East Village Theater Festival Begins At The Metropolitan Playhouse 8/3-23

Metropolitan Playhouse, the "indispensible East Village institution" (nytheatre.com), presents the first annual East Village Theater Festival, a three-week celebration of the changing culture of the East Village. Combining two of the theater's annual new works series (Alphabet City and East Village Chronicles) and featuring the work of local artists and musicians, the festival will be held every day of the week in Metropolitan's home at 220 E 4th Street August 3rd through 23rd, 2009.

The East Village Theater Festival includes a total of 8 new short plays, 6 new solo performances, a reading of a full-length play, and a panel discussion with local documentarians and neighborhood advocates. The festival will also feature receptions for three local artists whose work will appear in the theater lobby, and pre-show performances by local musicians.

The production offerings include two series of new works, each in their 6th year. First are the Alphabet City Monologues, derived verbatim from interviews with local residents, have featured over 40 neighbors since 2003, including both prominent and unknown artists and advocates; entrepreneurs and street figures, drug dealers and care-givers. Better known partners include Hilly Christal of CBGB's; photographer Marlis Momber; street philosopher and artist de la Vega; Bill diPaola of Time's Up; Eddie Boros of Avenue B Garden; and "Mosaic Man" Jim Power. Under the direction of Derek Jamison, this year's series includes performance/portrayals by downtown artists Teresa Kelsey as bartender Joan Ryan, Keri Setaro as burlesque performer Peekaboo Point, Abraham Sparrow as Sheriff (and former undercover cop) Jerry Speziale, Lisa Barnes as recent Russian emigrée Luydmilla, Jared Houseman, and Danielle Quisenberry

The East Village Chronicles are new plays inspired by the contemporary life, the persistent lore and the diverse history of the neighborhood. This year's collection, selected from submissions to the theme "Getting By" includes plays by award-winning and prolific authors from New York City and around the country: The Alamo by Michael Bettencourt, Promising by Pam Dickler, The East Fourth Street Years by Morna Murphy Martell, Getting By: The First 5 Days by George Holets, Tha Bess Shit by Chad Beckim, Tower of Toys by Jackob G. Hofmann, Day Old Bread by Robert Anthony, and Cheese by Diane Spodarek.

The festival will also include three special events Monday evenings at 8:
An opening reception on Monday, August 3rd; a reading of Judy Chicurel's Tales from Beautiful Pearl's on Monday, August 10th; and a discussion panel with local documentarians, advocates, and politicians Monday, August 17th.

Exhibitions of the work of East Village Artists will run throughout the festival in the theater's lobby (shared with the Connelly Theater.) Week one features multi-media artist and performer Little Annie (Annie Bendez O'Connor); Week three features comic book artist and documenter of the Lower East Side James Romberger (Week two is yet to be determined.). Receptions for each artist will be held at 7 pm on Monday August 3, 10, and 17.

Metropolitan Playhouse explores America's theatrical heritage through forgotten plays of the past and new plays of American historical and cultural moment. Called a "theatrical archaeologist extraordinaire" by Backstage, Metropolitan has earned accolades from The New York Times, The Village Voice, and The New Yorker as well for its ongoing mission to produce theater that illuminates who we are by revealing where we have come from. Recent productions include It Pays to Advertise, Power, Nowadays, Year One of the Empire, The Pioneer: 5 plays by Eugene O'Neill, Denial and The Melting Pot, as well as this year's Melvillapalooza.

The East Village Theater Festival begins with an opening reception Monday, August 3rd, and runs through Sunday, August 23rd. Performances run Tuesdays through Sundays at 8pm; with matinees Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and $10 for Children under 18. Discount passes are available for multiple events.

To purchase tickets online visit www.metropolitanplayhouse.org, theatermania, or call The Playhouse at 212 995 5302.