Kathleen Chalfant, Carmelita Tropicana, Michael Cerveris, David Greenspan, Erin Markey, and MaYaa Boateng are among the actors performing in The Public Theater's free marathon of staged readings of works by playwright Maria Irene Fornes August 27.
Performances begin at noon and continue through midnight.
The free event is in celebration of the release of the new documentary film on Fornes' life, The Rest I Make Up, which is playing at MoMa through August 29.
Fornes is the winner of nine Obie Awards and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for her play What of the Night? The Cuban-American playwright has written over 40 plays and is considered one of the pioneers of the Off-Off Broadway experimental theatre movement.
The Public's Fornes marathon is spearheaded by director JoAnne Akalaitis, and showcases Fornes’ little-known and rarely produced works alongside more recognized favorites. See the full schedule below and click here to make a reservation.
Program 1: 12–2:40 PM
Dr. Kheal (David Greenspan); A Vietnamese Wedding (Susannah Hoffman, Tracie Morris, Dawn Saito, Saori Tsukada, Teddy Allmendinger); Tango Palace (Bill Camp, Orlando Pabotoy, Kathleen Chalfant); Balseros (Emilio Delgado, Andrea Morales, Adriana Sananes)
Program 2: 3–5:40 PM
Excerpts from Molly’s Dream (Nicole Lewis, Gabriel Sloyer, Michael Cerveris, Hannah Mitchell, Sifiso Mabena, Chloé Worthington, Deirdre Donovan, Lisa Ramirez); The Conduct of Life (Alfredo Narciso, Florencia Lozano, Annie Henk, Flora Diaz, Bobby Plasencia, Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas); Mud (Wendy vanden Heuvel, Bill Camp, Orlando Pabotoy, Karen Kandel)
Program 3: 6–8:40 PM
Excerpted Fefu and Her Friends (Kathleen Chalfant, Sophia Skiles, Tracie Morris, Joan MacIntosh, Ellen McLaughlin, Carmelita Tropicana, Petronia Paley, Lisa Ramirez); Monologues from selected works (Rachel Holmes, Michael Cerveris, Kathleen Chalfant, Joan MacIntosh, Patrick Vaill, Soraya Broukhim, Aliyah Hakim); Drowning (Jim Himelsbach, Arthur French, Steven Ali, Karen Kandel); The Danube (Beth Manspeizer, Christian Baskous, Timothy Doyle, Rocco Sisto, Myla Pitt)
Program 4: 9–11:45 PM
Excerpts from What of the Night? (Teddy Cañez, Carlo Albán, Vanessa Aspillaga, Flora Diaz, MaYaa Boateng, Hannah Mitchell, Heidi Schreck, David Greenspan, Michael Cerveris, Joan MacIntosh, Lisa Ramirez); Letters [to and] from Cuba (Carlo Albán, Emilio Delgado, Zabryna Guevara, Michelle Memran); Song from The Successful Life of 3 (Erin Markey, Michael Cerveris, David Greenspan) and songs from Promenade (Tom Phelan, Erin Markey, Steve Ali, Elisabeth Siegel, Sophie Freedman, Sophie Laruelle, Chloé Worthington, Sam Balzac, Britt Berke).
Watch the trailer for The Rest I Make Up below.
