Margulies, Pill and Others In Sundance 2008 Acting Company

 Sundance Institute today announced the acting company for its 2008 Sundance Institute Theatre Lab, to be held July 7 to July 27 at the Sundance Resort in Utah. The 2008 ensemble company includes: Satya Bhabha, (Queens Boulevard) Reed Birney (Stuff Happens), J. Alex Brinson (The Happening), Amari Cheatom (Histoire du Soldat), Michael Chernus (Hunting and Gathering), Tracee Chimo (Water and Discarded Hair), Jennifer Dundas (Good as New), Greg Felden (Naked Will), Chinai Hardy (In the Red and Brown Water),Erin Hill (a-ha), Nicholas Hormann (The Little Foxes), Ella Joyce (Roc), Lisa Joyce (U.S. Drag), Christina Kirk (Well),David Margulies (Angels in America, 45 Seconds from Broadway, Wonderful Town), James McDaniel (Malcolm X), Kristine Nielsen (Les Liaisons Dangereuses, The Green Bird), Deirdre O'Connell (In the Blood, 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore), Nija Okoro (August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone), Alison Pill (The Lieutenant of Inishmore), Susan Pourfar (The Last Sunday in June), Gita Reddy (Hindustan), Heidi Schreck (Major Barbara), Jeanine Serralles (Hold, Please), Lois Smith (The Trip to Bountiful, Buried Child, The Grapes of Wrath) and Susie Sokol (The Sound and the Fury).

As announced in April, the seven playwrights and plays selected for this year's residency are Annie Baker (Circle Mirror Transformation; director Sam Gold), Kirsten Greenidge (Bossa Nova; director Rebecca Taichman), Lisa Kron (Five Questions; director Leigh Silverman), Dan LeFranc (Origin Story; director Hal Brooks), Darci Picoult (Lil's 90th; director Jo Bonney), Cori Thomas (When January Feels Like Summer; director Chuck Patterson) and Sarah Treem (Orphan Island; director Stephen Fried).

Under the Artistic Supervision of Philip Himberg and produced by Christopher Hibma, the three-week Lab offers playwrights, directors, choreographers, composers, solo performers, and ensembles the time, space, and support to develop new plays and musicals or to explore new approaches to existing scripts. The Lab provides a protected environment, without the pressure of production, and an ensemble of professional actors, dramaturgs, and mentors to help shape work. Process is tailored to the project's individual needs and stage of development, including readings, text analysis, blocking rehearsals, music rehearsals, meetings with artistic staff, and private presentations to the assembled artistic community.

Following a tradition of hosting theatre artists from Eastern/Central Europe and East Africa annually over the last nine years, the Lab welcomes artists Odile Gakire Katese from Rwanda and Eric Wainaina from Kenya who have been selected to participate as Playwrights-in-Residence.

Creative Advisors for this year's Lab include James Bundy, Artistic Director Yale Repertory Theatre; playwright Lynn Nottage and Les Waters, Associate Artistic Director Berkeley Repertory Theatre. The dramaturgy team consists of Adam Greenfield, Mame Hunt (Sundance Associate Artist); Morgan Jenness and Janice Paran (Sundance Associate Artist). The 2008 Theatre Lab's Advisory Committee included Luis Alfaro, John Glore, Mame Hunt, Shelby Jiggetts-Tivony, Janice Paran & Diane Rodriguez. Meg Simon and Findley Davidson are the casting directors.

Also attending the Lab are four young artists from partnering arts organizations: Francesca Eaddy (actor from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival); Sean Lynch (actor from the National Advancement for the Arts youngARTSTM program); Kit Steinkellner (Kennedy Center National Student Playwriting Award-winner) and Stephen Lewis (Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize-winner for Comic Playwriting). A cadre of stage managers and assistants from Sundance Institute's University Partners will also be on hand: From CalArts: Liz English, Lars Jon, Jessica Quadrato and Emily Williams; from University of Utah: Kirsten Bailey and Katie Mzik; from Cornish College in Seattle: Jonathan Hoonhout and from Utah State University: Kevin Doyle.

For more information please visit www.sundance.org.

Photo Credit Walter McBride/ Retna Ltd.