Mike Doyle, Christopher J. Hanke, Dick Latessa, Laila Robins, Alan Ruck, et al. Set for O’Neill Center Readings

Preliminary casting has been announced for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s 2009 Playwrights Conference and National Music Theatre Conference, to take place this summer at the O’Neill campus in Waterford, Connecticut, June 27-July 26.

Actors who will participate in this year’s readings include Mary Birdsong, Candy Buckley, Rob Campbell, Jeffrey Carlson, Lynn Cohen, Alma Cuervo, Diane Davis, Johanna Day, Mike Doyle, Kevin Geer, Jessica Grove, Christopher J. Hanke, Steve Kazee, Dick Latessa, Jose Llana, Matt McGrath, Anne Nathan, Laila Robins, Alan Ruck, Stephen Schnetzer, Jessica Snow-Wilson, Lauren Worsham, and Kristine Zbornik.

As previously announced, Joe Calarco will direct Daniel Zaitchik’s musical Picnic at Hanging Rock, which will feature music direction by Deborah Abramson, while Jason Moore will direct Tales of the City, based on the novel by Armistead Maupin, featuring a book by Jeff Whitty, a score by Jason Sellards and John Garden, and music direction by Stephen Oremus.

Meanwhile, Mark Brokaw will direct The Language Archive by Julia Cho. Sean Daniels will helm Fire Work by Lauren Gunderson. Wendy C. Goldberg will direct Nilo Cruz’s The Color of Desire. Sarah Benson will direct House of Gold by Gregory Moss. Kyle Donnelly will direct Spoon Lake Blues by Josh Tobiessen. Davis McCallum will helm Carthage by Emily Schwend. David Esbjornson will direct Bogwog by Abbie Spallen.

In addition, artist-in-residence Paul Scott Goodman will develop his new musical Easterhouse, and artist-in-residence Paul Oakley Stovall will develop his autobiographical piece Clear, which will feature music by such writers as Stew, Tom Kitt, and Ryan Link.

For more information, visit www.theoneill.org.