LAByrinth Opens Alternative Festival Of Free Readings 11/16

LAByrinth Theater Company (John Ortiz, Artistic Director; Philip Seymour Hoffman, Co-Artistic Director; John Gould Rubin, Co- Artistic & Executive Director) opens its alternative festival of free staged readings, Live Nude Plays (November 16 – 19, 2008).

Staged readings represent the second step in LAB's play development process, allowing
artists to assess how audiences connect with their work, and letting them shape and refine
the text in preparation for production. The third annual Live Nude Plays festival allows
audiences to see exciting new work, to engage in LAB's development process by giving
feedback to the artists, and to catch an early glimpse of future productions. The full
schedule for the festival follows.

All readings are FREE and open to the public, and take place at The Public Theater (425
Lafayette Street). Reservations are not necessary and seating will be on a first-come, first-
served basis each night. Patrons should arrive at the theater 1/2 hour before the
performance they would like to attend.

The roster of playwrights, all of them LAByrinth Company Members, includes David
Anzuelo, Brett C. Leonard, Florenzia Lozano, Justin Reinsilber and Ed
Vassallo.
Performers in the festival include Carlo Alban, Vanessa Aspillaga, Chris Bauer, Maggie
Bofill, Elizabeth Canavan, Max Casella, Raúl Castillo, Maria Cellario, Jamie Dunn, Kat
Foster, Kevin Geer, Yetta Gottesman, Dion Graham, Gerardo Gudino, Ken King, Trevor
Long, Melissa Paladino, John-Eric Parker, Richard Petrocelli, Paula Pizzi, Michael Puzzo,
Elizabeth Rodriguez, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Felix Solis, Matt Stadelman, Gregg Sulzer,
Mariand Torres, Yul Vázquez, and Aaron Roman Weiner.

Performance Schedule:

Sunday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m. and Monday, November 17 at 10:00 p.m.

Untitled

A new play by Brett C. Leonard Directed by Mark Wing-Davey A new work in progress, featuring song, dance, murder and romance. With Carlo Alban*, Chris Bauer*, Max Casella*, Trevor Long*, John-EricParker*, Richard Petrocelli*, Elizabeth Rodriguez*, Daphne Rubin-Vega*, Gregg Sulzer*, Mariand Torres*, and Yul Vázquez* Choreographed by Rebecca Marzalek-Kelly, Musical Director Gregg Sulzer, Bassist Robert Cowie

Sunday, November 16 at 10:00 p.m. and Wednesday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m.

underneathmybed

A new play by Florencia Lozano
Directed and developed by Pedro Pascal
There's something under Daisy's bed. Something or someone. She can smell it, hear it, feel
it and fear it, and knows that soon it will come out to play. A family's future lives on the
face of a moon, reflecting the pale light of a world left behind, casting shadows of stories
yet untold.
With Vanessa Aspillaga*, Maggie Bofill*, Maria Cellario*, Jamie Dunn*, Yetta
Gottesman*, Gerardo Gudino, Ken King*, Paula Pizzi*, and Daphne Rubin-
Vega*

Monday, November 17 at 7:00 p.m. and Tuesday, November 18 at 10:00 p.m.

iso... (in search of)

A new play by Justin Reinsilber & Ed Vassallo
Directed by John Gould Rubin
MWF iso MM, color optional, for something different than the usual. We can check out
LAB's Live Nude Plays and take it from there. I'll be LMAO and you'll be ROTFL. Sense of
humor appreciated. Discretion a must…Smoking: no 420: yes drinking: yes yes BE: D&D
free. No pic – no dice.
With Vanessa Aspillaga*, Elizabeth Canavan*, Kat Foster*, Dion Graham*,
Melissa Paladino*, Michael Puzzo*, Felix Solis*, Aaron Roman Weiner*, and
Yul Vázquez*

Tuesday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday, November 19 at 10:00 p.m.

Minotaur: A Romance!

A new play by David Anzuelo
Original music by Cristian Amigo
Directed by Lou Moreno
Leather-bars : black hole physics :: Matthew Shepard : Pablo Picasso :: Country-rock
music : the Minotaur of Greek myth. This is an unapologetically homo-erotic play with
original music, that demands answers about love, honor and death.
With Raúl Castillo*, Kevin Geer*, and Matt Stadelman*

*Appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association

Due to scheduling and availability, casting may be subject to change.

Biographies
Brett C. Leonard (Playwright, Untitled). LAByrinth Company Member since 2003. He
is the Associate Artistic Director of London's Shotgun Theatre Company, and the recipient
of the 2008 Daryl Roth Creative Spirit Award. Playwriting credits include Unconditional
(dir. Mark Wing-Davey, LAByrinth at The Public; currently in Toronto with Column 13
Actors Company), Guinea Pig Solo (the first LAByrinth & The Public co-production;
Chicago's Chopin Theater/Collaboraction: Chicago Tribune's "Top 10 of 2005"; and part
of Berlin Arts Festival's 50th Anniversary at the House of World Culture), Roger and
Vanessa (London's Latchmere Theatre 503, dir. Robert Delamere; L.A.'s Actors' Gang;
Sydney's Tap Gallery), Scotch and Water (London's New Company, Critics’ Choice Time
Out London). Short Plays: Bobo an' Spyder... (dir. Bob Glaudini, NY's Production
Company/Australia Project), Beauty and Light (Chicago's Collaboraction Sketchbook '05),
Interrogation (Sketchbook '06). Unconditional will be published in New Playwrights:
The Best Plays of 2008 (Smith & Kraus). Leonard's debut feature film Jailbait, starring
Michael Pitt and Stephen Adly Guirgis, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, won both
the Grand Jury Prize and Emerging Filmmaker Award at the Lake Placid Film Festival,
and is currently available on Warner Brothers DVD.
He is currently adapting Unconditional for the screen for Cooper's Town Productions and Overture Films.

Florencia Lozano (Playwright, underneathmybed). LAByrinth Company Member since
1992 and Associate Artistic Director. Her LAB acting credits include Massacre (Sing to
your Children) (by José Rivera), Dirty Story (by John Patrick Shanley), and Where's My
Money (also at MTC, by John Patrick Shanley). Other theater credits include Macbeth
(NY Shakespeare Festival), Mimesophobia (Summer Play Festival), Privilege (Second
Stage), Last Easter (MCC Theater), Right You Are… (National Actors' Theatre), Love's
Labours Lost (Rosaline, California Shakespeare Festival), Antigone (Antigone,
Roundhouse Theatre), Yerma (Arena Stage), The Seagull (Masha, NYU Directors Lab),
Hamlet (Ophelia, Colorado Shakespeare Festival), Talk to me like the Rain (NYU). She
has also worked with the 52nd Street Project, Circle Rep, Repertorio Español, Intar,
Williamstown Theatre Festival, Eugene O'Neill Playwrights' Conference, Berkshire
Theatre Festival. On TV, Florencia appears in the long-running program "One Life To
Live," as Téa Delgado. Her other TV credits include "Ugly Betty," "Lipstick Jungle,"
"Gossip Girl," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "Law & Order: SVU," "The Jury," and
"Feds." Her films include Veronika Decides to Die, The Ministers (with John Leguizamo),
Deception, and Perfect Stranger. Florencia studied at the NYU Graduate Acting Program,
and Brown University.

Justin Reinsilber and Ed Vassallo (co-writers, iso … (in search of)). When Ed and
Justin met, they didn't like each other. They were doing a reading of a film, which one of
them booked, thank you very much. Didn't see much of each other after that. Until
softball season started that summer. They both played for the LAByrinth team in the
Broadway Show League. One of them hit like A-Rod, the other Jeter. Still didn't like each
other. That first season came and went like a spring day in New York City. Quickly. The
next season started and after an early couple of wins and great play on both their parts the
rocky road to friendship began to smooth. Then one day on the bench they began talking
about poker. And any friend of poker is a friend of mine. After that they didn't dislike
each other that much. Soon after they both went to perform in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's
House. Between softball, poker and Ibsen they became fast great friends. They are still in
the thick of this project; their future friendship remains TBD. Please send comments,
feedback, and anything else to: isolnp@gmail.com.

David Anzuelo (Playright, Minotaur: A Romance!). LAByrinth Company Member since
1992. He is an actor/writer and occasional director from El Paso, Texas. Acting credits:
Francisco & Benny (IntarLAB), Moonlight Mile (LAByrinth), Dreaming in Tongues
(LAByrinth), Knives & Other Sharp Objects (LAByrinth, Barn Series 2006 & 2007),
Frost/Nixon (regional premiere, Repertory Theater of St. Louis), Corporate Carnival
(Women’s Project), Night Over Taos (INTAR), September Shoes (Geva), Aunt Dan &
Lemon (New Group), Stand-Up Tragedy (Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Supporting
Actor, Apple Tree Theater), Richard Schechner’s Hamlet. Directing credits: Dave’s first
directing job (thanks to John Ortiz) was as Peter Sellars's assistant for the international
tour of The Merchant of Venice. Other directing credits: DeathWatch (IntarLAB),
Intríngulis (LAByrinth), Darwaza (LAByrinth), First Voice (LAByrinth, Barn Series
2004), No Salute (NY Hip Hop Festival), Feeder: A Love Story (Terra Nova Collective /
UnderGroundZero Festival, Audience Favorite Award). Original work written / conceived
by Dave: Killing/Play (LAByrinth, Live Nude Plays 2007), Queen Latina & the Power
Posse (LAByrinth), Estrellita/Luminaria (INTAR), Agua/Aceite (INTAR), Aire/Arena
(INTAR), Camino/Montana (INTAR), Grasshopper (George St. Playhouse). Dave is the
recipient of two Mex-Am Foundation grants for new work, and a 2005 Alan Schneider
Directors Award nomination. He teaches Personal Myth movement workshops for

LAByrinth’s Master Class series, and does freelance fight direction for numerous off-
Broadway theaters. He is the front-man for his beloved Texas-flavored, goth-rock band,
MonsterRally.

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 115 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. LAB 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 LAB's writers and actors a stage in London.
Now in its seventeenth season, LAByrinth has developed over 300 new plays and staged 51
productions, including The Little Flower of East Orange and Unconditional (2008), A
View from 151 Street and Jack Goes Boating (2007), A Small, Melodramatic Story and
School of The Americas (2006), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (2005), Sailor’s Song
and Guinea Pig Solo (2004), Dutch Heart of Man and Dirty Story (2003), Our Lady of
121 Street (2002), Where’s My Money? (2001), Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train (2000), and
In Arabia, We’d All Be Kings (1999).

LAByrinth's production of Philip Roth in Khartoum, by David Bar Katz directed by John
Gould Rubin, launches the second season of Public LAB, running December 4 – 21, 2008,
at The Public Theater. All tickets are $10, and are now available at www.publictheater.org
or 212-967 7555.
Learn more about LAByrinth at LABtheater.org

To post a comment, you must register and login.