Now in its 25th year, the Ensemble Studio Theatre's Marathon will continue its long tradition of bringing premieres of one-act plays by new and notable playwrights. Among the playwrights this year are returning scribes Horton Foote, Billy Aronson, and Romulus Linney as well as Lisa-Maria Radano, Brian Silberman, Bill Bozzone, Roger Hedden, Graeme Gillis, Peter Maloney, Rogelio Martinez, Dan O'Brien, and Patricia Scanlon. The event runs May 8-June 16.

Past participants have included shows that have gone on to Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional runs. Playwrights have included Leslie Ayvazian, Christopher Durang, Herb Gardner, Frank Gilroy, Richard Greenberg, John Guare, Tina Howe, David Ives, Michael John LaChiusa, Craig Lucas, David Mamet, Steve Martin, Arthur Miller, Marsha Norman, Joyce Carol Oates, Paul Rudnick, John Patrick Shanley, Shel Silverstein, Wendy Wasserstein and Tennessee Williams.

The Marathon 2002, as in past years, consists of three separate evenings, that run sequentially rather than in repertory. The lineup is as follows:

Series A (May 8-19)

  Lark  by Romulus Linney, directed by Peter Maloney
Why I Followed You by Lisa-Maria Radano, directed by Deborah Hedwall
Reunions by Billy Aronson, directed by Jamie Richards
Salvage Baas by Brian Silberman, directed by Seret Scott   Series B (May 22-June 2)  

Salvation by Bill Bozzone, directed by Keith Reddin
Adaptation by Roger Heddon, directed by Billy Hopkins
Prisoner’s Song by Horton Foote, directed by Harris Yulin
Am Lit, Or Hibernophilia by Dan O’Brien

Series C (June 5-16)

My Father’s Funeral by Peter Maloney, directed by Beatrice Terry
Union City, NJ, Where Are You? by Rogelio Martinez
Hope Bloats by Patricia Scanlon
The Moon Bath Girl by Graeme Gillis

For tickets to Marathon 2002 at E.S.T., 549 West 52nd Street, call (212) 247-4982 or visit E.S.T.'s URL at www.ensemblestudiotheatre.org.

— by Ernio Hernandez