The year 1996 marks the 13th for the Drama League's Directors Project, which affords four new directors the chance to "display their talents to the New York theatre community." The four directors chosen this year are Preston Lane, John Lawler and Leland Patton and Stepan Simek.

Lane, a 1996 graduate of the Yale School of drama, will direct G.B. Shaw's Overruled..

Lawler, co-founder of Seattle's Annex Theatre, will stage Dorothy Parker's Here We Are.

Leland Patton, a 1996 graduate of the American Repertory Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training, directs Wendy Hammond's Mom And The Razor Blades.

Prague native Stepan Simek, who received a directing MFA from the University Of Washington, will helm Michel de Ghelderode's Escurial. Previous Directors Project Fellows include Christopher Ashley (Jeffrey), Mark Brokaw (This Is Our Youth) and Michael Mayer (Angels In America's national tour). Julia Hansen is the president of the Drama League of New York; Roger T. Danford is artistic director of the League's Directors Project.

The Festival will hold six performances over four nights, Dec. 12-15, at the Ensemble Studio Theatre space on West 52nd St. For tickets ($9) and information, call (212) 302-2100.

-- By David Lefkowitz