Emerging Writers Group: the Public announces three free readings for May

The Public Theater will continue to present FREE staged readings of new plays by the inaugural class of the Emerging Writers Group in May. The �Spotlight Series,� which combines first-rate 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 Don Nguyen, Alejandro Morales, and Aladdin Ullah, to be directed by Joanna Settle, Ken Rus Schmoll and Hal Brooks, 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 May is below:

Red Flamboyant
Playwright: Don Nguyen
Director: Joanna Settle
Synopsis: In the midst of starting the first support group for women living with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam, Mrs. Hue struggles to mediate the conflicting personalities of the spirited women that have joined. But just as the women are learning to live together in relative peace, money and medicine begin to run out. To fight for the group's survival, Mrs. Hue has no choice but to venture out into the very world that has shunned them.
Date: Mon 4 May 2009

The October Crisis (To Laura)
Playwright: Alejandro Morales
Director: Ken Rus Schmoll
Synopsis: 1962. On the eve of the Cuban Missile Crisis, a mysterious telegram and an old song send singer Marguerite Stone back to her fated 1945 debut in a Havana nightclub where she changed her name, left her old life behind, and became a star. As an uncertain future looms over the world, Marguerite must reconcile the two parts of herself that have been at war with each other for years.
Date: Mon 11 May 2009

Indio
Playwright: Aladdin Ullah
Director: Hal Brooks
Synopsis: When comedian Aladdin reaches a crossroads in his career, he discovers the journey of his father who left Bangladesh in the 1940�s to pursue his 'American Dream' in Spanish Harlem of all places! His father�s misadventures in the land of opportunity are juxtaposed with Aladdin�s own perspective as a funny man of both Eastern and Western descent.
Date: Mon 18 May 2009

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.