Cherry Lane's Mentor Project to Continue 3/12 with SONNETS ON TAP

Cherry Lane Theatre's award-winning MENTOR PROJECT for emerging playwrights continues its 16th season on March 12 at the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce St. in Greenwich Village) with SONNETS ON TAP - an evening of Shakespeare sonnets performed to tap dancing - conceived and directed by Awoye Timpo. Mentored by Lisa Peterson, SONNETS ON TAP marks the very first Mentor Project directing mentorship.

The cast of dancers and actors who perform SONNETS ON TAP features Hillary-Marie, Claudia Rahardjanoto, Cartier Williams, Gabe Winns, Dalia Davi and Jack Sochet. Music is composed by Jonathan Pratt, scenic design is by Amy Rubin, costume design is by Lara de Bruijn, lighting design by Justin King, Projection design by Brad Peterson. Maureen Murtha is production stage manager.

SONNETS ON TAP is an ensemble piece that melds expert Shakespeare interpreters with masters of tap dance to celebrate the extraordinary poetry of Shakespeare through a collective exploration of a less familiar part of his canon: the sonnets. Delving into the text, rhythm, meter, language and beauty of these poems, SONNETS ON TAP investigates how the marriage and collision of forms can inform the richness of Shakespeare's poetry and bring to life the depth, range of emotions, and stories found within these tales of betrayal, lust, obsession, power, death and love.

Scheduled through March 22, SONNETS ON TAP performs Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7 pm. Tickets are $19. To purchase tickets call 866 811 4111 or go online www.cherrylanetheatre.org.

Conceived, developed and performed by Ms. Timpo, SONNETS ON TAP draws on Ms. Timpo's experiences as an actress and accomplished tap dancer. She has performed in CHASING THE BIRD at Joyce Theater, ARABY at La MaMa, IN THE CONTINUUM at Juilliard and elsewhere.

Lisa Peterson's recent NY directing credits include AN ILIAD, written by Denis O'Hare; SHIPWRECKED by Donald Margulies, Tony Kushner's SLAVS!, COLLECTED STORIES and THE MODEL APARTMENT at Primary Stages, and SUENO by Jose Rivera. Ms. Peterson previously directed a MENTOR PROJECT play at Cherry Lane.

One of the nation's leading programs for emerging playwrights - winner of the Ross Wetzsteon Obie Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Development of New Work, along with the James Kirkwood Award for fostering and promoting the work of contemporary American playwrights -- Cherry Lane Theatre's MENTOR PROJECT each year partners a veteran playwright with a new writer for an entire season of script development, casting, rehearsals, re-writes culminating with a full, professionally staged, 2-week production. MENTOR PROJECT plays are not open for review. This year Cherry Lane has introduced its first mentorship for directing.

Following the debut of SONNETS ON TAPE, Mentor Project will conclude with:

THE RAGGED CLAWS
written by Lina Patel
directed by Daniella Topol
mentored by David Henry Hwang
April 2-12

In THE RAGGED CLAWS, as Manhattan is being relocated to upstate due to rising sea levels and a feared tsunami, a British mother, American father and their adopted Indian son must confront the wounds of history, even as the future rises up to meet them.

LINA PATEL is an actor and playwright whose full-length plays include SANKAPAN (Desire), a Sundance semi-finalist and presented at the Lark's Playwrights Week; DISAPPEARANCE OF LUCK developed with Jose Rivera at New Harmony Project; NEEL AND NICKY, presented at New Group. She is presently working on a commission for a new play from Yale Rep.

DAVID HENRY HWANG is the author of numerous plays including M BUTTERFLY (Tony Award - Best Play); GOLDEN CHILD; YELLOW FACE; CHINGLISH; THE DANCE AND THE RAILROAD. Signature Theatre will debut his newest work KING-FU this season.

Established in 1998, MENTOR PROJECT has nurtured and launched new work by 50 emerging dramatists including Katori Hall, Rajiv Joseph, Christopher Shinn, David Adjmi,, Julia Cho,Molly Smith Metzler, Anne Washburn, Jakob Holder, Sheila Callaghan, Anton Dudley and Lisa Ramirez.

Cherry Lane Theatre is one of the most renowned theatres in the country, having produced a large succession of plays by nascent writers whose names have lent distinction to the American and international literary and dramatic treasuries dating back to the 20s: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Auden, Gertrude Stein, Beckett, Albee, Pinter and many more. In 1996 Angelina Fiordellisi revive Cherry Lane, preserned the building and detailed history, and founded the producing company Cherry Lane Alternative, creating a number of programs to launch the next generation of American playwrights.

Angelina Fiordellisi is Founding Artistic Director of Cherry Lane Theatre; Seri Lawrence is Literary Manager and Janio Marrero is Facility Director. Stephanie Ybarra is Mentor Project's Producing Artistic Director and Michael Bulger is Associate Producer.

For performance and ticket information to MENTOR PROJECT, visit www.cherrylanetheatre.org or call Ovation Tix at 866 811 4111.