The New School for Drama will open their 2009 fall season with William Shakespeare’s Richard III, directed by Stephen Fried. This tale of the cruel Richard and his ambitious plot to clear his own way to the crown-by whatever means possible-runs October 8-10, with performances Thursday-Saturday at 8:00 p.m., with a Saturday 2:00 p.m. matinee.

The first offering of the FIRST LOOK Workshop Performance Series is The Rimers of Eldridge by Lanford Wilson, directed by Hal Brooks. A man has been murdered. The mystery is, who he is, who murdered him, and what were the circumstances? And to solve it, one must look at the inhabitants of a tiny, mid-western town. FIRST LOOK is work staged in a final rehearsal atmosphere with minimal sets, lights, costumes, and props; this production runs October 29-31, with performances Thursday-Saturday at 8:00 p.m., with a Saturday 3:00 p.m. matinee.

The season will continue with Drama’s New Visions Play Festival, November 30-December 12. The festival will feature seven contemporary plays in repertory over 12 days, highlighting the work of Drama’s graduating directors and actors. Productions include: Orestes 2.0 by Charles L. Mee, directed by Sarah Bellin; Normal: The Düsseldorf Ripper by Anthony Neilson, directed by Lucia Peters; On The Verge or The Geography Of Yearning by Eric Overmyer, directed by Elizabeth Carlson; Amazons and Their Men by Jordan Harrison, directed by John Hurley; Desdemona, A Play About a Handkerchief by Paula Vogel, directed by Joan Kane; 4:48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane, directed by Mason Beggs; and The Drowned World by Gary Owen, directed by Barrett Hileman. Please visit the Drama School website for the complete festival schedule of performance dates and times.

All presentations are at The New School for Drama Theater, 151 Bank Street, third floor. Admission is free, but reservations are recommended. For reservations, please call Ticket Central at 212.279.4200. For more information and complete schedules, visit the Drama School website.