Ethan Hawke, Bob Balaban, Michael Kahn, Celeste Holm & Neil Labute in Tribeca Theater Festival

THE FIRST ANNUAL TRIBECA THEATER FESTIVAL has announced its series of panel discussions, free-to-the-public readings of works-in-progress, and "Stage on Screen" series. All of these programs will be held at Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick Street. The Tribeca Theater Festival runs Tuesday, October 19 - Sunday, October 31, 2004. As previously announced, The Tribeca Theater Festival's The Downtown Plays, an evening of premiere plays by some of the theater community's leading playwrights, will be held at Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University.

THE TRIBECA THEATER FESTIVAL, founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and CRAIG HATKOFF, co-founders of the Tribeca Film Festival, in association with the acclaimed Tribeca-based Off-Broadway theater company, Drama Dept., and presented by American Express, celebrates theater by supporting new voices and new work while furthering the organizers' mission for the economic and cultural revitalization of Lower Manhattan.

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

This series of panel discussions will bring together some of the brightest talents of theater for conversations about everything from Tennessee Williams to the next Off Broadway hit. Tickets to the panels are $20 and can be purchased at www.tribecatheaterfestival.com. Panel discussions will be held at Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick Street.

o FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 8pm: LIT BY LIGHTNING: Tennessee Williams TODAY Director Michael Kahn (Five By Tenn) Ethan Hawke (Henry IV, Before Sunset) Ben Gazzara (Dogville, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) Wendy Wasserstein (The Heidi Chronicles, An American Daughter) and others talk about Tennessee Williams' lasting influence on the screen, stage, and printed page.

o MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 8pm: TRIBECA TALKS: Neil LaBute

A conversation with writer, director, and playwright, Neil LaBute whose new works, Fat Pig and This is How it Goes will debut in New York this winter.

LaBute is the author of the stage plays The Distance From Here and The Mercy Seat. His films include "The Shape of Things" (a film adaptation of his play by the same title), "In the Company of Men" and "Your Friends & Neighbors."

o FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 8pm: THE LIGHTS ARE BRIGHT...OFF BROADWAY With shorter runs, originality and room to experiment, Off Broadway theater is home to actors, directors and writers who crave the diversity of both theater and film. A discussion with Jim Simpson (Artistic Director of The Flea Theater), Kenneth Lonergan (This is Our Youth, The Waverly Gallery, Lobby Hero), Stephen Adly Guirgis (Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train, Our Lady Of 121st Street) and others about the independent lure of Off Broadway.

FREE READINGS AT TRIBECA CINEMAS Downtown theaters present a series of free-to-the-public readings and performances of works-in-development. Among the theaters participating are New York Theatre Workshop, Naked Angels, The Culture Project, National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped and New Federal Theatre. These readings will be held at Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick Street. For scheduling information, go to www.tribecatheaterfestival.com.

o WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 6:30pm:

o THE VINEYARD THEATER presents The Internationalist by Anne Washburn, directed by Ken Rus Schmoll.

o FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 6:30pm:

o THE Culture Project presents Her Hair Went With Her, by Zina Camblin and directed by Leigh Fondakowski, a new play about two African-American women combing through the grey standards of beauty and searching for their identities amidst the stereotypes.

o SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 5pm and 6:30pm:

o Naked Angels presents Dear Mr. President by Daniel Voll and directed by David Warren at 5pm. The FBI believes an assassin wants to kill the president, only to discover that he just wants to kiss him. Inspired by the true story of the night an FBI agent tried to keep a cross-dresser from kissing Ronald Reagan.

o Yes! We Have No Pajamas by Nicole Burdette and directed by Brian Mac Devitt, featuring Tim Hutton and Bill Sage (6:30 PM)

o TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 9pm:

o Timmy The Great based on the book by Sandra Hochman and Ted Danielak. Savion Glover directs and choreographs this closed preview of a poetic, upbeat and dance-filled musical, with themes of ageism and anti-war sentiments. A musical for revolutionaries of all ages. At Tribeca Film Center at 375 Greenwich Street.

o TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 9pm:

o Naked Angels presents Tuesdays@9, its free weekly session of new writing. Tuesdays@9 continues its residency at Tribeca Cinemas through January 2005.

o THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 6:30pm:

o LABYRINTH THEATER presents The Secret Lives of Losers by Megan Mostyn-Brown. Abandoned by her mother for more exotic pursuits, nineteen year old Neely is left with a game show loving, meth addicted little brother, a best friend strapped with a baby he doesn't want and a lame job at the local Amoco.

o FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29

o NEW YORK THEATRE WORKSHOP-TBD

o SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 11:30am and 1pm

o The National Theatre WORKSHOP OF THE HANDICAPPED presents Cripperella or The Cracked Glass Slipper, an original musical presented as a live radio drama written by Rich Orloff with music and lyrics by John Spalla. Directed by NTWH Founder and Artistic Director Rick Curry, S.J., this fractured fairytale is a charmingly entertaining and not-too politically correct tale of a disabled heroine searching for love in an able-bodied kingdom.

OTHER READINGS:

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20 - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23: MCCARTHYISM REVISITED at Metropolitan College of New York

Working in conjunction with Woodie King Jr.'s New Federal Theater, Metropolitan College of New York is hosting a play reading and panel series entitlEd McCarthyISM REVISITED. The program will begin with a discussion on Wednesday evening, October 20, moderated by Hakim Hasan, Director of the MCNY Urban Institute. All events will be held at Metropolitan College of New York, and will run through Saturday October 23. For more information, please visit urbaninstitute@metropolitan.edu.

"STAGE ON SCREEN" SERIES

This film series will focus on movies that highlight the process and craft of making theater as well as classic plays adapted for the screen. Celebrity guests will introduce and host discussions following the films. Tickets to each screening are $10 and can be purchased at www.tribecatheaterfestival.com. Films will be screened at Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick Street. o WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 7pm: WAITING FOR GUFFMAN o Cast member Bob Balaban will be on hand for a rare big-screen showing of Corky St. Clair's quest to make "Red, White and Blaine" the best pageant ever.

o SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 7pm: A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

o Watch Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh in this classic adaptation directed by Elia Kazan and join special guests for a discussion about Streetcar's impact on subsequent films and plays.

o SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 3pm: ALL ABOUT EVE

o Fasten your seatbelts, because it's sure to be a funny time when actor, writer and drag legend Charles Busch is joined by Academy Award-nominee Celeste Holm for an afternoon that's "all about Eve."

o SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 7pm: BROADWAY: THE GOLDEN AGE, BY THE LEGENDS WHO WERE THERE

o Join director Rick McKay for a special presentation of his comprehensive, award-winning chronicle of a true American art form as told by those who shaped it. Also featuring a sneak peek of McKay's follow-up "Broadway: The Next Generation" and special guests from both films.

SPECIAL SCREENING: The Woodsman

In addition to public screenings, the Festival will host a special screening of the new film "The Woodsman," starring Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Eve, Mos Def and Benjamin Bratt (courtesy of Newmarket Films and Lee Daniels Entertainment) for an invited audience of NYC film and theater students. The film, based on a play of the same name, was written and directed by New York-based filmmaker Nicole Kassell and will open in limited release on 12/24/04. Kassell and playwright Stephen Fechter will lead a discussion with the students about collaboration and the adaptation process following the screening.

"THE DOWNTOWN PLAYS"

As previously announced, this two-week run of an evening of premiere short plays at Pace University will include pieces by Jon Robin Baitz, Douglas Carter Beane, David Henry Hwang, Neil LaBute, Warren Leight, Kenneth Lonergan, Frank Pugliese, Paul Rudnick and Wendy Wasserstein. Tony Award-winning director John Rando (Urinetown) will helm the production. The cast includes Joel de la Fuente, Ross Gibby, Josh Hamilton, Jackie Hoffman, Peter Jacobson, Chris Messina, J. Smith-Cameron, Marilyn Torres, Maria Tucci and Julie White. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online at www.tribecatheaterfestival.com.

In addition to American Express as the Founding Sponsor, The Tribeca Theater Festival is also excited to announce their signature sponsors, the New York Times, WNBC, Telemundo, Parfum Givenchy, Snapple, Pace University and Michelob Ultra.