The Mark Taper Forum, in association with A.S.K. Theatre Projects and DreamWorks SKG, has been presenting the Taper's 12th annual new play festival at Actors' Gang in Hollywood. The series, which started Nov. 5, finishes up Dec. 15.

Eight workshops, eight readings and two special events are being presented free of charge at open public rehearsals. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The festival had taken place at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank in 1997 and 1998, but the change of venue was necessary because the Falcon is presently presenting its own series of plays at its home base.

Plays by such established playwrights as Murray Mednick, Shem Bitterman and Lillian Garrett-Groag are on the Taper list. Two special events included Katey Sagal: Random Access Memories by Dan Gerrity, which featured Sagal in "a multimedia journey into the junk drawer of the mind" (Dec. 10); and Universes, directed by Jo Bonney and featuring a five-member ensemble of inner-city artists straight from New York (Dec. 11).

Actors Gang is located at 6209 Santa Monica Blvd. For information and reservations call (213) 972-7389. -- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent