Roundabout to Open Black Box for New Work in October

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced "Roundabout Underground," which will premiere in the new 65-seat black box theatre space in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 West 46th Street, NYC, NY, 10036).

Speech & Debate by Stephen Karam (columbinus) and directed by Tony Award-nominee Jason Moore (Avenue Q) will begin a new initiative to introduce new voices to the community.  The cast and design team will be announced shortly.  Preview performances begin Friday, October 5th and will officially open on Monday, October 29th.

"Roundabout Underground" is an initiative to showcase new plays that will either allow an experienced director to go back to his/her creative roots or give a debut production to an emerging writer or director. 

Robyn Goodman (Artistic Consultant to the Roundabout), who has significant artistic development experience, will curate the initiative that will be a creative breeding ground for nurturing new talent.

"The new 65-seat black box theatre, below the Laura Pels Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre will allow Roundabout to take artistic risks that are better suited for a more intimate space.  Because of the intimacy of the space, the audience will also become a crucial part of a work's development as there will be constant discussions that will take place during the run," state press materials.

Todd Haimes said: "We are committed to actual productions of new plays as a means to develop and nurture new talent in a protected environment.  It will give emerging writers a professional experience with all the support Roundabout can provide without the pressures of a larger stage.  We are very fortunate to have Robyn Goodman working with us; her experience in nurturing talent will enhance this new initiative."

Roundabout Theatre Company's Artistic Development program produces several readings and workshops each year to explore a particular play or musical with the ideal creative team and cast.  Some award winning productions that began as a Roundabout reading or workshop include Intimate Apparel, Tony Award-winning Assassins and Twelve Angry Men.  In addition to Intimate Apparel, other new plays developed through readings and workshops include Greg Kotis' Pig Farm, Stephen Belber's McReele, Noah Haidle's Mr. Marmalade and Stephen Karam's Speech & Debate.  Roundabout workshops subsequently produced elsewhere include Tony Award-winning Spring Awakening. 

In Speech & Debate, "three teenage misfits in Salem, Oregon reluctantly form their school's first speech and debate team after discovering they are all linked by a sex scandal that's rocked their town. Secrets become currency, blogs are belted and 'bathing suit areas' exposed in this black comedy about what, if anything, it means to be an adult."

Tickets to Speech & Debate will be available in August 2007 by calling Roundabout Ticket Services at (212)719-1300, online at www.roundabouttheatre.org or at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre box office (111 West 46 Street).  The ticket price is $20.00 for all seats.

Visit www.roundabouttheatre.org for more on the Roundabout Theatre Company.

Photo of Jason Moore by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.