OPC artistic director Wendy C. Goldberg — who heads up this year's festivities — stages the work she conceived with scribe MacLeod for two public readings July 30 31. Thrash follows the story of "an ambitious young, Washington, D.C. writer who is trying to make a name for himself by tracking down the legendary skateboarder Doone and solving the mystery of his disappearance," according to a release.

The OPC reading marks the first for the piece which is slated to undergo additional workshops later this year in Washington, D.C. and in New York City. Professional skateboarder of the D.C.'s Pit Crew Team Mark Nickels serves as the skate consultant.

The cast for the new work includes Matt Rauch, Sue Jean Kim, David Andrew McMahon, Ryan King, Jonathan Walker and Rey Lucas.

Playwright MacLeod has penned the plays The House Of Yes (which was adapted into the 1997 film), Schoolgirl Figure, Sin, Things Being What They Are and the recent Juvenila (Playwrights Horizons).

Producer Arielle Tepper (The Pillowman, Spamalot provided additional funding for the development of Thrash. Tickets are on sale through the O'Neill Box Office at (860) 443-1238. Outdoor performances are moved indoors in the event of rain. Some material may not be appropriate for children.

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center was founded in 1964 and based in Waterford, CT. Programs at the Center include the Puppetry Conference, Playwrights Conference, Critics Institute, Music Theater Conference and the National Theater Institute. The Monte Cristo Cottage, O'Neill's childhood home, is also owned and operated by the group.

For more information, visit the website at www.theoneill.org.