Primary Stages Names School of Theater In Honor Of Founders, Ceremony Held 4/16

Primary Stages closes its celebratory 25th Anniversary Season by proudly announcing the naming of its School of Theater in honor of founding board members Marvin and Anne Einhorn. The school will now be officially known as Primary Stages Marvin and Anne Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA). Twenty-five years after helping to found Primary Stages, Marvin and Anne Einhorn continue to serve the theater company and still report to duty each day at the Primary Stages office. They personify the renowned theater company's fierce and unwavering commitment to producing exciting work Off-Broadway.

To commemorate the occasion of the naming, a special ceremony will be held today at the home office and studios of Primary Stages on West 38th Street. Two-time Tony Award-nominee Carolee Carmello will perform for the many guests, friends and family, teachers and students who will be on hand to celebrate with the Einhorns.

In a statement, founder and Executive Director, Casey Childs, said of the announcement, "We are so very happy to honor our dear friends Marvin and Anne Einhorn who have been with us from the very beginning. Marvin and Annie have been instrumental in helping to form Primary Stages into what it is today. I can think of no better way to close our 25th Anniversary Season than by honoring these two remarkable individuals."

ESPA is an interdisciplinary performing arts institution where students may hone their skills and develop their careers in a nurturing and collaborative environment. The school provides extensive opportunities for emerging artists, professionals, and life-long learners to collaborate with working professional artists while building strong relationships within the New York theater community.

Primary Stages launched its educational programs in 2007 with classes in acting, directing and playwriting. Classes offered this Spring include Scene Study: Contemporary Texts, Advanced Scene Study: Tennessee Williams, Alexander Technique, Viewpoints, Pilates for Actors, Voice and Speech, Improvisation, Musical Theater Auditioning, Adaptation, Libretto 2: From Treatment to First Draft, Advanced Playwriting, Advanced TV Writing, and Directing for Actors with Master Classes by Judith Light, Judith Ivey, Craig Lucas and Joanna Gleason.
ESPA's 2010 summer curriculum will be announced on Monday, April 26.

Instructors have included Betsy Aidem, Mark Blum, Michelle Bossy, Karen Braga, Casey Childs, Cusi Cram, comedian Denny Dillon, Gary Donatelli, Sarah Elliott, director Carl Forsman, Jackson Gay, Tony-Award winner Randy Graff, lyricist Kait Kerrigan, Michael Laibson, Tessa LaNeve, Linda & David Laundra, Andrew Leynse, Rogelio Martinez, Lisa Rothe, Julian Sheppard, Leigh Silverman, Blair Singer, Kim Weild, Sheri Wilner, Mary Louise Wilson, and Walton Wilson.

Information is available by contacting Director of ESPA Tessa LaNeve at (212) 840-9705 x212, via email at tessa@primarystages.org, or by visiting the Primary Stages website at www.primarystages.org.

Primary Stages has given life to more than 100 new plays, many of them world premieres, by writers such as Horton Foote, A.R. Gurney, Willy Holtzman, Julia Jordan, Romulus Linney, Donald Margulies, Melissa Manchester, Terrence McNally, John Henry Redwood, John Patrick Shanley, Mac Wellman, Lee Blessing and Michele Lowe. The company also continues to work with emerging playwrights through commissions and its artist development program, The Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group.

Over the years, the company has received considerable critical acclaim and numerous theater and literary awards and nominations, including TONY, Obie, AUDELCO, Outer Critics Circle, Lucille Lortel , Drama League and Drama Desk Awards. The Fourth Wall, All in the Timing, The Old Settler, Missing/Kissing, The Model Apartment, Scotland Road, You Should Be So Lucky, The Stendhal Syndrome, Sabina, Dividing the Estate and In The Continuum are among the many plays brought to national attention by Primary Stages.

Primary Stages is honored to be the Resident Theater Company of 59E59 Theaters since its inauguration in 2004. 59E59 Theaters is a state of the art theater center on Manhattan's East side which provides a home to numerous visiting companies, theater festivals, and artists throughout the year. www.59e59.org.

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