Dark Nights at The New Group Presents WOMEN in 3-D Today, Nov 11

On Sunday, November 11 at 6:00pm, The New Group offers the first presentation in this season's continuing series Dark Nights at The New Group: "WOMEN in 3-D: Creating Complex, Sexual Female Characters" with playwrights Francine Volpe, Julia Jordan and Marsha Norman. Free & open to the public; reservations required at seats@thenewgroup.org (space is limited).

This Dark Nights event features Francine Volpe, author of The New Group's current production The Good Mother, in conversation with distinguished playwrights Julia Jordan (Boy, Murder Ballad) and Tony-winner Marsha Norman ('Night, Mother, The Color Purple) about the challenges and opportunities in today's theatre of writing fully realized women characters in a way that includes their sexuality. What are the obstacles and expectations? And how do writers overcome them or make use of them? Don't miss a rare open dialogue on this topic, followed by Q&A.

Now entering its fifth season, Dark Nights at The New Group is a series of cultural conversations and readings designed to create a dialogue between artists and audience. Dark Nights generally coincide with mainstage productions at The New Group, creating a forum for public conversation and enhancing the cultural landscape. These events have featured Ethan Hawke and Jonathan Marc Sherman discussing Sherman's new play inspired by Brecht's Baal; Scott Elliott, Lisa Emery, Mamie Gummer, Josh Hamilton and Wallace Shawn in Hamlet at Home; and Thomas Bradshaw and Todd Solondz in Talking Taboos. Previous Dark Nights events have featured luminaries such as F. Murray Abraham, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Eric Bogosian, Zoe Caldwell, David Henry Hwang, Tony Kushner, Martha Plimpton and Hal Prince. Dark Nights at The New Group collaborated with the 92nd Street Y for an event featuring Matthew Broderick and Kenneth Lonergan (The Starry Messenger), moderated by Leonard Lopate. Topics have ranged from gay adoption (in an event hosted by Rosie O'Donnell timed to The Kid) to an evening highlighting Sam Shepard's work (led by Ethan Hawke with music by the composers from A Lie of the Mind), to a panel on documentary theatre (featuring Marc Wolf performing Another American, his OBIE-winning play first produced at The New Group ten years ago).

Last season, The New Group (Scott Elliott, Artistic Director; Geoff Rich, Executive Director) presentEd Thomas Bradshaw's Burning, the extended run of Erika Sheffer's Russian Transport (both directed by Scott Elliott), and David Rabe's An Early History of Fire directed by Jo Bonney (all world premiere productions). In 2010-2011, the company presented Tommy Nohilly's Blood From A Stone featuring Ethan Hawke (Obie winner), the revival of Wallace Shawn's Marie and Bruce starring Marisa Tomei and Frank Whaley, and One Arm by Tennessee Williams, adapted and directed by Moisés Kaufman. Other productions include A Lie of the Mind, The Kid, Groundswell, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Hurlyburly, Mike Leigh's Two Thousand Years, Abigail's Party, Smelling a Rat, Goose-Pimples and Ecstasy, Wallace Shawn's The Fever and Aunt Dan and Lemon, Kenneth Lonergan's The Starry Messenger featuring Matthew Broderick and This is Our Youth, and Kevin Elyot's Mouth to Mouth and My Night With Reg. The New Group is a recipient of the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical (Avenue Q). The New Group and Artistic Director Scott Elliott were honored with a Special 2010-11 Drama Desk Award "for presenting contemporary new voices, and for uncompromisingly raw and powerful productions."

The New Group is currently represented Off-Broadway by Francine Volpe's The Good Mother, directed by Scott Elliott and featuring Mark Blum, Darren Goldstein, Gretchen Mol, Alfredo Narciso and Eric Nelsen. Previews began October 31. Official Opening Night takes place Thursday, November 15.

The Good Mother plays through December 22, 2012 at The New Group @ Theatre Row (The Acorn Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street). Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at 7:00 PM and Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 8:00 PM, with matinees Saturday at 2:00 PM. Tickets may be arranged through www.telecharge.com or (212) 239-6200, or at the Theatre Row Box Office (12–8 PM daily). Tickets are $60.00 plus $1.25 restoration fee.

For more info, visit www.thenewgroup.org.

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