NewsBroadway Stars Head South for The Downtown Plays at Tribeca Theater Festival, Oct. 19-31Jackie Hoffman, Josh Hamilton, J. Smith-Cameron, Maria Tucci and Julie White are among the stars set to perform in The Downtown Plays, short works by Jon Robin Baitz, Kenneth Lonergan, Neil LaBute, Paul Rudnick, Warren Leight and more in the Tribeca Theater Festival, Oct. 19-31.
By
Ernio Hernandez
October 05, 2004
Jackie Hoffman
The first annual two-week festival presented by Tribeca Film Festival co-founders Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, with the Drama Dept., will feature The Downtown Plays as well as "Stage on Screen" film screenings, theatre panel discussions and a "Tribeca All Access Open Stage" development program.
The 10 actors to perform various roles in the nine different plays includes Joel de la Fuente (Face Value), Ross Gibby (Music from a Sparkling Planet); Josh Hamilton (Proof, The Waverly Gallery), Jackie Hoffman (Hairspray), Peter Jacobson (Picasso at the Lapin Agile), Chris Messina (Salome, Far Away), J. Smith-Cameron (Our Country's Good, Tartuffe), Marilyn Torres ("Maid in Manhattan"), Maria Tucci (The Night of the Iguana) and Julie White (Fiction, Dinner with Friends).
Tony Award-winner John Rando (Urinetown) directs The Downtown Plays which include:
My Beautiful Goddamn City by Jon Robin Baitz - Two sisters and a Tribeca restaurant owner have a heated discussion about grief, political accountability, and life south of 14th Street.
He Meaning Him by Douglas Carter Beane - An actor and his agent try to convince a reluctant anti-Hollywood playwright to release the film rights to a new play.
Trying To Find Chinatown by David Henry Hwang - Two men delve into legacy and personal identity at a chance downtown meeting.
Union Square by Neil LaBute - A lost traveler in downtown Manhattan asks directions from a homeless man and ends up sharing the details of his marriage and his lunch bag.
Happy For You by Warren Leight - An Oscar night gathering of five New Yorkers in support of a nominated friend.
True To You by Kenneth Lonergan - A powerful businessman charged with fraud struggles to convince his devoted secretary to cover for him.
Late Night, Early Morning by Frank Pugliese - A man and a woman attempt to connect over an early morning wait for a subway.
Pride and Joy by Paul Rudnick - At a parents' support group meeting a mother lovingly talks about her diverse children.
Psyche In Love by Wendy Wasserstein - A Rabbi recounts a story about the human heart and imagination in a world of troubled times at a downtown Bat Mitzvah.
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The Downtown Plays performs at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University, 3 Spruce Street (between Park Row and Gold St.) For tickets and more information about the first annual Tribeca Theater Festival, call (212) 941-2450 or visit www.TribecaTheaterFestival.org.
