In their first annual "New Works Festival," Dallas' Kitchen Dog Theatre will present the world premiere of Isaac by David Schulner, May 22 June 13.

Chosen from more than 70 scripts, Isaac is a radical new retelling of the Biblical Abraham and Isaac story. KDT Artistic Director Dan Day will direct.

Along with Isaac, KDT will present a "pay-what-you-can" series of staged readings, occurring Wednesdays and Sundays, throughout the run of the Fest.

The readings schedule is as follows:
€ Peggy Lee on the Midway by Donald Fowler, May 23
€ Freedomland by Amy Freed, May 26
€ God Goliath by Angela Wilson, May 30
€ Becoming Bronte by Emily Ball Cicchini, June 2
€ Oscar and Maddy by Richard Alger, June 6
€ The Chinese Art of Placement by Stanley Rutherford, June 9
€ Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen (a new translation by Paul Walsh), June 1

Kitchen Dog's New Works Festival is an outgrowth of their membership in the National New Play Network (NNPN), an alliance of theaters dedicated to creation, production, and dissemination of new works. Other members include: The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, NY's The Drama Department, Atlanta's Actor's Express, and Mixed Blood Theater of Minneapolis. For tickets or more information on any of the festival's events, call(214) 953-1055.

-- By Sean McGrath