Mary Testa, Zoë Winters and More Join MIT Music And Theater Arts' Third Annual PLAYWRIGHTS LAB

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Music and Theater Arts (MTA) has announced the third annual Playwrights Lab, September 18-October 3, 2020. This virtual festival of eight staged readings brings together MIT students and professional theatre artists to showcase new works by the student writers in the Playwrights Lab workshop. Led by playwright and Senior Lecturer Ken Urban, the virtual readings feature directors such as Ashley Tata, Steve Cosson, and Vanessa Stalling, along with actors such as three-time TONY nominee Mary Testa, Lortel Award nominee Zoë Winters, and Eliot Norton and IRNE award-winner Adrianne Krstansky.

"The Playwrights Lab here at MIT is truly a one-of-a-kind experience for undergraduate playwrights, bringing together theater professionals and student writers together to develop new works for the stage," says Senior Lecturer Ken Urban. "We had to postpone last year's Lab, but we are coming back stronger in our new virtual edition. We are able to tap talent from across the United States with directors from New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, and amazing actors like three-time TONY nominee Mary Testa (Broadway's Oklahoma!), Lortel Award nominee Zoë Winters (TV's Succession), and Boston favorites Adrianne Krstansky and Maurice Emmanuel Parent. While we can't all be in the same room together, we are able to Zoom together. The student plays range from a touching story about a woman confronting Alzheimer's to a future where an app calculates the mortality rate of our daily activities. When I tell people teach playwriting at MIT, I can sometimes hear their surprise. But the Theater Arts program at MIT is at the cutting edge of theater arts education and training, and the Institute's support of projects like the Playwrights Lab demonstrates its deep investment in the arts."

Tickets to all virtual readings are free with RSVP, with a $5 donation encouraged. Donations go directly to future MTA Playwrights Labs and other dramatic writing initiatives that bring students and industry professionals together.

THE THIRD ANNUAL PLAYWRIGHTS LAB (VIRTUAL EDITION)

RSVP link for all performances:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/3rd-annual-playwrights-lab-virtual-edition-tickets-117400932349

Friday, September 18, 2020 | 8pm ET
In Absentia by Anisha Agarwal '21
Directed by Ashley Tata
with Nik Sadhnani and Shoba Narayan

Ash and his little sister Raina struggle to cope with the new normal after their mother's mental health deteriorates due to the death of their father. Although their family might be flawed, they know they have each other - until events begin to pull them apart.

Saturday, September 19, 2020 | 8pm ET
A Foregone Conclusion by Margaret Kosten '20
Directed by Steve Cosson
with Mary Testa, Adrianne Krstansky, Liz Wisan, and Zoë Winters

Bri receives the results of a genetic test informing her that she is likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. But Bri has a plan, and wants no input from her children. But can her friend Quinn do the unimaginable? Inspired by the author's own family history of Alzheimer's and the new direct to consumer genetic testing market, this play explores how old friends can provide more solutions than our genetic code.

Thursday, September 24, 2020 | 8pm ET
A Futile System by Jake Kinney '20
Directed by Jaclyn Biskup

Cast Maurice Emmanuel Parent, Paul Iacono, and others to be announced

Life in the medieval kingdom of Mundar is usually pretty chill, and capable Lady Galloway is able to handle the wacky hijinks of the King and the rest of his court. But when an upstart lord leads a rebellion against the capital, will Lady Galloway be able to take on the challenge, or will bumbling King Maximus doom the realm?

Friday, September 25, 2020 | 8pm ET
Crimson by Jackie Montante '20
Directed by Kareem Fahmy
with MTA Faculty member Anna Kohler, Jack DiFalco, and Dashiell Eaves

"Draw me like one of your French girls." Petra is a frustrated artist who meets the mysterious Jet after suffering a great loss, only to find herself getting drawn into Jet's dangerous world.

Saturday, September 26, 2020 | 8pm ET
Mortality Rate: Recalculating by Anupama Phatak '21
Directed by Shira Milikowsky
Cast Jenelle Chu, John Clay III, and others to be announced

It's 100 years in the future, and efforts to preserve human life have evolved to new heights; it is now normal to predict the probability of dying for every action, from mundane chores to experimenting with drugs. In this society obsessed with taking the uncertainty out of life, college student Viva tries to balance her fear of making mistakes with her desire to make a difference in the world.

Thursday, October 1, 2020 | 8pm ET
Meltdown by Mary Dahl '20
Directed by Vanessa Stalling
Cast TBA

Everything in Kara's life is just shades away from being perfect: a skilled hockey team that's been dropped to a boring division and an amazing girlfriend who seems to be getting more and more frustrated with her. Determined to get the life she's always wanted, Kara dives into fixing everything, but there's just one small thing getting in the way: herself.

Friday, October 2, 2020 | 8pm ET
G@M3R GRIL by Jordan Tappa '21
Directed by José Zayas
Cast TBA

Samantha is a professional gamer fighting for her place in a community that fails to accept her. But are her days playing online an escape from issues closer to home? This play is inspired by real stories of misogyny in online gaming communities.

Saturday, October 3, 2020 | 8pm ET
Reset by Elijah Miller '20
Directed by Kate Bergstrom
Cast TBA

Waking up in an unfamiliar apartment, Ed learns he has lost several years of his memories. He must grapple with the man he remembers and the man he has become, in hopes of regaining what may be lost to time.

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