LCT3's STUNNING to Open at the Duke 6/1

LCT3, Lincoln Center Theater's new initiative devoted to producing work of emerging playwrights, directors and designers, will produce STUNNING, a new play by David Adjmi, directed by Anne Kaufmann, as the second offering of its inaugural season.  STUNNING will be presented June 1 – 27, 2009 at The Duke on 42nd Street, a New 42nd Street project, (229 W. 42 Street).

Set in the insular Syrian-Jewish community in Midwood, Brooklyn STUNNING tells the story of Lily, a teenager newly married to a much older man, whose sheltered life is disrupted when Blanche, an African-American housekeeper enters her life.

STUNNING will feature Charlayne Woodard as Blanche and will have sets by David Korins, costumes by Miranda Hoffman, lighting by Japhy Weideman and sound by Rob Kaplowitz.  Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

David Adjmi is the author of the plays Strange Attractors (Empty Space Theatre), The Evildoers (Yale Rep), Elective Affinities (Royal Court, RSC/Stratford and Soho Theatre), Marie Antoinette (Sundance/Public NYSF Residency) and Caligula (Soho Rep).

Anne Kauffmann received an Obie Award for her direction of The Thugs by Adam Bock at Soho Rep. Other recent directing credits include God's Ear by Jenny Schwartz (New Georges Theatre and the Vineyard Theatre), Have You Seen Steve Steven by Ann Marie Healy (13P), Doubt by John Patrick Shanley and Expecting Isabel by Lisa Loomer (Asolo Repertory Theater) and Act A Lady by Jordan Harrison (Humana Festival)

Citing the need to develop strong relationships with a new generation of artists, and recognizing the frustrations that young playwrights have with the current system of readings and workshops, Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Artistic Director Andre Bishop and Executive Producer, Bernard Gersten) created LCT3 to offer emerging artists fully staged, modestly budgeted productions.  All tickets to LCT3 productions will be priced at an affordable $20.00.  Lincoln Center Theater's long term plans for LCT3 call for the creation of a permanent venue to present the work of these artists; to that end a 99-seat theater will be built in or near Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.  For the first three years, until its new theater is ready, LCT3 will present its productions each year at an off-site theater.  Paige Evans is the Director of LCT3.

LCT3's first production Clay, a hip-hop musical written, scored and performed by Matt Sax and developed in collaboration with and directed by Eric Rosen, is currently running at The Duke on 42nd Street through Satutday, November 8.

In addition to Clay, Lincoln Center Theater is currently presenting the critically acclaimed, award-winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific, winner of 7 2008 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival, directed by Bartlett Sher at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, Horton Foote's Dividing The Estate, directed by Michael Wilson, on Broadway at the Booth Theatre and Noah Haidle's Saturn Returns, directed by Nicholas Martin, at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater.

Founded in 1990, The New 42nd Street is an independent, nonprofit organization charged with long-term responsibility for seven historic theaters on 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. In addition to running The New Victory, The New 42nd Street built and operates the New 42nd Street Studios - a ten-story building of rehearsal studios, offices and a 199-seat theater named The Duke on 42nd StreetSM - for national and international performing arts companies. Since its opening on June 21, 2000, the New 42nd Street Studios has been fully occupied by both nonprofit and commercial theater, dance and opera companies. With these institutions and the other properties under its guardianship, The New 42nd Street plays a pivotal role in fostering the continued revival of this famous street at the Crossroads of the World.

Designed by Charles Platt and Ray Dovell of Platt Byard Dovell Architects, the New 42nd Street Studios opened on June 21, 2000.  This 84,000 square foot building consists of five floors of rehearsal studios, three floors of office space for nonprofit performing arts companies; and a 199-seat theater appreciatively named The Duke on 42nd Street in recognition of a generous grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.  The largely glass building was conceived as a "structure of light" in collaboration with lighting designer Anne Militello.  An innovative system of multicolored lights play across the façade of the building, with a translucent "light screen" encasing the space for The Duke on 42nd Street and a 175-foot wand of light soaring skyward at the west end of the building.  By day, the building stands as a work of post-modern architecture; by night, it is a fantasy of light and motion, hinting at the creative processes transpiring within.

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