Wayward Sisters Theatre Ensemble Holds Staged Reading Series, Workshopping Women's Voices

Wayward Sisters Theatre Ensemble will launch their first summer festival of new plays by female and femme identifying playwrights on Saturday, July 13th with staged readings of Missed Connections by Hallie Palladino at 1:30 p.m., followed by The Calorie Counters by Molly Wagner at 5 p.m. Each play will be followed by a talkback with the audience.

Missed Connections is a queer romantic comedy that follows Avery, an introverted grammar nerd, who gives her students an assignment to write love stories inspired by the missed connections ads in the local paper. But when one of them details Avery's own chance encounter with her neighborhood crush, she is uncharacteristically emboldened to take a chance on love. The problem? The ad was printed before they met. When more ads start predicting the future everyone's lives are thrown into upheaval.

In The Calorie Counters, Maggie's sister, Jordan, gets engaged to the man of her dreams. She dives headfirst into planning the perfect wedding - from the center pieces, to the napkin colors, to the perfect bridesmaid's dresses - dresses that are only carried up to a size 12. There's just one problem: Maggie is nowhere near a size 12. Reluctantly, Maggie agrees to join a weight loss group called The Calorie Counters in order to lose the weight, fit the dress, and ensure that Jordan's wedding is perfect. At the Calorie Counters, Maggie meets Charlie who acts as her self-appointed mentor while working through his own insecurities. As Jordan buries herself in the wedding arrangements, and Maggie uproots her life for the chance to fit into a world that is not always kind to the overweight, the sisters begin to realize the secrets they have been keeping from themselves and each other.

The readings will be presented at The American Blues Theatre rehearsal space at 4809 N Ravenswood Ave, Suite 126. To reserve your seat, go to www.waywardsisterstheatre.com. There will be a suggested donation at the door.