RAT Pensacola Press Release

[brad rothbart <scrdchao@nni.com>]

*  Press release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Theatre Double's  new reading series,
Underground Voices
Curated by Brad Rothbart

					presents
				PENSACOLA by Caridad Svich

 Regarding the subject matter of PENSACOLA,  Maria Delgado (Lecturer in
Drama,  University of London) is moved to say: "Elegant delicate writing
and a strong musical tone mark the language of this hauntingly beautiful
play. Caridad Svich's PENSACOLA is a powerful journey into America's
unknown." The reading features Daniel K. Spicer as BENJAMIN,  Edward Earle
as NATE, Kelly Spitko as HANA, and Linda Waters as GRIFFIN. It will take
place at Theatre Double Salon, 1619 Walnut Street   in Philadelphia on 1
November 1999 at 8 pm. Doors will open at 7:30.  A reception will follow
the performance. The reading is  for one night only.  Admission is
pay-what-you-can, and the space is wheelchair accessible.

 Caridad Svich is a playwright/composer and translator of Cuban, Argentine,
Croatian, and Spanish descent, who was born in Philadelphia and now lives
in Los Angeles, where she is currently the playwright in residence at the
Mark Taper Forum Theatre, and writers' project coordinator for their Latino
Theatre Initiative.
Among her plays: ALCHEMY Of DESIRE/DEAD-MAN'S BLUES, which has been staged
in theatres in Miami, London, Minneapolis, and Canada, and ANY PLACE BUT
HERE, which has been seen in New York, Chicago and Edinburgh. Her play
GLEANING/REBUSCA is published in an anthology of contemporary plays by
US-based Hispanic women entitled SHATTERING THE MYTH (Arte Publico Press).
She is co-editor of the anthology OUT OF THE FRINGE to be  published by TCG
in December, and CONDUCTING A LIFE: REFLECTIONS ON THE THEATRE OF MARIA
IRENE FORNES published by Smith and Kraus in November. Among her awards: an
NEA/TCG Playwriting Residency, a TCG/Pew Observership, a California Arts
Council Fellowship, and the Rosenthal New Play Prize. She is a member of
the Dramatists Guild, and an affiliated writer with New Georges and The
Women's Project in New York.
WHY THIS SERIES EXISTS:
As the societal margin shrinks,  and the economic risk of creating theatre
becomes higher and higher, fewer and fewer original, boundary-stretching
works are produced.  All too often, theatremakers are forced to commit
themselves to the bottom line, rather than an artistic vision. As the work
becomes uninteresting and irrelevant, the audience turns to other art
forms, such as television, music, and  film. In my 10 years in experimental
theatre, I  have been  privileged to witness extraordinary  performances
and  read  remarkable scripts. As I  encountered these works, I wished that
more people could experience their power.
Therefore,  I have created a reading series devoted to "underheard
playwrights," so that their strong, unique voices can finally be  known.
The audience  will hear the piece read ( in a bare bones setting, so that
the focus remains on the script) and can  later discuss (often with the
playwright and performers present) the complex questions brought up by the
work. This is the only  series of its kind in the country, and it is my
small contribution to moving theatre forward into the next century. Whether
you care about the vitality of the theatre, or  feel that theatre is a form
devoid of any relevance in your life , I urge you  to  come to Underground
Voices and see the  possibility of what the theatre can become.

Future readings include:
				29 November Ruth Margraff, Elektra Fugues
				06 December David Simpatico, Waiter Waiter
				20 December Steven Tomlinson, Millennium Bug
				03 January Paula Cizmar, Street Stories
				17 January  Aishah Rahman, Only in America
				31 January Alice Tuan,  Coastline