DM Playhouse Stages CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION Reading Tonight

The Des Moines Community Playhouse play reading series continues tonight, June 3, at 7:00 PM with Annie Baker's "Circle Mirror Transformation." The evening is free; beverages will be available for purchase.

"Circle Mirror Transformation" follows the story of a former actress, a 16-year-old girl, a hippie husband and a divorced carpenter during a six-week adult creative drama class. Unbeknownst to them, the class shapes the lives of its participants and opens their eyes to a world they never knew. Baker's comedy landed in the Top Ten lists of The New York Times and the New Yorker for 2010; the play also won the 2010 Obie Award for Best New American Play.

The cast, under the direction of Sarah Hinzman, includes Etta Berkowitz, Steve Berry, Amber Duimstra, Gary Roberts, and Maggie Wildermuth.

The play reading series is held one night each month on the stage in the theatre's upper lobby. Actors read from scripts; there are no costumes or scenery pieces. John Viars, Playhouse executive director, says, "The goal of this project is to offer audiences and volunteers an opportunity to familiarize themselves with upcoming productions, as well as offer insight into new scripts and possible titles to be mounted in the future. "

Upcoming script reading presentations include "Speaking in Tongues" by Andrew Bovell on July 1, "Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them" by Christopher Durang onAug. 5, "Maple and Vine" by Jordan Harrison on Sept. 9, "Shipwrecked" by Donald Margulies on Oct. 7, "Tribes" by Nina Raine on Nov. 11, and "A Small Fire" by Adam Bock on Dec. 2.

The Playhouse is Iowa's oldest and largest producing theatre. Located at the 42nd Street exit of I-235, the theatre has presented a full season of shows since 1919 and also offers a wide variety of educational experiences including classes for ages 4 to adult, theatre trips to New York, and volunteer opportunities onstage and backstage.

For more information about The Playhouse and the script reading series, contact The Playhouse ticket office at 515-277-6261.

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