Theater Resources Unlimited, Patrick Blake & Rhymes Over Beats to Present ECHOES OF OCTAVIA, 6/15

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU), Patrick Blake, and Rhymes Over Beats present Echoes of Octaviaby Michelle T. Johnson on Monday, June 15, 2015 at 7pm at the SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam Street, NYC. Echoes of Octavia is directed by Brent Buell and features Onyi Okoli, Tyson Hall, Nina Yvette Coleman, Erick Carter, Torre Reigns, Jada Castillo, Alisha Espinosa. The play takes place in Octavia's Diner, a cozy, family-owned soul food restaurant in the middle of a black neighborhood in the Midwest. Zora, the business mind of the diner, receives the offer of a lifetime - a chance to write a book about the legendary sci-fi author Octavia Butler. She'd have to move half way across the country to work on it, but her father wants her to stay and run the diner. She's torn between family duty and her dream.

The evening marks the start of The 2015 TRU Voices Play Reading Series, the 17th annual series of new plays by TRU writers produced by TRU producers. "This year's series is notable for several reasons," observes TRU president Bob Ost. "All three plays have members of our Producer Development Program involved, which happened only by chance since the selection committee had no idea about this when discussing the selections. Yet incredibly, Echoes of Octavia is produced by Pat Blake, one of our program directors. He is also working in association with program member Molly Morris in producing The Hummingbirds; and program member Cate Cammarata is producing searchers.net, which is written by member T. Cat Ford. Unexpectedly, it's the TRU Producer Program series!"

"Of even greater note: both Echoes and Hummingbirds are already optioned for further development by our series producers, so we know going in that these plays will have a future life." Producer Patrick Blake is currently a producer of the revival of 39 Steps off-Broadway, and previously produced Bedlam Theatre's Hamlet/St. Joan, My Life Is a Musical (which he optioned from the TRU Voices series), Play Dead, In the Continuum and The Exonerated.

The performance and the evening will conclude with the "Dollars and Sense" panel discussion with prominent New York producers, general managers and artistic directors focusing on potential venues, marketing and budgeting of the works presented. Attendees will be given an insider's look at the producing process and the development track for a new play from commercial producers Neil Danoff, investor, producer (Something Rotten!, The Audience, American in Paris, Elephant Man NY and London, Bridges of Madison County, All The Way, Lucky Guy, Matilda, Glengarry Glen Ross revival, Evita revival, The Addams Family, Spring Awakening); and Richard Winkler (Hand to God, Something Rotten!, You Can't Take It With You, Disgraced, plus 4 Tony winners: Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike, Memphis, La Cage Aux Folles and The Norman Conquests).

The 2015 TRU Voices Play Reading Series continues with The Hummingbirds by Garret Jon Groenveld on Monday, June 22, 2015 at 7pm, and concludes with searchers.net on Monday, June 29, 2015 at 7pm, both at the SoHo, 15 Vandam Street, NYC. Each reading of the series is followed by a wine and cheese reception and the "Dollars and Sense"panels on producing.

The purpose of the series is to help develop new plays, help producers, namely, PDMP producers of the TRU Producer Development & Mentorship Program develop the skills needed to produce new works, and foster the producer-writer relationship for future development beyond our series. Each reading will be followed by a wine and cheese reception and "Dollars and Sense" panel discussion with prominent New York producers, general managers and artistic directors focusing on potential venues, marketing and budgeting of the works presented. Attendees will be given an insider's look at the producing process and the development track for a new play.

The subsequent plays in this year's TRU Voices Play Reading Series will be:

Monday June 22nd at 7pm

Molly Morris & Patrick Blake present:

The Hummingbirds by Garret Jon Groenveld

Directed by Eric Tucker

Your future is in their hands.

Monday, June 29th at 7pm

Cate Cammarata presents:

searchers.net, a computer dating extravaganzaby T. Cat Ford

directed by Melissa Maxwell

What are YOU looking for?

Admission is free, but Reservations are required. Please RSVP at least one day in advance (or much sooner) by calling (212)-714-7628, or e-mailing TRUStaff1@gmail.com.

The SoHo Playhouse is a historic Off-Broadway venue serving the Downtown NYC theater community since 1920. Currently operating under the artistic direction of Darren Lee Cole, The SoHo Playhouse Mainstage and the 55-seat cabaret below, known as the Huron Club, are both landmark venues steeped in the History of Old New York.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is a twenty-three year old 501c3 nonprofit organization created to help producers produce, emerging theater companies to emerge healthily and all theater professionals to understand and navigate the business of theater. Membership includes self-producing artists as well as career producers and theater companies.