Now in its 25th year, the Ensemble Studio Theatre's Marathon will continue its long tradition of bringing premieres of one-act plays by new and notable playwrights. Among the playwrights this year are returning scribes Horton Foote, Billy Aronson and Romulus Linney, as well as Lisa Maria Radano, Brian Silberman, Bill Bozzone, Roger Hedden, Graeme Gillis, Peter Maloney, Rogelio Martinez, Dan O'Brien and Patricia Scanlon. The event runs May 8-June 16.

Series A will begin the marathon, running May 8-19. The four plays involved include:

Series A (May 8-19)
 

• Lark  by Romulus Linney, directed by Peter Maloney. The play, based on a section of Willa Cather's "The Song of the Lark," will star Winslow Corbett and Chris Hutchinson.
  
• Why I Followed You by Lisa-Maria Radano, directed by Deborah Hedwall. In this play, starring Felix Solis, Toby Poser and Timothy L. Gallagher, a lonely woman follows a man into a diner.
  
• Reunions by Billy Aronson, directed by Jamie Richards. Marathon regular Aronson sets his latest at a 15th college reunion. Hope Chernov, Maria Gabriele, Katherine Leask, Thomas Lyons (This Lime Tree Bower), and Grant Shaud ("Murphy Brown") star.
  
• Salvage Baas by Brian Silberman, directed by Seret Scott. The story takes place in a salvage yard in post-colonial Africa. Geoffrey Ewing and Cyrus Farmer star.

Past participants have included shows that have gone on to Broadway, Off Broadway and regional runs. Playwrights have included Leslie Ayvazian, Christopher Durang, Herb Gardner, Frank Gilroy, Richard Greenberg, John Guare, Tina Howe, David Ives, Michael John LaChiusa, Craig Lucas, David Mamet, Steve Martin, Arthur Miller, Marsha Norman, Joyce Carol Oates, Paul Rudnick, John Patrick Shanley, Shel Silverstein, Wendy Wasserstein and Tennessee Williams. The Marathon 2002, as in past years, consists of three separate evenings, that run sequentially rather than in repertory. The rest of the lineup is as follows:

Series B (May 22-June 2)

• Salvation by Bill Bozzone, directed by Keith Reddin
  
• Adaptation by Roger Heddon, directed by Billy Hopkins
  
• Prisoner's Song by Horton Foote, directed by Harris Yulin
  
• Am Lit, Or Hibernophilia by Dan O'Brien, directed by Kevin Confoy

• My Father's Funeral by Peter Maloney, directed by Beatrice Terry
  
• Union City, NJ, Where Are You? by Rogelio Martinez
  
• Hope Bloats by Patricia Scanlon
  
• The Moon Bath Girl by Graeme Gillis.

— by Robert Simonson
and Ernio Hernandez