Plays and Playwrights

This was the subject line of an email I recently received from Julia Lee Barclay whose play Word To Your Mama is published in Plays and Playwrights 2001. She writes:

I’ve disbanded Apocryphal Theatre – you can see the reasoning behind that on our website (www.flyingoutofsequence.org)  In part because of that, I’ve started a blog about ‘being in transition’…focusing on who I am now that Apocryphal is no more and also some recent family discoveries unearthed while researching a book on my grandmothers (namely, finding a huge Catholic Hungarian, Slovak family in Connecticut that I did not know I had because my grandfather changed his name during the Red scare in WWII…).

I checked out her blog and found it fascinating, can’t stop reading and written better than most books. She tells fascinating stories in her own inimitable style. Julia’s blog is called Somewhere in Transition.  Check it out and enjoy.

Craig had a short play in one of our earliest books, Plays and Playwrights 2001 and he’s been busy ever since.  Here’s his latest:

I wanted to get in touch and let you know
about two productions of new works on mine that are happening here in New York in the next few weeks. 

The first one up is DISSONANCE, a brand new one-act that I was commissioned to write by 3Graces Theatre.  I was just starting work on a new play when they
contacted me, and so this was a wonderful opportunity to explore the idea.  Eventually I hope to expand this into a full length play, but I’m very happy with this new one-act.  Here’s the production info:
DISSONANCE -  May 24-June 11
3Graces Theatre Company
Cherry Lane Studio Theater
38 Commerce Street

And while DISSONANCE is still running, my play THE DUNES will be opening the
Gallery Players’ 14th Annual New Works Festival in Brooklyn.  THE DUNES was
inspired by a train ride back to the city from the Hamptons one summer and is
something of a contemporary take on Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard.” I’m working
with a director and cast that I really like on this one.
THE DUNES -  June 2-26
The Gallery Players
199 14th Street, Brooklyn
http://galleryplayers.com/plays/bb2011/#dunes

Qui’s Vampire Cowboy Trilolgy is part of Plays and Playwrights 2005.  A new work will be part of the marathon.  Here’s the info about it.

Bike Wreck by Qui Nguyen, directed by John Gould Rubin

A rookie to the world of Chinese food delivery learns the rules of the game.

Qui Nguyen is Co-Artistic Director of the Obie Award-winning Vampire Cowboys.  He wrote Bike Wreck while a member of The Ensemble Studio Theatre’s Youngblood program.

Tony Asaro – we published Our Country in Plays and Playwrights 2010 and now Tony has come up with new musical wonders.  In his own words:

On June 2nd, American Lyric Theatre will be presenting TWO (count ‘em) TWO one-act operas with libretti written by me!!! 

This is the culmination of the year-long Composer/Libtrettist Development Program at ALT.  I am so thankful to have been part of this program.

There will be four one-act operas presented on June 2nd, and of those four, two will feature my libretti: “All Wounds Bleed”, a fresh take on the Echo/Narcissus myth (music by composer Chris Cerrone), and “Cycle”, a look at steroid use in the gay community here in NYC (music by composer Clint Borzoni).  This ain’t Cosi Fan Tutte, folks!

OPERA IN EDEN
Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th St on the UWS
7:00-10:00

Tickets: $15 Advance / $20 Day of Performance
To purchase tickets: http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/6583-opera-in-eden

David Johnston, published in Playing with Canons, and the author of many plays we have enjoyed since sends the following update:

I’ll have a new one-act, entitled A LESSON, coming up soon with Blue Coyote Theater Group and the Access Theater.  The evening is entitled STANDARDS OF DECENCY 3: 300 VAGINAS BEFORE BREAKFAST and it begins performances on Friday, May 27 for a limited engagement through Saturday, June 18. The performance schedule is Wednesday – Saturday at 8 PM, with an added performance on Tuesday, May 31 at 8 PM. Press Opening is Thursday, June 2 at 8 PM. Performances are at the Access Theater (380 Broadway, two blocks below Canal, just north of White Street). Tickets are $25 and are available by calling SmartTix at 212-868-4444 or online at www.smarttix.com.

CANDY & DOROTHY gets its DC-area premiere this summer at Unexpected Stage in Rockville,MD. It will run starting Tuesday, July 12, 2011, 7:30pm, at VisArts, 155 Gibbs Street Rockville, MD 20850. More info is available at http://www.unexpectedstage.org/

Note from me:  To all those who will be around DC in July, this is truly a show not to miss.  And of course, we look forward to David’s newest piece coming soon to NYC.