New Works Festival

Directed by Pasha Yamotahari

In 1905, the German high command developed a secret war plan for a surprise attack to defeat the French army in six weeks. While the strategy was deeply flawed, it was regarded with near religious fervor in the military. It would become the basis for the start of World War I. A Great War tells the story of two soldiers: Cuttner, an ambitious officer who uses the misguided war plan to further his career, even at the expense of his own troops, and Weis, a patriotic Jewish private who survives the bloodiest battles of the war before discovering the truth about how it was started.

 

THREE STAGED READINGS: Fri., July 16 at 7:30pm; Sat., July 17 at 3pm and 7:30pm

Rod Hayward’s

Directed by Daniel L. Schay

Nine-year-old Midge, forced to learn piano, arrives at William’s apartment for her first lesson. A strong bond develops between the feisty Midge and the reclusive William as he leads her to an appreciation of music while helping her to confront the turmoil of her home life.   Four years later, the attachment between Midge and William has deepened, and an adolescent crush leads them both to the brink of a dangerous predicament. In the final act, William struggles to control his romantic feelings for Midge, now nineteen, as she wrestles with her musical future. This play celebrates the impact of the teacher-student relationship on both teacher and student while exploring its inherent dangers when unresolved personal issues insert themselves into that complex relationship.

 

THREE STAGED READINGS:  Fri., July 23 at 7:30pm; Sat.,July 24 at 3pm and 7:30pm

Nathan Sanders’

Directed by William Partlien

 

THREE STAGED READINGS:  Fri., July at 7:30pm; Sat., July 31 at 3pm and 7:30pm  

Scott McCarrey’s

Directed by Robert Kolby Harper

In a small town where thinking of any sort is typically discouraged, The Man from the Paper tries his best to hide his curious nature from his fellow citizens and the sinister Mayor while consorting with an exiled Artist who lives alone in a shack outside of town. But, the young man’s curiosity cannot be contained when he learns of a strange man of science, known simply as The Creator who is performing suspicious experiments in a towering suburban laboratory.  Upon further investigation, The Man from the Paper learns The Creator, fed up with the meaningless rat race which humanity has become, has developed a superhuman robot named Arty with the intention of destroying all mankind. The robot, however, has other intentions. Arty has become fascinated by one topic in particular: an inexplicable, melodic phenomenon which seems to bring all humans together for brief periods of time: pop music.  But when Arty broadcasts his music to the town, something strange happens: everyone within earshot begins uncontrollably committing suicide. Robot Songs is a darkly comic fairy tale that examines issues of art, mortality, creation, fate, and destiny.

 

FOUR STAGED READINGS:  Sun., July 11 at 3pm and 7:30pm; Sun., July 25 at 3pm and 7:30pm

Dale Wasserman’s

Adapted by Richard Warren 

Directed by Daniel L. Schay

Burning in the Night is the last play by legendary playwright Dale Wasserman (Man of La Mancha, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest).  Semi-autobiographical, it is the story of one man's journey from runaway-teen to rail-riding hobo to globe-trotting writer for television, stage and screen.  Throughout his fascinating life, he pursued the impossible dream of absolute freedom; only to discover it’s a delusion, fraught with debilitating limitations.  Adapted by Richard Warren, this engaging play is wrapped with period folk music performed by an itinerant country band à la Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?