Epic Rep's Summer Season in Greenwich Village Starts With Luck!; Emerging Works Play July 1-30

Epic Rep was co-founded by Richard Kuranda and Alicia Regan with the aim of "inspiring a new generation of theatergoers by opening its doors to resident artists while providing opportunity and freedom to emerging actors, writers, directors and designers."

The long-term goal is to be a fully functional repertory theatre company, presenting in rotating rep. In fall 2003, Epic presented Antigone, Farblondjet and eight one acts at Off-Broadway's DR2 space.

The Summer Lab provides workshop productions and staged readings of new work to allow playwrights to better understand their plays with actors and directors involved, and provide "an initial introduction of the piece to the New York theatre community."

Grennan's fanciful comedy, Luck!, about the menace inherent in chain letters, was seen in an previous Manhattan reading. The Epic Rep staging is in association with Greg Schaffert and is directed by Christopher Presley. Luck! will be the most fully realized production (in terms of physical production values) in the summer series, said Epic's Craig Rising.

A special one-night presentation of a solo play about three first ladies, featuring Epic member Elaine Bromka, is staged July 30. The Luck! cast includes Annemarie Benedict, Traci Hovel, Robb Pruitt, Craig Rising and Darrell Stokes.

According the Epic notes, "Someone sends you a chain letter. You throw it away, right? … Really? … Are you sure? Luck! is an unabashed, satirical comedy that takes on everything from fate to fatwa to pro football to the Pope. Don't miss this last, best chance at happiness! Luck can be yours! Fortune can be yours!"

The 2004 summer season's productions are:

I'll Be Jonah If You'll Be the Whale (July 15-25) by Jeremy Wine, directed by Kit Lavoie, featuring Austin Basis, Christine Bruno, Gabe Fazio, Laura Johnson, David Logan and Myla Pitt. "A brother and sister share an unusual relationship that must withstand visits from their spaced-out father and dead mother in this absurdist new work."

Madagascar (July 27-29) by J.T. Rogers, staged reading directed by Gus Reyes. "In 2004, Rogers received a NYFA playwriting fellowship for Madagascar, and received a NEA/TCG Theatre Residency award. A mysterious disappearance changes three lives forever. At three different periods in time, three Americans find themselves alone in the same hotel room overlooking the Spanish Steps in Rome. A daughter, a mother, and an old family friend each tell us their individual story of how and why they have been drawn here. The three narratives weave back and forth—each contradicting, clarifying, deepening what the others say—becoming strands of one disquieting tale. Madagascar is about the elusive nature of memory, and how the consequences of the actions we take ripple out in ways unforeseen."

Tea for Three: Lady Bird, Pat and Betty (July 30) a special engagement of a one-woman show by Eric H. Weinberger with Elaine Bromka, featuring Epic company member Elaine Bromka. "An intimate portrait, both tickling and touching, of three celebrities — in what Pat Nixon called 'the hardest unpaid job in the world!'" The Bank Street Theatre is at 155 Bank Street between West Street and Washington Street. The shows play July 1 30, Tuesdays through Saturdays 7 PM and Sundays at 3 PM. There will be no shows on July 3-4.

For tickets and information, please call Epic Rep at (212) 740-3080 or visit www.epic-rep.com.

Luck! playwright Sean Grennan has worked as a librettist on several projects including Phantom of the Country Opera (published by MTI), Ms. Cinderella and The Ho Ho Ho Show. His musical Rodeo was a finalist at the L.A. ASCAP/Disney Musical Theatre Festival in 2002 and subsequently was the sole ASCAP sponsored work in the Perry-Mansfield New Noises festival in Steamboat Springs, CO. Luck! won an honorable mention from the National Writer's Association's Playwriting Contest. He has also been a professional actor for the last 27 years, primarily in Chicago and is currently appearing Off Broadway in Perfect Crime. He is currently working with composer Leah Okimoto on a new musical revue, Niagara to Viagra.

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