The Printer's Devil Theatre's 1999 New Play Bonanza will take place March 1-May 18 at Seattle's Speakeasy Cafe. Curated by company members Deron Bos and Tricia Rodley, the annual event allows the artists to experiment with their work, creating a environment free of critical or financial pressure. Past Bonanzas have included Erik Ehn's Angel uh God , The Saint Plays The Year of My Mother's Birth , and Lawrence Krauser's Horrible Child.

Among the entries in this year's program are Lawrence Krauser's Lemon (Mar. 8-9), Kip Fagan's Chewing Gum, Walking (Mar. 29 30), Shelia Callaghan's Scab (Apr. 5-6), Kristen Palmer's Verilee (Apr. 12-13), Aaron Thomas' Public Park (Apr. 19 20), and Midgalia Cruz's Featherless Angels (May 17-18).

Upcoming in the Printer's Devil season are two new looks at two classic plays: Chekhov's The Seagull and Ibsen's Hedda Gabler . The Seagull, scheduled for early summer '99, will be adapted and directed by Fagan with the goal of "retaining the immediacy and potency which made The Seagull one of the most startlingly original plays in recent history." In tandem with Seagull , the company will produce Fagan's expressionistic divergence, gleaned from Chekhov's script: A Flock of Seagulls.

Paul Willis' original adaptation of Hedda , scheduled for fall '99, also re-investigates Ibsen's drama in an attempt to recapture the flame of a piece now tarnished by its "classic" status.

For tickets ($10 for all full productions) or a complete listing of the Printer's Devil's Bonanza, playing at 409 Seventh Ave South in Seattle, call (206) 860-7163. -- By Sean McGrath and Christine Ehren