VITAL THEATRE COMPANY is pleased to present its seventh installment of VITAL SIGNS, the company's semi-annual festival of new works. The four-part series begins Wednesday, March 19th at 7:00 p.m. Each series runs 2 weeks - Wednesdays through Sundays at 7:00 p.m. - through May 11th.

Series One: March 19-30
In SUICIDAL FAGS AND THE DEATH OF GOD by ROSS MAXWELL, directed by SHANE BROWN, Left meets Right in this comedic exploration of the execution of art and the art of execution. In MORPHS by TY ADAMS, directed by ALLISON TALIS, abuse triggers a young woman's fantasy that may or may not set her free. THE HONEY MAKERS by DEBORAH GRIMBERG, directed by JORINDE KEESMAAT, tells the story of refugees and asylum seekers in a world of fear and prejudice, and explores the universal struggle to survive. In ANGELS, LAWS & MIRACLES by SETH KRAMER, directed by BOB JUDE FERRANTE, a nurse must help a dying man decide how he will face the end of his life.

Series Two: April 2-April 13
In FISH OUT OF WATER by PAYNE RATNER, directed by EMILY TETZLAFF, an older couple, on their last vacation in Florida, sit on a beach and go places they've never dreamed possible. In AND EVERYTHING NICE by EDWARD MUSTO, directed by SAM SCHACHT, an ex-con goes "legit" with the help of a benevolent despot in this breezy homage to '50s film noir. PEDESTRIANS by ROSS MAXWELL, directed by AIMÉE HAYES, is a dark comedy exploring five people's reactions to one disaster. A GLASS OF WATER by DAN DEMOTT, directed by JASON KING JONES, is a play that deals with what is really important at the moment: who we are, and how we got there.

Series Three: April 16 - April 27
In AN ACTOR PREPARES by MARK YOUNG, directed by MARGIE LEMPERT, a successful actor takes his former employer to breakfast. In GALILEO IN THE UNDERWORLD by R.L. NESVET, directed by EUGENIA TZIRTZILAKI, the year is 1992 and the Vatican had just apologized for condemning Galileo's ideas as heretical and Lucifer won't believe it -- and won't accept that he now must let his most entertaining houseguest go. In WHITE STONES by KEN GAERTNER, directed by MARK BLOOM, desires rise but don't converge in this Spanish town as an ecstatic saint and an embittered man inhabit but don't share the same world. In BEFORE THE WRECKAGE by ROBIN ROTHSTEIN, directed by THOMAS COTE, on the day of their best friend's wedding Liz and Maxine suddenly find themselves confronting the demise of their lifelong friendship while reminiscing on a favorite old bridge.

Series Four: April 30 - May 11
In MARY CARPENTER by ERNESSA T. CARTER, directed by HABIB AZAR, Mary decides to tell Jesus that God ain't his Daddy. In THE AMAZIIING COLOSSAL THING, a farce by RICH ORLOFF, directed by DAVID HILDER, a janitor at a nuclear power plant forgets to zip his fly. In TOYLAND by AL SJOERDSMA, directed by GREGORY THORSON, young Chad has brought home a new pet and named him Fluffy - the species is uncertain but the animal eats everything, including human brains. HAZARD OF THE GAME by JOYCE TURISKYLIE, directed by CYNTHIA THOMAS, tells the story of a couple engaged in a game of psychological warfare centered around a sleeping child.

Now in its fifth season, VITAL THEATRE COMPANY has mounted twelve full-length main stage productions, five short-play series and six installments of Vital Signs. To date, five plays developed in Vital's playwrights workshop and/or presented in VITAL SIGNS have gone on to publication. Recent additions include "Pumpkins for Small Pox" by Catherine Gillet and "Looking for the Pony" by Andrea Lepcio, both published this February in Plays and Playwrights 2003. VITAL THEATRE COMPANY is a two-time winner of the Off-Off Broadway Review's Award for Excellence and was named 2002 Theatre Company of the Year by the NEW YORK THEATRE EXPERIENCE.