Riant Theatre Stages Reading of Joseph Lizardi's RUNNING THROUGH THE NIGHT Tonight

The Riant Theatre presents a special reading of playwright Joseph Lizardi's new play Running Through the Night tonight, July 8 at 6:30pm at 440 Studios, located in the Black Box Theatre at 440 Lafayette Street. Tickets are $10 and include a glass of wine.

Running Through the Night is a police drama directed by Van Dirk Fisher, founder and director of Riant Theatre and the Strawberry One-Act Festival, which is taking place in Harlem in August. Lizardi's drama follows a narcotics cop who is threatened to drop a controversial case that could expose the criminal activity of fellow officers and elected officials.

The cast reading includes: Andrew R. Cooksey (The Ritz, Broadway, Roundabout Theatre), Anthony Roberts II (films Dade County, Concrete Jungle); Ejyp Johnson (film Get Rich or Die Tryin' and television Blue Bloods, Ugly Betty), Mavis Martin (film Romeo & Juliet in Harlem and theatre In the Shadow of My Son at Soho Playhouse) and Steve Garfanti (HBO series Show Me A Hero and Boardwalk Empire).

Playwright Joseph Lizardi was born in Puerto Rico and raised in the South Bronx A veteran playwright, some of his notable New York productions include Blue Collars at Arena Players, Long Island Repertory Theater, The Commitment at New Federal Theater, The Contract at Carnegie Hall Repertory Theater, El Macho at Puerto Rican Traveling Theater and Through the Minds of Three at Manhattan Repertory Theater.

This August, Lizardi will have his 16th play in the Strawberry One-Act Festival.

"His new play, The Big Flush, a hilarious political comedy, will be running at the festival," said Fisher. "His one-act play Heroes was recently published in the book Volume 7 of The Best Plays From The Strawberry One-Act Festival."

For tickets go to www.therianttheatre.com.