Gulfshore Playhouse's Second Annual New Works Festival Set for 9/1-7

Gulfshore Playhouse will begin their 2014-2015 season with their Second Annual New Works Festival, to take place September 1-7, 2014. The week-long festival will bring together a tram of actors and directors, and will allow each of the four playwrights the opportunity to hone their play and then present their work to an audience in a staged reading.

The four finalists that will be featured are: Rust On Bone by Bianca Sams, Harlowe by Jennifer Lane, Doublewide by Stephen Spotswood, and Shepherd's Bush by Scott C. Sickles.

As a part of Gulfshore Playhouse's dedication to fostering New Works, they are proud to join the National New Play Network as an Associate Member. The National New Play Network is the country's alliance of nonprofit theaters that champions the development, production and continued life of new plays. They strive to pioneer, implement and disseminate ideas and programs that revolutionize the way theaters collaborate to support new plays and playwrights.

"I am pleased to be able to participate in this important step in the birth of a new play with our 2nd New Works Festival! Additionally, I am thrilled that Gulfshore Playhouse will be joining the National New Play Network. This organization is doing great things to support the work of American playwrights, and we are proud to now be a part of that," states Kristen Coury, Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse, who will be directing Doublewide and Shepherd's Bush.

Rust on Bone and Harlowe will be directed by Louis Tyrrell. Tyrrell has been pioneering theatre in Florida since 1974. He founded Florida Stage, a LORT theatre in Palm Beach County, in 1987. Dedicated exclusively to the development and production of new work in American theatre, Florida Stage was an important nurturing ground for some of the best new plays being written today. Under Lou's guidance, the company produced more than 150 new works over 24 years, many of which have enjoyed rich and rewarding production lives throughout the country. Tyrrell is currently the Artistic Director for The Theatre at Arts Garage in Delray Beach, FL.

Rust on Bone by Bianca Sams will be read on Thursday, September 4th at 8:00pm. What would you do to stop a massacre? Devra, a psycho-analyst working with returning Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers, is confronted by the angry husband of one of her patients. This confrontation will test Devra's limits, both personally and professionally. This mysterious and compelling drama is an incisive look at the fallout of war, the cycle of violence, and the far-reaching consequences of the decisions people make.

Harlowe by Jennifer Lane will be read on Friday, September 5th at 8:00pm. Looking at her life from the confines of her bathtub, Harlowe struggles to heal and find her place in the world, following a personal tragedy that has caused her to lose her sense of touch. This poetic and deeply personal family drama juxtaposes compassionate humor with deep sadness. Full of metaphysical intensity, this play invites us to feel with every fiber of our being.

Doublewide by Stephen Spotswood will be read on Saturday, September 6th at 8:00pm. Enter Big Jim's doublewide trailer. It's not much, but it's home. As outside forces close in to try and push Big Jim and his family off their land, he must decide how far he is willing to go. How hard would you fight to save your home? This heartfelt drama delves into themes of family, what really matters in life, and that most tenuous and beautiful of things, the American Dream.

Shepherd's Bush by Scott C. Sickles will be read on Sunday, September 7th at 3:00pm. Enter another age, in a country where being different was unacceptable, and at a time when appearances were all that mattered. Based on the private life of acclaimed novelist EM Forster, this elegant play takes us on a decades long journey of love and loss through a life that cannot be defined by fame alone.

Gulfshore Playhouse announced a call for submissions for the 2nd Annual New Works Festival in November 2013. The first 100 submissions from playwrights and agents were considered for inclusion in the festival. On June 3, 2014, Gulfshore Playhouse announced 10 semifinalists, from which the 4 finalists were selected. The additional semifinalists that were considered were: Headometry by Helen Banner, Tabula Rasa by Kevin Brewer and Shane Breaux, The Velocity of Geography by James Farrell, Split in Three by Daryl Fazio, Under This Roof by Barbara Kingsley, and A Cave in the Desert by Paco José Madden.

Subscriptions and Single Tickets are now available for Gulfshore Playhouse's 2014-2015 season. The season includes Katori Hall's The Mountaintop, Body Awareness by Annie Baker, Naples' newest holiday tradition in Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol, Broadway smash hit Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, First Annual New Works Festival finalist: The Butcher by Gwydion Suilebhan, and from the author of Venus in Fur: The Liar by David Ives.

Gulfshore Playhouse is passionately devoted to creating high-quality professional theatre at affordable prices and diverse educational opportunities for our region. Producing a full season of plays ranging from venerated classics and Broadway hits to contemporary plays and world premieres, Gulfshore Playhouse is committed to surpassing the standards of every valued patron while continuing to contribute to the vibrant arts and culture scene in Southwest Florida.

Tickets for the Second Annual New Works Festival are on sale now. Tickets for an individual reading are $15. Package pricing is $25 for 2 readings, $35 for 3 readings, and $45 for four readings. Readings will take place at 8:00pm on Thursday September 4th, Friday September 5th, and Saturday September 6th; as well as a 3:00pm reading on Sunday September 7th. For tickets, visit www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org or call 1-866-811-4111. All readings are presented at The Norris Center, 755 8th Avenue South, Naples.

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