UCSB Department of Theater/Dance's LAUNCH PAD Kicks Off 20th Year With STRANGE BIRDS

The UCSB Department of Theater/Dance's new-play development program, LAUNCH PAD, will present a preview production of a new play, Strange Birds, written by E. M. Lewis and directed by Artistic Director Risa Brainin.

Set in a remote cabin in the middle of a blizzard, five women reckon with dark forces in this fierce and funny feminist thriller. Preview performances run February 20 through March 1, 2025 in UCSB's Performing Arts Theater. 

Playwright E. M. Lewis joins us in residence from Portland, Oregon. An award-winning playwright, teacher, lyricist, and opera librettist, Lewis's work has been produced around the world. 

“I've loved every minute of working on Strange Birds with Risa and the UCSB students and the whole LAUNCH PAD team. New plays need this kind of dynamic process to grow into their full potential, and this play sure has grown! This play is really special to me. It centers on five strong, smart, resourceful women. It's set in my home state of Oregon, up in the rough, remote Wallowa Mountains!  And it deals with questions of ethics and morality, and personal and institutional responsibility that feel really important to talk about right now. I hope audiences will enjoy the ride!"

Celebrating two decades of nurturing new plays, LAUNCH PAD invites playwrights to work in residence with a team of professional designers, UCSB faculty, and student actors, to develop a fully staged preview production of their new work. Designers are working in real time as the playwright develops the play.

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