America's oldest playwright development center, NY's New Dramatists, has appointed Jean Randich to the position of George Abbott Resident Director.

Randich replaces the recently appointed, Maria Mileaf -- who's taking a leave of absence to tend her newborn baby. Randich's responsibilities at New Dramatists will include the direction and dramaturgy of new play and musical readings by member and affiliated playwrights.

Randich has directed plays at Yale School of Drama, the Yale Cabaret, New England Actors' Theatre, En Garde Arts, Dallas Theatre Center, Bielefeld Theatre Workshop & Mobiles Theatre in Germany and Det Apne Teater in Norway. She has also received the prestigious NEA/TCG Director's Fellowship.

Previous New Dramatists resident directors include: Clinton Turner Davis, Robert Woodruff, Anne Bogart, Jim Simpson, Liz Diamond, and Alison Summers.

Prominent New Dramatists members have included: Robert Anderson, August Wilson, Richard Foreman, William Inge, Donald Margulies, Suzan-Lori Parks, John Patrick Shanley, Mac Wellman, and many more. Upcoming new play readings at New Dramatists include:

* August Baker's How Unconscious is She? directed by Damien Gray, on April 6

* Edwin Sanchez's Unmerciful Good Fortune on April 9, directed by Jim Simpson

* Herman Daniel Farrell's To Mandela on April 14, directed by Marion McClinton

For reservations or more information on New Dramatists' Reading Series call (212) 757-6960.

-- By Sean McGrath