I came to Atlanta in the fall of 1986, hired by the late Michael Horne to direct a Wendy Wasserstein comedy called Isn’t It Romantic at Theatre in the Square, and then sticking around to perform in the Horizon Theatre’s Christmas production of Alan Ayckbourn’s Season’s Greetings. By that time, I’d decided to stay. In 1987 I was acting in another comedy at the Horizon, Christopher Durang’s The Marriage of Bette and Boo, but already I was wanting to make my own productions happen, and in the fall of ’87 I produced and directed the first Essential Theatre show – two ghost story one-acts by John Pielmeier (author of Agnes of God), featuring Scott Higgs and Bill Murphey (two fine local actors that I’m still friends with today) and a lady named Elin Zimmerman, who came down from New York just to do the show.
Over the next ten years I continued to free-lance with other companies, directing three of the first four productions ever done in Theatre In the Square’s Alley Stage space (we opened that place up with a comedy by local writer Karen Wurl, who I’ve gone on to work with several times since). In the summers I directed the outdoor drama Unto These Hills in Cherokee, North Carolina, working there with many talented people from the Atlanta theatre scene, and I also continued to produce and direct occasional productions with the Essential Theatre: Vinegar Tom and They Dance Real Slow In Jackson and Wandering Desires at the Horizon space; Down the Road at the 14th Street Playhouse; Cinders and A Child Shall Lead at 7 Stages; and my own play Lubricant at a place called the Atlanta Dream Hostel. (Lubricant finally got a New York production last year.)
Some of these productions got good audiences and good reviews, but mostly we were doing new scripts – World Premieres or Regional Premieres – and I found that when you're doing plays that no one has heard of, by a company that no one’s heard of, and you’re only producing once every year or so, and you’re usually performing in a different space than where you were the last time – you tend to fall through the cracks. We got great reviews for Down the Road from the AJC, Creative Loafing and WABE (which was doing theatre reviews back then), but three years later none of them bothered to come see A Child Shall Lead at 7 Stages. This was a beautiful, epic play about the Children’s Crusade, written by my friend Charlotte Fleck (originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina and now in New York City) and featuring a stunning performance by Laurie Beasley. In 2007, both these ladies finally got some of the critical praise they deserve for their work in our production of Night Travels.
Anyway, back in the late 90’s, I was wondering if I should keep trying to make my own theatre happen. I didn’t want to be producing year-round, and I didn’t want to do the kind of “audience-friendly” plays I was bored with seeing at so many other theatres in town. And that’s when the idea for the Essential Theatre Festival first came to me: Instead of doing one play no one has heard of, how about we do three plays no one has heard of? Maybe that’ll get us some more attention.
And it worked, right from the beginning. Curt Holman wrote a feature article about us for Creative Loafing in January of 1999, when we presented our first Festival at the old Push-Push Theater space. That year we did Paula Vogel’s Desdemona, Lynn Siefert’s comedy Little Egypt (recently turned into a musical, out west) and the World Premiere of Only Children by the afore-mentioned Karen Wurl. We decided that we’d produce at least one new play by a Georgia writer every year, and by 2001 that had coalesced into the idea of the Essential Theatre Playwriting Award, a state-wide competition that is still the only one of its kind. We’ve been proud and fortunate to present the World Premieres of new scripts by Georgia writers like Karla Jennings, Bill Gibson, Karen Page, Valetta Anderson, Jean Sterrett and Letitia Sweitzer.
In 2006 we did the first production of Larry Larson and Eddie Levi Lee’s Charm School, receiving critical raves and helping to pave the w ay for a larger, longer-run production by Horizon Theatre – which was so successful they revived it a year later. The play also won the Gene Gabriel Moore prize (part of the Suzi Bass Awards) for best new play produced in Atlanta.
In 2001, the Essential Theatre Playwriting Award when to 18-year-old Lauren Gunderson, a Decatur native, for her family comedy-drama Parts They Call Deep, which was a big hit for us and went on to an Off-Broadway production. Lauren’s continued to have great success, both in Atlanta and around the country, with a new play recently produced in California. Lauren writes: “The Essential Theatre has been fundamentally important for my career …every aspect of my time with them has been full of support, creativity and artistic daring. I will always credit the Essential Theatre with my early success and confidence.”
Along with our World Premieres, we’ve given Atlanta audiences their first chance to see important new work by nationally-recognized writers like Sam Shepard, Christopher Durang, Lanford Wilson, David Lindsay-Abaire, Steven Dietz, Gina Gionfriddo, and Amy and David Sedaris. The common denominator is this: Plays you’ve never seen around here before – exciting and challenging new work -- produced by artists who are doing it for love.
Perhaps my favorite show that we’ve ever done was our 2008 production of Paul Rudnick’s Valhalla -- which (among other things) was about being willing to go mad in order to create something beautiful. I can relate ...
And all that brings us up to today – and the 11th Annual Essential Theatre Play Festival, opening July 5 at Actor’s Express.
More on that soon.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Jim Crow & the Rhythm Darlings by Vynnie Meli, 2009
JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS by Vynnie Meli. World Premiere. Directed by Betty Hart
Featuring: Rachel Bodenstein, Enisha Brewster, Daniel Burnley, DeAndrea Crawford, Nadir Mateen, Delesa Sims
It’s World War Two, and with so many men going off to serve, the previously all-male world of jazz is opening up to women for the first time. The International Rhythm Darlings are an all-female African-American band touring the Deep South, which would be a tough situation in the best of times … but now they’ve got a last-minute replacement in the group, a white Jewish woman, and integrated bands aren’t allowed to play together on stage. Not in the South, not anywhere. Inspired by the real-life experiences of musicians from that era, Vynnie Meli’s play takes a fascinating look at some extraordinary women who make their way past fear and hatred to find the common threads that bind them together. Winner of the 2009 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award competition.
Essential Playwright Vynnie Meli's PLAGUED at NYMF
Plagued A Love Story
Book and lyrics by Vynnie Meli [2009 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award Winner]
Music by Casey Filiaci
Congratulations are out to JIM CROW playwright Vynnie Meli. Her musical, PLAGUED will be part of this year's prestigious New York Music Theatre Festival. Well done Vynnie. You can see her play JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS as part of this year's Essential Theatre Festival.
Book and lyrics by Vynnie Meli [2009 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award Winner]
Music by Casey Filiaci
Congratulations are out to JIM CROW playwright Vynnie Meli. Her musical, PLAGUED will be part of this year's prestigious New York Music Theatre Festival. Well done Vynnie. You can see her play JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS as part of this year's Essential Theatre Festival.
Cinderella celebrates her 20th anniversary to a man who isn’t always so charming. And Cinderella’s daughter, Dust Bunny, takes on an even greater challenge: the Bubonic Plague. Dust Bunny has to say goodbye to the handsome chronicler, and any chance of finding a cure, when her Queen Grandmother forces her to marry a rich old Prince. Fairy Godmother comes out of retirement in sunny south Florida to convince Dust Bunny she doesn’t have to wait for someone else to turn her life into a fairy tale. The princess uses a little ingenuity to defy the Queen, get the boy, and save the world.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Ice Glen and Poetry Reading, July 25th 7pm.
The Georgia Poetry Society was founded in 1979 for the purpose of bringing into community poets and poetry lovers in the state of Georgia. If you are passionate about poetry, you’ve found the right place!
We welcome members from anywhere, but our quarterly meetings are held in various locations throughout the state of Georgia. The meetings are packed with poetry related programming, including member readings, featured poets, poetry workshops, and various talks on poetry related topics.
We also sponsor a series of poetry contests and publish an anthology each year.
You're invited to come as a guest to any of our quarterly meetings, poetry road shows, or local open poetry readings/workshops.
To support our future poetry programming in the state of Georgia and to participate in the contests and anthology, please consider becoming a member.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Food for Fish Photo Call
Photos by Brenda Messick
FOOD FOR FISH by Adam Szymkowicz, opening July 5. Regional Premiere.
Directed by Peter Hardy
Featuring: Kelly Criss, Kate Graham, Eve Krueger, Brent Nicholas Rose, Charles Swint and Sarah Falkenburg Wallace.
Bobbie is a lonely young man living in New York, trying to write about three sisters who long to escape the city and return to their childhood home of New Jersey … or is he really just an imaginary character in the mind of Sylvia, the youngest sister? Middle sister Alice is hopelessly in love with the husband of her older sister, and so she goes out on dates with a different man every night, working in her lab by day to isolate the human gene that makes us fall in love … so she can control it! Oldest sister Barbara (played by a man) and her husband (played by a woman) can’t figure out how men and women are supposed to relate to each other. This is the kind of play we love to do at the Essential – funny and beautiful and just about impossible to describe. The New York Times did it best, calling it “Fabulously weird and weirdly fabulous.”
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Help us put an end to our loooong Facebook URL
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/The-Essential-Theatre/15257139165?ref=ts
Now that's a mouthful. With only 925 more fans, Facebook will allow us to become http://www.facebook.com/EssentialTheatre . [not yet active] We need your help to put an end to the awful URL above. Take a second click on the link and click "Become a Fan" along the left side of the page. We plan to have special Facebook fan discounts as well as discounts for those who follow us on Twitter @ATL_Essential
Now that's a mouthful. With only 925 more fans, Facebook will allow us to become http://www.facebook.com/Es
Thursday, June 11, 2009
11th Annual Essential Theatre Play Festival Opens Soon
In just a few weeks, the 11th Annual Essential Theatre Play Festival will be opening, playing for the first time at the King Plow Art Center in the Actor's Express space. We'll be running July 5-August 2 -- please visit www.EssentialTheatre.com for details or follow us on Twitter ATL_Essential for the latest information.
FOOD FOR FISH by Adam Szymkowicz, opening July 5. Regional Premiere.
Directed by Peter Hardy
Featuring: Kelly Criss, Kate Graham, Eve Krueger, Brent Nicholas Rose, Charles Swint and Sarah Falkenburg Wallace.
Bobbie is a lonely young man living in New York, trying to write about three sisters who long to escape the city and return to their childhood home of New Jersey … or is he really just an imaginary character in the mind of Sylvia, the youngest sister? Middle sister Alice is hopelessly in love with the husband of her older sister, and so she goes out on dates with a different man every night, working in her lab by day to isolate the human gene that makes us fall in love … so she can control it! Oldest sister Barbara (played by a man) and her husband (played by a woman) can’t figure out how men and women are supposed to relate to each other. This is the kind of play we love to do at the Essential – funny and beautiful and just about impossible to describe. The New York Times did it best, calling it “Fabulously weird and weirdly fabulous.”
Next to open, on July 10, will be ICE GLEN by Joan Ackermann. Regional Premiere.
Directed by Ellen McQueen
Featuring: Jo Howarth, Dina Shadwell, Jayson Smith, Spencer G. Stephens, Jim Starbh and Ann Wilson.
Sarah Harding lives in an isolated country cottage, surrounded by a warm circle of quietly eccentric friends. She may be America’s greatest poet, but no one’s ever seen her work … which is just the way she wants it. But now an editor has arrived from Boston, wanting to publish her poems and bring her the fame and fortune she has never sought. With unforgettable characters, this wonderfully funny romantic drama -- about the frozen places in our hearts coming back to life again -- is like the best Emma Thompson movie you never saw. “Beautifully written.” Talkin’ Broadway. “A lovely play.” CurtainUp
Opening July 15 will be JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS by Vynnie Meli. World Premiere.
Directed by Betty Hart
Featuring: Rachel Bodenstein, Enisha Brewster, Daniel Burnley, DeAndrea Crawford, Nadir Mateen, Delesa Sims
It’s World War Two, and with so many men going off to serve, the previously all-male world of jazz is opening up to women for the first time. The International Rhythm Darlings are an all-female African-American band touring the Deep South, which would be a tough situation in the best of times … but now they’ve got a last-minute replacement in the group, a white Jewish woman, and integrated bands aren’t allowed to play together on stage. Not in the South, not anywhere.
Inspired by the real-life experiences of musicians from that era, Vynnie Meli’s play takes a fascinating look at some extraordinary women who make their way past fear and hatred to find the common threads that bind them together. Winner of the 2009 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award competition, the only prize exclusively dedicated to the work of Georgia playwrights. The Essential Theatre is proud to have developed this play (along with Working Title Playwrights and Jewish Theatre of the South) and to be bringing it to the stage for the first time.
FOOD FOR FISH by Adam Szymkowicz, opening July 5. Regional Premiere.
Directed by Peter Hardy
Featuring: Kelly Criss, Kate Graham, Eve Krueger, Brent Nicholas Rose, Charles Swint and Sarah Falkenburg Wallace.
Bobbie is a lonely young man living in New York, trying to write about three sisters who long to escape the city and return to their childhood home of New Jersey … or is he really just an imaginary character in the mind of Sylvia, the youngest sister? Middle sister Alice is hopelessly in love with the husband of her older sister, and so she goes out on dates with a different man every night, working in her lab by day to isolate the human gene that makes us fall in love … so she can control it! Oldest sister Barbara (played by a man) and her husband (played by a woman) can’t figure out how men and women are supposed to relate to each other. This is the kind of play we love to do at the Essential – funny and beautiful and just about impossible to describe. The New York Times did it best, calling it “Fabulously weird and weirdly fabulous.”
Next to open, on July 10, will be ICE GLEN by Joan Ackermann. Regional Premiere.
Directed by Ellen McQueen
Featuring: Jo Howarth, Dina Shadwell, Jayson Smith, Spencer G. Stephens, Jim Starbh and Ann Wilson.
Sarah Harding lives in an isolated country cottage, surrounded by a warm circle of quietly eccentric friends. She may be America’s greatest poet, but no one’s ever seen her work … which is just the way she wants it. But now an editor has arrived from Boston, wanting to publish her poems and bring her the fame and fortune she has never sought. With unforgettable characters, this wonderfully funny romantic drama -- about the frozen places in our hearts coming back to life again -- is like the best Emma Thompson movie you never saw. “Beautifully written.” Talkin’ Broadway. “A lovely play.” CurtainUp
Opening July 15 will be JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS by Vynnie Meli. World Premiere.
Directed by Betty Hart
Featuring: Rachel Bodenstein, Enisha Brewster, Daniel Burnley, DeAndrea Crawford, Nadir Mateen, Delesa Sims
It’s World War Two, and with so many men going off to serve, the previously all-male world of jazz is opening up to women for the first time. The International Rhythm Darlings are an all-female African-American band touring the Deep South, which would be a tough situation in the best of times … but now they’ve got a last-minute replacement in the group, a white Jewish woman, and integrated bands aren’t allowed to play together on stage. Not in the South, not anywhere.
Inspired by the real-life experiences of musicians from that era, Vynnie Meli’s play takes a fascinating look at some extraordinary women who make their way past fear and hatred to find the common threads that bind them together. Winner of the 2009 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award competition, the only prize exclusively dedicated to the work of Georgia playwrights. The Essential Theatre is proud to have developed this play (along with Working Title Playwrights and Jewish Theatre of the South) and to be bringing it to the stage for the first time.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
EARLYBIRD Festival Pass Discount
For a limited time, an additional $5 off the three show Essential Theatre Festival Pass will be available for online purchases using the discount code "EARLYBIRD"
An Any Performance 3 Show Festival Pass is available for only $50 [now $45] and a Value Pass good for each of the three shows on Sunday through Thursday
$45 [now $40].
Friday, May 22, 2009
Best Local Playwrights: Sunday Paper recognizes a few of Atlanta's talented playwrights.
The Essential Theatre wants to congratulate Lauren Gunderson for being named Best Local Playwright in the Sunday Paper's Reader's Poll -- and Valetta Anderson for being named runner-up!
Lauren won the Essential Theatre Playwriting Award in 2001 (for PARTS THEY CALL DEEP) and 2004 (for BACKGROUND). Valetta won in 2006, for LEAVING LIMBO.
All the best to both these writers, and may they have continued success in their field.
In the meantime, look out for our World Premiere production of Vynnie Meli's JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS, winner of this year's contest. It'll be part of the 11th Annual Essential Theatre Festival, playing July 5 - August 2 at Actor's Express.
For more information, visit www.EssentialTheatre.com.
Lauren won the Essential Theatre Playwriting Award in 2001 (for PARTS THEY CALL DEEP) and 2004 (for BACKGROUND). Valetta won in 2006, for LEAVING LIMBO.
All the best to both these writers, and may they have continued success in their field.
In the meantime, look out for our World Premiere production of Vynnie Meli's JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS, winner of this year's contest. It'll be part of the 11th Annual Essential Theatre Festival, playing July 5 - August 2 at Actor's Express.
For more information, visit www.EssentialTheatr
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Kudos for Essential Theatre Playwriting Award Winners Karla Jennings and Lauren Gunderson
The Essential Theatre wants to congratulate Atlanta playwright Karla Jennings on winning the Pillars Playwriting Prize for her script “The Smiles.” This award is sponsored by the Creative Writing Program in the Department of English, Speech and Journalism at Georgia College and State University. Karla will receive an honorarium of $2,000.00 and her play will be produced at the College.
The Essential Theatre chose Karla’s play “Images In Smoke” for production in 2000, making it the second winner of our annual competition for Georgia playwrights (though we weren’t officially calling it the Essential Theatre Playwriting Award yet). That production was named by Creative Loafing’s Curt Holman as being one of the fifteen best shows of that year.
In more good news for Essential Playwrights, Lauren Gunderson (winner of the 2001 and 2004 Essential Theatre Playwriting Awards, for “Parts They Call Deep” and “Background”) just had the World Premiere of her play “Emilie” at the very prestigious South Coast Repertory in California. Congratulations to Lauren as well!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
2009 Essential Theatre New Play Festival
Sunday, July 5
7:00pm Food For Fish
Monday, July 6
8:00pm Food For Fish
Tuesday, July 7
Wednesday, July 8
Thursday, July 9
Friday, July 10
8:00pm Ice Glen
Saturday, July 11
8:00pm Food For Fish
Sunday, July 12
7:00pm Ice
Monday, July 13
Tuesday, July 14
Wednesday, July 15
8:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
Thursday, July 16
8:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
Friday, July 17
8:00pm Food For Fish
Saturday, July 18
8:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
Sunday, July 19
2:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
7:00pm Food For Fish
Monday, July 20
8:00pm Ice Glen
Tuesday, July 21
Wednesday, July 22
Thursday, July 23
Friday, July 24
8:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
Saturday, July 25
2:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
8:00pm Ice Glen
Sunday, July 26
2:00pm Food For Fish
7:00pm Ice Glen
Monday, July 27
8:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
Tuesday, July 28
8:00pm Food For Fish
Wednesday, July 29
8:00pm Ice Glen
Thursday, July 30
8:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
Friday, July 31
8:00pm Ice Glen
Saturday, August 1, 2009
2:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
8:00pm Food for Fish
Sunday, August 2,
7:00pm Food For Fish
Monday, July 6
8:00pm Food For Fish
Tuesday, July 7
Wednesday, July 8
Thursday, July 9
Friday, July 10
8:00pm Ice Glen
Saturday, July 11
8:00pm Food For Fish
Sunday, July 12
7:00pm Ice
Monday, July 13
Tuesday, July 14
Wednesday, July 15
8:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
Thursday, July 16
8:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
Friday, July 17
8:00pm Food For Fish
Saturday, July 18
8:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
Sunday, July 19
2:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
7:00pm Food For Fish
Monday, July 20
8:00pm Ice Glen
Tuesday, July 21
Wednesday, July 22
Thursday, July 23
Friday, July 24
8:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
Saturday, July 25
2:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
8:00pm Ice Glen
Sunday, July 26
2:00pm Food For Fish
7:00pm Ice Glen
Monday, July 27
8:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
Tuesday, July 28
8:00pm Food For Fish
Wednesday, July 29
8:00pm Ice Glen
Thursday, July 30
8:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
Friday, July 31
8:00pm Ice Glen
Saturday, August 1, 2009
2:00pm Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
8:00pm Food for Fish
Sunday, August 2,
Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings
Friday, April 10, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Audition Announcement
The Essential Theatre will be holding their general auditions for 2009 on Monday, March 9, from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. These will be for the three productions in their 2009 Power Plays Festival, to be presented in repertory from July 5 – August 2 in the Actor’s Express space. We are looking for Non-Union performers; all roles will be stipend-paid.
The three plays being presented will be:
ICE GLEN by Joan Ackermann, a romantic period drama about a poet who does not want her work published, and the editor who tries to persuade her otherwise.
Characters:
GRAYSON, a butler in his fifties, kindly, gracious.
DENBY, in his twenties, lively and engaging, with the temperament of a child.
MRS. ROSWELL, Irish cook in her fifties, warm, blunt.
SARAH HARDING, a poet in her thirties, e arthy, fiery.
DULCE BAINBRIDGE, a widow in her thirties, pretty, genteel.
PETER WOODBURN, an editor in his forties, handsome, intellectual.
FOOD FOR FISH by Adam Szymkowicz, a melancholy comedy about longing. Some roles are designed to be portrayed by performers of the opposite sex.
BOBBIE, a writer, passionate and lonely young man.
BARBARA, thirties for forties, agoraphobic (to be played by a man).
ALICE, twenties or thirties, scientist.
SYLVIA, twenties, reporter.
DEXTER, thirties or forties, husband to Barbara (to be played by a woman).
SASHA, twenties or thirties, also plays several different women and men.
JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS by Vynnie Meli. Drama about an all-female jazz band touring the Deep South during World War Two.
PEGGY, African-American woman in her twenties or thirties.
VI, African-American woman in her twenties or thirties.
BLANCHE, Jewish woman in her twenties or thirties.
JEROME, African-American man in his thirties or forties.
POLICEMAN, a white man.
(Please note – while JIM CROW deals with racial issues and will be cast according to the racial types listed above, both FOOD FOR FISH and ICE GLEN will be open to non-traditional casting.)
The auditions will be held in the “Blue Room” lounge of Horizon Theatre. That’s a room at the bottom of the stairs, on the basement level of the building that Hori zon Theatre is located in, at 1083 Austin Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30307. For directions, visit http://www.horizontheatre.com/boxoffice.htm. Please prepare two contrasting monologues with a total running time of not more than 4 minutes.
To make audition appointments, call 404-212-0815 or e-mail pmhardy@aol.com.
The three plays being presented will be:
ICE GLEN by Joan Ackermann, a romantic period drama about a poet who does not want her work published, and the editor who tries to persuade her otherwise.
Characters:
GRAYSON, a butler in his fifties, kindly, gracious.
DENBY, in his twenties, lively and engaging, with the temperament of a child.
MRS. ROSWELL, Irish cook in her fifties, warm, blunt.
SARAH HARDING, a poet in her thirties, e arthy, fiery.
DULCE BAINBRIDGE, a widow in her thirties, pretty, genteel.
PETER WOODBURN, an editor in his forties, handsome, intellectual.
FOOD FOR FISH by Adam Szymkowicz, a melancholy comedy about longing. Some roles are designed to be portrayed by performers of the opposite sex.
BOBBIE, a writer, passionate and lonely young man.
BARBARA, thirties for forties, agoraphobic (to be played by a man).
ALICE, twenties or thirties, scientist.
SYLVIA, twenties, reporter.
DEXTER, thirties or forties, husband to Barbara (to be played by a woman).
SASHA, twenties or thirties, also plays several different women and men.
JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS by Vynnie Meli. Drama about an all-female jazz band touring the Deep South during World War Two.
PEGGY, African-American woman in her twenties or thirties.
VI, African-American woman in her twenties or thirties.
BLANCHE, Jewish woman in her twenties or thirties.
JEROME, African-American man in his thirties or forties.
POLICEMAN, a white man.
(Please note – while JIM CROW deals with racial issues and will be cast according to the racial types listed above, both FOOD FOR FISH and ICE GLEN will be open to non-traditional casting.)
The auditions will be held in the “Blue Room” lounge of Horizon Theatre. That’s a room at the bottom of the stairs, on the basement level of the building that Hori zon Theatre is located in, at 1083 Austin Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30307. For directions, visit http://www.horizontheatre.com/boxoffice.htm. Please prepare two contrasting monologues with a total running time of not more than 4 minutes.
To make audition appointments, call 404-212-0815 or e-mail pmhardy@aol.com.
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Saturday, February 7, 2009
2009 Power Plays Festival Lineup
The 2009 Essential Theatre Power Plays includes our Playwriting Award Winner, JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS by Vinnie Meli, as well as ICE GLEN by Joan Ackermann. She’s a playwright who’s been produced around the country for some years now – Horizon did her play THE BATTING CAGE a few years back. This one’s a romantic drama, set in 1919, about a reclusive poetess who does not want her poems published, and the editor to tries to persuade her otherwise. That may sound rather dry and dusty, but it’s immensely charming, touching and very funny.
- "Beautifully written…a story of nature and change." —Talkin' Broadway.
- "A lovely play which will leave you with a lot to think about." —CurtainUp.
- "Funny, moving and witty." —Metroland (Boston).
The third play is FOOD FOR FISH, by Adam Szymkowwicz It’s hard to describe – The New York Times put it well in their review: “Fabulously weird and weirdly fabulous.” I’d call it a melancholy comedy about longing. Three NYC sisters wish they could return to New Jersey (there’s a lot of Chekhov vibes in the play); a young writer prowls around the city, looking for lonely single women to kiss on street corners; a twentyish female scientist goes on dates with a different man every night, while during the day she works to isolate the human gene that makes people fall in love – she wants to control it, so you can choose who you fall in love with. There’s also some characters designed to be played by actors of the opposite sex – men playing women, and vice versa. This isn’t for drag-show comedy, but it does allow for some interestingly comical shifts in our perspectives on what men and women are supposed to be like. Like I said, hard to describe, but it’s funny and quirky and could also be beautiful – my favorite kind of play.
Peter Hardy
Friday, February 6, 2009
READING: Plagued, A Love Story by Vynnie Meli
Plagued A Love Story
Book and lyrics by Vynnie Meli [2009 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award Winner]
Music by Casey Filiaci
Directed by Susan Reid
Book and lyrics by Vynnie Meli [2009 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award Winner]
Music by Casey Filiaci
Directed by Susan Reid
Cinderella celebrates her 20th anniversary to a man who isn’t always so charming. And Cinderella’s daughter, Dust Bunny, takes on an even greater challenge: the Bubonic Plague. Dust Bunny has to say goodbye to the handsome chronicler, and any chance of finding a cure, when her Queen Grandmother forces her to marry a rich old Prince. Fairy Godmother comes out of retirement in sunny south Florida to convince Dust Bunny she doesn’t have to wait for someone else to turn her life into a fairy tale. The princess uses a little ingenuity to defy the Queen, get the boy, and save the world.
Monday Feb. 16th at 7:30
The Academy Theatre
119 Center Street, Avondale Estates, Georgia 30002
Free to WTP or Pay What You Can.
These readings are to help playwrights gain insight into the development of their plays with the help of you, the invited audience, providing feedback on your experience with the script, and rough music, as produced in a concert reading.
Monday Feb. 16th at 7:30
The Academy Theatre
119 Center Street, Avondale Estates, Georgia 30002
Free to WTP or Pay What You Can.
These readings are to help playwrights gain insight into the development of their plays with the help of you, the invited audience, providing feedback on your experience with the script, and rough music, as produced in a concert reading.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Artistic Director Peter Hardy lectures at Emory's Brave New Works program
On Feburary 5, Essential Theatre's Artistic Director Peter Hardy took part in a panel discussion on new play development, along with celebrated national authors Thomas Gibbons and Joseph Skibell. This was for a theatre class at Emory University and was connected to Brave New Works, a new play development program that is presented by Theatre Emory every two years, bringing in playwrights from around the country.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Essential Theatre Welcomes Your Support
Essential Theatre is very proud of its reputation for presenting high quality productions of new works including a world premiere by a Georgia Playwright. We employ a diverse group of participants and cater to a diverse audience.
To help us further promote our mission and grow our company, Essential Theatre is actively seeking four to six new board members. Although not required, Essential Theatre hopes to find persons who fall into one or more of the following categories: An entrepreneur who has successfully started and run a small business. A person with management experience in a large corporation that may be interested in charitable giving and/or corporate sponsorship. A person well seated in the community who has contacts with community philanthropists with a history of or an interest in supporting the arts. A person with a strong experience in marketing, preferably in marketing for a non profit organization. A person with skills in Event Planning or Fundraising.
Board Members should have a passion for new plays, and are asked to attend a majority of quarterly board meetings, attend company productions, support the company with a financial contribution and help the company with fund raising activities. As always, Essential is an equal opportunity organization and seeks Board Members without regard to sex, race, creed or sexual orientation. Anyone interested in becoming one of the newest Board Members of Essential Theatre should forward their resume to Artistic Director, Peter Hardy at pmhardy@aol.com. If you know of any qualified person who may be interested in serving in this capacity, please forward this notice to them.
To help us further promote our mission and grow our company, Essential Theatre is actively seeking four to six new board members. Although not required, Essential Theatre hopes to find persons who fall into one or more of the following categories: An entrepreneur who has successfully started and run a small business. A person with management experience in a large corporation that may be interested in charitable giving and/or corporate sponsorship. A person well seated in the community who has contacts with community philanthropists with a history of or an interest in supporting the arts. A person with a strong experience in marketing, preferably in marketing for a non profit organization. A person with skills in Event Planning or Fundraising.
Board Members should have a passion for new plays, and are asked to attend a majority of quarterly board meetings, attend company productions, support the company with a financial contribution and help the company with fund raising activities. As always, Essential is an equal opportunity organization and seeks Board Members without regard to sex, race, creed or sexual orientation. Anyone interested in becoming one of the newest Board Members of Essential Theatre should forward their resume to Artistic Director, Peter Hardy at pmhardy@aol.com. If you know of any qualified person who may be interested in serving in this capacity, please forward this notice to them.
2009 Playwriting Award Winner Announced
The Essential Theatre is pleased to announce that Vynnie Meli's play JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS has been chosen as the winner of the 2009 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award competition. Vynnie will receive a cash prize of $600.00 and her play will be produced as part of the Essential Theatre's 2009 Power Plays Festival, to be presented in July of 2009 at the Actor's Express performance space.
The story of JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS centers on the members of an all-female jazz band, touring through the Deep Sou th during World War Two. The musicians are all African-American except for one Jewish woman, who has to disguise herself to fit in with the rest of the group, at a time when "mixed-race" bands weren't tolerated anywhere in the United States. (This was also a time when women weren't commonly accepted into the all-male world of jazz music.)
With the most submissions we've ever received, it was exceptionally difficult to make our final decision this year. The Essential Theatre would like to thank all the playwrights who sent us their work, and we'll be doing our best to contact each of them individually.
Peter Hardy
Artistic Director
Essential Theatre
The story of JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS centers on the members of an all-female jazz band, touring through the Deep Sou th during World War Two. The musicians are all African-American except for one Jewish woman, who has to disguise herself to fit in with the rest of the group, at a time when "mixed-race" bands weren't tolerated anywhere in the United States. (This was also a time when women weren't commonly accepted into the all-male world of jazz music.)
With the most submissions we've ever received, it was exceptionally difficult to make our final decision this year. The Essential Theatre would like to thank all the playwrights who sent us their work, and we'll be doing our best to contact each of them individually.
Peter Hardy
Artistic Director
Essential Theatre
Monday, October 13, 2008
Dramatist Guild Report from Atlanta
Dramatists Guild of America
Regional Report from Atlanta
Pamela Turner
July 2, 2008
New Play Festivals can be a playwright’s best friend or they can be the crassest means for a theatre to benefit on the backs of the eternally hopeful. In the first case, the playwright can get exposure and a chance to learn more about her work. In the latter, the play is just fodder for someone else’s money cow: be it a grant, a newly oriented mission statement, or some coins toward last season’s deficit. Fortunately, there are Forces of Good positioned throughout the country to face off the forces of evil (those guys will get no capital letters from me). Examples of these Golden Kingdoms in the SE Region are the small, as in the Essential Theatre in Atlanta, and the large, as in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival Southern Writer’s Project in Montgomery. Though a budgetary Mutt and Jeff, these two theatres have a few very important things in common. Each is committed to producing new work, each includes a development component to the process, each encourages participation by the playwright, each has a regional emphasis, and each holds a high opinion of playwrights even before they’re20famous. Imagine that, Mama!
The Essential Theatre Power Plays Festival is only a stone-throw away—just navigate through impossible in-town-Atlanta traffic till you get to Little Five Points, a true counter-culture melting pot where a bong is still available in a shop next to the place with the $200 Nikes, park by the huge 22 x 145-foot Singing in the Dark mural painted by David Fichter in 1992, and stroll past the 7 Stages Theatre box office on the way to their 65-seat Back Stage Theatre. There the ten-year old Essential Theatre, under the helm of Founding Artistic Director Peter Hardy, produces its month-long Festival each summer, featuring a repertory of three new plays running in rotation. Although some of the plays have been produced elsewhere and may be by “known” writers, they are all at least regional premieres and one of the pieces is always by a Georgia Playwright. To emphasize their commitment to local writers and in order to encourage “the creation of new dramatic literature”, Essential inaugurated the annual Essential Theatre Playwriting Award in 2001, dedicated exclusively to Georgia playwrights. The winning play, chosen from open submissions, is a world premiere that provides local performance teams “the chance to work on exciting new plays” and also allows an interested audience to participate in the development starting with open workshops and staged readings, and right through to the full productions. The winning playwright receives a cash award of $500 in lieu of royalties for the approximately 12 performances. As an added benefit, Hardy submits the festival plays into consideration for The Metropolitan Atlanta Theater Awards, established in 2004 to recognize local playwrights as well as actors, directors, tech staff, and choreographers. The Metropolitan folks have limited some of the categories for the “best of the best” awards, but they (brilliantly) allow for unlimited submissions of original work productions. Just ready to open, the 2008 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award winner is West of Eden by Letitia Sweitzer, a “clever, insightful comedy about the world’s first dysfunctional family.” The Power Plays productions are minimalist and well-regarded, with an emphasis on showcasing the script. One of the reasons the Essential Theatre is so playwright friendly is that Hardy is one himself, as well as an actor and director. He reports that “by the late 1990s, I’d already won a few contests [including a stint at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center in 1993 with his play Mysterious Connections], gone through some development programs, and seen my work produced.” He decided he wanted to workshop plays as part of the Festival because he hoped to “provide writers with the kind of support and helpful experiences I’d like to receive with my own plays. From what I’ve seen, a bad (or wrong-headed) production or workshop can do a writer more harm than good.” He says that although “Production wo rk is our primary goal…we’re hoping to be able to give more time and resources to development work as well.” Starting with the first Essential Theatre Playwriting Award winner, a 19-year old Lauren Gunderson, Hardy has been shrewd in his selections and devoted in his support of other playwrights. As I waited to see the first of this year’s Power Plays, he mentioned that although he could do it, it wouldn’t “seem right” to spend all these resources producing plays all written by Peter Hardy.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Playreading: "Own Personal Hero" by Pamela Turner
October 19th 8:00pm
Playreading
Me Own Personal Hero by Pamela Turner
As part of Georgia Open Arts Month,Go ARTS the Essential Theatre in conjunction with Working Title Playwrights will be hosting a FREE playreading of Pamela Turner's ME OWN PERSONAL HERO, a script we've been workshopping. It will be held at Horizon Theatre 8:00 p.m., Oct. 19, . A discussion lead by playwright Pamela Turner, director Peter Hardy and James Beck will follow the reading.
Cast
Musician -- Patricia McLaughlin
Seamus Monaghan - Alex Van
Padraic McCarry - Peter Hardy
Paddy Kearney - Kate Graham
Seamey Monaghan - Nick Arapoglou
Stage Directions - Kelly Young
Seamus Monaghan - Alex Van
Padraic McCarry - Peter Hardy
Paddy Kearney - Kate Graham
Seamey Monaghan - Nick Arapoglou
Stage Directions - Kelly Young
Georgia Open Arts Month is your October-long chance to GO see theater, music, dance, exhibits, festivals & more goin's on in greater Atlanta & all of Georgia. Thousands of Discount & Free admissions for over 100 arts & entertainment events! change.
2009 Power Plays Festival Update Essential Theatre is proud to announce that the 11th Annual Power Plays Festival will be held July 2009 at Actor's Express. This space can accomodate our growing audiences and offers free parking. More details will be shared as they become available. More information about the Playwriting Award Winner and other fesitval plays will be released soon.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Working Title Playwrights Invitaton
I know the Power Plays Festival is underway, and I have told all my WTPers that I intend to see all three plays after Tuesday (once I have the first of my two readings accomplished), but I'm hoping to entice you to one of the two of Daphne Mintz's play, In Lieu of Flowers. It's the first of our two Summer Reading Series selections will be read at Actor's Express this coming Monday and Tuesday, 7:30pm.
Daphne Mintz's romantic drama, In Lieu of Flowers, asks many questions about love and commitment and the possible moral ambiguities inherent in both.
"A touching story immersed in a small community. Obviously a writer who understands that loving her characters without judgment is important." -- Celise Kalke.
"I really like the mix of humor and heartache, and the earthiness of the characters -- I appreciate their frankness at times..." -- Caleb Boyd.
"In Lieu of Flowers is a beautiful meditation on love and our attempts to find it, keep it, and cope when it is gone. Daphne's funny and touching play allows us to see that family and relationships are like flowers -- diverse, colorful, and filled with hidden meanings." -- (director) Betty Hart
I truly love this script and think Daphne is a talent on the rise. I also think that, while it's still got some room to grow, it's one of the best scripts WTP has ever produced and I am quite proud of that.
WTP is a changed and changing organism. We now have 52 members - unbelievable! - and most of those new members are younger, about half of them African-American, and a little more than half female. What's most exciting to me about this growth is that these younger, culturally diverse writers are writing and with a purpose.
I hope to see you at either reading -- the cast includes LaParee Young, Lorilyn Harper, Will Cobbs, Eugene Russell with narration by Emmy-award nominated writer / spoken word poet Jon Goode.
Jill Patrick
Daphne Mintz's romantic drama, In Lieu of Flowers, asks many questions about love and commitment and the possible moral ambiguities inherent in both.
"A touching story immersed in a small community. Obviously a writer who understands that loving her characters without judgment is important." -- Celise Kalke.
"I really like the mix of humor and heartache, and the earthiness of the characters -- I appreciate their frankness at times..." -- Caleb Boyd.
"In Lieu of Flowers is a beautiful meditation on love and our attempts to find it, keep it, and cope when it is gone. Daphne's funny and touching play allows us to see that family and relationships are like flowers -- diverse, colorful, and filled with hidden meanings." -- (director) Betty Hart
I truly love this script and think Daphne is a talent on the rise. I also think that, while it's still got some room to grow, it's one of the best scripts WTP has ever produced and I am quite proud of that.
WTP is a changed and changing organism. We now have 52 members - unbelievable! - and most of those new members are younger, about half of them African-American, and a little more than half female. What's most exciting to me about this growth is that these younger, culturally diverse writers are writing and with a purpose.
I hope to see you at either reading -- the cast includes LaParee Young, Lorilyn Harper, Will Cobbs, Eugene Russell with narration by Emmy-award nominated writer / spoken word poet Jon Goode.
Jill Patrick
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
West of Eden by Letitia Sweitzer: watch the trailer
 | "West of Eden" "West of Eden by Letitia Sweitzer World Premiere July 8, 2008 Essential Theatre www.EssentialTheatre.com |
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Essential Theatre garners 15 MAT Award nominations
The 2008 Metropolitan Atlanta Theater Awards is proud to nominate the following people/theaters:
Leading Actor, Play:
Spencer G. Stephens – "Man" – Fix Me So I Can Stand - The Essential Theatre
Leading Actress, Play:
Johanna Linden – "Mrs. Bob Cratchit" – Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge - The Essential Theatre
Major Supporting Actor, Play:
Bobby Labartino – "Fezziwig, etc" – Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge - The Essential Theatre
Major Supporting Actress, Play:
Sarah Falkenburg – "Little Nell, etc" – Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge - The Essential Theatre
Costume Design, Play:
Jane Kroesig – Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge - The Essential Theatre
Lighting Design, Play:
Greg Hanthorn – Fix Me So I Can Stand - The Essential Theatre
Greg Hanthorn – Night Travels - The Essential Theatre
Sound Design, Play:
Spencer G. Stephens – Night Travels - The Essential Theatre
Original Work:
"Fix Me So I Can Stand" by Jean Sterrett - The Essential Theatre
"Night Travels" by Ellen McQueen, Karen Wurl, & Charlotte Fleck Travels - The Essential Theatre
Moira Thornett Director's Award, Play:
Peter Hardy – Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge - The Essential Theatre
Dina Shadwell – Fix Me So I Can Stand - The Essential Theatre
Ellen McQueen – Night Travels - The Essential Theatre
Overall Performance of a Play:
"Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge" - The Essential Theatre
"Fix Me So I Can Stand" - The Essential Theatre
You can also see the nominees or find out about the Award Ceremony by going to www.matawards.com for more information.
Leading Actor, Play:
Spencer G. Stephens – "Man" – Fix Me So I Can Stand - The Essential Theatre
Leading Actress, Play:
Johanna Linden – "Mrs. Bob Cratchit" – Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge - The Essential Theatre
Major Supporting Actor, Play:
Bobby Labartino – "Fezziwig, etc" – Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge - The Essential Theatre
Major Supporting Actress, Play:
Sarah Falkenburg – "Little Nell, etc" – Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge - The Essential Theatre
Costume Design, Play:
Jane Kroesig – Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge - The Essential Theatre
Lighting Design, Play:
Greg Hanthorn – Fix Me So I Can Stand - The Essential Theatre
Greg Hanthorn – Night Travels - The Essential Theatre
Sound Design, Play:
Spencer G. Stephens – Night Travels - The Essential Theatre
Original Work:
"Fix Me So I Can Stand" by Jean Sterrett - The Essential Theatre
"Night Travels" by Ellen McQueen, Karen Wurl, & Charlotte Fleck Travels - The Essential Theatre
Moira Thornett Director's Award, Play:
Peter Hardy – Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge - The Essential Theatre
Dina Shadwell – Fix Me So I Can Stand - The Essential Theatre
Ellen McQueen – Night Travels - The Essential Theatre
Overall Performance of a Play:
"Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge" - The Essential Theatre
"Fix Me So I Can Stand" - The Essential Theatre
You can also see the nominees or find out about the Award Ceremony by going to www.matawards.com for more information.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Valhalla: your comments
One of the most enjoyable, thought provoking plays I've seen in a long time. Times past and present merge so artfully that every time I thought I knew where this play was going it moved in an unexpected direction, as life, past and present, does. The acting, staging, direction of "Valhalla" have put this script on my "must read" list. Congratulations, Peter, for a grand kickoff for Essential Theatre's 2008 Festival!
Valetta Anderson
I've just come home from opening night of "Valhalla," the first play in the Essential Theatre Power Plays Festival. Script, direction, cast and crew -- all were great. I loved every moment and encourage all to catch it! For a sneak peak of the production, as wells as show dates and times, go to http://www.essentialtheatre.com/
Jo Howarth
Valetta Anderson
I've just come home from opening night of "Valhalla," the first play in the Essential Theatre Power Plays Festival. Script, direction, cast and crew -- all were great. I loved every moment and encourage all to catch it! For a sneak peak of the production, as wells as show dates and times, go to http://www.essentialtheatre.com/
Jo Howarth
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Essential Videos
Check out the 2008 Festival Videos to learn more about our productions.
Before After Ashley
Valhalla Behind the Scenes
Before After Ashley Valhalla Behind the Scenes
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Essential Theatre Playwriting Workshops
The support, encouragement and development of new plays by Georgia writers have always been an important part of the Essential Theatre’s mission. Ten years ago we committed to producing an annual festival that would always present at least one World Premiere by a resident Georgia playwright – after a couple of years, the selection process evolved into an actual contest, the Essential Theatre Playwriting Award competition. The first winner of the award was 18-year-old Lauren Gunderson of Decatur, whose play PARTS THEY CALL DEEP went on to win national prizes and was produced Off-Broadway.
In the past ten years we’ve also produced new plays by Georgia writers such as Karen Wurl, Karla Jennngs, Bill Gibson, Karen Page, Valetta Anderson, Ellen McQueen and Jean Sterrett. Since we premiered it in the Essential Theatre’s 2006 Power Plays Festival, Larry Larson and Eddie Levi Lee’s CHARM SCHOOL has gone on to a successful production at Atlanta’s Horizon Theatre, and will next be seen at the Springer Opera House in Columbus, Georgia.
When we started producing these annual festivals in 1999, it seemed to us that the best way for us to help Georgia writers was to give their plays a full production, rather than the staged readings which were pretty commonplace back then. I’m a playwright myself, and I’ve had productions and workshops and staged readings of my plays done all over the country – and there’s no question in my mind that you can learn more about a play from a full-out production than from even the best-intentioned reading. The set, the lights, the costumes, the (rehearsed!) actors, the audience – they’re all vital to the theatre experience, and to the fulfillment of the playwright’s vision.
But you can’t produce every play of promise that comes your way – at least, we can’t, not right now. So, when interesting plays were submitted to the contest but failed to win the prize, we’ve tried to offer some development help to the writers – not as often as we’d have liked to, but we’re hoping to increase our efforts in that area.
For a few years we’d present staged readings on dark nights of the Essential Festival. More recently we’ve taken a new approach – getting the playwright together with a group of actors, in a private setting, to read and discuss the play. A great deal of care goes into the selection of the actors for these readings – I think that the wrong group of actors can do a playwright more harm than good , leading them to think something’s wrong with the play, when it’s really the actors who are the problem. But when the right actors -- not just talented, but well-cast -- are reading a script, the playwright can get a much better idea what’s working and what isn’t. When the readers are bringing your work to life, making your words sound like everything you wanted and more – and then they come to a passage they just can’t make work, chances are you’ve got some rewriting to do.
After these sessions, we encourage the playwright to do whatever revisions they want to – and then, after a while, we get them together with another group of actors to read the play again. (Sometimes the same actors, sometimes not.) And if that seems to go well, we’ll probably try to put together a staged public reading, to bring an audience into the equation.
That’s the process we went through with APRIL 10, 1535, a play by Cheryldee Huddleston of Athens, culminating in a public reading at the Stage Door Players space in Dunwoody, in the winter of 2006. We also went through that two-reading process with WEST OF EDEN by Atlanta’s Letitia Sweitzer – but by the time of the second reading, the play (through some very simple and minor changes) had been improved so greatly that it was chosen for the 2008 Playwriting Award.
We’ll be presenting its World Premiere in our 2008 Power Plays Festival, running in the Backstage Theatre at 7 Stages from June 27-July 27 this summer. Other shows in the Festival will be the Regional Premieres of Paul Rudnick’s historical comedy, VALHALLA, and Gina Gionfriddo’s drama AFTER ASHLEY. It’s always our policy to present our World Premieres by Georgia playwrights alongside the work of more nationally established authors, on an equal footing.
Just recently we had our first development workshop meeting with Atlanta’s Pamela Turner, reading her play ME OWN PERSONAL HERO. This Ireland-set drama had already gone through some productive workshopping at Marietta’s Theatre in the Square and other places, but the playwright seemed to find our session with her both helpful and encouraging, and she’s planning to rewrite. We look forward to meeting with her again and seeing what she’s done.
Coming up soon we’ll be having our second read-and-discuss with Glen Slattery on his play THE LEAST-LOVED NAZI, a dark fantasy-comedy set in the aftermath of the collapse of the Third Reich. We had our first reading of the play this past November, which was the last time I saw our dear friend Johanna Linden, who played the title role in the Essential’s 2007 production of Christopher Durang’s MRS. BOB CRATCHIT’S WILD CHRISTMAS BINGE. Johanna passed away a couple of months ago, and the 2008 Power Plays Festival will be dedicated to her memory. I’m pretty sure she was the one who encouraged Glen to bring his play to us in the first place.
The submission deadline for the 2009 Playwriting Award competition was April 23 of this year. (Shakespeare’s Birthday, and that’s going to be our entry deadline every year.) Over 40 scripts were submitted – the most we’ve ever received! It’s going to be a busy year –
Peter Hardy
Artistic Director
Essential Theatre
In the past ten years we’ve also produced new plays by Georgia writers such as Karen Wurl, Karla Jennngs, Bill Gibson, Karen Page, Valetta Anderson, Ellen McQueen and Jean Sterrett. Since we premiered it in the Essential Theatre’s 2006 Power Plays Festival, Larry Larson and Eddie Levi Lee’s CHARM SCHOOL has gone on to a successful production at Atlanta’s Horizon Theatre, and will next be seen at the Springer Opera House in Columbus, Georgia.
When we started producing these annual festivals in 1999, it seemed to us that the best way for us to help Georgia writers was to give their plays a full production, rather than the staged readings which were pretty commonplace back then. I’m a playwright myself, and I’ve had productions and workshops and staged readings of my plays done all over the country – and there’s no question in my mind that you can learn more about a play from a full-out production than from even the best-intentioned reading. The set, the lights, the costumes, the (rehearsed!) actors, the audience – they’re all vital to the theatre experience, and to the fulfillment of the playwright’s vision.
But you can’t produce every play of promise that comes your way – at least, we can’t, not right now. So, when interesting plays were submitted to the contest but failed to win the prize, we’ve tried to offer some development help to the writers – not as often as we’d have liked to, but we’re hoping to increase our efforts in that area.
For a few years we’d present staged readings on dark nights of the Essential Festival. More recently we’ve taken a new approach – getting the playwright together with a group of actors, in a private setting, to read and discuss the play. A great deal of care goes into the selection of the actors for these readings – I think that the wrong group of actors can do a playwright more harm than good , leading them to think something’s wrong with the play, when it’s really the actors who are the problem. But when the right actors -- not just talented, but well-cast -- are reading a script, the playwright can get a much better idea what’s working and what isn’t. When the readers are bringing your work to life, making your words sound like everything you wanted and more – and then they come to a passage they just can’t make work, chances are you’ve got some rewriting to do.
After these sessions, we encourage the playwright to do whatever revisions they want to – and then, after a while, we get them together with another group of actors to read the play again. (Sometimes the same actors, sometimes not.) And if that seems to go well, we’ll probably try to put together a staged public reading, to bring an audience into the equation.
That’s the process we went through with APRIL 10, 1535, a play by Cheryldee Huddleston of Athens, culminating in a public reading at the Stage Door Players space in Dunwoody, in the winter of 2006. We also went through that two-reading process with WEST OF EDEN by Atlanta’s Letitia Sweitzer – but by the time of the second reading, the play (through some very simple and minor changes) had been improved so greatly that it was chosen for the 2008 Playwriting Award.
We’ll be presenting its World Premiere in our 2008 Power Plays Festival, running in the Backstage Theatre at 7 Stages from June 27-July 27 this summer. Other shows in the Festival will be the Regional Premieres of Paul Rudnick’s historical comedy, VALHALLA, and Gina Gionfriddo’s drama AFTER ASHLEY. It’s always our policy to present our World Premieres by Georgia playwrights alongside the work of more nationally established authors, on an equal footing.
Just recently we had our first development workshop meeting with Atlanta’s Pamela Turner, reading her play ME OWN PERSONAL HERO. This Ireland-set drama had already gone through some productive workshopping at Marietta’s Theatre in the Square and other places, but the playwright seemed to find our session with her both helpful and encouraging, and she’s planning to rewrite. We look forward to meeting with her again and seeing what she’s done.
Coming up soon we’ll be having our second read-and-discuss with Glen Slattery on his play THE LEAST-LOVED NAZI, a dark fantasy-comedy set in the aftermath of the collapse of the Third Reich. We had our first reading of the play this past November, which was the last time I saw our dear friend Johanna Linden, who played the title role in the Essential’s 2007 production of Christopher Durang’s MRS. BOB CRATCHIT’S WILD CHRISTMAS BINGE. Johanna passed away a couple of months ago, and the 2008 Power Plays Festival will be dedicated to her memory. I’m pretty sure she was the one who encouraged Glen to bring his play to us in the first place.
The submission deadline for the 2009 Playwriting Award competition was April 23 of this year. (Shakespeare’s Birthday, and that’s going to be our entry deadline every year.) Over 40 scripts were submitted – the most we’ve ever received! It’s going to be a busy year –
Peter Hardy
Artistic Director
Essential Theatre
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
How Come “West of Eden”? Part One
“West of Eden” has been a long time in the making. Indeed, I began, finished, and had produced another full-length play and several shorter ones between the beginning of “Eden” and now.Working Title Playwrights, a dynamic, supportive organization, based in Decatur, gave West of Eden two staged readings at different stages of rewrite. Finally, Essential Theatre’s Peter Hardy read it as an entry in Essential’s playwriting competition for Georgia playwrights. He wanted to workshop it, so we had private readings, after which Peter pointed out important improvements I could make, smallish things, you might think if I told you, that made a huge difference. Once I got those straightened out, the play was ready to go. As I write, we have not begun rehearsals and I expect there will be small changes in the dialogue as we go along. If it sounds too wordy in the mouths of the talented actors we’ve engaged, we’ll cut a few out, words, not actors. If an actor doesn’t quite understand a certain point, chances are the audience won’t either, so we’ll make a change there. I am happy to be in flux for a few more weeks after eight years of development!
Letitia Sweitzer, playwright
Why I chose Adam and Eve as a topic in my next post….
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Peter's Update: Valhalla by Paul Rudnick
A few years ago, I directed the Essential Theatre’s production of Paul Rudnick’s THE MOST FABULOUS STORY EVER TOLD, which took a look at stories and themes from the Bible, seen through a gay perspective (starting in the Garden of Eden, with Adam and Steve). It’s still one of my favorites shows that we’ve ever done, and not just because it was funny as hell (line for line, I think Rudnick may be the funniest playwright working today). What I found most captivating about the script was the scope of its theatrical imagination and the depth and breadth of its exploration of spiritual issues. Expecting to read a campy joke-fest, I found that I had discovered a playwright capable of creating the kind of magic only live theatre can provide.I felt the same way when I read Rudnick’s VALHALLA, which was just opening in New York when our production of MOST FABULOUS was playing. I didn’t get around to reading it for some time, because I have to admit that a comic historical fantasy about an opera-obsessed European monarch of the 19th Century didn’t sound like something I could, uh, relate to. It turns out that Rudnick’s play isn’t just about Ludwig, the Mad King of Bavaria (he was a real guy – look him up). It’s also about two gay teenagers trying to grow up and find themselves in a small Texas town in the 1930’s and 40’s; it’s about Princess Sophie, “the loneliest humpback in Europe;”it’s about World War Two movies and song-and-dance numbers and fairy-tale castles and, yes, about opera.
But mostly – I think – it’s about being willing to go mad to create something of beauty. Which is something that just about anyone who works in the world of non-profit theatre (and just about any art form) can relate to. I think VALHALLA is an incredibly funny play, but it also makes me cry, and that’s what made we want to direct it. That’s the kind of experience I’m hoping we can give to the people who come to see it.
If you’d like to find out more about King Ludwig, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_II_of_Bavaria.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
2008 Power Plays 10th Anniversay Festival Casts
VALHALLA by Paul Rudnick
Directed by Peter Hardy
Topher Payne
Matt Felten
Kate Graham
Greg Morris
Sunny Williams
Alejandro Gutierrez
AFTER ASHLEY by Gina Gionfriddo
Directed by Ellen McQueen
Brent Rose
Tim Batten
Tim Batten
Dina Shadwell
Allen Hagler
Dowd Keith
Rob Glidden
WEST OF EDEN by Letitia Sweitzer
Directed by Tristan Ludden
Paul Boehlert
Helen Ingebritsen
Blake Covington
Dewayne Morgan
Aaron Gotlieb
Performance Dates & Ticket Info
Performance Dates & Times
| WEST OF Tuesday, July 8, 8:00pm PWYC Wednesday, July 9, 8:00pm Saturday, July 12, 8:00pm Sunday, July 13, 7:00pm talkback Tuesday, July 15, 8:00pm PWYC Thursday, July 17, 8:00pm Saturday, July 19, 8:00pm Sunday, July 20, 2:00pm sold out Wednesday, July 23, 8:00pm Thursday, July 24, 8:00pm Saturday, July 26, 2:00pm sold out Sunday, July 27, 7:00pm | Friday, June 27, 8:00pm Saturday, June 28, 8:00pm Sunday, June 29, 7:00pm Saturday, July 5, 8:00pm Thursday, July 10, 8:00pm Sunday, July 13, 2:00pm Monday, July 14, 8:00pm Saturday, July 19, 2:00pm Sunday, July 20, 7:00pm Tuesday, July 22, 8:00pm PWYC Friday, July 25, 8:00pm Sunday, July 27, 2:00pm | AFTER ASHLEY Wednesday, July 2, 8:00pm Thursday, July 3. 8:00pm Sunday, July 6, 7:00pm Friday, July 11, 8:00pm Saturday, July 12, 2:00pm Wednesday, July 16, 8:00pm Friday, July 18, 8:00pm Monday, July 21, 8:00pm Saturday, July 26, 8:00pm |
Ticket Prices:
Fri and Sat;
ONLINE: $20 adults and $15 (senior/student discounts)
AT THE DOOR: $22 adults & $18 (senior/student discounts)
Mon, Weds, Thurs and Sun: (discounts are not available on weeknights or Sunday)
ONLINE: $15
AT THE DOOR: $18
Tuesday PAY WHAT YOU CAN;
Every Tuesday evening is PAY WHAT YOU CAN at the door.
For Calendar Listings
Box Office: 877-840-0457 or buy tickets online and save
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