Marlene Goodrich's play, Light Under the Door , will be read at 8 PM Oct. 19 at Off-Broadway's Neightborhood Playhouse. It is the first winner of the Colleague Theatre Company's playwriting prize.

Dennis Delaney directs this tale of a family trying to recover after the death of their Mama as Mama struggles to discover where she is.

Starring as "The Living" are Jane Cronin (Lou), John Seitz (Pauly), John Newton (Harry), Shelly Delaney (Shellene). "The Dead" are played by Lorca Peress (Mama), Chevi Colton (Aunt Trudy), Mary Jane Wells (Viginia) and Robert Fitch (Jimmy). Stage directions will be read by Melinda Tanner.

Seitz, a NY theatre veteran, appeared in Krapp's Last Tape Off Broadway. Colton was in the 1968 NY cast of Jacques Brel is Alive And Well...

Goodrich received a Masters in Professional Writing at University of Southern California and won the West Coast Ten-Minute Play Festival in 1998. Entrance to Light Under the Door is free, but donations are accepted. Call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 for reservations.

Upcoming Neighborhood Playhouse events include Greytop in Love by Alan Brody (Jan 13-31, 1999) and Songs for My Father : An Evening with Heather McRae on May 17, 1999.

-- By Christine Ehren