"Dear George: Letters from America to President Bush" to be Staged at the Freedom of Expression National Monument in NYC and 28 Theatres in 18 States Nationwide

West 50th Street Productions recently presented Dear George: Letters to the President at the Freedom of Expression National Monument located in Foley Square in Lower Manhattan. The performance piece is a compilation of 1500 Americans open letters written to President George W. Bush during this election year from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The letters come from people in all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands as well as Americans overseas and cover a wide range of opinions on every major issue, including the War in Iraq, the economy, gay marriage and 9/11. Throughout the month of October, Dear George: Letters to the President will be performed across the country by 28 theatre companies in 18 states. Dear George: Letters to the President will be performed in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.

(PRWEB) October 5, 2004 -- West 50th Street Productions recently presented Dear George: Letters to the President at the Freedom of Expression National Monument located in Foley Square in Lower Manhattan. The performance piece is a compilation of 1500 Americans open letters written to President George W. Bush during this election year from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The letters come from people in all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands as well as Americans overseas and cover a wide range of opinions on every major issue, including the War in Iraq, the economy, gay marriage and 9/11.

The Freedom of Expression National Monument is a public artwork by architect Laurie Hawkinson, performer John Malpede, and visual artist Erika Rothenberg and is presented by Creative Time and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council now through November 13, 2004. A plaque on the monument reads "You are cordially invited to step up and speak up."

In a classic exercise of "freedom of speech," actors read these open letters to the President through the monuments giant, red megaphone. Marcus Woollen, creator of Dear George states, "Public opinion of the President is so sharply divided that interpreting the division through binary polls does not do justice to the passion and intelligence of the American people. Our experiences are far too complex to be adequately reflected by sound bytes or approval ratings. The letters provide a fascinating and complex portrait of our nation today. By presenting individual voices, Dear George is an accessible, non-partisan alternative to the prescribed talking points that too often serve as political debate."

Throughout the month of October, Dear George: Letters to the President will be performed across the country by 28 theatre companies in 18 states. Dear George: Letters to the President will be performed in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

Additional information regarding West 50th Street Productions, Creative Time, and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council can be found on their respective websites; www.west50.com , www.creativetime.org and www.lmcc.net. A collection of the 1500 letters received for this project is on view at www.DearGeorgeLetters.com.

If you are interested in presenting this production in your town, contact Marcus Woolen at (212)604-4620
contact@DearGeorgeLetters.com

Participating theatres

Alaska | Arkansas | California | Florida | Indiana | Kansas | Maine | Minnesota | New Jersey | New York | North Carolina | Oklahoma | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Texas | Utah | Virginia | Wyoming

Additional theatres coming soon.

Alaska

Arkansas

California

Florida

Indiana

Kansas

Maine

Minnesota

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Oklahoma

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Texas

Utah

Virginia

Wyoming

Media Contact:
Marcus Woollen
(212) 604 -4620
contact@DearGeorgeLetters.com