistic director of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and will take over from Martha Lavey in the fall of 2015. She is currently represented on the Great White Way with This Is Our Youth, which she initially helmed at Steppenwolf this summer. Shapiro won a Tony for her direction of August: Osage County; other Broadway credits include Of Mice and Men, The Motherf*cker with the Hat and the upcoming Fish in the Dark.

Broadway Alums Tapped for Playing on Air
Broadway favorites Amy Ryan, Michael Urie, Harriet Harris, John Cullum, Frank Wood, Lisa Emery, Marsha Mason and Tonya Pinkins are among the actors starring in a new season of short plays. They will record the shows live for public radio’s Playing on Air, on October 20, 27 and December 1 at BRIC House. Playwrights taking part include Lanford Wilson, David Auburn, Paul Rudnick, Warren Leight, Leslie Ayvazian, Kim Merrill and Willy Holtzman.

Gillian Anderson to Star in Streetcar Prequel
Gillian Anderson, who recently played Blanche Dubois in an acclaimed production of A Streetcar Named Desire at London’s Young Vic, is reprising the role in a short film, The Departure. According to The Guardian, the stage and screen star will also helm the prequel, which will be penned by Andrew O’Hagan and is part of the Young Vic shorts series. The plot has yet to be announced and our imaginations are working overtime!