MESTC Holds Free Day-Long Tribute to Clifford Odets, 6/5

A day-long tribute to Clifford Odets -- held on the occasion of the late dramatist's centennial birthday and coinciding with the Tony-nominated revival of Odets' Awake and Sing! on Broadway -- will conclude the free spring theatre programs offered by the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center (365 Fifth Avenue at 34th Street) in Manhattan on Monday, June 5, 2006 at the Graduate Center at the City University of New York (CUNY).

The day-long program of free symposia, theatre and film programs titled "Celebrating 100 Years of Clifford Odets" will be conducted in two parts.

The June 5th daytime session from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. will feature:

• 10:15am - Screening of the documentary Broadway Dreams: The Legacy of the Group Theatre

• 11:45am - Panel Discussion of the Group Theatre with panelists Ellen Adler, Matthew Andrews, Steve Lawson, Estelle Parsons, Wendy Smith; and moderator Hal Cantor.

• 1:30pm - "Clifford's Progeny" by Dr. Morris Dickstein.

• 2:00pm - Panel Discussion of "Odets and Politics" with panelists Jonathan Chambers, Christopher Herr, Victor Navasky; and moderator Hal Cantor.

• 3:30pm - "Hollywood Years" by Gabriel Miller and Stuart Klawans; and "Odet's Unproduced Works" by Garrett Eisler; followed by post-presentation discussion moderated by Hal Cantor.

• 4:30pm - "Odets and Jewish-American Drama" by Ellen Schiff; with Q&A moderator Hal Cantor.

The June 5th evening program from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. will feature:

• Reading of excerpts from the award-winning play and current Tony-nominee for Best Revival Awake and Sing! with Stan Lachow, Charles Socarides and Lori Wilner.

• Excerpt from the 1986 film version of Rocket to the Moon, directed by John Jacobs with screenplay by Clifford Odets, starring Judy Davis, John Malkovich and Eli Wallach

• "I Can't Sleep" - excerpts from Steve Lawson's adaptation of Odet's 1940 journal, "The Time Is Ripe."

• "The Sum and Substance" - a rare screening of Odets' last filmed interview, circa 1963, with Dr. Herman Harvey.

The evening concludes with Ronald Rand's reading of "Will They Awake and Sing in 2006?" by Harold Clurman, first published in 1970.

Clifford Odets (July 18, 1906 - August 18, 1963) was a Philadelphia-born actor turned playwright, screenwriter, and socialist who help founded the influential, experimental company The Group Theatre. He wrote his most influential work, Awake and Sing!, in 1935. Other plays include Waiting for Lefty, Til the Day I Die, Paradise Lost, Golden Boy, Rocket to tht Moon, Night Music, Clash by Night, The Big Knife, The Country Girl and The Flowering Peach. Odets eventually moved to Hollywood to write for the screen. In addition to stage-to-screen adaptations of his plays, Odets' original screenplays include Sweet Smell of Success, Wild in the Country, and Deadline at Dawn.

MESTC's 2006 spring theatre programs continue the non-profit Theatre Center's unique emphasis on world theatre, the fast growing discipline of documentary theatre and the experience of immigration, highlighting the commitment to bridging the gap between the academic and professional performing arts communities. As such, MESTC has become a treasured home to theatre scholars, students, playwrights, actors, dancers, directors, dramaturgs and performing arts managers, as well as the local and international theatre communities.

Daniel Gerould is the executive director of Martin E. Segal Theatre Center; Frank Hentschker is Director of Programs; Jan Stenzel is director of administration.

Admittance to the MESTC spring programs is free, on a first come, first serve basis.

To make a reservation, call 212-817-8215 or reserve via email at continuinged@gc.cuny.edu.