Barefoot Theater Co Presents THE 70/70 HOROVITZ PROJECT 3/31

NYC's Barefoot Theatre Company will present THE 70/70 HOROVITZ PROJECT, a worldwide, year-long celebration of the 70th birthday of internationally-acclaimed playwright Israel Horovitz. Barefoot will lead over 50 theatre companies from around the globe including France, Italy, Greece, Czech Republic, Scotland, Australia, England, Scandinavia, the Middle East, Japan, Korea & the United States, performing readings, staged readings & fully staged productions of 70 of Horovitz's plays. THE 70/70 HOROVITZ PROJECT will begin with a gala & a reading of Sins of the Mother (directed by Jo Bonney) at the Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street on Israel's birthday, March 31, 2009 & will continue throughout the following year, ending on March 31, 2010. The evening will be hosted by Barefoot Theatre Company Advisory Board Member, Pierre Dulaine. The entire Barefoot Theatre Company will be present at the event to greet all guests, along with the Horovitz family.

One of the world's most prolific contemporary playwrights, Israel Horovitz has written more than 70 plays which have been translated & performed in as many as 30 languages, worldwide. As producer of the event, Barefoot Theatre Company will present both readings & fully staged productions in NYC, as well as hosting both the opening & closing ceremonies. Barefoot Theatre Company will be hosted in New York City by such theatre venues as the Bleecker Street Theatre, Theatre for the New City, La Mama, The Cherry Lane Theatre, American Ballroom Theatre, Horsetrade Theatre, IONA College & Brooklyn College. Joining the Barefoot ensemble on the East Coast are The Rising Phoenix Repertory, The R.E.A.L Theatre, KEF Productions, Stella Adler Studio & Gloucester Stage Company.

Events will feature drinks sponsored by Barefoot Wines & Bubbly as well as Live Music including, a brunch with Barefoot Ensemble & playwright Israel Horovitz. Scheduled is the fully staged NYC revival of Horovitz' most controversial play, The Widow's Blind Date, featuring Barefoot Artistic Director Francisco Solorzano & directed by Barefoot founding member Michael LoPorto. Barefoot Theatre Company will present over 30 titles which will include four fully staged productions. Several events will be followed by Audience Talk-backs with playwright Israel Horovitz, cast & directors. This year-long event is sponsored by The Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street, Barefoot's official headquarters. A portion of the profits from Barefoot's presentation will be donated to charity.

Israel Horovitz, one of America's most produced playwrights at home & abroad, is author of such award-winning plays as The Indian Wants the Bronx, which introduced Al Pacino & John Cazale in its 1968 NYC premiere; Line, which introduced Richard Dreyfuss (a revival of Line has been running for 36 consecutive years at Off-Broadway's 13th Street Repertory Theatre); The Primary English Class, which starred Diane Keaton in its NYC premiere; Park Your Car in Harvard Yard, which starred Jason Robards in its Broadway premiere; My Old Lady, which is now performing in more than a dozen countries around the globe. Horovitz's many awards include the OBIE (twice), the Prix de Plaisir du Théâtre, The Prix Italia (for radio plays), The Sony Radio Academy Award (for Man in Snow), The European Academy Award & The Writers Guild of Canada Best Screenwriter Award (both for Sunshine), The Christopher Award, the Drama Desk Award (twice), an Award in Literature of the American Academy of Arts & Letters, the Elliot Norton Prize, a Lifetime Achievement Award from B'Nai Brith, the Literature Prize of Washington College, an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Salem (Massachusetts) State College, Boston Public Library's Literary Lights Award, the Walker Hancock Prize, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts & many others. Mr. Horovitz is Founding Artistic Director of Gloucester Stage & the New York Playwrights Lab.

Barefoot Theatre Company was founded in 1999 & has since produced over sixty plays including readings, workshops & fully staged productions. Barefoot most recently developed & mounted the stage adaptation of Sidney Lumet's 1975 Academy Award winning film, Dog Day Afternoon. Presented at NYC's Theatre Row Theatres in the summer of 08', Dog Day Afternoon played to sold-out audiences and rave reviews. Currently residing at the Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street with the bareNaked Reading Series (evenings designed to foster playwrights & new works), Barefoot has presented plays by Mary Gallagher, Israel Horovitz, Joe Pintauro, Carmen Rivera & emerging playwrights Joseph Sousa, Stephen Gracia & students of South Side High School in Rockville Centre, NY. Made up of 25 actors, directors & playwrights, Barefoot Theatre Company has had the good fortune of working closely with Israel Horovitz for close to a decade. Due to this collaboration with Israel, Barefoot has been invited to perform at Gloucester Stage Company as well as participate at the Boston Theatre Marathon several times. Barefoot Theatre Company is the winner of an OOBR Award for excellence in theater & the recipient of three New York Innovative Theatre Award nominations.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

March 31st:
Opening of the festival on Horovitz's 70th birthday, Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at the Bleecker Street Theatre as Jo Bonney directs a reading of his full length play, Sins of the Mother. The Red-Carpet event will begin with a cocktail hour at 6:30pm sponsored by Two Boots Pizzeria, Starbucks Coffee, Samuel French Play Publishers, Barefoot Wines & Bubbly & Smith & Krauss. The cocktail hour will also feature live music and NYC artists' original paintings inspired by Horovitz's Sins of the Mother. The reading will begin at 8pm. 90 minutes running time. No intermission.

Admission: $35 in advance/$40 at the door includes VIP Seating, Cocktail Hour w/complimentary wine, beer & drinks, hors d'oeuvres & Gift Bag.

Barefoot Theatre Company's Schedule of Events

April
Open Rehearsals of three short critically acclaimed political dramas: Security, A Mother's Love, & Beirut Rocks being presented as a workshop with Security as a reading, A Mother's Love as a staged reading & Beirut Rocks being fully staged. The workshop will culminate with a presentation at a special bareNaked Reading Series at the Bleecker Street Theatre (admission: $10) & on Friday, April 17th at IONA College in New Rochelle (free admission). The open rehearsals prior to the Bleecker Street Theatre & IONA College performances will take place in New York City. The workshop will be directed by Barefoot resident director & co-founder Michael LoPorto & feature Barefoot cast members who originated the roles in all three plays including, Francisco Solorzano, Victoria Malvagno, Christopher Whalen, Ana Maria Correa & Gil Ron.

May
A reading of one of Horovitz's earlier short plays, Acrobats paired with one of his latest, The Marriage Play will be presented at The American Ballroom Theatre Company on Saturday, May 9th in a festive evening of ballroom dancing, drinks & a silent auction. Admission: $20.

Open Rehearsals of Horovitz's drama The Widow's Blind Date will also be scheduled at the Stella Adler Studio Theatre - (Free Admission)

June
The New York City Revival of Israel Horovitz's The Widow's Blind Date featuring Barefoot Producing Artistic Director Francisco Solorzano & Sean Meehan & directed by Michael LoPorto.

The Cherry Lane Theatre hosts the Barefoot Theatre Company in reading of four full length plays including Unexpected Tenderness, North Shore Fish, Captains and Courage & Barking Sharks on four consecutive Mondays Admission: suggested donation of pay what you can.

July
Barefoot Theatre Company goes West the first week of July, with a cast of celebrities reading classic & recent plays at prominent theatre venues in Hollywood, CA.

September/October
Theatre for the New City presents the Barefoot Theatre Company with the fully staged production of 6 Hotels which includes: IT Award nominated The Hotel Play; brand new plays: 2nd Violin, Speaking of Tushy & Fiddleheads & Lovers; & Fat Guy Gets The Girl.

Barefoot Theatre Company celebrates it's 10th Anniversary with a brunch open to the public with theatre companies from all over New York City coming together. Readings of The Indian Wants the Bronx, Hopscotch, the 75th, Shooting Gallery & Rats.

An evening of Poetry by Israel Horovitz will be read at a prominent NYC poetry club.

November
Reading of Horovitz's earlier short plays such as the Honest-to-God Schnozzola at a site specific location.

Development & workshop of Horovitz's full length drama, Henry Lumper begins at Brooklyn College. The fully staged production will take place at prominent Off-Broadway venue in March.

December
During the Holiday Season, The Horsetrade Theatre Co. presents the Barefoot Theatre Company with the fully staged production of Horovitz's adaptation of A Christmas Carol: Scrooge & Marley along with readings of plays such as Morning, The P-Word, CatLady & more during off nights.

February
Open Rehearsals - Barefoot's rehearsal/development of Henry Lumper presented at Brooklyn College, City University of NY.
.
March
The New York City Off-Broadway Premiere of Henry Lumper featuring the Barefoot Theatre Company.

CLOSING EVENT: on March 31, 2010, the event will culminate with the screening of a film documenting this year-long event. The film will be put together by Horovitz's youngest son, twin, Oliver Horovitz. The evening will also include a reading & live music, as well as food & drinks.

Collections of Israel Horovitz's plays, courtesy of Smith & Krauss, Samuel French Play Publishers & Dramatist Play Service will be available at all events for purchase.
www.barefoottheatrecompany.org