2ND ANNUAL PHILLY URBAN THEATRE FESTIVAL Kicks Off September 19

After a 2010 debut that showcased fourteen playwrights to over 3,500 satisfied patrons, the predominantly African American Philly Urban Theatre Festival (PUTF) returns on September 19th with a focus of diversity onstage.

PUTF is the brainchild of playwright/producer/director Kash Goins, inspired by his own positive experiences presenting and winning coveted awards in the Downtown Urban Theatre Festival in New York City. Goins' "VI Degrees" was recognized as the DUTF best play in 2009 and the sequel, "VII Deadly Sins" won the audience award the following year. Those experiences motivated Goins to use a pre-arranged three week rental in Rittenhouse Square's Adrienne Theatre last year to launch a Philadelphia festival geared to help cultivate a "fertile ground for an underserved and grossly
unrepresented, yet talented group of artists" to have a platform from which to present their work.

Two of the outstanding works in this year's festival will receive $1,000 cash awards.

The ambitious three week engagement, beginning immediately after the Philly Live Arts (Fringe) Festival and culminating with shows on October 9th will feature works from fourteen different playwrights over twenty one days and a total of fifty shows. Some pieces are world premieres, including Goins' own week long run of "Tonight?" a one-act examining the effects of juvenile abuse on the psyche of a convicted serial killer wrestling suicidal thoughts on death row. Twelve additional original plays will be presented and following last year's precedence, one classical historic piece. Amiri Baraka's "The Slave" will be presented by Iron Age Theatre Company, directed by John
Doyle. The festival will also benefit from the presence of noted Philadelphia Theatre veteran Johnnie Hobbs, Jr., who will be directing Raine Djonson's "Pretty Young Thang" over three evenings on the Adrienne's Second Stage. The balance of the playwrights filling up three weeks on three of The Adrienne's stages are Bryana Michelle, Davon Williams, Jonathan Suber, Ina Farrell, T. Nicole, Race Brown, John Graves, Chris Davis, Robert King, Donja R. Love and Kareem Rogers.

Show times are 7:30 and 8:00PM most evenings, with additional matinees on the weekends. The Adrienne is located at 2030 Sansom St., Philadelphia, PA 19103.

General Admission Tickets are $15 - $20.
For more information, visit: www.putf.org