Among this year's highlights are New York's first glimpse of playwright Nilo Cruz's Pulitzer Prize-winner Anna in the Tropics. The reading kicks off the series on April 26, with Cruz himself directing. The Public's description of the play runs thusly: "A lector arrives to read 'Anna Karenina' to the factory workers as they roll hundreds of cigars each day in the summer heat. The exotic cold of Anna's Russia ignites their hidden desires and passions with tragic results." Six Cruz plays have been featured in "New Work Now!" over the years. The Cuban-born dramatist will be joined in the series by several other Latin American writers, including Karen Zacarías, Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas, Aravind Enrique Adyanthaya and Alejandro Morales.

The centerpiece of the series is the new play by Lisa Kron, Well, which will be offered in five workshop presentations. Leigh Silverman directs the piece, which asks the question: Are we responsible for our own illnesses? The dates are May 2 at 7 PM; May 3 at 3 and 7 PM; May 11 at 7 PM; and May 12 at 7 PM.

All play readings are free and open to the public. Call The Public Theater box office at (212) 260-2400. Limit four reservations per reading. Reserved tickets must be picked up 15 minutes prior to starting time, at which time unclaimed tickets will be released to people on the waiting list. For a complete schedule, check on-line at www.publictheater.org.