Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) announces the winning selections of the 2009 TRU Voices New Plays Reading Series. In a series that is unique because it develops new producers as well as new plays, three works were chosen from submissions by emerging or established producers, as well as from writers who hoped to be matched with a producer. Fulfilling TRU's mission of nurturing the producer-writer relationship, each of the plays this year is either produced by, or with the assistance of, a member of the TRU Producer Mentorship program.
"Even though prosperity seems to be in hibernation these days, it is important to keep building for the future. We continue to develop new plays and producers with the hopes that once the economy bounces back, we'll have helped along some strong works ready for production, and producers ready to produce them," said TRU executive director Bob Ost.
The selected plays will be read on Mondays, June 1, 15, and 22 at 7pm at The Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal Street (below W. 3rd Street), NYC. Admission is FREE but reservations are required: www.theplayerstheatre.com or 212-475-1449. Each reading will be followed by a reception and a "Dollars and Sense" panel on producing. Note that the reading on June 1 is already sold out, but a waiting list is being taken via the reservation number.
The plays chosen for the TRU Voices New Play Reading Series are: Can I Really Date a Guy Who Wears a Yarmulke?, a new romantic comedy by Amy Holson-Schwartz, produced by Marc L. Bailin and Holson Productions assisted by TRU mentee Toni Hart; The Unbleached American, a love duet by Michael Aman, produced by Lisa Dozier assisted by TRU mentee Elaine Smith; and Always, Always Not, a provocative new drama by Skot Davis, produced by Double Play Connections & Lary Brandt. Both of the producers of the third play are TRU mentees who are currently producing on Broadway (Blithe Spirit, The Norman Conquests) and off-Broadway (Groundswell). This is author Skot Davis' second time as a TRU Voices finalist, having previously been represented in the 2007 series by his play The Ibsen Follies.
June 1, 2009 at 7pm
Can I Really Date a Guy Who Wears a Yarmulke?
He's handsome, he cooks, he tolerates Jane Austen. He's even Jewish. But there's Jewish and there's JEWISH!
Directed by Jay Falzone.
Dollars & Sense panel will feature Scott Newsome, general manager, Brierpatch Productions, (Frog Kiss, Wallenberg, Rest in Pieces, Glimpses of the Moon, My Mother's Italian My Father's Jewish & I'm in Therapy, Shout the Mod Musical, I Love You Because, Once Around the Sun, Harmony, Menopause the Musical); Seth Goldstein of The Splinter Group (Masked); Carol Ostrow, producer (Beau Jest, After Play, Berlin to Broadway); and Lawrence S. Topall, Mazel Musicals Inc. (New York and Florida Production Company specializing in touring, producing and presenting Jewish-themed theatrical and concert presentations, including On Second Avenue, The Golden Land, Yiddle With A Fiddle, Those Were The Days), producer (The Gathering, Say Goodnight Gracie).
June 15, 2009 at 7pm
The Unbleached American
Directed by Michael Bush. Featuring Jerry Dixon* and Nancy Anderson*.
Dollars & Sense panel will feature Bill Franzblau, producer (Jewtopia, Say Goodnight Gracie, Evil Dead the Musical, BEATLEMANIA, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Moscow Circus); Jon Pollard (I Love You You're Perfect Now Change, All Shook Up, Dai); and others tba.
June 22, 2009 at 7pm
Always, Always Not
Two lovers. One inescapable decision. No time left.
Directed by Sam Gold.
Dollars & Sense panel will feature Janet Pailet, P2 Creations (Groundswell, Passing Strange, Grinch, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Masked); Jack Thomas, Bulldog Productions (Desire Under the Elms, Life Science, Almost, Maine); Cheryl Wiesenfeld, producer (Legally Blonde, Caroline or Change, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Exonerated, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty); Orin Wolf, Off-Broadway Booking, producer (Groundswell, 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother, I Love a Piano tour).
The TRU Voices New Play Reading Series encouragessubmissions from emerging and established producers who are interested in testing the waters with a new work, and offers an opportunity for them to forge relationships with writers. TRU also accepts submissions from writers and tries to match them with a sponsoring producer for the series. The TRU Voices New Play Reading Series' track record is impressive. Shows that started in the series include Pied-à-Terre, which played off-Broadway at The Kirk, Theatre Row; The Great American Trailer Park Musical by Betsy Kelso and David Nehls, which enjoyed an off-Broadway run and is currently touring; and Normal by Yvonne Adrian, Cheryl Stern and Tom Kochan, which played a limited run in fall '06 at the Connelly Theater in the East Village starring Barbara Walsh. A finalist in the 2006 series, Missives by Garret Jon Groenvald, had a recent production at 59E59 Street Theatres directed by Elysabeth Kleinhans, and was well received and well reviewed; TRU was a proud co-producer with Animated Theatreworks and PlayGround.
TRU was founded in 1992 to promote a spirit of cooperation and support within the general theater community by providing information and a variety of entertainment-related services and resources that strengthen the business capability of producing organizations, individual producers, self-producing artists and other theater professionals. The company holds monthly seminars on a wide range of subjects important to theatrical producers and artistic directors conducted by panels of experts from both the commercial and not-for-profit segments of Broadway, Off-Broadway and the motion picture industry. These educational forums have been a core program of TRU since its inception, and in recent years executive director Ost has partnered with Ms. Eaker to generate topics of interest to both TRU membership and Back Stage readers. "Through TRU, Back Stage is able to reach beyond its actor base to a wider theater community," said Ost, "and we get more visibility through the Back Stage connection."
TRU also publishes a monthly email community newsletter of services, goods and productions. In addition, TRU served as the umbrella organization for a co-production by several of its member companies as a part of the first annual New York Fringe Festival. From that experience, the organization has expanded its production efforts by creating the TRU VOICES Annual New Play Reading Series and the TRU VOICES Annual New Musicals Reading Series in which TRU underwrites developmental readings of new works for theater. In 2001, TRU began giving annual scholarships to The Commercial Theater Institute, to encourage the development of aspiring producers, and most recently created a Producer Mentoring Program whose mentors are among the most prominent producers and general managers in New York theater. Last March, TRU was associate producer of its first Equity showcase, Missives at 59E59 Theatre, a play that was developed in the 2006 TRU reading series. TRU programs for actors include an Annual Audition Event, Resource Nights and "Speed Dating" as well as free monthly actor events, including workshops.
Programs of Theater Resources Unlimited are supported in part by public funds awarded through the New York State Council on the Arts and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as generous support from the Friar's National Foundation Association.
For more information, visit www.truonline.org.
