Dark Nights at The New Group Presents Janeane Garofalo, Mario Cantone and Judy Gold, 2/24

On Sunday, February 24 at 6:00pm, The New Group offers the next event in this season's continuing series Dark Nights at The New Group: "Stand-Up Center Stage" with Janeane Garofalo, Mario Cantone and Judy Gold in a discussion moderated by Susan Blackwell. Reservations required at seats@thenewgroup.org (space is limited). Suggested donation: $20. Free for New Group subscribers.

New York of late has seen crossover between the world of stand-up and so-called "legit" theater. Join the brilliant stand-ups/actors Janeane Garofalo (last season's Russian Transport at The New Group), Mario Cantone (Assassins, Laugh Whore) and Judy Gold (The Judy Show - My Life as a Sitcom, 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother) for this Dark Nights event as they compare working onstage in these two seemingly unlike forms. The discussion will be moderated by the acclaimed, incomparable Susan Blackwell (title of show, The New Group's The Kid). Q&A will follow the discussion.

Now in 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).

The New Group (Scott Elliott, Artistic Director; Geoff Rich, Executive Director) is currently represented Off-Broadway by Jonathan Marc Sherman's Clive, directed by and featuring Ethan Hawke in the title role. The company began its 2012-2013 season with the Francine Volpe's The Good Mother directed by Scott Elliott, featuring Gretchen Mol. In Spring 2013, The New Group presents the world premiere of the new musical Bunty Berman Presents... by Ayub Khan Din (Book, Lyrics, Co-Composer) and Paul Bogaev (Co-Composer), directed by Scott Elliott.

Last season, The New Group 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 company's current production Clive plays through March 9 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.