Primary Stages Announces Additional Programming for PRIMARY PLUS

Primary Stages announced today additional programming for Primary Plus, a series of online programs aimed at helping artists connect with Primary Stages and with each other. For additional details about each program and the most up-to-date information please visit primarystages.org/explore/primary-plus.

TEARJERKERS FILM CLUB

This film club is inspired by Charles Busch's Top Ten Tearjerkers Series and hosted by members of the company of the recent New York Times Critic's Pick production of Charles Busch's The Confession of Lily Dare. On select Tuesdays, a member of the company will host a happy hour at 5pm ET via Zoom to discuss one of Charles Busch's top ten favorite tearjerker films. Prior to the happy hour, watch the movie via the links provided on the Primary Stages website and see Charles's accompanying Tearjerker video discussing the film. Then join the Zoom to drink, discuss and socialize. Featured films include Now, Voyager (1942), Camille (1936) and Random Harvest (1942).

Tearjerkers Film Club will be hosted by Carl Andress at 5pm on Tuesday April 21 (Now, Voyager); Howard McGillin at 5pm on Tuesday April 28 (Camille); and Charles Busch at 5pm on Tuesday May 5 (Random Harvest). Click here for the links to the films and to RSVP for the events.

50 SHADES OF DETENTION (Detention #50)

Detention is an evening of new and original theater pieces written, directed and performed exclusively by artists at the Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA), the school for emerging and established professionals at Primary Stages. This special virtual edition of Detention is a challenging opportunity for writers to create material for a specific person, for actors to receive and perform a monologue written especially for them and for directors to rehearse and create a performance virtually.

Detention #50 will celebrate the program's 50th performance by looking back at favorite prompts and asking writers to create monologues for the actors. The prompts will include:

Love in the Time of Corona-a monologue about love of any kind (partners, friends, parents, roommates) and how that love is affected or tested in this time of either extreme isolation or constant togetherness.

April Fool's-embracing the element of surprise. A monologue that involves an unexpected twist, turn or change of fortune. It can be comedic or tragic, for good or for bad...just as long as we didn't see it coming!

Through the Looking Glass-exploring what life will be like one year from now, in any place and from any point of view.

This American Detention-in the style of the radio program and podcast "This American Life," write a monologue or monologues with interstitial interviews from "eyewitnesses" following the theme of New York.

Detention #50 participants include Caroline Aaron, Lluvia Almanza, Elinor Amlen, Brigid Amos, Jade Anderson, Alex Angeloch, Heidi Armbruster, Jowin Batoon, Beth Bauler, Jodi Beck, Amanda Leigh Bell, Caroline Bennett, Carol Berman, Matt Black, Shauna Bloom, Amanda Bruton, Kendall Cafaro, Annabel Capper, Sarah Ceballos, David Ceci, Dan Chen, Veronica Cooper, Charles Coplin, Emily Cordes, Leslie Corn, Erik Corona, Amy Crossman, Kendra Cunningham, Lora Danley, Diane Davis, Isabella Dawis, Mary DeCarlo, Thomas Dieter, Annie Dinerman, Mike Dreyden, David Dudley, Meghan Duffy, Whitney Edwards, Bonita Elery, Jane Elias, Tabitha Ellis, Isra Elsalihie, Renana Fox, Gabrielle Fox, Martha Garvey, Paula Gates, Primer Grace, Pamela Grayson, Stuart Green, Leah Griff, Emily Hartford, Kevaughn Harvey, Gina Haver, Max Herzfeld, Nicki Heskin, Haley Hnatuk, Susan Hochtman, Averi Israel, Rachel Lynn Jackson, Alice Jankell, Lizzy Jarrett, Matthew Jellison, Steven Kanner, Jenifer Kelly, Delia Kemph, Esther Ko, Sarah Krasnow, Austin Ku, Michael Labbadia, Shashone Lambert Short, Taylor Landesman, Audrey Lang, Andrea Lepcio, Yasmine Lever, Deborah Linehan, Laurel Lockhart, John Long, Rachel Luciani, Katie Mack, Lia Madeline, Ashley Marinaccio, Tulis McCall, Mary McGloin, Sean McGrath, Pip Merrick, Emily Mervosh, Meredith Metcalf, Katrina Michaels, Michele Miller, Virginia Mohler, Isabel Monk Cade, Chris Morrissey, Emmett Murphy, Donna Newton, Serena Norr, Rani O'Brien, Tasha Partee, Kathryn Paulsen, Emily Perkins-Margolin, Raven Petretti-Stamper, Jerry Polner, Pamela Popeson, Lisa Purrone, Kelsey Puttrich, Nancy Redman, Nicole Reinert, Laura Riveros-Sefair, Laura Rohrman, Sarah Rosenthal, Lilia Rubin, Laurie Sammeth, Talia Saraceno, Anne Schroeder, Sylvia Schwartz, Jeff Smith, Jack Sochet, Shelby Solla, Aliza Sotsky, Duvi Stahler, Griffin Stanton-Ameisen, Rhonda Sternberg, Bara Swain, Thanh Ta, Emma Taylor Miller, Chandra Thomas, Tara Tisch-Wallace, Donnie Tuel, Thomas Vorsteg, Gabrielle Wagner, Debra Wassum, Elizabeth West, Maggie Wilson, Ashley Wool, Joshua Young, Joshua Youngerman, Roseanna Zerambo, Matthew Zimmerman and more to be announced!

Detention #50 will be held via Zoom on May 8, 9 and 10 at 7pm ET. Each night will be a different lineup of writers, actors and directors. Click here to RSVP and for more information.

READ-ALONGS

Primary Stages will host Read-Alongs for the fans by the fans. If you've loved seeing Primary Stages shows in the past and have longed to jump up on stage and participate, Primary Stages has picked some crowd favorites for you, our audiences, to read out loud over Zoom. Tune in on Sunday April 26 at 3pm ET to read a part in Kate Hamill's Little Women, produced in the 2018/19 Season. Then on Sunday May 3 at 3pm ET, join us in reading David Ives's All in the Timing, produced originally in the 1993 Season and revived in 2013. Participate as an audience member or get in on the action and volunteer to read along. Click here to RSVP and for more information.

VIRTUAL MASTER CLASSES

Many members of our esteemed Primary Stages family of artists have graciously volunteered their time to host FREE Virtual Master Classes. These videos are brief interviews of different artists talking about their life and career, giving advice to artists and answering some "questions from the audience" submitted in advance and answered by the artist. Newly announced upcoming Master Class participants include Paola Sanchez Abreu, Maria Mileaf, Chesney Snow, Stephanie Klapper, Nikkole Salter and Morgan Jenness, with more to be announced. Click here to view our Master Class Video Series, with a new video today from Sharon Washington and a new video next Monday, April 20, from Kimberly Senior.

LUNCH-AND-LEARN PLAYWRITING PROMPTS

For all of the playwrights, aspiring writers and those brand-new to the craft - if you're seeking community and connection, Primary Stages wants you to have lunch with them... online! The playwright will host a FREE hour-long writing workshop with prompts to get your ideas on the page so you can connect while collaborating to create new material and keep your skills sharp. After the workshop, stay online with each other via the platform to eat your lunch together virtually and chat about what you've written. Newly announced Lunch-and-Learn leaders include Winter Miller and Suzanne Bradbeer, with more to be announced. Click here to RSVP for upcoming Lunch-and-Learns and to watch past lunch hours.

ONLINE CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

The Primary Stages Einhorn School of Performing Arts offers online classes as an extension of our time-tested writing curriculum. These online classes help you create or polish a draft of your new play through weekly assignments and written lectures, providing the necessary structure and deadlines. Students will have access to their instructor and classmates via a virtual classroom, including virtual class time and enhanced file-sharing capabilities. Click here to register and for more information.

New Online Acting Classes include: Hand-Selected Monologues with Kelly McAndrew beginning April 14; Contemporary Monologue with Maria Mileaf beginning April 15; On-Camera Auditioning-Live Auditions and Self-Taping with Amelia Campbell and Anthony Arkin beginning April 20.

New Online Writing Classes include: Screenwriting with Daniel Talbott beginning April 20; Fundamentals of Playwriting with Melisa Annis beginning April 23; The First Draft with Winter Miller beginning April 28; Workshop: Jumpstart a New Play Parts 1 & 2 with Winter Miller beginning April 25.

Additional New Online Classes include: The Business of Theater with John Gould Rubin beginning April 21; Text Analysis from the Director's Perspective with John Gould Rubin beginning April 23.