The Gerald W. Lynch Theater Presents A Reading of THE MASTER FORGER 9/27

The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College presents a reading of The Master Forger, by David Wiener as part of First Throws, the theater's unique playwriting salon that presents new plays exploring issues of justice from an artistic perspective, on Monday, September 27, 2010 at 7pm at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, 899 Tenth Avenue, NYC. Admission is FREE and no tickets are required.

The Master Forger tells the true story of the ingenious Dutch art forger Han van Meegeren. Taking place in the shattered city of Amsterdam after World War II, van Meegeren is arrested for selling a priceless Vermeer to the Nazis and charged with treason. But the investigation takes a bizarre turn when van Meegeren claims that the Vermeer in question is his own forgery. The authorities challenge him to prove his ridiculous claim or face the gallows. Now, the master forger must create his own greatest fake - or die. The Master Forger is directed by Susan Einhorn and the cast of six features David Little as Han van Meegeren.

Playwright David Wiener's plays have been produced in London, India, Canada, and the U.S. and have been published three times in the Smith & Kraus "Best Plays" one-act anthology series. He is the Theatre Arts Consultant for the Akwatia Communications Center project (Ghana, Africa) and is the writer for the San Diego Shakespeare Society, creating a series of new education/outreach productions for audiences ranging from students to seniors. In 2006 and 2009, he won Best Play at the New York City 15 Minute Play Festival (Turnip Theatre Company/American Globe). The 2009 winner, "Feeding Time at the Human House," was directed by Susan Einhorn and was also a Heideman Finalist. He has written cover, feature, and interview articles for performing arts magazines including "American Cinematographer," "Producers Guild Journal," "Cahiers du Cinema," and "The Journal of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain." His book on movie stunt performers, "Burns, Falls, and Crashes" (MacFarland Press), was an Entertainment Book of the Month Club selection. In 2007, he completed a Literary Internship with La Jolla Playhouse and went on to work as that theatre's Dramaturgy Associate during the 07-08 season.

Susan Einhorn (Director) has directed over 70 productions of dramas, comedies, musicals and operas, in genres ranging from contemporary to classical, but considers her specialty to be nurturing and developing new work, of which she has done over 35 premiere productions. NYC theatres include: Promenade, Westside (I CAN'T KEEP RUNNING IN PLACE), Circle-in-the-Square (SPARE PARTS), Playwrights Horizons, Vineyard (LIVING QUARTERS), Primary Stages (MAKING BOOK), LaMama, Jewish Rep, Open Space (A DREAM PLAY) and HB Playwrights Theatre, among many others. Major regional theatres include: Pittsburgh Public (THREE TALL WOMEN and four others), Syracuse Stage, Studio Theatre (LOOK BACK IN ANGER) and Arena Stage (both in D.C.), Milwaukee Rep and Whole Theatre. Her new musical UNCLE JED'S BARBERSHOP, which she co-created with composer David Wohl and writer Kenneth Grimes, was produced in the New York Music Theatre Festival at the St. Clement's Theatre, and was one of 3 chosen to receive the Director's Choice Award. She recently directed FEEDING TIME AT THE HUMAN ZOO by Dave Wiener (winner best play, best actress and honorable mentions for direction and best actor) at the American Globe new play festival. She is a professor of theatre at Queens College where she served a term as Department Chair and has headed the acting program for 27 years. She served on the Executive Board of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society for 13 years, three of them as its Treasurer. She has been a Tony, Lortel and Callaway Award voter, voting on all new productions both on and off Broadway for 18 years. She is the recipient of many awards, among them the SDCS Award for Extraordinary Service, the President's Award for Innovative Teaching (twice), the Villager Award for Outstanding Ensemble work and a National Endowment for the Arts grant.

David Little is a veteran performer on Broadway, Off-Broadway and at major regional theatres across the country. He has made several feature and independent films such as RUNNING WILD, KING OF THE GYPSIES, CLAIRE DOLAN, THE BET, among others, and just finished shooting a new film: OCCUPANT. He has played many guest starring roles on television is shows such as LAW & ORDER (17 episodes), ED, SOPRANOS,SWIFT JUSTICE, GUIDING LIGHT, LIPSTICK JUNGLE and DAMAGES.

Since opening its doors in 1988, the Gerald W. Lynch Theater has been an invaluable cultural resource for John Jay College and the larger New York City community. Under the new direction of Executive Director Shannon R. Mayers, the Theater is dedicated to the creation and presentation of performing arts programming of all disciplines with a special focus on how the artistic imagination can shed light on the many perceptions of justice in our society. The Theater has hosted prestigious events for Lincoln Center Festival, Great Performances, Juilliard, Alvin Ailey and numerous television specials for HBO and Comedy Central.

About John Jay College of Criminal Justice: An international leader in educating for justice, John Jay College of Criminal Justice of The City University of New York offers a rich liberal arts and professional studies curriculum to upwards of 14,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 135 nations. In teaching, scholarship and research, the College approaches justice as an applied art and science in service to society and as an ongoing conversation about fundamental human desires for fairness, equality and the rule of law. For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu.

For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu/theater.php.

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