The Off-Broadway premiere of I Love America makes its way ashore at the American Place Theatre May 19. The production will officially open for an open-ended run May 30 at the midtown Manhattan venue.

I Love America is taken from oral histories of roughly 20 Dominican refugees who made the journey across dangerous waters, by way of Puerto Rico, to the United States. Playwright Lidia Ramirez will perform her one-woman play under the direction by Elise Thoron.

The creative team behind America include Beowulf Boritt (set), Mimi O'Donnell (costumes), Jane Cox (lighting), and David Lawson (sound). Marlies Yerby serves as choreographic consultant.

Playwright-performer Ramirez has lurked about the downtown theatre scene, having her works produced at HERE Arts Center, the Public Theatre, Dixon Place and Ludlow's Todo con Nada Theatre. Some of her other works include Cutting Open, 69, Mother Dirt and Sancocho.

Director Thoron served as an artistic associate at American Place where she helmed productions of The Mayor of Boystown, Slow Drag and Extreme Girl. Her other directorial duties include Running the Red at INTAR and a bilingual production of Oleg Antonov's Egorushka at Soho Rep. For tickets to performances of America, playing at OB's American Place, 111 West 46th, (between 5th and 6th Ave.), call (212) 840-3074.

— by Ernio Hernandez