Salt Lake Acting Company's NPSS to Continue with HOW TO STEAL A PICASSO, 2/16

Salt Lake Acting Company (SLAC) continues its 20th season of the New Play Sounding Series (NPSS) with a free reading of William Missouri Downs' newest play HOW TO STEAL A PICASSO on Monday, February 16, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. Directed by Teresa Sanderson, the reading will feature local actors Daniel Beecher, Terence Goodman, Elise Groves, Jesse Peery, and Susan Dolan Stevens. The NPSS provides an essential testing ground where playwrights see and hear their works in progress and receive insightful feedback from the audience members during a post-play discussion.

SLAC thanks the Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation for their support of this vital program.

A counterfeit Picasso and cruel hoax are at the heart of this new dark comedy by the author of THE EXIT INTERVIEW and MR. PERFECT. When their bad boy son returns home on the same day a Picasso goes missing from a nearby art gallery, an eccentric family is forced to confront failure, love and the meaning of originality in this modern pixilated world where everything is copyrighted and art is no more than a commodity.

HOW TO STEAL A PICASSO has been selected as a semi-finalist for the Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference and this reading will be the first time Downs hears his script read in front of an audience. SLAC's relationship with Downs began with the sold out rolling world premiere production of THE EXIT INTERVIEW and the NPSS reading of MAD GRAVITY in 2013. In addition, SLAC's upcoming production of MR. PERFECT (April 8- May3, 2015) will mark another world premiere for Downs.

Since its inception in 1994, SLAC's New Play Sounding Series (NPSS) has nurtured emerging and established playwrights alike in the development of their new work. The NPSS creates a constructive, low risk arena in which to explore the challenges that come with writing and developing new plays. Through the NPSS, SLAC has provided professional resources for the artistic development of more than 80 new plays. Not only does the NPSS provide support for playwrights and create additional working opportunities for local theatre artists, but it also affords our community the opportunity to witness plays in their earliest stages. By joining in the post-play discussions and constructively criticizing what they've just seen, the audience plays a key role in shaping these new works, which often go on to be seen in SLAC's full seasons. Over 50 percent of the plays developed through the NPSS have gone on to full productions at SLAC or other professional theatres. The free readings of the NPSS offer our community a unique opportunity to engage in conversation and propel the development of new plays, while playwrights gain a deeper understanding of their own work.

WILLIAM MISSOURI DOWNS is the author of THE EXIT INTERVIEW, which was produced here at the SLAC as part of a Rolling World Premiere from the National New Play Network in 2013. This spring SLAC will stage the world premiere of his new comedy MR. PERFECT. His other new comedy WOMEN PLAYING HAMLET is the winner of a second Rolling World Premiere and will be produced this spring by the Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, the New Theatre in Miami, and the Harrisburg Shakespeare Company in Pennsylvania. Bill has had over a hundred and fifty productions of his plays, won numerous playwriting awards, written four books on the art of theatre, playwriting and screenwriting and served as a freelance and staff writer on several NBC television shows.

TERESA SANDERSON has been seen most recently as Violet in AUGUST:OSAGE COUNTY for Silver Summit and Utah Repertory Theatre Companies, Martha in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF for Pinnacle Acting Company, and ERIC(A) for Plan B Theatre Company which won the award for " Best Drama" at the United Solo Festival in New York City. Favorite Directing credits include LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR A GRILL for Pygmalion Theatre Company, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST for Theatre Works West and Student SLAM for Plan B and the Theatre Arts Conservatory.

DANIEL BEECHER attended the actor training program at the U of U. He has most recently been seen locally in AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY with Utah Rep and Silver Summit, and at the Grand Theater in NOISES OFF, OUR TOWN, and DEATH OF A SALESMAN. Other local credits include COURSE 86 B IN THE CATALOGUE, THE CARETAKER, and AN EMPTY PLATE IN THE CAFE DU GRAND BOEUF at Salt Lake Acting Company, PETER PAN, MACBETH, KING LEAR, and ROSENCRANZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD at Pioneer Theatre Company, and many others.

TERENCE GOODMAN's New York roles include the original production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, the first revival of DAMN YANKEES with Gwen Verdon and Ray Walston and as Captain Smith in TITANIC. Major regional favorites include Al Capone in ELIOT NESS IN CLEVELAND directed by Hal Prince/Nick Corley at The Denver Center, GREAT EXPECTATIONS for Goodspeed Musicals, OEDIPUS, PRIVATE EYE written by Chad Beguelin and Matthew Sklar (ELF ) at The American Stage Company and KELLY at The York Theatre, Musicals in Mufti. Film starring roles include Ode to Billy Joe, Final Rinse, and 95ers: Time Runner. Over 30 guest-star television roles and was a series regular on Days of Our Lives. Local favorites include THE EXIT INTERVIEW and (A MAN ENTERS) for SLAC and Billy Flynn in CHICAGO, 12 ANGRY MEN, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK and Antonio in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING for Pioneer Theatre Company. Terence now lives in Park City where he is raising his son Jack.

JESSE PEERY is so pleased to be working with this great company again! His last role with Salt Lake Acting Company was as Raymond in MANNING UP and, before that, Milo in the world premiere of (A MAN ENTERS). Other regional credits include Sam Byck in ASSASSINS and the M.C. in CHICAGO for Dark Horse Company Theatre, Antoine in A NIGHT WITH THE FAMILY and also as the role of himself in WELL for Pygmalion Theatre Company, Court in The New Works Theatre Machine's world premiere of RIDE ME: A PLAY WITH CRUEL INTENTIONS, Austin in TRUE WEST and Rick in SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION for Wasatch Theatre Company, Danny in DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA for the Egyptian Studio Theatre in Park City, and Pale in the Utah Theatre Artists Company production of BURN THIS. He was privileged to be part of the cast for the celebrity reading of SOME MEN on the Jeanne Wagner stage with special guest Terrence McNally. While a repertory artist for the Juilliard Conservatory in Chautauqua, New York, credits included Michael in A.R. Gurney's THE DINING ROOM, and Malvolio in TWELFTH NIGHT.

SUSAN DOLAN STEVENS appeared in SLAC's SIX YEARS, MAN FROM NEBRASKA, THREE DAYS OF RAIN and FF:THE BRONTES, numerous NPSS readings and has been a member of SLAC's playwright's group under Julie Jensen and Mike Dorrell. Pioneer Theatre Company credits include DRACULA, LETTICE AND LOVAGE, ROMEO AND JULIET, ARCADIA. She's also performed with the Old Lyric Repertory Company, Utah Contemporary Theatre, Plan-B Theatre Company, Babcock Theatre, Egyptian Theatre Company, Sundance Theatre, Broadway Stage, and the Rose Wagner. Some of her Film and Television credits include: Everwood, Touched By An Angel, Promised Land, Cover Me, Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, several Movies of the Week, How I Saved The President, Blind Dating, Shooting Star, The Redemption of Sarah Cain, Invasion of Privacy, Dream Machine. Susan holds a B.A. in acting from Albion College, MI and had the privilege of working at THE ACTORS STUDIO and THE STRASBERG INSTITUTE, New York. Susan's M.F.A. in Directing is from the University of Utah.

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