Maltz Jupiter Theatre presents Free Reading of South Florida Playwright's New Play GOY TOY on 6/19

Want to hear a new play in the works before it hits it big? Then you won't want to miss the Maltz Jupiter Theatre's staged reading of Goy Toy, a coming-of-age story about a young couple torn apart by religion by South Florida playwright Hannah Benitez. The play reading will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, June 19, in the Theatre's upstairs Green Room Club Level Lounge. The event is free and open to the public, though reservations are required by calling the box office.

The play follows energetic teen Micah, who has finally snuck his girlfriend into his room after hours. Without a lock on the door, the two teens undertake a big experience they have been planning forever, only to be overwhelmed by a secret too embarrassing to reveal - clashing against a Judaic tradition that tore Micah's family apart years ago.

Part of the South Florida Theatre League's Summer Theatre Fest Reading Series, the staged reading will be directed by Michel Hausmann (cofounder and artistic director Miami New Drama) and performed by a cast of accomplished actors, including Natalie Symons, Ben Sandomir, Anthony Pyatt Jr. and Rachel Comeau.

"The Maltz Jupiter Theatre is proud to showcase new work and support local artists, and participating in the South Florida Theatre League's Summer Theatre Fest Reading Series is always an enlightening experience," said Andrew Kato, the Theatre's producing artistic director and chief executive. "Hannah Benitez is a fresh, accomplished voice in the South Florida theater community and we look forward to hosting a reading of her newest play."

Benitez' credits include the play Adaptive Radiation, produced as a reading with Artists' Repertory Theater in Portland Oregon and workshopped with the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis. Her immigrant drama The Weight of the Water, set in Miami, was produced as a reading with The Red Theater in Chicago and offered a slot in their 2018 season. A current recipient of the Playwright Development Grant Program, Benitez earned membership into the Dramatist Guild with her play Mind Bombs. Her short play The No-No Box was produced in Chicago's Indie Boots Theater Festival and is now published and available for purchase.

A Cuban-Jewish-American millennial from Miami, Benitez studied playwriting under Tarell Alvin McCraney and Marco Ramirez at New World School of the Arts High School. She earned a B.F.A. in acting from Florida State University, where she studied playwriting under Sheri Wilner and Mark Wheatley of the London Theater Academy. Now a fulltime writer and actor, she recently closed the play Three Sisters (portraying the role of Masha) with Mad Cow Theater in Orlando.

The event follows the success of two other staged readings presented at the Theatre in previous years: Wrongful Death and Captiva, both written by South Florida playwright Chris Demos-Brown and presented through the Summer Theatre Fest Reading Series.

Seating is limited, so reservations are required; to reserve your seat, call the box office at (561) 575-2223. Please note: the play contains strong language and adult content. Not suitable for children.

About the Maltz Jupiter Theatre
The not-for-profit Maltz Jupiter Theatre has become one of Florida's preeminent professional theatres, committed to production and education through its collaborations with local and national artists. Currently the state's largest award-winning regional theatre, the Theatre draws 100,000 people annually, serves a subscription base of more than 7,758 and has world-class classroom facilities in support of its Goldner Conservatory of Performing Arts, which serves hundreds of youth and adults. The Theatre is a member of the prestigious League of Resident Theatres and has earned numerous Carbonell Awards, South Florida's highest honor for artistic excellence, including the prestigious Bill Von Maurer Award for Theatrical Excellence. For more information about the Theatre's upcoming shows and Conservatory, visit www.jupitertheatre.org or call the box office at (561) 575-2223.

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