Epic Theatre Ensemble Announces 5th Annual Sunshine Series Line-up, Begins 5/28

New York's OBIE Award-winning Epic Theatre Ensemble (Zak Berkman, Melissa Friedman, Ron Russell, Founding Executive Directors) has announced the lineup for the fifth annual Sunshine Series 2009, a play reading festival nurturing new political plays. The free staged-readings begin May 28th at the East 13th Street Theatre (136 East 13th Street, between 3rd & 4th Avenues, just southeast of Union Square) where Epic is currently presenting the World Premiere of A More Perfect Union by Vern Thiessen.

All readings are FREE and open to the public. Reservations are required and can be made via email at EpicTheatreCtr@aol.com, or by calling (212) 239-1770.

SUNSHINE SERIES SCHEDULE

Mahida's Extra Key To Heaven

By Russell Davis

Directed by Will Pomerantz

Cast: Amir Arison, Roxanna Hope, Michele Pawk, James Wallert

May 28 @ 7:00 p.m.

In The Crossing

By Leila Buck

Directed by Shana Gold

Cast: Leila Buck

June 4 @ 3:00 p.m.

A Night in Seville

A rock-us adaptation of Pierre Corneille's The Cid

Book, Music and Lyrics by James Wallert

Directed by Ron Russell

Musical Direction by Brian J. Nash

Cast: Shawn Elliott, Suzanne Grodner, Chris Hoch,

Rachael Holmes, Jacob Ming-Trent

June 8 @ 7:00 p.m.

June 9 @ 2:00 p.m.

Hell & High Water

By Yvette Sirker

Directed by Daniella Topol

Cast: Todd D'Amour, Danyon Davis, Harriett D. Foy, Yvette Ganier, Jordan Mahomes, Nat McIntyre, Vernice Miller, Kate Pozakis, Sarah Simmons

June 10 @ 7:00 p.m.

Home Front

by Warren Leight

Directed by Evan Yionoulis

Dramaturgy by Len Berkman

Cast: Billy Eugene Jones, Keith Nobbs, Halley Pfeiffer

June 11 @ 7:00 p.m.

East of Berlin

by Hannah Moscovitch

directed by Sara Botsford

Cast: TBD

June 14 @ 3:00p.m.

This Side Of Paradise

Book by Nancy Harrow & Will Pomerantz,

Music & Lyrics by Nancy Harrow,

Directed by Will Pomerantz

Musical Direction by Russ Kassoff

Cast: Stephen Bel Davies, Abe Goldfarb, Michael Shawn Lewis, Garret Long, Maureen Mueller, Jenny Powers

June 15 @ 7:00 p.m.

June 16 @ 2:00 p.m.

Sunshine Series plays that have gone onto receive full fledged productions include the acclaimed award winning Off-Broadway smash No Child... by Nilaja Sun, Palace of the End by Judith Thompson, and Beauty on the Vine by Zak Berkman.

Epic Theater Ensemble is a company of Citizen-Artists using theatre to inspire dialogue about vital social, ethical, and political issues. Epic's mission is to build citizenship in communities throughout the city by producing socially-minded plays Off-Broadway, and connecting these plays to the NYC Public Schools via ground-breaking, fully-integrated artist residencies. Using theatrical participation to foster dialogue on the complex relationships between individuals and their civic context, Epic's artists champion the belief that a theatre which addresses social issues is critical to the health of our democracy.

Winner of OBIE, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics, and OTTO Awards, Epic Theatre Ensemble was founded in 2001 by Zak Berkman, Melissa Friedman, Teri Lamm, Ron Russell and James Wallert. Additional Producing Artists are Will Pomerantz, Godfrey L. Simmons Jr. and Sarah Winkler. Epic's past productions include Nilaja Sun's No Child..., which Epic commissioned, developed and premiered before its commercial transfer and national tour, as well as premieres of Palace of the End by Judith Thompson (Epic Commission, 2008 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Winner), A Hard Heart by Howard Barker (featuring Kathleen Chalfant), Beauty on the Vine by Zak Berkman (featuring Olivia Wilde), Hannah and Martin by Kate Fodor (featuring David Strathairn), Einstein's Gift by Vern Thiessen (featuring Aasif Mandvi and Shawn Elliott), Habitat by Judith Thompson and revivals of GB Shaw's Widowers' Houses (with Peter Jay Fernandez), Little Eyolf by Henrik Ibsen and Time and the Conways by J.B. Priestley. .Epic's annual Sunshine Series Readings Festival shining light on new political playwriting has nurtured and presented work by numerous socially-minded writers including Bathsheba Doran, Marcus Gardley, Jeanne Sakata, Nilaja Sun, Judy Tate, Vern Thiessen, Judith Thompson, Daniel Voll, Patricia Wettig, and David Zellnik. In June 2008, Epic's New Play Wing was in residence at The Orchard Project developing a number of projects including Lear de Bessonet/Todd Almond's OLIVER!

Epic's first official day of operations was September 11, 2001. Rather than be deterred by world events, Epic's Founders were galvanized to work even harder to create a company that embraces theatre and theatre-artists as unique instruments for empowering diverse voices, fostering public dialogue, and inspiring social change. The artists who participate in Epic's Off-Broadway Season are also part of the company's nationally acclaimed arts-education residencies that are presented in public schools and community centers in New York, New Jersey, and New England. Epic Theatre Ensemble is a Member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, as well as ART/NY.

www.epictheatrectr.org