The Yale School of Drama and Manhattan-based New Dramatists will present works by Yale playwrights at the New Dramatists Playreading Festival, March 3. The festival, held at New Dramatists, will run from Noon to 5 PM. Plays by Yale students Mark Novom, Brian W. Robinson and Betty Shamieh will be showcased, and the festival's MC will be playwright and screenwriter Eric Overmeyer. A reception follows the readings.

At the festival, Novom will showcase Bagging Groceries, Robinson will receive a reading of Notorious, for Men and Shamieh will present Huggermugger. Begun in 1988, the Yale/New Dramatists partnership is led by co directors Todd London and Mark Bly. The program comprises a "concentrated internship program, playwriting mentorships, and a series of workshops and classes taught by Yale faculty and New Dramatists members, culminating in professional readings of the Yale students' work."

In a prepared statement, Todd London, artistic director of New Dramatists said, "We're particularly excited about this year's Festival because it marks the completion of the program's first full cycle -- from internship through mentorship to festival. Brian, Mark and Betty know New Dramatists and our community of writers knows them."

Mark Bly, chair of the playwriting program at Yale School of Drama and associate artistic director of Yale Repertory Theatre echoed London's remarks stating, "The internships, workshops, festival readings, and playwriting mentors including David Lindsay-Abaire, Kia Corthron, Nilo Cruz, Gordon Dahlquist, Kate Moira Ryan, Edwin Sanchez, and Chay Yew, have already had a significant impact on the emerging Yale playwrights."

Tickets to the festival are $5. New Dramatists is located at 424 West 44th Street, New York City. For more information regarding the upcoming Yale Playwrights at New Dramatists Playreading Festival, call New Dramatists at (212) 757-6960. -- By Murdoch McBride