New Play Announced
Casting For Upcoming National Playwrights Conference Shows Announced
National Music Theater Project KIKI BABY To Begin Performances Special Theater For Youth Project Also Scheduled

July 5, 2006

Waterford, CT ~ The National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center has made a change to the summer season. Due to family obligations, Stephen Adly Guirgis's play THE LITTLE FLOWER OF EAST ORANGE will not appear in this summer's 2006 Playwrights Conference.

Wendy C. Goldberg, Artistic Director of the National Playwrights Conference has replaced the play with playwright Adam Bock's latest work THE RECEPTIONIST. Jayne Houdyshell (2006 Tony Nominee for WELL) will play Beverly Wilkins, the receptionist. Jeremy Cohen, Artistic Associate, Hartford Stage, will direct.

Goldberg adds, "I am sorry to not have Stephen with us this summer, but am happy to be able to support the work of Adam Bock in the development of his inventive story about unconventional office politics."

THE RECEPTIONIST will play on July 13 at 8pm and July 15 at 5pm. Additional casting information will be released shortly.

Adam Bock's plays include THE SHAKER CHAIR (Humana Festival), SWIMMING IN THE SHALLOWS (Second Stage), THUGS (upcoming SoHo Repertory), FIVE FLIGHTS (Rattlestick) THE TYPOGRAPHER'S DREAM (Clubbed Thumb). FIVE FLIGHTS won the 2002 Will Glickman Award for best new play produced in the Bay Area, four Dean Goodman awards and was nominated for the American Theater Critics, the Osborn, and two BATCC awards.

CASTING FOR UPCOMING NATIONAL PLAYWRIGHTS CONFERENCE SHOWS ANNOUNCED

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference will begin performances of new projects next week, and performances of the first National Music Theater Conference will begin. On Sunday, July 16 a Theater for Youth project will be presented.

Wendy C. Goldberg, Artistic Director of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference, announced the casts for next week's projects:

1001
By Jason Grote
Directed by Kent Thompson
Arabian Nights meets Manhattan as a touching love story unfolds inside a troubling political fantasy.
Performances: Wed, July 12th at 8:00 pm, Fri, July 14th at 8:00 pm In the Edith Oliver Theater

ROLE......................ACTOR
A......................Aysan Celik*
B......................Daoud Heidami*
C......................Stephen Kunken*
D......................Makela Spielman*
E......................Cyrus Farmer*
F......................Abe Cruz

THE RECEPTIONIST
By Adam Bock
Directed by Jeremy Cohen
An inventive take on unconventional office politics.
Performances: Thu, July 13 at 8pm, Sat, July 15 at 5pm in the Dina

ROLE......................ACTOR
Beverly Wilkins...................... Jayne Houdyshell*
Lorraine Taylor....................... Romi Dias*
Edward Raymond................... Stephen Schnetzer*
Martin Dart............................ Chris Kipiniak*

NATIONAL MUSIC THEATER PROJECT KIKI BABY TO BEGIN PERFORMANCES SPECIAL THEATER FOR YOUTH PROJECT ALSO SCHEDULED

The National Music Theater Conference project Kiki Baby, with Book by Lonny Price, Music by Grant Sturiale, and Lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh, will begin performances on Sat., July 15 at 8:15 pm; Sun., July 16 at 3:15 pm; Thurs., July 20 and Fri., July 21 at 8:15 pm In the Rose Barn Theater. Directed by Matt Cowart; Stan Tucker, Music Director. The cast, announced last week, includes Alison Briner*, Jenn Colella*, Veanne Cox*, Colby Foytik*, Mary Pat Gleason*, Adam Heller*, Anne L. Nathan*, William Parry*, David Pittu*, Dan Sharkey* and Phyllis Somerville*.

Also next week, the O'Neill will present a special one performance only Theater for Youth Project on Sunday, July 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the Edith Oliver Theater. The Tale, by Tommy Smith, is a hilarious, fast-paced musical comedy rendering of Greek Mythology in a zany look at the lives of the gods on Mount Olympus. Specially written for grades 5-9, and fun for the entire family.

*member of Actors' Equity Association

Schedule and artists subject to change. For ticket reservations ($15 members, $20 non-members) please call the O'Neill Box Office at 860-443-1238. Outdoor performances will be moved indoors in the event of rain.

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, founded in 1964, has been home to more than 1,000 new works for the stage and 2,500 emerging artists and is itself the winner of a special Tony Award, the National Opera Award, the Jujamcyn Award for Theater Excellence and the Arts and Business Council Encore Award. Today, the O'Neill is home to the National Playwrights Conference, National Music Theater Conference, Puppetry Conference, Cabaret Conference, National Critics Institute, and the fully accredited National Theater Institute, which includes semester-long, fully accredited intensive theater-training programs and a six-week accredited summer program, Theatermakers. In addition, the O'Neill owns and operates the Monte Cristo Cottage, a National Historic Landmark and the childhood home of Nobel Prize-winning and four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Eugene O'Neill. For more information regarding the Center, please visit the O'Neill website at www.TheONeill.org or call 860-443-5378.