The Theatre @ Boston Court Announces New 'PLAY/ground' Festival, Running 11/7-9

The Theatre @ Boston Court announces PLAY/ground, the annual New Play Festival November 7-9, 2014 at Boston Court Performing Arts Center in Pasadena, CA.

The Theatre @ Boston Court's new play festival presents plays that are in keeping with Boston Court's mission, which urges artists to fearlessly and passionately pursue their unique voice and vision. Play selection encompasses a wide variety of genres, with a special emphasis on nurturing playwrights and new play development, which are inherently theatrical, textually rich, and visually arresting.

This year's festival includes Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles by Luis Alfaro, Mad Beat Hip & Gone by Steven Dietz, Hillary and Clinton by Lucas Hnath, In a Word by Lauren Yee, and Your Name Will Follow You Home by Carlos Murillo.

Friday, November 7 at 8pm
MOJADA: A MEDEA IN LOS ANGELES, by Luis Alfaro, directed by Jessica Kubzansky
Luis Alfaro, author of the explosive Oedipus el Rey, continues his reexamination of the Greek classics through the modern lens. Mojada is a breathtaking reimagining of Euripides' Medea transported to East Los Angeles. In an epic journey of crossing borders, Medea, a Mexican seamstress with extraordinary skill, is running from a past filled with betrayals. With husband Jason and their son in tow, our storied heroine's struggle to adapt takes a disastrous toll when old and new worlds meet in the City of the Angels. Alfaro's stunning contemporary take on the Greek myth tackles family, tradition, culture and the explosive moment when they all collide.

Saturday, November 8, 11am
MAD BEAT HIP & GONE, by Steven Dietz, directed by Michael Michetti
Mad Beat Hip & Gone is an on-the-road comedy with a jazz soul. This valentine to the wanderlust of growing up imagines the adventures of the two guys who may have been in the car right behind Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady in 1947. America, it's been said, is the country where you always find the thing you never knew you were searching for.

Saturday, November 8, 2:30pm
HILLARY AND CLINTON, by Lucas Hnath, directed by Lindsay Allbaugh
In an alternate universe light years away from our own is a planet called Earth. It looks a lot like our Earth, except it's slightly different. And living on this other earth is a woman named Hillary. Hillary is trying to become the president of a country called the United States of America. It's 2008 and she's campaigning in a state called Iowa. She's not doing very well in the polls. She needs more money to keep the campaign going, so she calls her husband for help. He offers her a deal, a tough deal, but when she gets his help, she gets more than she bargained for. You may think you know where this story is going, but you don't. After all, the play takes place in an alternate universe where anything can happen...

Saturday, November 8, 5pm
IN A WORD, by Lauren Yee, directed by Casey Stangl
For Fiona, today is the two-year anniversary of her young son's disappearance. And still, nothing makes sense. Not her blasé husband, the incompetent detective, or the neighborhood kidnapper who keeps introducing himself in the checkout line. But when her son's case is on the brink of being declared "cold," Fiona delves back into her memories of that fateful day, to uncover that crucial missing piece. In a Word chronicles Fiona's attempts to make sense of the past, as grief and comedy collide, and ordinary turns of phrase take on dangerous new meanings.

Sunday, November 9, 11am
YOUR NAME WILL FOLLOW YOU HOME, by Carlos Murillo, directed by Michael John Garcés
The young, reclusive novelist Danny Santiago came out of nowhere and took the literary world by storm. His novel, Famous All Over Town, was a gritty, authentic depiction of Chicano life in East LA told through the eyes of a troubled teenager. But is it authentic? And who is the real Danny Santiago? And what happens when best friends and collaborators Javier and Alvaro attempt to make sense of the story. Originally commissioned by Steppenwolf Theatre, Your Name Will Follow You Home takes us on a wild, only-in-America, odyssey to the darkest heart of these questions. Charlie Chaplin. Communists in Hollywood. HUAC. The Blacklist. 50s B-Monster Movies. Architectural Fantasias. Fake Latinos. Jesse James.

The readings are free and open to the public. Reservations are recommended and can be made by emailing JoeM@BostonCourt.com or calling (626) 683-6883.

The Theatre @ Boston Court is the award-winning resident theatre company at Boston Court Performing Arts Center in Pasadena, CA. Michael Seel, Executive Director; Jessica Kubzansky and Michael Michetti, Co-Artistic Directors; Hillary Metcalf, Managing Director.

To post a comment, you must register and login.