Burstyn, Seymour Hoffman et al. Celebrate Tennessee Williams with TENN 99, 3/26-3/28

LAByrinth Theater Company (Co-Artistic Directors Stephen Adly Guirgis, Mimi O'Donnell, and Yul Vázquez) celebrates the legendary playwright Tennessee Williams with TENN 99, a three-day weekend event, a nonstop, 24/7 marathon celebration of the works of Tennessee Williams. The event will run day and night, all weekend long at The Cherry Lane Theater's 'Cherry Pit' beginning Friday afternoon, March 26th and concluding Sunday evening, March 28th. Admission is free.

In service to the community, LAByrinth Theater Company will endeavor to do as many readings of Tennessee Williams' work as possible - back to back, from start to finish - on the occasion of his 99th birthday; including plays, screenplays, adaptations, essays, personal letters and interviews. Audience participation is strongly encouraged: show up at any time during the event and sign up to read, or just find a seat and listen to doctors, cab drivers and busboys read alongside LAB Company Members, LAB friends, theater luminaries, students and celebrities.

Attendees will listen to theater legends recount their glorious experiences working with Tennessee Williams during the Sunday Brunch Event, be able to compete in the "STELLA!" scream-off on the shore of the Hudson River, or just enjoy food, drink, raffles, contests, souvenirs and giveaways. TENN 99 will inspire all as LAB celebrates the greatness of Tennessee Williams.

When asked why a company committed to original theater would stage a celebration of Tennessee Williams, co-Artistic Director Stephen Adly Guirgis said, "Well, for one thing: next year he would have been 100, so why not get the party started early?" He went on to add, "And, speaking strictly for myself, if it hadn't been for Tennessee Williams, I'd probably still be a bike messenger."

A partial list of participants includes: Leslie Bibb, Ellen Burstyn, Bobby Cannavale, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jesse L. Martin, Ana Ortiz, Sam Rockwell, John Patrick Shanley, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Yul Vázquez (all subject to continuing availability). The complete roster of participating celebrity guests and Company Members will be announced shortly.

LAByrinth Theater Company was founded in 1992 by a group of actors who wanted to push their artistic limits, hone their craft, and create new plays that truly reflected their heritage and experience. Today, LAByrinth is comprised of more than 110 established and emerging theater artists from a wide array of cultural perspectives. The inclusive, multicultural ensemble encourages all members to write, act, direct, and design, and supports multidisciplinary growth and exploration in the creation of daring new work that celebrates the diversity of its New York City home.
Now in its eighteenth season, LAByrinth has developed more than 300 new plays and staged 51 productions, including The Little Flower of East Orange and UNCONDITIONAL (2008), A View from 151st Street and Jack Goes Boating (2007), A Small, Melodramatic Story and School of The Americas (2006), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (2005), Sailor's Song and Guinea Pig Solo (2004), Dutch Heart of Man and Dirty Story (2003), Our Lady of 121st Street (2002), Where's My Money? (2001), Jesus Hopped the ‘A' Train (2000), and In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings (1999). Raucous. Vital. Real. Since 1992.

For more information, visit www.labtheater.org.

Photo Credit: OpenPage