The Public Theatre News

'HOW TO BE A GOOD ITALIAN DAUGHTER (In Spite of Myself),' a play written and performed by Antoinette LaVecchia, will be presented this fall Off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre's Studio Theatre (38 Commerce St.), with preview performances starting October 3 prior to a new official opening night set for Monday, October 12, 2009 - Columbus Day, a day of celebration for Italian-Americans.

The Archery Contest delivers a risqué, daring and hyper-stylized sex comedy that shoots straight into the heart of marriage in America. Behind this Technicolor Romantic Pastoral lies a glittering and scathing indictment of rules and regulations, rituals, and rites of spring. A foursome and a sexton breach the boundaries of matrimonial shackles and dive headlong into a hedonistic lifestyle with complex consequences.

The Theatre School at DePaul University's Showcase Series of Contemporary Plays and Classics presents 1001 by Jason Grote, directed by Carlos Murillo. This timely and compelling tale opens Friday, October 2 and runs through Sunday, October 11, 2009, at DePaul's historic Merle Reskin Theatre. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. Previews are on September 30 and October 1 at 7:30 PM.

If you don't remember the '60s... you were probably there! Rick Sparks directs Guerin Barry, John Bigham, Bruce Katzman, Kelly Lester and Tait Ruppert in a world premiere comedy about lost dreams set in the San Fernando Valley.

Kate Dawson presents the second encore return of her wildly successful show The Asshole In My Head, her hysterical one-woman show told through stories and song.

terraNOVA Collective returns October 1, 2009 at 10:00pm with SUBTERRANEAN, their monthly performance party in the D-Lounge, a 75-seat cabaret-style venue below the Daryl Roth Theatre at 101 East 15th Street at Union Square.

Theater heavyweights Leslie Uggams, Clifton Davis, Alan Campbell, Leslie Becker, Sherry Boone, and Rodney Hicks will premiere tomorrow in The Rebel Theater Company's staged reading series of LITTLE ROCK written and directed by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj. LITTLE ROCK presents untold stories of nine young teenagers otherwise known as the 'Little Rock Nine' and their struggles, strengths, hardships, and triumphs over the tragic events of the 1957 Little Rock crisis. The readings will be September 29th at 7pm, and September 30th at 12noon and 7pm at Union Square Theater.

Rebel Theater Company will present a series of staged readings of Little Rock written and directed by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj. Little Rock presents untold stories of nine young teenagers otherwise known as ?Little Rock Nine? and their struggles, strengths, hardships, and triumphs over the tragic events of the 1957 Little Rock crisis. The readings will be September 29th at 7pm, September 30th at 12noon and 7pm at Union Square Theater, 100 East 17 Street. Seating is limited. For ticket information, contact wicgrsvp@gmail.com.

Academy Award nominated director Spike Lee, the award winning Culture Project, Steve Colman and Jayson Jackson in association with The Public Theater present County of Kings. Written and performed by Lemon Andersen (Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam), and directed by Elise Thoron, County of Kings begins performances Tuesday, September 29 for a six week limited engagement at The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street.

Theater heavyweights Leslie Uggams, Clifton Davis, Alan Campbell, Leslie Becker, Sherry Boone, and Rodney Hicks will premiere tomorrow in The Rebel Theater Company's staged reading series of LITTLE ROCK written and directed by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj. LITTLE ROCK presents untold stories of nine young teenagers otherwise known as the 'Little Rock Nine' and their struggles, strengths, hardships, and triumphs over the tragic events of the 1957 Little Rock crisis. The readings will be September 29th at 7pm, and September 30th at 12noon and 7pm at Union Square Theater.

The Theatre School at DePaul University is pleased to announce that Carlos Murillo will share the duties of Co-Head of Playwriting with Dean Corrin for the 2009-2010 academic year. Murillo will then transition into the position of Head of Playwriting for the 2010-2011 school year.

Theater heavyweights Leslie Uggams, Clifton Davis, Alan Campbell, Leslie Becker, Sherry Boone, and Rodney Hicks will premiere tomorrow in The Rebel Theater Company's staged reading series of LITTLE ROCK written and directed by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj. LITTLE ROCK presents untold stories of nine young teenagers otherwise known as the 'Little Rock Nine' and their struggles, strengths, hardships, and triumphs over the tragic events of the 1957 Little Rock crisis. The readings will be September 29th at 7pm, and September 30th at 12noon and 7pm at Union Square Theater.

Cait Doyle's Hot Mess in Manhattan (2009 MAC Award for Best Female Debut) returns to the Duplex (61 Christopher Street at Seventh Avenue) with it's 'Bridal Mess' on October 3rd at 9:30pm.

Veteran director Anne Bogart and her innovative SITI Company are pleased to announce their 2009-2010 first full-New York season. Considered by many to be one of America's national treasures, the ensemble theater company SITI has garnered praise for its thought-provoking and visually compelling work, emphasizing the cross-cultural exchange of dance, music and art, and international collaborations.

STOOP STORIES, currently playing at the Goodman Theatre, is a solo performance piece definitely worth exploring, though a slightly disjointed evening awaits.

La Jolla Playhouse is pleased to announce the complete cast of its world-premiere musical Bonnie & Clyde, music by Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel), lyrics by Tony Award-winner Don Black (Sunset Boulevard, Song and Dance), book by Ivan Menchell (The Cemetery Club, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), with direction and musical staging by Jeff Calhoun (Deaf West's Big River and Pippin, Grease!), playing November 10 - December 20, 2009 in the Playhouse's Mandell Weiss Theatre.

Burning Coal Theatre Company's 2009/2010 LobbyLectures series begins on Saturday, September 26th at 6 pm with A CONVERSATION WITH GERALD FREEDMAN. Gerald Freedman directed the original production of Ragni, Rado & McDermott's HAIR at Joseph Papp's Public Theatre in 1967. He is currently Dean of the School of Drama at UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem.

New York's OBIE Award-winning Epic Theatre Ensemble (Zak Berkman, Melissa Friedman, Ron Russell, Founding Executive Directors)

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company continues Season 30, the 2009-10 Season, with a creative staging of FULL CIRCLE by Charles L. Mee (Big Love, bobrauschenbergamerica) that will be performed throughout the Woolly facility.

As reported yesterday, Givenik.com announced that they are holding a raffle at this year's Broadway Flea Market as part of a partnership with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Today they announced that celebrity participants scheduled to appear include: Kevin Cahoon, Colman Domingo, the Tribe of HAIR, Max Von Essen, Ash Folk, Patrick Heusinger and Reshma Shetty.