New York's OBIE Award-winning Epic Theatre Ensemble (Zak Berkman, Founding Producer/Executive Director) will offer free staged readings of two new plays by Ari Roth of Washington DC's Theater J: Born Guilty and The Wolf In Peter (Or My Meeting In The Beer Tent With Jorg) both under the direction of Epic's Will Pomerantz and featuring Betsy Aidem, Laura Heisler, Elizabeth Rich, and Rick Roucheux. Performances are Sunday, January 18 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at the Manhattan Theatre Club Studios (311 West 43rd Street). The events are open to the public.
15 years ago, Ari Roth received widespread acclaim for Born Guilty, a play based on the internationally renowned book by the Austrian Jewish journalist Peter Sichrovsky. Roth not only adapted Sichrovsky's interviews with children of Nazi's and SS Officers, but he also chronicled the impact of this experience on Peter himself. The New York Times heralded the play as "powerful" and "a searing drama".
Spurred by his personal experiences and a variety of stunning revelations since the premiere of Born Guilty, Roth has now written a sequel: The Wolf In Peter (Or My Meeting In The Beer Tent With Jorg). Here Roth makes himself a character, experiencing his own journey of self-discovery as he travels to Europe and risks nearly everything to confront Peter for his seemingly inexplicable decision to become a member of Austrian's right-wing Freedom Party and ally himself with its outspoken leader, Jorg Haider.
Born Guilty is based on the book by Peter Sichrovsky and was originally commissioned and Produced by Arena Stage; The Wolf In Peter (Or My Meeting In The Beer Tent With Jorg), originally titled Peter and the Wolf (and Me), was commissioned by the National Foundation for Jewish Culture's New Play Commission in Jewish Theater and Daryl Roth. It was first produced at Theater J in Washington DC, subsequently produced at Jewish Theatre of the South, Atlanta.
Admission is FREE and open to the public. Reservations are required and can be made via email at EpicTheatreCtr@aol.com or by calling (212) 239-1770.
