EST Announces Rapp, Guirgis, and Ives for Marathon 2006

ENSEMBLE STUDIO THEATRE (Curt Dempster, Founder/Artistic Director) will present MARATHON 2006, E.S.T.'s 28th annual festival of new one-act plays, at E.S.T. (549 West 52nd Street). Performances begin Friday, May 23rd and continue through Sunday, June 25th.

MARATHON 2006 offers eleven premieres of one-act plays in three separate evenings. The three series will run in rotating repertory for twelve performances each (a detailed schedule of the series follows). The playwrights contributing to MARATHON 2006 are Edward Allen Baker, Julia Cho, Anton Dudley, Will Eno (Thom Pain - based on nothing), Amy Fox (Heights), Stephen Adly Guirgis (Jesus Hoped the A Train), Ann Marie Healy, David Ives (All in the Timing), David Mamet, Thomas Mizer & Curtis Moore, James Ryan, Lloyd Suh and Michael Louis Wells.

Also notable among those participating this season are 2006 Pulitzer Prize finalist Adam Rapp (Red Light Winter), Walter Bobbie (Chicago, the upcoming High Fidelity), Andrew McCarthy and acclaimed British star Ruthie Henshall.

Since its inception in 1978, the Marathon has featured new short works by such noted playwrights as Leslie Ayvazian, Christopher Durang, Horton Foote, Herb Gardner, Frank Gilroy, Richard Greenberg, John Guare, Tina Howe, David Ives, Michael John LaChiusa, Craig Lucas, David Mamet, Steve Martin, Arthur Miller, Marsha Norman, Joyce Carol Oates, Paul Rudnick, John Patrick Shanley, Shel Silverstein, Wendy Wasserstein and Tennessee Williams. Past Marathon plays have gone on to full scale Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theatre productions. The E.S.T. Marathon has been hailed as America's preeminent forum for one-act plays.

Ensemble Studio Theatre is a not-for-profit developmental theatre founded in 1972 with two primary goals: to nurture individual theatre artists, and to develop new American plays. Under the guidance of founder and Artistic Director Curt Dempster, the theatre's membership has grown from a core of 22 artists to a flourishing community of nearly 500 theatre artists of the highest caliber. Among them are winners of accolades and higher awards including Pulitzer Prizes, Oscars, Tonys, Emmys, and Obies. E.S.T. is a lifelong artistic home for its member playwrights, directors, actors, designers, technical personnel, and administrators. Each year, the Ensemble produces over 300 projects, including readings, staged readings, and fully produced mainstage full-lengths.

Performances will be Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8pm, Sunday evenings at 7 pm, with matinees Saturdays at 3pm, except where indicated. Tickets are $15 each. Tickets may be ordered by calling 212-352-3101, or online at www.TheaterMania.com