Free Reading of Sarah Ruhl's LATE: A COWBOY SONG Set for 4/17 by A Noise Within Resident Artists

A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre company, offers a free, one-night-only reading of Sarah Ruhl's humorous and heartbreaking LATE: A COWBOY SONG on Wednesday, April 17, 7 pm, as part of its "Words Within" reading series at its Pasadena theatre. Directed by Susan Angelo and featuring A Noise Within resident artists, Ruhl's genre-defying ode to the contemporary cowboy pays homage to Frank Capra's iconic film It's a Wonderful Life. In her signature quirky style, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright utilizes convention only to break with it, offering a meditation on the idiosyncrasies of American culture while challenging definitions of love, partnership, gender and tradition. The Chicago Times describes the work, which premiered in 2010, as "gentle and knowing" and "a play about all manner of uncertainties." The New City Chicago critic proclaimed, "I wouldn't be surprised if Late: A Cowboy Song quickly becomes a modern classic."

The reading, for which reservations are recommended, is designed to complement ANW's production of Ruhl's critically acclaimed Eurydice, which plays in repertory now to May 19, 2013.

The cast features ANW Resident Artists Jill Hill (Mary), Stephen Rockwell (Crick), Alison Elliott (Red), and Claire Mannle (Stage Directions).

The free "Words Within' reading series continues with Abby Craden directing three Thornton Wilder one-act plays, including The Long Christmas Dinner, The Wreck on the Five-Twenty-Five and Infancy, May 15, 2013; The Heiress by Ruth and Augustus Goetz, directed by Robertson Dean, June 5, 2013; The Ghost Sonata by August Strindberg, directed by Stephen Rockwell, June 19, 2013; Galileo by Bertold Brecht, directed by Alan Blumenfeld, July 24, 2013; and Long Days Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill, directed by William Dennis Hunt, August 14, 2013.

A Noise Within, led by Producing Artistic Directors Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, is the only year-round classical repertory company in Southern California and one of only a handful in the entire country dedicated solely to producing classical dramatic literature in the repertory tradition of rotating productions with a resident company of professional artists. It has been lauded by critics as a "premiere classical theatre company," and an "outstanding ensemble" whose "vibrantly theatrical" "brilliant productions" are "freshly imagined," "exceptional," "invigorating," "riveting," "brilliantly atmospheric," "inspired," and "masterfully crafted." Founded 21 years ago, ANW quickly established itself as one of the region's key theatre companies, attracting fiercely loyal audiences and consistently high praise from the media for its productions and as a key force in arts education. The company has presented more than 140 plays from the classics of world literature, each season producing works from authors ranging from Shakespeare and Molière to Ibsen, O'Neill and Shaw to Miller and Williams. A Noise Within completed its milestone 2011-12 Season and 20th Anniversary in its permanent new home, a 33,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art venue in Pasadena, in May 2012.

A NOISE WITHIN is located on the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Sierra Madre Villa Avenue at 3352 East Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107. The reading is free, but reservations are requested and can be made by calling (626) 356-3121 or visiting www.ANoiseWithin.org.

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