Geva Theatre Center Announces the Line Up for the Festival of New Theatre 2018

Geva Theatre Center unveils its line-up for the Festival of New Theatre 2018 to be held in the Fielding Stage from October 29 - December 2. FONT 2018 is a vibrant and innovative mix of new works by some of the most exciting playwrights from across the country and around the corner and is part of Geva's ongoing commitment to developing and producing new work for the American theatre.

FONT 2018 is a celebration of the theatrical imagination, an exciting glimpse into the creative process, and YOUR opportunity to contribute to the future of theatre in Rochester and around the world. During the Festival, you're invited to take a glimpse into the writers' studios as they work on new ideas, tell new stories and explore new forms. And because the readings of new plays are presented concert-style - with actors at music stands, facing the audience - the budget for the set, costumes and other effects is limited only by your imagination! Audiences will also have the unique opportunity for a post-reading discussion with the playwright.

Geva's Literary Director/Resident Dramaturg Jenni Werner commented, "It's my very favorite time of year - when audiences experience firsthand the bravery and innovation of playwrights and the directors and actors who tell their stories. All of the plays in this year's Festival of New Theatre lineup are thrilling, and audiences will enjoy meeting these talented artists. Of particular interest may be this year's Rochester Stories commission, Elyzabeth Wilder's play The Color Girl, which is part of Geva's commitment to telling stories inspired by our region."

Admission to the Festival of New Theatre 2018 readings is free, but reservations are required. Call the Geva Theatre Center Box Office at (585) 232- 4382 or visit www.gevatheatre.org for tickets. Play readings sell out quickly, but tickets often become available the night of the performance.

Here is the line-up for the 2018 Festival of New Theatre:

Tuesday, October 30, 7pm

Regional Writers' Showcase: Just Like Sisters

Written by Jay Hanagan

Directed by Jean Gordon Ryon

As Jolie and Echo head to Gettysburg, South Dakota to reconnect with their mother, they are jolted by the news that she has passed away. Now they're tasked with gathering her belongings and sorting her will. They're about to find out just how much their mother has left behind for them, and to have to ask the question: Just what makes a family?

Friday, November 2, 7pm

Bake-Off

Back by popular demand: a creative experiment, the outcome of which can never be predicted! Inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel, Geva will present a challenge to several playwrights to create new stories inspired by a visit to the wondrous Rochester art gallery, Artisanworks. All writers must include three elements in their pieces, which they'll learn about on a tour of Artisanworks on Oct. 28th. And by Nov. 2, each writer will share their brand new works of art. Audience members may be asked to participate in scenes, or the writers may read the scenes themselves. Will it be exciting and entertaining to see what these writers cook up in just three days? All signs point to yes!

Saturday November 3 and Sunday November 4, 3pm

Young Writers Showcase

In the spring, Geva presented staged readings of several short plays written by Rochester area writers, ages 13-18. Those plays were then given to local theatre artists, who have rehearsed over the summer for presentation in the festival. The young writers who participate gain a greater understanding of the process of moving a play from page to stage in a collaborative process. Join us as we celebrate these young artists and see how their plays have changed since their first reading.

The Inevitable Choice by Tali Beckwith-Cohen

Seasonal Sorrow by Samantha Dickson

Reprise by Victoria Graziano

Broken Vase by Blake Lombardo

Just Like That by Mina Stevens

The Strife of the Critical by Salma Marte Vélez

Monday, November 5, 7pm

Before Evening Comes

Written by Philana Omorotionmwan

Directed by Jennifer L. Nelson

With his 13th birthday around the corner, Totome is excited to meet "the butcher" and finally become a man. His mother, however, is determined to keep him whole for just a little while longer. Before Evening Comes explores the fate of black boys and men in a dystopian future inspired by the United States' myths of the black male body as either a commodity or a threat.

Friday, November 9, 7pm

The Color Girl

Written by Elyzabeth Wilder

Directed by Hana Sharif

Henry is in love with Shirley, the Kodak Color Girl, the basis on which all photographs are color balanced. But when Gloria asks for his help after the disappearance of her daughter, Henry begins to question how we perceive light, color, and beauty. The Color Girl provides a look at who is seen and who is invisible, and how science and technology play a role in manipulating the narrative.

Co-Commissioned by Geva Theatre Center and The Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Project with support from Deanna Baker.

Sunday, November 11, 7pm

On That Day in Amsterdam

Written by Clarence Coo

Directed by Kareem Fahmy

Two young men, an American backpacker and a Syrian refugee, meet in a gay club in Amsterdam and spend the next day together knowing their paths will never cross again. As they visit the former homes of Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Anne Frank, they discover the meaning of love, art, and escape in the context of Europe's current migrant crisis.

Saturday, December 1, 7pm

The Author's Voice with Lila Rose Kaplan

Join playwright Lila Rose Kaplan (The Magician's Daughter) in a conversation about her work. In conversation with Geva's Literary Director Jenni Werner, Lila Rose will share stories about her craft and inspirations, as well as read excerpts from three of her plays, including a scene from The Magician's Daughter which Geva will premiere in January, 2019.

Saturday, December 2, 7pm:

The Magician's Daughter

Written by Lila Rose Kaplan

Directed by Shelley Butler

Magician Prospero and his daughter Miranda dazzle their audiences until the day Miranda quits. This funny bittersweet play dives deep into the ups and downs of a father-daughter relationship. Viewer discretion advised if you have a father or a daughter (or know anyone who does).

For further information, bios of playwrights and directors, photographs, or to arrange interviews, please contact: Dawn Kellogg, Communications Manager, (585) 420-2059.

Geva Theatre Center

Founded in 1972, Geva Theatre Center is a not-for-profit, professional theatre company dedicated to creating and producing professional theatre productions, programs and services of a national standard. As Rochester's leading professional theatre, Geva Theatre Center is the most attended regional theatre in New York State, and one of the 25 most subscribed in the country, serving up to 160,000 patrons annually, including more than 16,000 students.

The 516-seat Elaine P. Wilson Stage is home to a wide variety of performances, from musicals to American and world classics. The 180-seat Ron & Donna Fielding Stage is home to Geva's own series of contemporary drama, comedy and musical theatre; Geva's New Play Reading Series and the Hornets' Nest - an innovative play-reading series facilitating community-wide discussion on controversial topics. In addition, the Fielding Stage hosts visiting companies of both local and international renown.

Geva Theatre Center offers a wide variety of educational, outreach and literary programs, nurturing audiences and artists alike. Since 1995, the organization has been under the artistic direction of Mark Cuddy.

To post a comment, you must register and login.