Playwright Lindsey Ferrentino to be Guest Of Honor At Paris' International Theatre Conference 3/14

On March 14, Lindsey Ferrentino will be the honorary guest author at the "American Dramaturgies for the 21st Century" International Theatre Conference at the Sorbonne. The evening will give Parisian audiences a chance to familiarize themselves with modern American Playwrights and will feature readings from contemporary plays and a conversation with Ms. Ferrentino, a gifted and truly brilliant member of the young generation of American dramatists.

The New York Times has called Ms. Ferrentino, "A brave playwright of dauntless conviction whose unflinching portraits are hard to come by outside of journalism." Her critically-acclaimed Ugly Lies the Bone was a New York Times Critic's Pick and played a sold-out, extended run at Roundabout Theatre before being produced at The National Theatre in London in the 900 seat Lyttleton Theatre. Her groundbreaking play, Amy and the Orphans, directed by eight-time Tony-nominated director Scott Ellis, recently opened at Roundabout Theatre Company. Her second play of the year, This Flat Earth, directed by Tony-winning director Rebecca Taichman, will open in March at Playwrights Horizons, and her third play of year, The Year to Come, will open at La Jolla Playhouse next fall.

While Ms. Ferrentino's resume is quite impressive, especially for her age of 29, what makes her truly remarkable is the positive social impact tied to her work. Amy and the Orphans was called "barrier breaking" in The New York Times as it features a lead with Down syndrome. The New York Times said, "Ms. Ferrentino possesses a muscular empathy which seeks to enter the minds of people for whom life is often a struggle of heroic proportions." And the Hollywood Reporter said the play is a "riotous comedy with a deep, aching humanity."

Ms. Ferrentino even wrote a male version of the play, called Andy and the Orphans, to make it inclusive for all actors with Down syndrome. Amy Brewer and her understudy, Edward Barbanell, are the only known actors with Down syndrome to play the lead in an Off-Broadway or Broadway production, proving that Ms. Ferrentino's trailblazing plays are paving the way for diverse voices on the American stage.

The International Theatre Conference at the Sorbonne is thrilled to honor Ms. Ferrentino. Her plays will be read in both English and French and she will discuss her work and the power of words spoken today.

Book a seat to the play readings: http://fr.feusa.org/lecture-lindsey-ferrentino/

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