Berkshire Playwrights Lab Announces 2011 Reading Series and Benefit this Summer

Berkshire Playwrights Lab will present five free staged readings of new works by emerging and established playwrights on Wednesdays at 7:30pm on June 15, July 27, August 10, and August 24 at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center (14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, Mass.) and on Wednesday, June 29 at 7:30pm at Bard College at Simon's Rock Daniel Arts Center McConnell Theater (84 Alford Road, Great Barrington, Mass.). Audiences will see exciting new plays performed and staged, script in hand, by talented casts of professional actors.

In addition, Berkshire Playwrights Lab will present two special events this summer: the Berkshire Playwrights Lab New Play Benefit on Friday, July 15 at 7:30pm at the Mahaiwe and a collaboration with New York University Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program and Bard College at Simon's Rock to present excerpts from new musicals on Sunday, June 26 at 2:00pm at Bard College at Simon's Rock Daniel Arts Center McConnell Theater.

Daniel Winerman will direct the staged reading of "The Recommendation" by Jonathan Caren on June 15 at the Mahaiwe. "This play is a bold, theatrical, and shockingly honest look at modern friendship from a thrilling new voice," said Matthew Penn, co-artistic director of Berkshire Playwrights Lab. It asks the questions: Who is your best friend? The person who treats you the nicest? The person who knows you the best? Or is it the one who owes you the most?

Jonathan Caren is a graduate of the Lila Acheson Wallace Playwright's Program at the Juilliard School. His work has been featured by Manhattan Theater Club, Ensemble Studio Theater, Ars Nova, Lark Development Center, and New York International Fringe Festival. He is a winner of the LeCompte Du Nuoy prize from Lincoln Center, a Kennedy Center finalist, and winner of the Theater Publicus Prize for Dramatic Fiction. In 2012, "The Recommendation" will premiere at The Old Globe in San Diego, directed by Jonathan Munby.

On June 26, Berkshire Playwrights Lab, New York University Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, and Bard College at Simon's Rock will present an afternoon of songs and selections of new musicals. Sarah Schlesinger, chair of New York University Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, who is an Egremont resident and Jim Frangione, co-artistic director of Berkshire Playwrights Lab, have been instrumental in bringing the collaboration together. Bard College at Simon's Rock is hosting the event.

Local families in South Egremont and Great Barrington will provide housing and pianos for 18 musical book writers and composers from New York University for five days. The various teams will write and rehearse their material at the host homes during their stay, culminating in a free and informal afternoon presentation of the material at Simon's Rock Daniel Arts Center at 2pm on Sunday, June 26th.

Rod Menzies will direct "The Many Mistresses of Martin Luther King" by Andrew Dolan on June 29 at Simon's Rock Daniel Arts Center. This darkly humorous play is about a modern American family of second marriages and mixed races set in a university town. The politics of academia weave through the narrative as egos collide, relationships buckle, and the content of character is put to the test. "Andrew Dolan, a seasoned actor, is a new playwriting voice with whom we are excited to work," said Bob Jaffe. "We think this play is as provocative as its title."

Andrew Dolan is an actor who, aside from his many television and film roles, has performed On and Off Broadway, at The National Theatre in London, and in many regional theaters. His first play, "That Good Night," was read at New York Stage & Film with a cast that included Reg Rogers, Marin Ireland, and Mary Beth Peil. His baseball play "‘04: A Muse of Fire" premiered last March at Mile Square Theatre's 7th Inning Stretch Festival. He has sold two screenplays and is presently developing several television projects. He is a graduate of Bowdoin College and the American Conservatory Theater.

The annual Berkshire Playwrights Lab New Play Benefit on Friday, July 15 at the Mahaiwe will feature world premiere readings of new short plays written especially for the occasion. The specific titles are kept a surprise. Playwrights David Mamet, Larry Gelbart, and Eric Bogosian have contributed works in past seasons. Actors Dan Lauria, Elizabeth Franz, Larry Bryggman, and others have signed on to perform at the benefit this year. All proceeds from this event support the Berkshire Playwrights Lab Free Reading Series. Tickets are $37 to $152 (the latter including an exclusive post-show reception with the artists).

Joe Cacaci will direct "Edith" by Kelly Masterson on July 27 at the Mahaiwe. On October 2, 1919, when her husband, President Woodrow Wilson, suffered a massive stroke, Edith Wilson became the first female president of the United States. With the collusion of only the family doctor, she kept the truth of her husband's debilitation from the unknowing public and an increasingly suspicious opposition, fighting to complete his term and achieve his goals. "Edith" tells her story.

Kelly Masterson is a playwright/screenwriter living in New Jersey. His play, "Against the Rising Sea," was featured in Berkshire Playwright's Lab's 2008 season and subsequently produced at Queen's Theatre in the Park, directed by Berkshire Playwrights Lab Co-Artistic Director Joe Cacaci and starring Elizabeth Franz and Jessie Dickey. His original screenplay "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" (Independent Spirit Award nomination) starred Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke and was directed by Sidney Lumet.

"Having had the pleasure of directing a number of works by Kelly Masterson, it was gratifying and exciting to hear he'd written a new play (‘Edith') that he hoped might have its premiere at the Berkshire Playwrights Lab," said Cacaci. "Upon reading the play, all four artistic directors felt strongly that it should be in our 2011 season. Making a historical play feel both urgent and relevant is a monumental task, but he has accomplished both. And, of course, since the Lab is a place to develop work, he's already hard at work on a new draft."

The August 10 and August 24 plays are TBA.

Tickets

Admission to the Berkshire Playwrights Lab Free Reading Series indeed costs nothing, but reservations are required. Call 413.528.0100 or visit the Mahaiwe Box Office (14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, Mass.) for reservations.

To reserve free tickets to the Berkshire Playwrights Lab-New York University Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program event at Bard College at Simon's Rock, call 413.528.2544 or see www.berkshireplaywrightslab.org.

For tickets to the Berkshire Playwrights Lab New Play Benefit, call 413.528.2544 or see www.berkshireplaywrightslab.org.

About Berkshire Playwrights Lab

Founded in 2007 by theater professionals Joe Cacaci, Jim Frangione, Bob Jaffe, and Matthew Penn, the Berkshire Playwrights Lab is the area's only theater dedicated exclusively to encouraging, developing, and presenting new plays. Through readings-and in the future through workshops and fully-staged productions-the Lab provides emerging and established writers with a professional and creative environment, while offering audiences the engaging and provocative opportunity to share in the dramatic evolution of premiere works. For more information, call 413.528.2544 or see www.berkshireplaywrightslab.org.

Berkshire Playwrights Lab Season at a Glance

Wednesday, June 15 at 7:30pm
Berkshire Playwrights Lab presents
"The Recommendation" by Jonathan Caren
Directed by Daniel Winerman
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
FREE

Sunday, June 26th at 2:00pm
Berkshire Playwrights Lab, New York University Graduate Musical Theatre Program, and Bard College at Simon's Rock present
An Afternoon of Songs and Selections of New Musicals
Bard College at Simon's Rock Daniel Arts Center McConnell Theater
FREE

Wednesday, June 29 at 7:30pm
Berkshire Playwrights Lab presents
"The Many Mistresses of Martin Luther King" by Andrew Dolan
Directed by Rod Menzies
Bard College at Simon's Rock Daniel Arts Center McConnell Theater
FREE

Friday, July 15, 7:30pm
Berkshire Playwrights Lab presents
Berkshire Playwrights Lab New Play Benefit
World premiere readings of new short plays written especially for this event, featuring actors Dan Lauria, Elizabeth Franz, Larry Bryggman, and others.
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
Tickets are $37, $52, and $150 (the latter including an exclusive post-show reception with the artists)

Wednesday, July 27 at 7:30pm
Berkshire Playwrights Lab presents
"Edith" by Kelly Masterson
Directed by Joe Cacaci
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
FREE

Wednesday, August 10 at 7:30pm
Berkshire Playwrights Lab presents
Play TBA
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
FREE

Wednesday, August 24 at 7:30pm
Berkshire Playwrights Lab presents
Play TBA
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
FREE

 

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