The Road Theatre Co. Kicks Off Fourth Annual Summer Playwrights Festival Today

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, remain committed to their meaningful mission to produce and develop New Work for the Stage. They are thrilled to announce in this, their 22nd season, the fourth annual SUMMER PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL.

This year's festival features all new works to Los Angeles and has attracted playwright from around the country including Dan O'Brien (Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama),Will Dunn, TJ Edwards, Vince Melocchi (Lions), Catherine Butterfield (Joined at the Head), Martyna Majork (Petty Harbour), Kevin Rice, Dan Clancy, Kevin Rice, Eva Anderson, Tom Dulack Stuart Flack, Tira Palmquist, Mel Green, Elizabeth Sampson (The Petoskey Stones), Brian Golden (Cooperstown) and others. Guest artists participating in this year's festival include Jennifer Tilly (Bullets Over Broadway), Nancy Travis (Becker, So I Married An Axe Murderer), Michael O'Neill (Rectify, Vegas, Grey's Anatomy) and others.

THE SUMMER PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL will open on Sunday, July 28 at 8pm and run through Sunday August 4 at the Historic Lankershim Arts Center, 5108 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, CA. Additional performances will be held Thursday August 1, Friday August 2 and Saturday August 3 at 8pm in the brand new first of its kind NoHo Senior Arts Colony. Located at 10747 Magnolia Blvd North Hollywood, the $32-million NoHo Senior Arts Colony is intended for residents age 62 and over with interests in such pursuits as singing, acting, photography and writing and features a 77 seat theater which is the new second home of The Road Theatre Company.

Road Company members are also highlighted with plays by: Elizabeth Sampson, Tim Venable, Meagan Daine and Kent Klineman. This year's festival features noted directors include, Joe Banno, Emily Chase, Andre Baron, Taylor Nichols (Barcelona), Scott Alan Smith, Sam Anderson (Lost), Elina de Santos, Stewart Zully, Bjorn Johnson, Jeff Seymour Ron West and many Road company members and members of the Los Angeles theater community. This year's featured young playwright is George Kovalenko who is a student at Pepperdine University his play Goodnight, Don't Be Afraid will be directed by fellow Pepperdine student Courtney Buchan with dramaturgical assistance from LA director Marya Mazor (Mad Forest). The renowned theater company Open Fist led by Martha Demson, will be our guest festival company and will be presentingSnowing at Delphi by Catherine Butterfield. Most of the playwrights whose work is featured will be attending and will participate in a post-show discussion with the audience and cast. Artistic Directors Taylor Gilbert and Sam Anderson on the importance of the festival to the theatre, "The Road's Summer Playwrights Festival offers a wonderfully compressed period of new works and voices from established and emerging playwrights brought to life by the Road ensemble and guest artists who interact in lively discussions with our audiences, different live bands each evening, great food and drink and a tremendous sense of community between artists and theatregoers. An unforgettable event."

One popular feature of the festival last summer was the live music that was featured during each reading reception in our gallery space. This year's festival will feature the bands and musicians Bianca Gisselle, Stage 11, Engine of Survival, End of Ever, Louahn Lowe, Reconciler and Irish band sensation Whiskey Sunday. The reception will be held in our backyard patio-Bettina's Cantina-and will feature wines from Paso Robles Wineries and home baked treats made by our company.

Located in the heart of the NoHo district (the fastest growing arts district in Los Angeles County) the company has called the Historic Lankershim Arts Center home for the past 17 seasons. Now on the verge of their 23rd season of bringing new works to Los Angeles, the company is coming off a very successful 22nt season featuring the hit play Cooperstown (directed by Darryl Johnson) and the enormous smash hit now in its 8th straight sold out month--Smoke and Mirrors starring Albie Selznick (which started in our festival in 2010)

Fiercely committed to that most dangerous of theater missions-the dedication to new works-the Road Theatre Company led by founding artistic director Taylor Gilbert and artistic director Sam Anderson, is a multi-award winning theater that has been named one of the top ten intimate theater companies in Los Angeles (LA Weekly). It is home to over 100 theater artists devoted to the creation of the highest level of work. This festival is our way of sharing the process of play development with our community and allows participants playwrights the chance to hear their plays in a professional setting of talent and artistry. The festival is also a fundraising event for the theater to help us launch our 23rd season (which begins with 2010 festival pick Lake Anne directed by multi Emmy award winner John Levey) and program our new 77 seat purpose built theatre space at the NoHo Senior Arts Colony. A suggested donation of $15 is requested of festival attendees and they are invited to give as little or as much as they want during each day's performance.

Performances are Monday-Friday at 8pm;Saturday at 2pm and 8pm; Sunday at 2pm and 8pm at the Road at Lankershim and Thursday-Saturday at 8pm at the Road at Magnolia theaters. Ticket prices are suggested donation of $15; For more details and to view complete schedule, play descriptions and cast lists visit roadtheatre.org