Epic Theatre Ensemble Announces 5th Annual Sunshine Series 2009 Lineup

New York's OBIE Award-winning Epic Theatre Ensemble (Zak Berkman, Melissa Friedman, Ron Russell, Founding Executive Directors) has announced the lineup for the fifth annual Sunshine Series 2009, a play reading festival nurturing new political plays. The free staged-readings begin May 28th at the East 13th Street Theatre (136 East 13th Street, between 3rd & 4th Avenues, just southeast of Union Square) where Epic is currently presenting the World Premiere of A More Perfect Union by Vern Thiessen.

All readings are FREE and open to the public. Reservations are required and can be made via email at EpicTheatreCtr@aol.com, or by calling (212) 239-1770.

SUNSHINE SERIES SCHEDULE

Mahida's Extra Key To Heaven
By Russell Davis
Directed by Will Pomerantz
Cast: Amir Arison, Roxanna Hope, Michele Pawk, James Wallert
May 28 @ 7:00 p.m.

In The Crossing
By Leila Buck
Directed by Shana Gold
Cast: Leila Buck
June 4 @ 3:00 p.m.

A Night in Seville
A rock-us adaptation of Pierre Corneille's The Cid
Book, Music and Lyrics by James Wallert
Directed by Ron Russell
Musical Direction by Brian J. Nash
Cast: Shawn Elliott, Suzanne Grodner, Chris Hoch,
Rachael Holmes, Jacob Ming-Trent
June 8 @ 7:00 p.m.
June 9 @ 2:00 p.m.

Hell & High Water
By Yvette Sirker
Directed by Daniella Topol
Cast: Todd D'Amour, Danyon Davis, Harriett D. Foy,
Yvette Ganier, Jordan Mahomes, Nat McIntyre,
Vernice Miller, Kate Pozakis, Sarah Simmons
June 10 @ 7:00 p.m.

Home Front
by Warren Leight
Directed by Evan Yionoulis
Dramaturgy by Len Berkman
Cast: Billy Eugene Jones, Keith Nobbs, Halley Pfeiffer
June 11 @ 7:00 p.m.

East of Berlin
by Hannah Moscovitch
directed by Sara Botsford
Cast: TBD
June 14 @ 3:00p.m.

This Side Of Paradise
Book by Nancy Harrow & Will Pomerantz,
Music & Lyrics by Nancy Harrow,
Directed by Will Pomerantz
Musical Direction by Russ Kassoff
Cast: Stephen Bel Davies, Abe Goldfarb, Michael Shawn Lewis,
Garret Long, Maureen Mueller, Jenny Powers
June 15 @ 7:00 p.m.
June 16 @ 2:00 p.m.

Sunshine Series plays that have gone onto receive full fledged productions include the acclaimed award winning Off-Broadway smash No Child... by Nilaja Sun, Palace of the End by Judith Thompson, and Beauty on the Vine by Zak Berkman.

Epic Theater Ensemble is a company of Citizen-Artists using theatre to inspire dialogue about vital social, ethical, and political issues. Epic's mission is to build citizenship in communities throughout the city by producing socially-minded plays Off-Broadway, and connecting these plays to the NYC Public Schools via ground-breaking, fully-integrated artist residencies. Using theatrical participation to foster dialogue on the complex relationships between individuals and their civic context, Epic's artists champion the belief that a theatre which addresses social issues is critical to the health of our democracy.

Winner of OBIE, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics, and OTTO Awards, Epic Theatre Ensemble was founded in 2001 by Zak Berkman, Melissa Friedman, Teri Lamm, Ron Russell and James Wallert. Additional Producing Artists are Will Pomerantz, Godfrey L. Simmons Jr. and Sarah Winkler. Epic's past productions include Nilaja Sun's No Child..., which Epic commissioned, developed and premiered before its commercial transfer and national tour, as well as premieres of Palace of the End by Judith Thompson (Epic Commission, 2008 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Winner), A Hard Heart by Howard Barker (featuring Kathleen Chalfant), Beauty on the Vine by Zak Berkman (featuring Olivia Wilde), Hannah and Martin by Kate Fodor (featuring David Strathairn), Einstein's Gift by Vern Thiessen (featuring Aasif Mandvi and Shawn Elliott), Habitat by Judith Thompson and revivals of GB Shaw's Widowers' Houses (with Peter Jay Fernandez), Little Eyolf by Henrik Ibsen and Time and the Conways by J.B. Priestley. .Epic's annual Sunshine Series Readings Festival shining light on new political playwriting has nurtured and presented work by numerous socially-minded writers including Bathsheba Doran, Marcus Gardley, Jeanne Sakata, Nilaja Sun, Judy Tate, Vern Thiessen, Judith Thompson, Daniel Voll, Patricia Wettig, and David Zellnik. In June 2008, Epic's New Play Wing was in residence at The Orchard Project developing a number of projects including Lear de Bessonet/Todd Almond's OLIVER!
Epic's first official day of operations was September 11, 2001. Rather than be deterred by world events, Epic's Founders were galvanized to work even harder to create a company that embraces theatre and theatre-artists as unique instruments for empowering diverse voices, fostering public dialogue, and inspiring social change. The artists who participate in Epic's Off-Broadway Season are also part of the company's nationally acclaimed arts-education residencies that are presented in public schools and community centers in New York, New Jersey, and New England. Epic Theatre Ensemble is a Member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, as well as ART/NY.

www.epictheatrectr.org