New Play Reading Series A PLACE AT THE TABLE Announced

On August 4th, 2019, the new play reading series, A Place at the Table, held its first reading featuring an all womxn cast of Arthur Miller's 1964 play, Incident at Vichy. A Place at the Table, conceived by Olivia Daniels, Sarah Hogewood, and Ellie Handel, was created to take classic plays and reimagine them through a contemporary lens, offering womxn artists the chance to perform in roles that were not originally written with their voices in mind.

"I want to create opportunities for fellow actors to lend their voices to works that they may not otherwise have the space to explore," says Sarah Hogewood, Artistic Director of A Place at the Table. "A bimonthly table read featuring a new director each time offers a break from the breakdowns and reminds us of our responsibility to build a community where everyone has a place at the table."

The table reading of Incident at Vichy will be directed by Olivia Daniels and will feature Sara Shepard (Beautiful), Lisa Karlin (Ragtime, The Addams Family), Salisha Thomas (Beautiful, Trevor the Musical), TyNia Brandon (Beautiful), Ashley Coia, Sarah Hogewood, Allison Lian, Ellie Handel (The Wives of Henry the Eighth), Caitlin McNeilage, and Olivia Fenton.

Incident at Vichy tells the story of a group of men detained in 1943 Vichy France for what turns out to be their "racial" inspection by German military officers and Vichy French police during World War II. It originally premiered on Broadway on December 3, 1965 at the ANTA Washington Square Theatre in New York City. The production was directed by Harold Clurman and included Michael Strong as LeBeau, Stanley Beck as Bayard, Paul Mann at Marchand, and David J. Stewart as Monceau.

"Bringing a new perspective to a classic play can illuminate the significance of said text within our modern era," says director Olivia Daniels, "I feel very passionate about hearing this specific play read aloud at this crucial point in time, while news of the US border detention and treatment of immigrants becomes more horrifying by the minute. To the extent that this text can help raise awareness and spark discussion, we feel a responsibility as artists and activists to tell this story now."

To get involved with A Place at the Table or to submit a play for consideration, contact Olivia Daniels at aplaceatthetableproj@gmail.com.

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