Public Theater Presents 12 New Play Stage Readings 4/13-6/29

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will present staged readings of 12 new plays by the inaugural class of the Emerging Writers Group, an annual program that targets playwrights at the earliest stages of their careers and nurtures their artistic growth by providing necessary resources and support. The Spotlight Series, running April 13-June 29, will combine first-rate theatrical talent with new works written and developed by members of the Emerging Writers Group during their time at The Public.

Each play will be directed and performed by experienced artists from the theatrical community and will receive two staged readings, one at 3 p.m. and one at 7 p.m. Tickets are free and may be reserved in advance by calling (212) 967-7555.

The 2008 Emerging Writers, whose work will be presented in the Spotlight Series, are Radha Blank, Leila Buck, Raúl Castillo, Chris Cragin, Christina Gorman, Ethan Lipton, Alejandro Morales, Nick Hadikwa Mwaluko, Don Nguyen, Akin Salawu, Aladdin Ullah, and Pia Wilson. A Spotlight Series schedule is below; complete casting information will be available closer to the date of each reading at www.publictheater.org.

"This is a fierce group of writers - each with a distinct voice and aesthetic," said Public Theater Associate Artistic Director Mandy Hackett. "All the plays are very impressive and bold. We are thrilled to hear them all outloud this spring."

EMERGING WRITERS GROUP SPOTLIGHT SERIES SCHEDULE

Monday, April 13

AMERICAN MYTH
Written by Christina Gorman

Directed by Mark Brokaw

 

Dr. Douglas Graham, best-selling author, beloved professor, and American history scholar, is accused by a former student of lying in the classroom about his participation in and around the Vietnam War. The play explores the line between personal and professional ethics, the difference between truth and history, and the myth of what makes a "great man".

 

Wednesday, April 15

THE RIVER NUN
Written by Chris Cragin

Directed by Tea Alagic

It is the day of the yearly masquerade in a small village in the Niger Delta: Lysa sits alone in her fishing boat, determined to catch fish, but the loud rumble of gas flaring and the toxic fumes from the oil-polluted river have left the water barren. Led by Lysa, the women of the village must decide if they can finally stand up to the oil giant Elayone, shut down its operations, and restore the health of their river.

Monday, April 20

LUTHER
Written by Ethan Lipton

Directed by Leigh Silverman

 

Like a lot of people these days, Walter and Marjorie have adopted an abandoned veteran of war. Sadly, that was the last good decision they made. Luther is a tragic comedy about the bonds of family and the price of violence.

 

Thursday, April 30

I STAND CORRECTED
Written by Akin Salawu

 

While in rehab, a paralyzed 9/11 fireman, an Iraq Vet amputee, an aneurysm survivor, and a hate crime victim learn to fall seven times but get up eight.

 

Monday, May 4

RED FLAMBOYANT
Written by Don Nguyen

Directed by Joanna Settle

 

In the midst of starting the first support group for women living with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam, Mrs. Hue struggles to mediate the conflicting personalities of the spirited women that have joined. But just as the women are learning to live together in relative peace, money and medicine begin to run out. To fight for the group's survival, Mrs. Hue has no choice but to venture out into the very world that has shunned them.

 

Monday, May 11

THE OCTOBER CRISIS (TO LAURA)
Written by Alejandro Morales

 

1962. On the eve of the Cuban Missile Crisis, an old song and a postcard send singer Marguerite Stone on a journey back to herself.

 

Monday, May 18

INDIO
Written by Aladdin Ullah

Directed by Hal Brooks

 

When comedian Aladdin reaches a crossroads in his career, he discovers the journey of his father who left Bangladesh in the 1940's to pursue his "American Dream" in Spanish Harlem of all places! His father's misadventures in the land of opportunity are juxtaposed with Aladdin's own perspective as a funny man of both Eastern and Western descent.

 

Monday, June 1

RED ROOSTER
Written by Pia Wilson

Directed by Liesl Tommy

 

Joyce, a Hurricane Katrina refugee from New Orleans' Ninth Ward, is living in New Jersey with an elderly man named George. Joyce and George have an agreement: she'll take care of him, and he'll eventually sign his home over to her as payment. All is going well for George and Joyce, until George's son comes home and wants the house.

 

Monday, June 8

S/HE
Written by Nick Hadikwa Mwaluko

Directed by Niegel Smith

 

Sam, an African-American anatomical female, needs to become a man to feel complete. S/he comes through the operation only to find that the world won't transition with him.

 

Monday, June 15

NANNYLAND

Written by Radha Blank

 

Nannyland is a satire that takes place at Paradise Cove, an exclusive, all-inclusive family resort in the Caribbean where mommies and daddies can escape their worries and leave with the perfect souvenir: a Paradise Cove Child Care Specialist.

Monday, June 22

MISSION

Written by Raúl Castillo

Mission concerns a New York City woman who, after losing her lover to a freak bus accident and learning that she is pregnant with his child, decides to visit his estranged family in South Texas in an effort to learn more about his shadowy past.

 

Monday, June 29

IN THE CROSSING
Written by Leila Buck

Directed by Shana Gold

 

Leila, a Lebanese-American Muslim-Christian, has been invited to a conference to share her experience in Lebanon with her Jewish husband during the Israeli-Hezbollah war of 2006. But as she attempts to portray the many voices of Lebanon, her husband's unexpected images, an outraged audience member and an anxious moderator begin inserting themselves into her performance, and Leila discovers that the most treacherous journey of all may be the struggle to tell her story.

About The Emerging Writers Group

The Emerging Writers Group strengthens The Public's commitment to creating an artistic home for diverse and exceptionally talented up-and-coming playwrights. The Emerging Writers Group is one element of The Public Writers Initiative, a long-term program that provides key support and resources for writers at every stage of their careers. Time Warner is the Founding Sponsor of The Public Writers Initiative.

Each emerging writer receives a one-year fellowship at The Public which includes a $3,000 stipend; participation in a biweekly writers' group led by Associate Artistic Director Mandy Hackett and The Public's Literary Department; master classes with established playwrights; career development advice and artistic support from acclaimed writers and Public artistic staff; complimentary tickets to Public shows and supplemental stipends for productions at other theaters; and presentation of their work in at least one reading at The Public.

2010 Emerging Writers Group application guidelines will be available in late spring 2009. Check www.publictheater.org/artists/emergingwriters.php regularly for details on applying for the next cycle of this program.

TICKET INFORMATION
Emerging Writers Spotlight Series will begin on Monday, April 13 and run through Monday, June 29, with two presentations of each play: one at 3 p.m. and one at 7 p.m. Check www.publictheater.org for up-to-date casting and schedule information.

The Public Theater is located at 425 Lafayette Street. Tickets are free and can be reserved at (212) 967-7555 or by visiting the Public Theater box office.