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Playhouse Hosts 18th Annual 2008 New Works Festival |
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Four original, full-length plays selected from those submitted to the 2008 Long Beach Playhouse 18th Annual New Works Festival will be given DIRECTED, STAGED READINGS this Spring. The FESTIVAL is part of the Playhouse’s ongoing commitment to help established and emerging PLAYWRIGHTS develop new work. To date, 16 NEW WORKS have evolved from STAGED READINGS into FULL PRODUCTIONS at the Playhouse. |
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The STAGED READINGS will be held at the Long Beach Playhouse Mainstage Theatre 5021 East Anaheim Street Long Beach, CA 90804 There is a suggested donation of $5.00 with a post-performance discussion. The PLAYWRIGHTS receive written critiques by three renowned DRAMA CRITICS, a videotape of the READING, an HONORARIUM, and consideration for a full production. The READINGS are scheduled for the last SATURDAY of the month: |
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| PERFORMANCE & DISCUSSION: 2—5 PM Suggested donation: $5.00 MARCH 29, 2008 APRIL 26, 2008 MAY 31, 2008 JUNE 28, 2008 |  |
| These four plays were selected for the 2008 readings: | |
| #1 - Aging with Grace by Frank Farmer Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 2pm Directed by Jo Black-Jacob |
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| The daughter of a retired screenwriter convinces her widowed father to sell his beachfront home in the Florida Keys and move into a retirement community. He balks when he discovers that the buyer is the widow of an influential film critic who wrote scathing reviews of his work. As escrow closes, he refuses to move out even as Grace Murdock moves in. It's a rocky relationship that challenges the notion that you're never too old to find true love...again. | |
| #2 - Beastly Beauty by Paco Jose Madden Saturday, April 26, 2008 at 2pm Directed by Darlene Hunter Chaffee |
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| An intelligent and virtuous young woman whose face is horribly disfigured vies for the love and affection of a handsome prince against her vain and beautiful sister. Set against the backdrop of an aristocratic court on the eve of the French Revolution, Beastly Beauty tells the story of beauty that is more than skin deep. | |
| #3 - Acceptable Risk by Paula Fell Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 2pm Directed by Caprice Spencer Rothe |
| An Economic Comedy: John hasn't told his wife Rene that he borrowed money from a shark-- but then Lou shows up to "help" him pay it back. Lou is one of those hyphenated types: Financial Planner-Hitman. |
#4- The Jesus Hickey by Luke Yankee Saturday, June 28, 2008 at 2pm Directed by Luke Yankee |
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| This modern day fable about the seduction of celebrity funneled through the window of religious fanaticism is funny, bawdy, outrageous, and touching. The life of an impoverished Irish family is irrevocably changed when the daughter goes "down to the embankment" with a young man. Though she's been warned repeatedly about what happens to girls who do, no one could have foretold what could happen when the love bite on her neck appears in the image of Christ. | |
2008 18TH ANNUAL NEW WORKS FESTIVAL FINALISTS |
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| The Quality of Light, by Richard Martin Hirsch, which was given a staged reading in the March, 2005—15th Annual New Works Festival, had its WORLD PREMIERE, directed JO BLACK-JACOB, at LBPH March, 2006, and received CRITICS PICK in Backstage West, PICK OF THE WEEK in the LA Times and LA Weekly, and an OVATION NOMINATION for BEST NEW PLAY of 2006! In March, 2007, Backstage West Garland Awards gave Hirsch as playwright, and D. J. Harner and Patrick Rafferty as Lead Actors HONORABLE MENTION. |
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| For more information about the New Works Festival, send inquiries to: Jo Black-Jacob, New Works Director Long Beach Playhouse 5021 East Anaheim Street Long Beach, CA 90804 562–494–1014 Ext. 507 |
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| Information about the Festival and Play Submission Forms (either PDF or Word) can be obtained from the Playhouse Playsubmit page on the website at www.LBPH.com or call the Playhouse. | |