Los Angeles' Theatre Geo opens its summer festival with the world premiere of Jose Rivera's 187.

The festival is premiering the work of 13 Los Angeles playwrights, including Rivera, Barbara Lindsay, Grant Gottschall, Cynthia J. Cohen, Robert Harders and Debbie Korkunis. In total, the festival consists of 16 new short plays and runs July 14-Aug. 26.

Theatre Geo Founder and Artistic Director Geo Hartley, will direct Rivera's187 as well as The Song by John Smythe.

Rivera recently premiered The Street Of The Sun, about a writer living in L.A., as part of the Mark Taper Forum's 30th anniversary "New Theatre For Now" Series. In 1998, Rivera will premiere his new adaptation of 17th century Spanish playwright Pedro Calderon de la Barca's Life is a Dream at Hartford Stage. Other Rivera plays include Cloud Tectonics and Marisol.

Theatre Geo's summer festival runs for seven weeks, and is divided into two nights, "Breakers One" playing Monday evenings (July 14-Aug. 25) and "Breakers Too" playing Tuesday evenings (July 15-Aug. 26). "Breakers One" includes In All the Wrong Places by Frank Farmer, Define Crazy by Steve Silverman, Nothing To Do With You by Brenda Varda, It's Personal by Debbie Korkunis, Familiar Dogs by Grant Gottschall, Cupid's Beau by Barbara Lindsay, Ain't Missin You by Brain Christopher Williams, and The Ceramic Cow by Sandey Grinn.

"Breakers Too" includesThe Last Laugh by Robert Harders,How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall? by Nick Ulett, Donald's Jacket by Debbie Korkunis, 187 by Jose Rivera, Gave Her the Eye by John Sheehy, Winners by Denise Devin, Red Light, Blue Light by Cynthia J. Cohen, and The Song by John Smythe.

Tickets to each evening cost $15. For reservations and more information call Theatix (213) 466-1767 or refer to theTheatre Geo regional listing on Playbill On-Line. --By Sean McGrath