4 hours ago
2 ARTICLE AD
Hugh Jackman is starting a new venture! Along with producer Sonia Friedman and director Ian Rickson, the 56-year-old actor has launched Together, with the aim of creating “intimate and accessible” live theater that “will be driven by a commitment to offering audiences a chance to experience theater in a fresh and engaging way.” Together will stage short runs of fully rehearsed, full-length plays, along with readings, panel discussions and other events in the United States, the United Kingdom and beyond, per Deadline. Keep reading to find out more… The focus will be on collaboration, ensemble, equal pay for actors, and shared creative credit. “By stripping the fully rehearsed productions down to their essentials, with minimal décor, Together aims to celebrate the raw power of storytelling — getting back to what often makes theater so compelling in the first place,” the company’s announcement reads. Performances will take place in small venues, where established actors will perform “just feet from the audience, creating an intimate, elemental experience and heightened sense of community.” See Hugh Jackman‘s full joint statement with Sonia Friedman… “With director Ian Rickson we wanted to create a company where actors, writers, and directors could experiment, explore, and take risks, away from the pressures that are often associated with the commercial theater world. Together is about going back to basics, rediscovering the simple, thrilling essence of live performance,” they said. “At the same time, this isn’t about our stepping away from Broadway or the West End—it’s about supporting and coexisting alongside them. We have always been drawn to theater because of its raw energy—the excitement of a first reading, the joy of stepping into an unexpected role, that sense of a shared experience. With Ian, this company is our way of sharing those moments with audiences, making them part of our process.” “We also want to embrace flexibility—whether that’s through varied performance schedules during the week or staging plays in repertoire, allowing productions and ideas to evolve in a spontaneous and organic way. By removing some of the usual constraints, we hope to create a space where the productions can feel fresh, alive, and ever-changing,” they concluded. Hugh is one of the highest-paid actors of 2024. Find out where he landed on the list!
