E.S.T. One-Act Festival Includes LaBute, Cho, Etc.

Ensemble Studio Theatre will present Marathon 2007, E.S.T.'s 29th festival of new one-act plays, at E.S.T. (549 West 52nd Street). Performances begin Thursday May 31st, and continue through Sunday, June 30th.

Marathon 2007 offers nine World Premieres and one NYC Premiere of one-act plays in two separate evenings. The two series will run in rotating repertory for 16 performances each (a detailed schedule of the series follows below; final casting will be announced shortly).

The playwrights contributing to Marathon 2007 are Billy Aronson, Julia Cho, Elizabeth Diggs, Amy Fox, Edith Freni, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Neil LaBute, Wendy MacLeod, Daniel Reitz, and Peter Sagal.

Since its inception in 1978, the Marathon has featured new short works by such noted playwrights as Leslie Ayvazian, Christopher Durang, Horton Foote, Herb Gardner, Frank Gilroy, Richard Greenberg, John Guare, Tina Howe, David Ives, Michael John LaChiusa, Craig Lucas, David Mamet, Steve Martin, Arthur Miller, Marsha Norman, Joyce Carol Oates, Paul Rudnick, John Patrick Shanley, Shel Silverstein, Wendy Wasserstein and Tennessee Williams. Past Marathon plays have gone on to full scale Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theatre productions. The E.S.T. Marathon has been hailed as America's preeminent forum for one-act plays.

Ensemble Studio Theatre is a not-for-profit developmental theatre founded in 1972 with two primary goals: to nurture individual theatre artists, and to develop new American plays. Under the guidance of founder Curt Dempster, the theatre's membership grew from a core of 20 artists to a flourishing community of nearly 450 theatre artists of the highest caliber. Among them are winners of accolades and higher awards including Pulitzer Prizes, Oscars, Tonys, Emmys, and Obies. E.S.T. is a lifelong artistic home for its member playwrights, directors, actors, designers, technical personnel, and administrators. Each year, the Ensemble produces over 300 projects, including readings, staged readings, and fully produced mainstage full-lengths.

Performances will be Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday Evenings at 7pm and Friday and Saturday evenings at 8pm with Matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm, except where indicated. Tickets are $18 each. Tickets may be ordered by calling 212/352-3101, or online at www.TheaterMania.com.  A schedule follows:

SERIES A: May 31st – June 20th

SERIES A
Things We Said Today by Neil LaBute, director: Andrew McCarthy*
First Tree in Antarctica by Julia Cho, director: Kate Whoriskey; with Michi Barall, John Norman Schneider
My Dog Heart by Edith Freni, director: John Gould Rubin; with Brian Fenkart, Brian Avers, Pepper Binkley
The News by Billy Aronson*, director: Jamie Richards*; with Diana Ruppe*, Geneva Carr*, Thomas Lyons*, Grant Shaud*
The Probabilities by Wendy MacLeod, director: Karen Kohlhaas; with Bruce MacVittie*

Performance Schedule
May 31 at 7pm, June 1 at 8pm, June 2 at 3pm & 8pm, June 3 at 7pm, June 4 at 7pm, June 6 at 7pm, June 7 at 7pm, June 8 at 8pm, June 9 at 3 & 8pm, June 10 at 3pm, June 11 at 7pm, June 16 at 3pm, June 17 at 3pm, and June 20 at 7pm.

SERIES B
Priceless by Elizabeth Diggs*, director: Mary Robinson*
Yelba, Princess of 10th Avenue by Stephen Adly Guirgis, director: TBD; cast: Elizabeth Rodriguez, Ron Cephas Jones
Self-Portrait in a Blue Room by Daniel Reitz, director: Pamela Berlin* cast: Larry Pine & Chris Stack
Casting by Amy Fox*, director: Nela Wagman Milton Bradley by Peter Sagal, director: Susan Einhorn

Performance Schedule
June 15 at 8pm, June 16 at 8pm, June 17 at 3pm, June 18 at 7pm, June 21 at 7pm, June 22 at 8pm, June 23 at 3pm & 8pm, June 24 at 3pm & 8pm, June 25 at 7pm, June 27 at 7pm, June 28 at 7pm, June 29 at 8pm, June 30 at 3pm and 8pm.

*Indicates Ensemble Studio Theatre member artist