Sauk To Host Ninth Annual PLAYS-IN-DEVELOPMENT April 21 and 22

In addition to their season of plays and musicals, The Sauk, Hillsdale County's Community Theatre, is dedicated to developing new theatrical works. The Sauk's ninth annual "Plays-in-Development" will be presented April 21 and 22 at the Sauk Theatre in Jonesville.

Started in 2015, "Plays-in-Development" is a unique project to help playwrights develop their scripts. Actors and directors work one on one with playwrights to learn what works and what does not work about their plays. During rehearsals, the playwrights make changes to their scripts. The project ends with free staged readings for the public. After the readings, the audience is given an opportunity to respond to what they have heard. Therefore, the playwrights end the process with ideas from directors, actors and audience.

"As the program has grown, we are starting to get submission from all over the world," said Sauk Executive Director Trinity Bird, who coordinates the program. "Although we continue to make local playwrights a priority, we have received scripts from almost all 50 states and eight foreign countries. Our play selection committee reviewed all of these submissions and ultimately selected the four scripts we will be working on this year."

The Friday, April 21 line-up includes "The House" by Elisa Manzini of Los Angeles, Calif. and "The Lost Recording" co-written by Jo Ann Simon of Danbury, Conn. and Jennifer Yokell of Hillsdale. The readings begin at 7:30 p.m.

​In "The House," Sabrina decides to visit the house where she was born. Jane, the young woman who now lives in the house, welcomes her warmly. They chat about relationships, family and blueberry pies. Jane confesses she feels lonely sometimes and can't wait to have a baby. The following day Sabrina goes back to meet Jane's husband, Jerry, and during their conversation she realizes she's stuck in a weird time capsule in 1977, and Jane and Jerry are her parents. After trying to convince the couple about her identity, Sabrina begs them not to have kids, revealing that her mom suffered from severe postpartum depression and ended up killing herself and her father. Will Jane believe her though?

"The House" is directed by Christina Dube. The cast consists of Tiffany Thatcher, Kiralyn Brakel Nelson, Josh Hall and Grace Balkan.

"The Lost Recording" tells the story of mother and grandmother Jo Ann. She was also a wife. A surprising discovery is made when an old forgotten recording is found on a tape recorder. Jo Ann is transported back in time to a single night through the recording of her and her husband from several years earlier. On that night, Tom and Jo Ann are at a crossroads in their relationship. With the backdrop of 40's music the scenes play out. They work through their differences until a hidden truth is revealed about Tom's health which changes everything. Their vow to love each other through sickness and health, till death do them part will be tested. The question is, whether her past can bring peace to her present. This play is based on a true story.

"The Lost Recording" is directed by Sarah Gray. The cast consists of Rickie Freeman, David Trippett, Jennifer Ambrose, Travis Blatchley, Madeline Stemme and Erin Brzozowski.

On Saturday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m., "The Lion in the Snow Globe" by Paul Lewis of Bainbridge Island, Wash. will be read followed by "With Regards to Marty McFly" by Linda Howard Cooke of Hastings, Neb.

17-year-old Veronica is a great admirer of female superheroes. What she loves most about them is that they don't start out wanting to be superheroes, but when there's a life in the balance, they'll leap into the fray in order to set things right. Every Christmas season since she was very young, Veronica has visited the magnificent bronze lion standing watch in front of her great-uncle's department store, sharing confidences as well as the scent of a marzipan cookie. Over time she becomes aware that this bronze statue is a sentient being. Late one Christmas Eve, threatened with exile from the town square he loves, Lion makes one final leap and transforms into a live African lion, prowling the city streets in search of the long-shuttered amusement park that was his first home. It's up to Veronica to find him and keep him safe from police bullets long enough to restore him to his place on the town square.

"The Lion in the Snow Globe" is directed by MJ Dulmage. The cast consists of Lorelei Stemme, Savannah Bruton, Tim Ambrose, Jeff Gray, Linda Krasny, Kendra Bonjernoor, Kenny Hong and Sandi Miller.

"With Regards to Marty McFly" is set in motion when Sophie turns her teachers into their 1980s teen-aged selves, using the time machine she invented for the science fair. By looking into the teachers' pasts, Sophie and her classmates get a glimpse into their own futures, and they're not sure they like what they see.

This play is directed by Bird with a cast featuring Emmy Ambrose, Noah Bryant, Katherine Gerring, Allie Tappen, Michael Krebill, Bird, Ezra Hutchinson, Castin Cousino, Adalyn Crane and Denise McCosh.

Admission is free. The staged readings will be held at the Sauk Theatre, 240 E. Chicago St., Jonesville. Doors open at 7 p.m. each night. Visit www.thesauk.org for more information.

"Plays-in-Development" is sponsored by Gossage Eye Institute and Optical, State Farm Agent Jason Babcock, Lisa Monk, Country Carpets and Don Toffollo of Edward Jones. The Sauk also received a grant from the Walmart Foundation to encourage producing work by local playwrights. The 2023 season is sponsored by Joyous Journey Photography. The 2023 Media Sponsor is WCSR Radio Hillsdale and 99-5 The Dale.

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