JAN MCART'S NEW PLAY READINGS Announces 2017-18 Season

A 1950s New Year's Eve in Las Vegas, spent with the celebrated Gabor family.

A recently-widowed woman in a hotel, confronted by an array of strangers who wander through her suite.

A Hollywood super-agent and his relationship with his super-client, Rock Hudson.

A father, mother, daughter, son, and their family's sixty-year history.

These are the plays that comprise the 2017-18 'Jan McArt's New Play Readings' series, to be presented at Boca Raton's Lynn University beginning Monday, October 30th.

Jan McArt, Florida's First Lady of Theater, and head of theater development at Boca Raton's Lynn University, has been guiding her award-winning 'Jan McArt's New Play Readings' series to astonishing success for the past five years.

"I love it, she says, "because it's creative and I'm making things happen."

Her mission with this play reading program? To develop new commercially entertaining plays by Florida playwrights.

Each year four new plays are rehearsed and rewritten over a period of five days. Then they get staged readings in the Keith C. and Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center on the Lynn campus, to an ever-growing, enthusiastic audience.

Out of the past five seasons, seven of the plays presented have gone on to (or are about to go on to) full productions around Florida, and around the country, including one that recently opened Off-Broadway in New York.

Those plays include: Dan Clancy's 'PROPOSITION 8,' which landed at the Desert Rose Playhouse in Rancho Mirage, CA, under the title 'POSTER BOYS' in the spring of 2014; Christopher Demos-Brown's'CHILD'S PLAY,' which was presented at Miami's Zoetic Stage to great acclaim under the title 'STRIPPED'in the winter of 2015; Michael McKeever's 'DANIEL'S HUSBAND,' which wound up at Fort Lauderdale's Island City Stage in the summer of 2015, winning several Carbonell Awards including 'Best New Work,' and was just produced at New York's Primary Stages this past spring of 2017; Dan Clancy's'MIDDLETOWN,' which arrived at the Boca West Theatre in December of 2016; Michael McKeever's'FINDING MONA LISA,' which will be unveiled in Coral Gables at Actors' Playhouse this summer of 2017; Stuart Meltzer's 'THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS,' which will be produced at Island City Stage this summer of 2017; and Michael McKeever's 'THE CAMP,' which will open at the Boca West Theatre in December, 2017.

"Usually, when you do the reading of a new play, the cast and director come in and read through it in the afternoon and present it to an audience that evening," says Tony Finstrom, associate producer of this play reading series, who will also have a show in the upcoming 2017-18 season. "And often the cast is simply seated in a semi-circle, or perhaps they'll step up to music stands with their scripts when it's their character's turn to speak."

But this play reading series at Lynn is much more ambitious, giving playwrights the chance to bring in a new play and work with a professional cast and a director for five days - rehearsing, re-writing, rehearsing, rewriting. Then, at the end of the five days they present their new, polished, reworked play to the public, in performance.

"These are staged readings in the true sense of the word," Finstrom adds. "With actors up on their feet, playing on a minimal set, with lighting, some sound effects, music, wearing bits of costumes, etc. Almost exactly like a real performance of a new play, except that the actors, of course, are carrying their scripts."

The four new works that will be presented in this new 2017/18 Season on Mondays, at 7:30 PM, in the Wold Performing Arts Center at Lynn University, are:

October 30, 2017 - 'HOUSE OF GABOR'

a new play by Tony Finstrom

directed by Wayne Rudisill

It's Vegas. It's New Year's Eve. It's 1953. Come join Zsa Zsa & Company for a peek at their bygone world full of mink, Champagne, and ... men, in this glittering new work based on true events. Featuring Jan McArt, Mia Matthews, Alex Alvarez, Jeffrey Bruce and Michael McKeever.

*

January 22, 2018 - 'STARMAKER'

a new play by Michael Leeds

directed by Andy Rogow

The true story of Hollywood super-agent Henry Willson and his relationship with his super-client Rock Hudson, as told by Henry himself, accompanied by a Greek chorus of his other famous clients. Written and directed by the co-artistic directors of Fort Lauderdale's award-winning Island City Stage.

*

February 12, 2018 - 'WIDOW ON THE LOOSE'

a new play by Jay Stuart

directed by Michael McKeever

Is it acceptable for a married woman to make love to a preacher, a car salesman and a mysterious hotel guest who keeps changing his identity? And, if a bellman has an affair with a guest, is it reasonable to still expect a tip? Featuring Jan McArt and Jay Stuart.

*

March 12, 2018 - 'A HOME'

a new play by Dan Clancy

directed by John Tolley

The story of the Reddington family - father, mother, daughter, son - tracing the family's history over a period of sixty years. Although the action takes place in the family's Brooklyn brownstone, their story will resonate with your own. From the author of 'MIDDLETOWN.'

*

"If there's one thing I love, it's making things happen," McArt says. "And I'm working as hard as ever to make them happen here at Lynn."

Tickets to these four new staged readings are now on sale to the general public at the Four-Play Series Discounted Price of $36, and may be purchased through July 28 at the Lynn University box office, or by calling 561-237-9000. Individual tickets to the general public, at the price of $10 each, will go on sale August 1.

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