The competition features 60 one-act plays that were selected from hundreds of submissions from around the world. Playwrights represented during the Festival, which runs through June 9, include Andrew Biss, Jack Dyville, Shirl Hendryx, Irwin Nayman, Greg LoProto, Csaba Teglas, Jessamyn Fiore, Ken Kaissar, Elizabeth Orndorff, Nick Mwaluko and Bennett Windheim.

The Festival will feature four elimination rounds: The initial 60 plays in the Roller Coaster Round will be whittled down to 20, which will proceed to the Ferris Wheel Round on June 5 and 6. Ten of those plays will be selected for the Merry Go Round on June 7, and three will then be chosen to be part of the Free Fall Round on June 8. On June 9 a special ceremony will be held to present the one play chosen as the Best Production. The playwright will receive a $1,000 grand prize.

The Festival will also offer the "Seminar Sideshow" series, a line-up of industry guest speakers. The noon seminars follow.

May 24: Photographer Trevor Oswalt
May 27: Casting director Angela Mickey
June 3: Acting teacher Larry Silverberg
June 4: Actor/director/instructor Michael Grenham
June 6: Literary manager Peter Miller
June 7: Photographer Mickey Pantano

Theatre Row is located in Manhattan at 410 West 42nd Street. Tickets, priced $18 per presentation (three or four one-act plays), are available by calling (212) 279-4200 or by visiting www.ticketcentral.com. For a complete list of plays and show times, visit www.youarehereproductions.com.