KNIVES & OTHER SHARP OBJECTS Post Show Convos Begin 3/31

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will present post-show discussions following every Tuesday evening performance of KNIVES AND OTHER SHARP OBJECTS, the third play of the 2008-2009 Public LAB season. The Public LAB Speaker Series, held every Tuesday following Public LAB shows, consists of engaging conversations with the artists and notable panelists.

In KNIVES AND OTHER SHARP OBJECTS, cultures collide in Texas when two Latina sisters are shipped off to live with their more well-heeled family. South Texan playwright Raúl Castillo is a member of The Public's inaugural Emerging Writers Group and LAByrinth Theater Company. Tickets are $10 for all performances and include free admission to Tuesday evening post-show discussions.

"The Speaker Series is an essential component of Public LAB as it creates an exciting forum to discuss the larger social and political issues of each play," said Associate Artistic Director Mandy Hackett. "We are looking forward to welcoming these guests for discussions around Raul's beautiful new play."

The cast for KNIVES AND OTHER SHARP OBJECTS features David Anzuelo ("Law & Order: SVU"), Candy Buckley (Bernarda Alba at Lincoln Center Theater), Noemi Del Rio (In The Heights on Broadway), Michael Ray Escamilla (Election Day at Second Stage), Ana Nogueira (Goodtime Charley at the York), Amanda Perez (The Little Dog Laughed at Hartford TheaterWorks), Joselin Reyes (John Patrick Shanley's A Winter Party at LAByrinth), Angelo Rosso (Killing/Play at Center Stage NYC), Jaime Tirelli (Blade to the Heat at The Public), and Ed Vassallo (Havana is Waiting at the Cherry Lane).

KNIVES AND OTHER SHARP OBJECTS features scenic design by Peter Ksander, costume design by Ilona Somogyi, lighting design by Sarah Sidman, and sound design by Bray Poor.

Immediately following the Tuesday, March 31 performance, playwright Raúl Castillo, actor Michael Ray Escamilla, Mario Bosquez (playwright and host of "Living Today with Mario Bosquez" on Martha Stewart Living Radio), and others will discuss "The Influence of Border Culture and Familial Expectations in Shaping a Mexican-American Identity."

The Tuesday, April 7 post-show discussion will offer audiences a chance to "Meet The Artists of Knives and Other Sharp Objects." Panelists will include playwright Raúl Castillo, director Felix Solis, and members of the cast.

Following the Tuesday, April 14 performance, playwright Raúl Castillo and director Felix Solis will be joined by Migdalia Cruz (playwright), Andrea Thome (playwright, actor, and Program Director of the Lark's US/Mexico Playwright Exchange), and other panelists to be announced for a discussion called "Bringing the Latino Experience to the Stage: Latino Artists In Conversation."

Public LAB is an annual series of new plays that lets New Yorkers see more of the work they love from The Public and LAByrinth Theater Company in stripped-down productions. Public LAB allows The Public Theater to support more artists, and gives audiences immediate access to new plays. The Public LAB season will also include the New York premiere of Michael Friedman and Alex Timbers' Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and a world premiere by The Public Theater's Master Writer Chair Suzan-Lori Parks.

KNIVES AND OTHER SHARP OBJECTS will begin performances on Friday, March 27 and run through Sunday, April 19 with an official press opening on Sunday, April 12. The performance schedule is Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 PM; Saturdays at 2 PM and 8 PM; and Sundays at 2 PM and 7 PM.

The Public Theater is located at 425 Lafayette Street. All tickets are $10 and can be purchased at (212) 967-7555 or by visiting www.publictheater.org.