Guirgis himself stages the work-in-progress Dec. 18 at The Public Theater's Shiva Theater (show times are 7 and 9 PM). Laura Ramadei serves as stage manager, and Bill Moody is sign interpreter.
The Little Flower of East Orange was seen at last season's Barn festival and has since been developed at Manhattan Theatre Club's "6 @ 7" series.
The Guirgis work — as with his previous The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, In Arabia We'd All Be Kings, Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train and Our Lady of 121st Street — is expected to see the New York stage in the near future.
Broadway (and Guirgis play) vets DeMunn (Our Town, K2), Henderson (Dracula, Drowning Crow) — both seen in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot — and Zayas (Anna in the Tropics) — seen in Jesus Hopped the 'A' train and Our Lady of 121st Street — will be joined by Elizabeth Canavan, Liza Colon-Zayas, Willy Conley, Maggie Flaningan, Gillian Jacobs, Trevor Long and Michael Shannon. Jessica Kahler will read stage directions.
Remaining Barn 2006 readings include David Bar Katz's The History of Invulnerability (Dec. 19) and Bob Glaudini's A View From 151St Street (Dec. 20). Past works featured in the Barn series include Nilo Cruz's Beauty of the Father, Megan Mostyn Brown's The Secret Lives of Losers (Tribeca Theater Festival), Michael Puzzo's The Dirty Talk (New York International Fringe Festival) as well as Stephen Belber's A Small Melodramatic Story, John Patrick Shanley's Sailor's Song, José Rivera's Massacre (Sing to Your Children) and Guirgis’ The Last Days of Judas Iscariot — the latter four developed into full stagings part of LAB's mainstage.
The LAB currently enjoys its 15th anniversary season. Next up for the troupe will be Bob Glaudini's Jack Goes Boating (starring Beth Cole, Daphne Rubin-Vega, John Ortiz and Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Eric Bogosian's This Is Now! penned with musician-composer Elliott Sharp; as well as developmental productions of Carlo Alban's intríngulis and Andrea Ciannavei's Pretty Chin Up.
All 2006 LAB Barn readings will perform at the Public Theater (425 Lafayette Street). Required reservations — on a first-come, first-served basis — can be made by calling (212) 513-1012 or emailing [email protected]. For more information visit labtheater.org.
