Tony Nominee Emily Skeggs Leads New Play Reading at Luna Stage Tonight

Luna Stage presents a reading of Stephen Kaplan's new play, THE COMMUNITY, tonight, January 11th at 7:30pm as part of the New Moon Reading Series.

Cast includes Tony-Nominee Emily Skeggs (FUN HOME), Reggie D. White (I AND YOU), Jodi Capeless (DAME EDNA & MICHAEL FEINSTEIN'S ALL ABOUT ME) and John Frenzer (SIDE SHOW). The reading is directed by Stephen Nachamie.

In THE COMMUNITY, Chris Marshall has just been cast as George in Mt. Laurel Community Players' production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? He invites Zach, the young, Black actor who's been cast as Nick, over for a drink to give him some actorly advice - and possibly to kill him. Whatever works. When the production's Martha and Honey show up uninvited, they find themselves caught in this play about a play (within a play?) tackling deadly issues like race and, perhaps even more dauntingly, community theatre. This ferocious comedy asks questions about how we view stories about race and the not-just-color blindness that many have when trying to talk about it.

Stephen Kaplan wrote his first play, And Jack Came Tumbling After (Old Globe Theatre, EST, HERE/Lincoln Center Theatre's American Living Room Series) when he was 15. Other plays include Exquisite Potential (winner NJ Playwrights Contest, finalist: Woodward/Newman Award); A Real Boy (This Is Water Theatre and semi-finalist: PlayPenn, Ashland New Play Festival, Dayton Playhouse FutureFest and MTWorks' Newborn Festival); una casa/a home(finalist: Landing Theatre's New American Voices Reading Series, Route 66 Theatre's New Play Development Program); For Unto Us (Barrington Stage Company, Acadia Theatre Company, Luna Stage New Moon Short Play Festival, QueerShorts); In Mrs. Baker's Room(Commission: Abingdon Theatre Company); The Seventh Son (semi-finalist: Ronald M Ruble New Play Festival). He is the New Jersey Regional Representative for the Dramatists Guild.

Reservations are free with a $5 suggested donation and are HIGHLY recommended - email boxoffice@lunastage.org and give your name, phone number and the number of seats you want for the reading. All reservations must be picked up by 7:10pm or seats will be released. Luna Stage is located at 555 Valley Road, West Orange, NJ 07052.

The mission of The New Moon Reading Series is to support emerging playwrights by providing them with the opportunity to hear their new work read aloud by professional actors and to pose questions to, and receive feedback from audience members in a safe and constructive environment.

A play reading is a vital step in a playwright's process of developing a new play to the point where it is ready for a full production. Come be a part of the creative process! Each reading is followed by a talkback with the playwright.

For more information visit www.lunastage.com or www.bystephenkaplan.com.

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