Beginning Sept. 30 and running through Nov. 5, Ensemble Studio Theatre will present its 22nd annual festival of new comedy, drama and poetry — Octoberfest 2002.

This year's Octoberfest will be performed on two stages and will offer a mix of full productions, staged works-in-progress and premiere readings all written by E.S.T. members. Both emerging and established playwrights will take part in the month-long event; attendees can expect to see works by well-known playwrights Horton Foote, Romulus Linney and Eduardo Machado as well as entries by such emerging artists as Joe Gilford, Graeme Gillis, Rogelio Martinez and Robert Simonson.

Performances will be held on the second and sixth floors of the Ensemble Studio Theatre, which is located at 549 West 52nd Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues. Tickets can be reserved by calling (212) 247-4982.

Following is a selection of the nearly 100 works that will be offered during Octoberfest 2002:

Sept. 30 at 9 PM Heaven Hill, Nova Scotia by Graeme Gillis (2nd Floor)
Oct. 1 at 9 PM Kicker by Robert Simonson, directed by Jamie Richards (6th Floor)
Oct. 5 at 8:30 PM and Oct. 6 at 3:30 PM All Americans by Marc Romeo (6th Floor)
Oct. 19 at 7 PM and Oct. 20 at 2 PM Quacks Like Love: Scenes From My Sex Life by Chris Belden (2nd Floor)
Oct. 19 at 8:30 PM Short Long's by Quincy Long (6th Floor)
Oct. 2 and 3 Tennessee by Romulus Linney (2nd Floor)
Oct. 19 at 8:30 PM and Oct. 20 at 3:30 PM 27 Wagons Full of Cotton by Tennessee Williams and Elegy for A Lady by Arthur Miller; initiated by Shawn Elliott (2nd Floor)
Oct. 26 at 8:30 PM and Oct. 27 at 3:30 PM Pilgrims by Horton Foote (2nd Floor)
Oct. 27 and 28 at 8:30 PM Days of Happiness by Arthur Giron (2nd Floor) Established in 1972, E.S.T. is the country's premiere developmental theatre. The company has two primary goals: to nurture artists and to develop new plays.

—By Andrew Gans