By Andrew Gans
09 Feb 2006

NBC announced earlier this week that it has made a "first-look deal" with Ars Nova, the intimate theatre located on West 54th Street.

In a statement Marc Hirschfeld, the executive vice-president of casting at NBC Entertainment, said, "Ars Nova partners, Jon Steingart, Jenny Wiener and Jason Eagan, have created a theatre space producing some of the best and most talked-about alternative comedy and experimental theatre on the New York scene. There's a lot to be mined, and we expect a lot of good things to come from this joint effort."

Hirschfeld, according to the press release, will "explore the possibilities for translating talent from the Ars Nova stage to television." Ars Nova Producer Jason Eagan added, "We've worked hard to allow each production to find its own path. Bringing some of these projects to NBC gives our artists one more option to explore."

In the three years since its creation, the Ars Nova has offered a diverse range of programming, which includes the "Out Loud" reading series, the "Broadway Spotlight" concert series, the "Uncharted" composer series and "Thursdays at Ten," which celebrates alternative comedians, musicians and oddity acts.

Some of the productions that have had initial or previous incarnations at the Ars Nova include [title of show], Planet Banana, Adam Boch's Swimming in the Shallows, Daniel Goldfarb's Modern Orthodox and Sarah Ruhl's The Clean House.

The Ars Nova is currently presenting Judy Gold in 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother through March 10. The theatre is located in Manhattan at 511 West 54th Street.