NEW YORK--Diverse City Theater Company (DCT) sponsored an evening performance of Ensemble Studio Theatre's (EST) production of Romulus Linney's new play, KLONSKY & SCHWARTZ, directed by noted Off Broadway director Jamie Richards on Wednesday, December 14, 2005 at 8PM at EST's main stage theater, 549 West 52nd Street in New York City.

The evening was attended by DCT contributing artists which include many of its playwrights, directors, actors, stage managers and industry guests. A post-performance holiday wine reception was held with Mr. Linney, Founder & Artistic Director of EST Curt Dempster, director Jamie Richards (who also directed DCT's The Female Heart) and the play's stars Chris Ceraso and William Wise. Among the many DCT artist attendees were Founder/Artistic & Producing Director Victor Lirio, Producers Liz Casasola and Natasha Marco, Associate Artistic Linda Faigao-Hall, Equality Playwrights Festival Dramaturg Maxine Kern, Producing Director of The Working Theater Company Mark Plesent, Board Members David & Debbie Derr, Actors Tim Davis, Andrew Eisenman, Randy Falcon, Lydia Gaston, Luz Lor, Suzanne Lynch, Bobby Martino, Desiree Maumus, Olga Natividad, DCT's Playwright Fellows Tom Caplan, Marisa Marquez and Kristine Reyes and EST's producing team Robert Askins, Peter Marsh and Mia Vaculik.

From L-R: Natasha Marco, Romulus Linney, Victor Lirio and Liz Casasola

KLONSKY & SCHWARTZ, a humorous and provocative play, evokes the creative life of the mercurial and gifted Delmore Schwartz who rose to fame during the mid 20th century artistic and political ferment in New York City. Linney's play is set in the 60's and deals with an emergency late in Schwartz's life as Milton Klonsky his life-long artistic partner and protégé, tries to rescue his troubled mentor and friend.

Mr. Linney, a multi-award winning playwright and recipient of two Obie Awards, is the author of three novels, many short stories, and five anthologies of plays, staged throughout the United States and abroad. They include The Sorrows of Frederick, Holy Ghosts, Childe Byron, Heathen Valley, "2," A Lesson Before Dying and Going After Cacciato. In Mr. Linney's bio, he thanked "Chris Noth for telling him to begin his play [KLONSKY & SCHWARTZ], Donald Marguiles for telling him to keep writing it, and the late August Wilson for helping him finish it."

THE NEW YORK TIMES calls KLONSKY & SCHWARTZ "an uplifting story" -- a "deft two-person drama [that] nicely captures what it's like for a writer to be inspired and intimidated at the same time." The play runs through December 23rd. Tickets are available through TheaterMania.com or by calling (212) 352-3101.

Director Jamie Richards and KLONSKY & SCHWARTZ star, William Wise

Romulus Linney and Victor Lirio

Victor Lirio, Jamie Richards, William Wise, Tim Davis and Liz Casasola

Producing Director of The Worlking Theater Co., Mark Plesent, Victor Lirio and
William Wise (former Artistic Director of The Working Theater)

THE FEMALE HEART REUNION: Victor Lirio, Liz Casasola, Tim Davis and Natasha Marco

Actor Andrew Eisenman and DCT Playwright Fellow, Kristine Reyes

Dr. Thelma Reyes, Cora and Dr. Mars Custodio

ABOUT DIVERSE CITY THEATER CO.:
Diverse City Theater Co. Inc., is an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization--run by artist playwrights, directors and actors--that focuses on promoting diversity in the theater arts. Its mission is to commission, develop and produce original plays that explore and examine diversity issues in our national culture thereby creating multiculturally fluent theater audiences, as well as advocate the non-traditional casting of actors.

Formed in 2003, Diverse City Theater Co., Inc. is based in New York City. For more information, visit the organization's website at www.diversecitytheater.org.

Contact:
Victor Lirio
victor@diversecitytheater.org
212-309-9031