John Doble's A SERIOUS PERSON Debuts at Manhattan Rep Tonight

A SERIOUS PERSON -- a new play by John Doble, author of last year's popular play COFFEE HOUSE, GREENWICH VILLAGE - will debut at Manhattan Repertory Theatre's Winter One Act Play Competition with performances starting tonight, January 9 at Manhattan Repertory Theatre (303 West 42nd Street -6th Floor), in Manhattan. Olivia Harris, who directed Mr. Doble's COFFEE HOUSE, directs this newest play.

COFFEE HOUSE, GREENWICH VILLAGE was nominated for Best Play in the 2012 One Act Play Competition at Manhattan Repertory Theatre and cast member Alex Engquist was named Best Supporting Actor.

The cast of A SERIOUS PERSON features Alex Engquist -- who appeared in COFFEE HOUSE, GREENWICH VILLAGE -- Loralee Tyson.

Playwright Doble returns to one of New York's most cherished settings, a coffee house: in A SERIOUS PERSON two 20-somethings -- an insurance salesman and a beautiful airline ticketing agent -- strike up a comically-charged conversation and an unlikely flirtation as she confronts him with her outlandish opinions about everything under the sun, including Bush vs. Kerry, the church, Picasso and evolution.

John Doble's work includes COFFEE HOUSE, GREENWICH VILLAGE (Best Play nominee Midwinter Madness Short Play Festival); TO PROTECT THE POETS (Roy Arias Theatre, NYC, 2011; semi-finalist, National Arts Club new plays contest and Reverie Productions Playwrights Contest); THE MAYOR WHO WOULD BE SONDHEIM (New York International Fringe Festival, 2005; HRC Showcase Theatre, Hudson, NY, 2006. Finalist, Stage 3 Theatre Company Festival of New Plays, Sonora, CA, and Playwright Center's New Play Competition, Minneapolis, MN, 2005); BLIND DATE (Samuel French Short-Play Festival, NYC, 2004; selected for The Last Frontier Theater Conference, Valdez, AK, 2005); THE MORTGAGE (Pulse Ensemble Theatre's Festival of One-Act Comedies, NYC, 2004); "Lefty and Other Stories," a collection of short fiction, Clemson University, 2004 (nominated for the Pushcart Prize).

Alex Engquist's recent credits include COFFEE HOUSE, GREENWICH VILLAGE; MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (Boomerang Theatre Company), J.M. Barrie's ALICE SIT-BY-THE-FIRE (IRT), HANDS (Manhattan Repertory Theatre), 3BOYS (New York International Fringe Festival) and MERRILY, MERRILY, MERRILY (Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival).

Loralee Tyson's recent NYC credits include INTERMEZZO (Marvell Repertory), THE THREEPENNY OPERA (Marvell Repertory), CARMEN (Amore Opera), Bamboozled (Theater for the New City), RUMPLEWHO? (13th Street Repertory) and WHERE DID THE BEES GO? (American Globe Theatre). TV: "Pan Am", "The Good Wife".

Olivia Harris directed John Doble's COFFEE HOUSE, GREENWICH VILLAGE and TO PROTECT THE POETS in 2011. She has created original theatrical work that addresses social problems with populations in Kathmandu, Nepal, Hell's Kitchen, and Newark, NJ, and with incarcerated populations in both New Jersey and Washington D.C. A graduate of Drew University, Olivia is currently pursuing an MA in Applied Theatre at CUNY.

Michael Palmer -- who served as Associate Producer of TO PROTECT THE POETS and COFFEE HOUSE, GREENWICH VILLAGE -- serves as Associate Producer of A SERIOUS PERSON.

Manhattan Repertory Theatre produces new plays with little or no cost to the participants. MRT runs seasonal play festivals, one act play competitions and produces Manhattan Repertory Theatre company plays, and produces returning festival artists. Created in 2005 by Ken Wolf, Artistic Director and Jennifer Pierro, Director of Productions, Manhattan Repertory Theatre has produced over 700 plays, and over 6000 theatre artists have participated. Manhattan Repertory Theatre is located at 303 W. 42nd St (at 8th Ave.) on the 6th Floor.

Scheduled tonight, January 9, 10, 11 and 12 at 9 p.m. A SERIOUS PERSON is performed at Manhattan Repertory Theatre (303 W. 42 St. -- 6th floor). Tickets are $20 (cash at the door). To reserve seats email mrtreserve@gmail.com Reservations will be confirmed by return email. (A SERIOUS PERSON is featured in the One-Act Play Series 2.)

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