6th @ Penn Theatre presents its

6th @ Penn Theatre is proud to announce a new Classics series of staged readings, focusing on works from different cultures and time periods.  The readings will take place at least once a month, and will feature top San Diego actors in key roles; in addition, music and dance will be added to many of the readings to enhance the theatrical experience.  Producer Dale Morris hopes that the same audiences who packed the theater for the award-winning Grassroots Greeks series will enjoy seeing rarely-performed classics from different eras, and also hopes to attract new audiences with a journey around the world and through time.

The series will begin on Saturday, October 1st at 4:00 P.M. with a reading of the hilarious Menaechmi by Plautus (which was the basis for Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors).  The multi-cultural theme will continue later in the month with a late-night Halloween/Dia de los Muertos reading on Saturday, October 29th at 10:30 P.M., honoring those who have passed on this year.   The biblical drama Athaliah by Racine will be performed on Monday, November 21st at 7:30 P.M., and Birds by Aristophanes (with music and dance) is scheduled for Saturday, December 17th at 4:00 P.M.  On December 31st, there will be a special fundraising performance of  Lysistrata by Aristophanes, along with a gala New Year's Eve party.  The 2006 series will continue regularly on Monday nights, beginning with Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe on January 23rd at 7:30 P.M., followed by the Japanese play Sotaba Komachi by Kwanami Kyotsugu on February 20th and  Fuente Ovejuna  by Spanish playwright Lope de la Vega on March 20th, both at 7:30 P.M.  In April, an African play (as yet unnamed) will be performed on the 17th at 7:30 P.M., and the Indian classic Shakuntala by Kalidasa will round out the series on May 22nd at 7:30 P.M.  A $10 donation is requested at the door which benefits the readers and the theatre.

The Artistic Director of the Classics series, Celeste Innocenti, has a broad background in theater, languages, and literature.  She spent over three years as a founding member and the musical director of the Grassroots Greeks ensemble, and has performed roles in readings of every extant Greek tragedy as well as two full productions at 6th @ Penn (Hippolytus and Children of Heracles).   As an actor, she has appeared in numerous productions in San Diego and Los Angeles and has trained extensively in Shakespeare and in classical theater.  Other productions at 6th @ Penn include Bloody Poetry and Reckless; in addition, she has worked in several other capacities for the theater, including stage manager, house manager, and costumer.  She also co-produced, directed, and performed in the late-night show "Unspoken Word", and helped coordinate "The Lysistrata Project" as a part of a world-wide effort to support peaceful solutions to war.  Innocenti hopes that the new series will expose audiences to works which they may never see performed otherwise, and looks forward to an educational and exciting adventure.
 

 What:     Classic Reading Series at 6^th @ Penn. One night only events.
 Where:   6^th @ Penn Theatre, 3704 6^th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103
 When:    Please refer to schedule below.
 Tickets:  A $10 donation is requested to benefit the actors and the theatre.
 Reservations:  (619) 688-9210 or www.6thatpenn.com
 Contact:  Dale Morris (619) 688-9210 or dale@dalemorris.net