Abraham, Pashalinski, Etc. Set for LES Festival of the Arts

Coming off an acclaimed performance as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus) will perform excerpts from the play on Saturday, May 26 at 10 p.m. at the 12th Annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts at Theater for the New City (155 1st Avenue, between E. 9th and 10th Streets) in Manhattan. Abraham will also be performing the speech given by Bartolomeo Vanzetti – of Italian-born anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti, at their historic 1927 trial, in hopes of turning the material about the trials into a new play.

This year's Les Festival will also feature Obie Award-winning actresses Crystal Field and Lola Pashalinski, performing together for the first time since their joint appearance in the hit film Little Children. The two will debut scenes from Bina Sharid's new play A Month at the Café. Also included in the festival will be playwright Mario Fratti reading from his new play, Lovers, renowned downtown performers Reno (Reno in Rage and Rehab) and Penny Arcade (New York Values) will debuting new material, acclaimed actress Helen Hanft performing a scene from Tom Eyen's Why Hanna's Skirt Won't Stay Down, playwright Stanley Cutler premiering selections from his new drama The People vs. George Bush, and newcomer Micah Bucey performing material from his upcoming comedy Fitz and Wallouch Get it in the End.

Theater companies scheduled to perform work from their current and upcoming seasons include La MaMa ETC; New York Theatre Workshop; The Living Theater; and Vital Children's Theatre.

Press notes state, "The 12th Annual Lower East Side (LES) Festival of the Arts will bring together under one roof in just three days over 100 performing arts organizations, local and international celebrities,  independent artists, poets, puppeteers, film makers and many others -- all of whom reside, work or have their roots in the culturally diverse, willfully anarchistic Lower East Side -- for New York  City's most diverse FREE 3-day festival, from Friday, May 25 through Sunday, May 27, at Theater for the New City (155 1st Avenue, between E. 9th and 10th Streets) in Manhattan."

For more information, visit www.theaterforthenewcity.net.

Photo of F. Murray Abraham by Ben Strothmann