Goodman Theatre Presents New Stages Series

"In theater the playwright is king," remarked Artistic Director Robert Falls, "and it is the responsibility of the Goodman and leading theaters nationwide to create opportunities for writers to develop new work in collaboration with world-class directors. Cultivating a wide range of new American plays is fundamental to the Goodman's goals of quality, diversity and community."

Now in its fifth year, the Goodman's New Stages Series has presented more than 20 new plays, many of which have gone on to receive productions at the Goodman and other American theaters including Playwrights Horizons, New York's The Public Theater, Steppenwolf, American Theatre Company and Geffen Playhouse. A complete list of these productions appears at the end of this release.

Spirits To Enforce, By Mickle Maher, Directed by Greg Allen, Friday, September 28 at 7pm

First produced by Chicago's Theatre Oobleck, Spirits to Enforce introduces us to "The Enforcers," a group of superheroes who are tackling a new project: not an evil villain, but something much more challenging-The Tempest by William Shakespeare. But first, these crime-fighters must raise the necessary funds through a superhero telemarketing campaign. They soon discover that making theater is often more difficult than locking up supervillians. Mickle Maher is a co-founder of Theatre Oobleck and the author of numerous plays, including An Apology for the Course and Outcome of Certain Events Delivered by Doctor John Faustus on This His Final Evening, The Hunchback Variations, Spirits to Enforce, The Cabinet and the adaptation Cyrano.

Ruined, By Lynn Nottage, Directed by Kate Whoriskey, Saturday, September 29 at 7pm

Set in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the present day, acclaimed playwright Lynn Nottage's latest play centers around Mama Nadi, a savvy businesswoman who, in the midst of a complex civil war, both protects and profits from the women whose bodies have become a battleground. Lynn Nottage returns to the Goodman where Resident Director Chuck Smith staged her play Crumbs from the Table of Joy in 2006. Her other plays include Intimate Apparel; A Walk Through Time; Mud, River, Stone; Por'knockers, Poof!; and Las Meninas.

Chasing Manet, By Tina Howe, Directed by Jason Loewith, Featuring Jane Alexander, Sunday, September 30 at 7pm

A vital, moving and vivid exploration of the terrors and joys of ageing, Chasing Manet introduces us to legendary painter Catherine Sargent, now legally blind and confined to the Mount Airy Nursing Home. Catherine is desperate to escape for one final adventure; and with the arrival of her new roommate Rennie, it looks like her plan may come to fruition. Jane Alexander received a Tony Award for her performance in The Great White Hope. Other Broadway work includes The Visit, The Sisters Rosensweig and Honour. Her films include Fur; An Imaginary Portrait of Dianne Arbus; The Ring; Sunshine State; The Cider House Rules; Glory; Kramer vs. Kramer; and The Great White Hope. Tina Howe's plays include The Nest, Birth and After Birth, Museum, The Art of Dining, Painting Churches, Coastal Disturbances, Approaching Zanzibar, One Shoe Off, Pride's Crossing and Skin Deep.

Two Echoes, By Noah Haidle, Directed by Dado, Friday, October 5 at 7pm

Suspended on a bridge one cold winter night, a cellist and two echoes watch as a parade of ordinary people pass by. This funny, bittersweet and inventive new play from the author of Vigilsexplores the frail link between life and death and what compels us to communicate when everything has already been said. Noah Haidle returns to the Goodman where Vigils had its world premiere last season. His other plays include Mr. Marmalade, Princess Marjorie and Rag and Bone.

Gas For Less, By Brett Neveu, Directed by Dexter Bullard, Saturday, October 6 at 7pm

Set against the backdrop of the Chicago Bears' recent journey towards the Super Bowl, Gas For Less is a multi-generational story about a small family-owned gas station struggling to stay afloat on the north side of Chicago. When a sudden act of violence shatters his world, Anthony, the 25-year-old manager, must reconcile himself with his newfound responsibilities and the changing faces of a neighborhood and a generation. Brett Neveu received the Goodman's Ofner Prize for Heritage. His other plays include The Meek; The Earl; 4 Murders; Eric LaRue; American Dead; Eagle Hills, Eagle Ridge, Eagle Landing; twentyone; and The Last Barbecue.

Ghostwritten, By Naomi Iizuka, Directed by Lisa Portes, Sunday, October 7 at 7pm

In this striking reimagining of the tale of Rumplestiltskin, an American woman goes to Southeast Asia and strikes a bargain with a mysterious stranger. Twenty years later, she's become an acclaimed chef specializing in Asian cuisine with an adopted Vietnamese-born daughter and a life that is successful beyond her wildest dreams. Into her life the stranger from her past reappears collecting on an old debt. Naomi Iizuka's plays include 17 Reasons (Why); 36 Views; Polaroid Stories; Language of Angels; War of the Worlds; Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls; Tattoo Girl and Skin. -- www.goodmantheatre.org