Sauk To Present Three Readings In Annual PLAYS-IN-DEVELOPMENT Program

In addition to their usual season of plays and musicals, The Sauk, Hillsdale County's Community Theatre, is dedicated to developing new works. The Sauk's seventh annual "Plays-in-Development" will be presented June 25 and 26 at the Sauk Theatre in Jonesville.

Started in 2015, "Plays-in-Development" is a unique project to help writers 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 gets 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 three scripts we will be working on this year."

On Friday, June 25 at 7:30 p.m., "Their Great Magic" by Terence Patrick Hughes of Lake Hill, NY will be read.

A year ago, acclaimed American novelist, John Irwin, and his wife suffered a terrible car crash near their mountain-top home in Woodstock, NY. He survived, she did not. After months of mourning, insurance litigation, and tabloid harassment, Helen's ghost has returned to constantly haunt John and keep him from writing, sleeping, and staying sober. His daughter, Violet, and her new boyfriend arrive to try and rescue John from his downward spiral, only to be caught up in a wild war of words and wit that reaches far beyond our material world. This reading is directed by Tim Ambrose. The cast consists of Loren Corbin, Tom Corbin, Bruce Crews, Denise McCosh, Ray Pratt and Mike Sutton. Emily Crews will read stage directions.

The Saturday, June 26 line-up includes "Desert Song" by Mark Cornell of Chapel Hill, NC and "Pre-Existing Condition" by Tiffany Thatcher of Homer, MI. The readings begin at 7:30 p.m.

"Desert Song" is about a young, struggling musician who seeks out the reclusive muse for one of the most famous love songs ever written, an early seventies tune called "The Ballad of Eliza." It's a song that he has loved all his life. This muse, a woman now in her sixties, has long retreated from public view, and lives as a simple maid. Set in the sparse lodgings at Ghost Ranch, a remote retreat in Northern New Mexico, the play explores the elusive and magical nature of inspiration. Trinity Bird will direct. The cast consists of Jacob Boswell and Roene Trevisan. Anne Conners is reading stage directions.

In "Pre-Existing Condition," a??Kate is doing her best to get over her fiancé Jonah, but he is not making it easy. He keeps popping in whenever her guard is down. As the couple tries to make sense of their separation, they quickly realize that their relationship is not at all what it seems. MJ Dulmage is directing this reading with Pat Bogusz reading stage directions. The cast consists of Gianna Green and Timothy Green.

Admission is free. The staged readings will be held at the Sauk Theatre, 240 E. Chicago St., Jonesville. Visit www.thesauk.org for more information including COVID safety protocols.

To post a comment, you must register and login.