Downtown's Culture Project, on the eve of its 10th anniversary, will launch the new 42-day festival featuring more than 50 events at the company's space at 45 Bleecker Street and throughout the city. The focus of the multi-genre event (which will include theatre, dance, music, film, visual arts, comedy, debate and more) is human rights, social justice and political action.

Ensler's new play will open The Impact Festival. The Treatment, directed by Leigh Silverman, "delves beneath the layers of power, fear and intimacy between a traumatized former military interrogator (McDermott) and the psychologist Colonel (Portia) who is assigned to give him a routine treatment. What follows is a blunt exploration of torture, accountability and a soldier's 'duty' to commit atrocities in the name of democracy."

Other theatre events that will be part of the festival include the American premiere of 6 Actors in Search of a Plot by celebrated Palestinian writer Mohammed El-Thayer and American choreographer Billy Yalowitz; the world premiere of A Political Cabaret by Elizabeth Swados; an Ariel Dorfman stage adaptation of Speak Truth to Power: Voices from Beyond the Dark edited by Kerry Kennedy; and a Rob Urbinati stage adaptation of Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove's Voices of a People's History of the United States, among many others.

Among the artists also scheduled to participate in the numerous festival events are Marisa Tomei, Richard Dreyfus, Jeff Goldblum, Charles Grodin, Steve Earle, David Strathairn, Samantha Power and Bob Balaban.

A full schedule of Impact Festival 2006 events will be announced shortly. Tickets will go on sale August 15. For more information call (212) 253-7017 or email [email protected].