Florida Studio Theatre Announces New Play Reading Series, Launching in May

By: Apr. 08, 2013
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Florida Studio Theatre announces its annuAl Richard and Betty Burdick New Play Reading Series, which will present three new plays by contemporary American Playwrights. The series will take place in the Keating Theatre on Monday, April 29 at 7:00pm, Monday, May 6 at 7:00pm, and Monday, May 13 at 7:00pm, and is part of FST's Sarasota Festival of New Plays. Tickets for the series are 3 plays for $25, or individual play readings for $10. Additionally, FRIENDS of FST can purchase a subscription for all 3 plays for $15. They may be purchased by calling the FST Box Office at (941) 366-9000 or by visiting www.floridastudiotheatre.org

The series begins on Monday, April 29 with Two Point Oh by Jeffrey Jackson. Two Point Oh is a thrilling play that questions the limits of technology and the reality of existence. Though Elliot leads the world in software development, he dwells far back in the ranks of husbands. But when he dies in a plane crash, a mysterious disk appears in his wife Melanie's pile of mail. When loaded into a computer, Elliot seemingly springs back to life in the virtual world, sustained by software he had written.

Gidion's Knot by Johnna Adams is the second play of the series, and it takes place on May 6. There are some things that just aren't expected after the death of a child. One of those is a parent-teacher conference. When Corryn shows up for her scheduled appointment, Heather uses every stalling technique in her teacher handbook until she finally reveals why Corryn's child was suspended the day before he killed himself. The play is a heartfelt exploration of loss and art.

In the final play of the series, Hell: Paradise Found by Seth Panitch, takes place on May 13. Recently deceased lawyer Simon Ackerman suddenly finds himself desperate to get into Hell, which, God forbid turns out to be the better place to both visit and spend Eternity. Struggling against the demons before him as well as the demons within, Simon encounters other proud and famous denizens of Hell. At the end of his journey, Simon finds himself face to face with the most timeless conundrum of all- what do you do when you are finally being held accountable for your actions on Earth, being held accountable to a completely different set of standards, and most importantly- where do you truly wish to end up when you leave it?

Each of these plays are in varying stages of their development, from draft to post-premiere edits, allowing the audience to participate in the further formation of these pieces. Each reading will be followed by a talkback with the playwright where audience members have the opportunity to provide feedback. Plays such as Black Pearl Sings! by Frank Higgins and Jericho By Jack Canforna went on to full productions at Florida Studio Theatre after appearing in a Richard and Betty Burdick New Play Reading Series. Many have also gone on to productions in New York and other regional theatres.



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