TOSOS to Bring New Plays to 2016 International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival

TOSOS, New York City's oldest professional LGBT theater, will make its fourth appearance at the renowned International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival, bringing two new one-act plays to Ireland.

"We're thrilled to go back to Dublin, where we always feel welcome, and where our work is recognized and applauded," said TOSOS member and playwright Kathleen Warnock, whose play, "Julie Andrews is the Devil," is one of the plays in the International Shorts, which run from May 9-14 at the Cobalt Cafe.

Ed Valentine (winner of three Emmy awards for his writing on "Sesame Street") directs both plays. "Julie Andrews..." features Andrea Alton and Virginia Baeta in a touching comedy set on Commercial Street in Provincetown, MA during Women's Week.

Valentine's play "Each to Each," will have its world premiere in the festival. The cast includes Baeta as an elderly Irish nun, keeper of a captured mermaid, played by Elizabeth A. Bell. The nun wants to hear the mermaid sing, the mermaid wants to return to the sea...which one will get her wish?

The two-week festival, in its 13th year, runs from May 2-14, offering work from companies from Ireland, the UK, Canada, Iran, Russia, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and Greece.

"This is our thirteenth year staging new and diverse theatre, welcoming artists and audiences regardless of their sexual identity," festival founder and director Brian Merriman told the Irish newspaper The Independent. "Everyone is welcome in this unique festival of theater."

TOSOS has previous presented Chris Weikel's "Pig Tale," Michael Lynch's "Livin' on the Real," and Kathleen Warnock's "The Further Adventures of..." at the festival.

A free preview performance of Julie Andrews is the Devil and Each to Each will take place on Tuesday, April 26th at 7:00 pm at UNDER St. Marks, 94 St. Marks Place, (Between First Avenue & Avenue A), New York, NY 10009.

For information on the festival lineup, venues and to purchase tickets, visit www.gaytheatre.ie.

For more about TOSOS or to make a tax deductible donation, visit www.tososnyc.org.