International theater launching here

You heard it hear first–unless you’ve been hanging out in the halls of Butler University.

BU theater head John Green and prof/actress/director Diane Timmerman will be launching a new theater company next summer. Dedicated to bringing the best of world theatre artists here, International Theatre Indianapolis will present work and foster the development of collaborative projects.

Coming in ’09: Wales-based director Phillip Zarrilli directing “The Beckett Project” featuring six Samual Beckett one-acts. Also, acting great Roger Rees–who was in town last year for the ISO’s “Rite of Spring”–will return for two performances of his one-person show “What You Will.”

In the meantime, both Green and Timmerman have busy seasons ahead of them. Green is directing the world premiere of David Hoppe’s “After Paul McCartney” at the Edinburgh International Festival (after a number of developmental productions here). He’s also narrating “The Innocents” for Ensemble Voltaire, and directing not only “Phaedraplays” at Butler, but also “Crime and Punishment” at the IRT and Samuel Beckett plays in St. Petersburg, Russia.

In addition to teaching, Timmerman, fresh from HART’s “Merchant of Venice” at White River State Park, will be featured in David Mamet’s “November” at the Phoenix. She’ll also be co-creating “Whirl of the Divine” for this year’s Spirit & Place Festival.

Your thoughts on the new company?