Einstein's Gift Begins Performances Saturday October 1

Performances begin this Saturday for the Epic Theatre Center / United States Premiere of Einstein's Gift, a new play by Vern Thiessen, at the Acorn Theatre (410 West 42nd Street).

Shawn Elliott assumes the role of 'Albert Einstein,' alongside Aasif Mandvi, who plays 'Dr. Fritz Haber', the prize-winning German chemist. The cast also features James Wallert, Melissa Friedman, Sarah Winkler, Glenn Flesher, Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr., and Nilaja Sun.

Mr. Elliott has appeared on Broadway in Marie Christine and City of Angels, among others, and on television as Judge Joe Rivera on "Law and Order." Mr. Mandvi is currently appearing in the Williamstown Theatre Festival production of Tom Stoppard's On the Razzle, and has appeared on the New York stage in Sakina's Restaurant (Obie Award), Guantanamo and Homebody/Kabul. His countless film appearances include Spider Man 2, Analyze This, The Siege, and Die Hard 3. He stars in the upcoming new Tom Fontana television series, "The Bedford Diaries."

Ms. Friedman and Mr. Wallert performed the roles of 'Hannah Arendt' and 'Gunther Stern' respectively in the acclaimed Epic Theatre Company production of Hannah & Martin. Ms. Sun most recently received acclaim for her solo work, Blues for a Gray Sun, at INTAR, where she was also featured in Eduardo Machado's The Cook.

Performances of Einstein's Gift begin Saturday, October 1, with an opening night scheduled for Thursday, October 6, coinciding with the nationwide centennial celebration of Albert Einstein's "miracle year" and the fiftieth anniversary of his death. The production will be directed by Ron Russell (Hannah & Martin). The run continues through Sunday, November 6.

The winner of the 2003 Governor General Award for Drama ("The Canadian Pulitzer"), Einstein's Gift centers on the relationship between Albert Einstein and Fritz Haber, two world famous scientists who shared little in common, but each witnessed their great discoveries used for massive destruction.

Vern Thiessen is a highly acclaimed Canadian playwright who has, to date, received little attention in the United States. His other plays include Shakespeare's Will, Apple, Blowfish, and The Resurrection of John Frum. He wrote the screenplay for the award-winning short, Samurai Swing, which has appeared at numerous film festivals and on CBC Television. He is the former President of the Playwrights Guild of Canada.

Epic Theatre Center is the New York-based, Obie Award-winning company dedicated to nurturing civic-minded artists and audiences. The company's first official day of operation was September 11, 2001, but rather than be deterred by world events, Epic's founders were further galvanized to create a company that embraces theatre as a way to empower diverse voices and inspire social change. Epic's highly innovative education programs in public schools throughout New York and the Northeast, as well as their efforts to bring first-time theatergoers to their Off-Broadway productions and new play workshops have garnered the company its most rapid acclaim. In addition, last spring's sold-out premiere of Kate Fodor's acclaimed Hannah & Martin (starring David Strathairn), among numerous other productions, has elevated Epic's profile among the more traditional Off-Broadway audience.

The performance schedule for Einstein's Gift is as follows: Tuesday - Saturday at 8 p.m.; with matinees on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

Special student matinees at 2 p.m. are scheduled for the following: 10/11 - 12; 10/20; 10/27; 11/3. For tickets, Call TicketCentral (212) 279-4200. Ticketcentral.com