DRIVEWAY THEATRE Will Return From Open Book Theatre Company This Summer

Open Book Theatre is back this summer with three new Driveway Theatre plays - bringing live theatre out into the community with 30 minute performances right where you live, work, and play.

"We started this last summer, and it was such a fun and effective way to do theatre," said Artistic Director Krista Schafer Ewbank. This summer they've commissioned three brand new scripts and are again offering a fully improvised show as well. "We put out the call to local playwrights, and got some great ideas! We narrowed it down to three, and they've been developed into fun and wonderfully different scripts. We can't wait to share them with audiences!"

While improv is being offered all summer long, the scripted plays will roll out over the course of the summer, beginning Memorial Day weekend with Every Love Story Ever Told. The show reunites performers Ryan Ernst and Tiaja Sabrie, playwright Sean Paraventi, and director Krista Schafer Ewbank, who all worked together last fall on Paraventi's 2020: The Year They Cancelled Everything.

"There is a broad range of source material," says Paraventi, "biblical, Shakespearean, romcoms and sitcoms, classic movies, and even a bit of Greek tragedy thrown in." According to performer Ernst, the variety of stories is a "reinforcement of the idea that love is love is love. There is no right way to love, it comes in all shapes, sizes, and eras."

"Ryan and Tiaja have their own love story, they announced their engagement while we were touring the show last fall," says Schafer Ewbank. Now, they get to act out a lot of iconic love stories, rapid fire. "In a show about love, playing opposite the person I'm marrying means to a certain extent, I get to explore all of these elements of different romances and where they live in our relationship," said Sabrie. "That's always a really rewarding thing as an actor, to be able to bring something home from a show or a character or a story that expands my own life in some way."

Every Love Story Ever Told is fast paced, funny, sweet, and appropriate for all ages. The show is available to come to you May 28 to July 4 ,and rates start as low as $100, with additional fees to travel beyond Downriver. Performances can be held in any large, outdoor space such as driveways, backyards, parks, parking lots, and more.

Two more shows, also written by local playwrights, will premiere later in the summer.

Advantage Rule, a new play by Meg Berger, will be offered July 2nd - August 8th . The show introduces us to friends Charlie and Laura. They disagree on who has the advantage - men or women. But when they magically switch bodies while watching a soccer game, the question of "ball in and out of bounds" takes on a whole new meaning.

You Talk White, a new play by Craig Ester, will be offered August 13th - September 17th. This play actually takes place in a driveway, as two children meet. Bell's been able to ignore the only white kid in the neighborhood - until Des shows up in her driveway wielding a toy sword. Through the banter and play of childhood they consider how they might be friends despite their differences.

All three plays, as well as Off Book at Open Book improvisation are open for booking now. More information can be found on the theatre website, openbooktc.com, or by calling 734-288-7753.

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