Emerging Writers Group: the Public announces five free readings for Jun 2009

The Public Theater will continue to present FREE staged readings of new plays by the inaugural class of the Emerging Writers Group in Jun. The �Spotlight Series,� which combines theatrical talent with new works written and developed by members of the Emerging Writers Group during their time at The Public, will present new works by Pia Wilson, Nick Hadikwa Mwaluko, Radha Blank, Ra�l Castillo, Leila Buck, to be directed by Liesl Tommy, Niegel Smith, Kamilah Forbes, Tlaloc Rivas and Shana Gold, respectively.

This annual program targets playwrights at the earliest stages of their careers and nurtures their artistic growth by providing necessary resources and support. Each play will receive two staged readings, directed and performed by experienced artists from the theatrical community.

The full schedule for Jun is below:

Red Rooster
Playwright: Pia Wilson
Director: Liesl Tommy
Synopsis: Joyce, a Hurricane Katrina refugee from New Orleans' Ninth Ward, is living in New Jersey with an elderly man named George. Joyce and George have an agreement: she'll take care of him, and he'll eventually sign his home over to her as payment. All is going well for George and Joyce, until George's son comes home and wants the house.
Date: Mon 1 Jun at 3pm & 7pm

S/He
Playwright: Nick Hadikwa Mwaluko
Director: Niegel Smith
Synopsis: Sam, an African-American anatomical female, needs to become a man to feel complete. S/he comes through the operation only to find that the world won't transition with him.
Date: Mon 8 Jun at 3pm & 7pm

Nannyland
Playwright: Radha Blank
Director: Kamilah Forbes
Synopsis: At Paradise Cove, an exclusive, all-inclusive family resort in the Caribbean, mommies and daddies can escape their worries and leave with the perfect souvenir: a Paradise Cove Child Care Specialist.
Date: Mon 15 Jun at 3pm & 7pm

Mission
Playwright: Ra�l Castillo
Director: Tlaloc Rivas
Synopsis: A New York City woman who, after losing her lover to a freak bus accident and learning that she is pregnant with his child, decides to visit her lover�s estranged family in South Texas in an effort to learn more about his shadowy past.
Date: Mon 22 Jun at 3pm & 7pm

In The Crossing
Playwright: Leila Buck
Director: Shana Gold
Synopsis: Leila, a Lebanese-American writer-performer, was caught in Lebanon with her Jewish husband during the Israeli-Hezbollah war of 2006. As she attempts to portray the many voices of their experience, Leila begins to realize that the most treacherous journey of all is the act of telling her story.
Date: Mon 29 Jun at 3pm & 7pm

The Emerging Writers Group is part of the The Public�s commitment to creating an artistic home for diverse and talented up-and-coming playwrights. The Emerging Writers Group is one element of The Public Writers Initiative, a long-term program that provides key support and resources for writers at every stage of their careers. Time Warner is the Founding Sponsor of The Public Writers Initiative.

Each emerging writer receives a one-year fellowship at The Public which includes a $3,000 stipend; participation in a biweekly writers� group led by Associate Artistic Director Mandy Hackett and The Public�s Literary Department; master classes with established playwrights; career development advice and artistic support from acclaimed writers and Public artistic staff; complimentary tickets to Public shows and supplemental stipends for productions at other theaters; and presentation of their work in at least one reading at The Public.