Plays & Players Announce CONCRETE DINOSAUR

Plays & Players, Center City Philadelphia's longest continually operated theater at 1714 Delancey Place, will present the world premier of Concrete Dinosaur by Nicholas Wardigo running January 7 - 24 in the 3rd Floor Skinner Studio.

Amidst a sprawling garden in Wynnewood, PA, a sculpture of a protoceratops looms over Angelica Busso and her friends as they prepare for a spirited evening of conversation, croquet and cocktails. Joining them for the game is Angelica's daughter, Marta, who is home on break from graduate school while working on a cure for squirrel over-population, and their sexy house boy, Dennis, each with their own secrets to hide. As the competition begins, more than just points are tallied. These "Desperate Housewives of the Main Line" sift through one another's sordid pasts and settle old scores.

Nicholas Wardigo is a recipient of the Roger Cornish Award, as well as Fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts and the Pew Fellowships in the Arts. He has enjoyed productions and/or staged readings with Theatre Exile, Flashpoint Theatre Company, Philadelphia Theatre Workshop, The Brick Playhouse and InterAct Theatre Company. Previous projects have included writing the script for The 2006 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre. He also wrote the well-received Exit, Corpse which appeared at Plays & Players last season.

Concrete Dinosaur is directed by Carol Laratonda, founding member and Producing Artistic Director of Simpatico Theatre Project. In the past, she has lent her special vision to programs with Theatre Catalyst, Philadelphia's Eternal Spiral Project, Theatre Exile, Luna Theatre Company and Wilma Theatre Company among others. In March 2009, she will direct Eugene O'Neill's "Long Days Journey Into Night" for Simpatico Theatre Project.

Concrete Dinosaur stars five local Philadelphia actors, Aileen Goldberg, Polly MacIntyre, Peggy Smith, Lora Mirigliani and Armando Batista.

Performances are slated for January 7 - 24, Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 4pm. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door for adults, $15 student rush, and $10 for groups of 10 or more. January 7 and 8 are special preview performances, and regular priced tickets will be $5 off. There will also be a talkback with the show's playwright and director hosted by the resident dramaturg, Martha Wade Steketee of PDC (Philadelphia Dramatists Center) after the Sunday January 10 performance. All performances will be given in Plays & Players Skinner Studio on the third floor at 1714 Delancey Place (between Spruce & Pine Streets). Tickets may be purchased at www.playsandplayers.org or by calling (800) 595-4TIX. For further information, call (215) 735-0630.

ABOUT PLAYS & PLAYERS - Plays & Players is celebrating its 98th Season of performance in Philadelphia. Located in the historic Plays & Players Theatre at 1714 Delancey Place, which includes two performance spaces, Plays & Players offers year-round memberships that include both social and entertainment possibilities. To learn more about memberships go to www.playsandplayers.org or call (215) 735-0630.

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