SUMMER SHORTS 2013 to Kick Off this Friday, Feat. New Works by Neil LaBute, Marian Fontana & More

Throughline Artists (J.J. Kandel, Executive Producer; John McCormack, Producing Artistic Director) presents SUMMER SHORTS 2013, their seventh annual festival of new American short plays from established and emerging writers, at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street between Park and Madison Avenues), beginning performances Friday July 19th.

Featured will be six world premieres from some of the theater's finest established and emerging artists, including Marian Fontana (Falling Short, directed by Alexander Dinelaris), Lucas Hnath (About A Woman Named Sarah, directed by Eric Hoff), Tina Howe (Breaking The Spell, directed by Birgitta Victorson, with music performed by Evan Shinners), Neil LaBute (Good Luck [In Farsi], which he will direct), Paul Weitz (Change, directed by Billy Hopkins), and Alan Zweibel (Pine Cone Moment, directed by Fred Berner). George Xenos will provide scenic design, with costume design by Sandra Alexandre (series A) and Tamara Menear (series B), lighting design by Greg MacPherson, and sound design by Marios Aristopoulos.

Summer Shorts returns for another summer of new American one-acts featuring original plays by the country's top playwrights. Representing some of today's best writing, directing and acting talents, Summer Shorts celebrates theater, summer and the short form. The festival's two separate series offer a diverse range of voices, styles, and subject matter. Summer Shorts 2013 offers six world premiere one-act plays, presented as two separate evenings. The two series will run in rotating repertory. The New York Times called Summer Shorts "shamelessly cleaver and deeply satisfying!"

Throughline Artists (J.J. Kandel, Executive Producer; John McCormack, Producing Artistic Director) is committed to preserving the traditions of the theater for the next generation by providing opportunities for established professionals to work with and pass on knowledge to emerging artists.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) is the Drama Desk Award-winning theater complex located on 59th Street between Park and Madison Avenues in Manhattan. Owned and operated by the Elysabeth Kleinhans Theatrical Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation, 59E59 Theaters brings new, innovative and invigorating work to East Side audiences. 59E59 Theaters presents Off-Broadway productions by not-for-profit companies from across the United States and around the world, including an annual festival of new British theater called Brits Off Broadway and a preview of shows going to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe called East to Edinburgh.

Performances will be Tuesday through Thursday evening at 7:15 pm, Friday & Saturday evenings at 8:15pm, Saturday matinees at 2:15 pm and Sundays at 3:15 pm and 7:15 pm. Tickets are $25 each (59E59 Members $17.50). Tickets can be purchased from the Box Office (Monday 12-6pm, Tuesday - Thursday 12-7:30pm, Friday & Saturday 12-8:30pm, Sunday 12-7:15pm), by phone through Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or online at www.ticketcentral.com. Service fees apply to phone and web purchases.

Looking for A PAIR OF SHORTS to beat the heat? See both Series A & B for only $40 (plus applicable service fees). Good for performances through August 14th only. Hurry - tickets must be purchased by August 4th!

For more information, please visit www.summershortsfestival.com or www.throughlineartists.org.

SERIES A

ABOUT A WOMAN NAMED SARAH
Written by LUCAS HNATH
Directed by Eric Hoff
with
Stephanie Cannon, Ben Vigus, Marisa Viola, Mark Elliot Wilson
A woman named Sarah goes to Arizona to interview for a job, a job working for a man named John. John's wife, Cindy, also interviews Sarah, and Sarah wants this job so much that she does something that hurts the feelings of her husband Todd. This is a play about a woman named Sarah -- yeah, you know the one.

BREAKING THE SPELL
Written by Tina Howe
Directed by BIRGITTA VICTORSON
with
Michael Countryman, Crystal Finn, Evan Shinners, Jesse Scheinin
An evil spell... a beautiful princess... a worried king... his lovesick fool... and the most talented musicians in the land collide in the retelling of Sleeping Beauty.

GOOD LUCK (IN FARSI)
Written and directed by Neil LaBute
with
Gia Crovatin, Elizabeth Masucci
A comic look at two actresses vying for the same role on a television show. They sit in a casting office waiting heir respective turns, while looking for ways to psych each other out before their auditions. A funny look at the small, bitter rivalries we all share in life.

SERIES B

FALLING SHORT
Written by MARIAN FONTANA
Directed by Alexander Dinelaris
with
J.J. Kandel, Shane Patrick Kearns, Kendra Mylnechuk
Frustrated with her writing career and her ongoing search for love on the internet, Lee finds herself revealing more than she planned on a date with a quirky actor. Sharing their mutual loneliness, Falling Short reveals the moving, awkward and sometimes hilarious attempts at human connection.

CHANGE
Written by Paul Weitz
Directed by Billy Hopkins
with
Allison Daugherty, Alex Manette, Michael D. Dempsey
Three old college friends get reacquainted.

PINE CONE MOMENT
Written by Alan Zweibel
Directed by Fred Berner
with
Caroline Lagerfelt, Jim Murtaugh, Brian Reddy, Camille Saviola
Two elderly people who want to be together must first deal with the voices of their departed spouses before they can move forward with their relationship.