Dear Theatre Colleague, Theatre Patron,
As an actor whose roots are in the live theatre I am always tickled for the opportunity to play a well established character in a well loved piece of dramatic literature. I know actors who have wish lists of roles they would love to play on stage. But there is another thrill which is to play a role in a brand new piece of work -- to be the first actor to bring a character to life for an audience. In the forge of literary creation is play development. Theatres everywhere from your local community theatre to the world class resident professional theatres to Off Broadway can be involved in new play development. We all know that the road to getting a show on Broadway starts with the show being tried out on the road. It takes courage for a theatre with a subscription audience to devote a slot in their season to a brand new play.
Since my arrival in Los Angeles and my work with L. A. Theatre Works in the '80's I have been involved in new play readings as an actor, producer and director. These opportunities are generally not paid gigs but I welcome them for the excitement of bringing a work to life, maybe for the first time, for an audience, sometimes in the presence of the playwright.
In February, March and July 2012 I was given the opportunity to be in the cast for readings in the Second Sundays at Seven program of new work sponsored by the Elite Theatre Company in Ventura Country. Here is a link to that program:
http://www.elitetheatre.org/SRcalendar.html
In the intimate space of the Petit Playhouse, with cookies and coffee available at intermission, Michael Perlmutter is co-ordinating this series of readings of new work. For what you are willing to drop in the passed basket you can hear a new work and join in the feedback discussion after the reading. You can participate in the forge of literary creation.
