Morrison, Sellars Booked For SALON Benefit 3/19

LAByrinth Theater Company (Artistic Director, John Ortiz; co-Artistic Director, Philip Seymour Hoffman; co-Artistic & Executive Director, John Gould Rubin) announces its forthcoming SALON benefit, with Toni Morrison and Peter Sellars, on Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 7:15 p.m. in The Frieda & Roy Furman Gallery at The Film Society of Lincoln Center (165 West 65th Street). The LAByrinth fund-raiser is hosted by Jennifer Chambers, Michael & Marlene Fine, Mara Manus, and Marianne & Steve Mills, and the evening includes supper & cocktails.

LAByrinth's SALON is a series of intimate conversations between artistic luminaries, offering audiences a glimpse into the participants' inspirations and creative processes. Among other topics, Toni Morrison and Peter Sellars will discuss their ideas about Shakespeare's Othello as they relate to a long term collaborative project which includes Peter Sellars's new production of Othello (premiering in June at the Wiener Festwochen, Vienna, with John Ortiz as Othello and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Iago) and Ms. Morrison's thoughts on a modern Desdemona.

Tickets are on sale now, priced at $325 per person / $500 for two, available directly from LAByrinth Theater Company by phone at (212) 513-1082 or by e-mail at veronica@LABtheater.org. All but $50 of every ticket sale is a fully tax-deductible contribution in support of LAByrinth Theater Company's 17th Season.

LAByrinth Theater Company is also proud to announce that 11 new Members were recently inducted into the Company for their 17th Season.

The new LAB Company Members are: John Doman (LAB's Unconditional, "Damages"), Marieke Gaboury (LAB's Associate Producer), Kevin Geer (LAB's Unconditional, Side Man), Lola Glaudini (LAB's Barn Series, "Persons Unknown"), Sarah Nina Hayon (LAB's Barn Series, Drama Desk nominee for Rearviewmirror), Kristina Poe (LAB's Company Manager), Yolonda Ross (LAB's Unconditional, Stranger Inside), Michael Shannon (LAB's The Little Flower of East Orange, Revolutionary Road), Michael Stuhlbarg (The Public's Hamlet, the Coen Brothers' forthcoming A Serious Man), Ed Vassallo (next month's LAB / Public Theater co-production of Knives & Other Sharp Objects, now on sale), and Martha Wollner (LAB's Barn Series).

LAByrinth Theater Company was founded in 1992 by a group of actors who wanted to push their artistic limits, hone their craft, and create new plays that truly reflected their heritage and experience. Today, LAByrinth is comprised of 117 established and emerging theater artists from a wide array of cultural perspectives. The inclusive, multicultural ensemble encourages all members to write, act, direct, and design, and supports multidisciplinary growth and exploration in the creation of daring new work that celebrates the diversity of its New York City home.

The 2008-09 Season marks LAByrinth Theater Company's sixth season in residence at The Public Theater. LAByrinth and the Sydney Theatre Company are Associate Companies of Trafalgar Studios in London (Ambassador Theatre Group), who aim to produce and exchange work on a regular basis, and to give LAByrinth's writers and actors a stage in London.

LAByrinth and The Public Theater will co-produce the world premiere of Knives & Other Sharp Objects, by Raúl Castillo directed by Felix Solis, in the second season of Public LAB, running March 27 through April 19, 2009. All tickets are $10, and are on sale now at www.publictheater.org or 212-967 7555.

Learn more about LAByrinth at LABtheater.org