Cygnet Theatre Announces PLAYWRIGHTS IN PROCESS: NEW PLAY FESTIVAL Workshops

Cygnet Theatre, in collaboration with Playwrights Project, is proud to present the second annual Playwrights in Process: New Play Festival. Cygnet Theatre has long been committed to celebrating human stories through the medium of Live Theatre. In addition to presenting four readings of new plays, the three-day festival will include workshops for audiences, playwrights, and theatre artists.

The series of workshops is designed to introduce curious audiences to the art of new play development. An additional engaging feature for attendees will be facilitated talk-backs with each playwright following the readings.

Playwrights in Process 2013: Workshops Hosted by Derek Livingston, Production Program Manager, Playwrights Project

I liked it! Why? - Articulating Constructive Feedback
Saturday, November 2 at 6:30pm
Everyone's a critic! This interactive discussion will encourage and train audience members to look at the elements of a play with an eye for understanding how these attributes contributed to the audience's enjoyment of a play. Participants will fine-tune skills to help articulate why a play "worked" for them. They will also learn how to give helpful feedback using appropriate theatre terms (e.g. pacing, subtext, tone, etc.).

WORKSHOP PANELIST
Pat Launer, Theatre Critic
Many Voices: One New Play
Sunday, November 3 at 4:15pm

It really does take a village. In this workshop, a designer, an actor, a director, and a dramaturge will share their experiences and discuss their contribution to the production of new work. Each artist will provide personal insight into his or her role and approach to a new play. Each panelist will be encouraged to share a specific element provided by the playwright, and discuss how he or she realized it through his or her role as member of the creative team.

WORKSHOP PANELISTS
Monique Gaffney, Actor
D. Candis Paule, Director
Shirley Pierson, Designer

What Are They Looking For? - Theatre Leaders and the Hunt for New Plays
Sunday, November 3 at 6:00pm
Decision makers discuss what they look for when choosing a new play to produce or present. How do they consider the core audience while still surprising them? How do they know if it will sell? They will also discuss other information they consider helpful for playwrights to know.

WORKSHOP PANELISTS
Sean Murray, Artistic Director, Cygnet Theatre
RoBert May, New Play Program Director, Scripps Ranch Theatre
Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, Artistic Director, Moxie Theatre

Play Synopses

Sleeping Dogs, by Robert John Ford, directed by Derek Charles Livingston
Friday, November 1 at 8:00pm
Two mothers work to uncover the facts surrounding a car accident that has left one woman's son dead and the other woman's son comatose. Their investigation, which reveals disturbing circumstances surrounding the accident, ultimately forces the mothers to re-examine both their own identities and those of the sons they thought they knew so well.

Pleasure and Pain, by Ross Tedford Kendall, directed by D. Candis Paule & RoBert May
Saturday, November 2 at 8:00pm
While his wife is away on a trip, a meek hotel manager enlists the services of a young dominatrix to deliver the sexual satisfaction he's missing; when his wife unexpectedly returns early, a firestorm of expectations, beliefs, and desire erupts.

Off the Map, by Todd Goodlett, directed by Derek Charles Livingston
Sunday, November 3 at 2:00pm
Frightened by disasters and tragedies headlining the news, heavily-armed senior citizens, Eunice and Arlen, retreat to the desert with a stockpile of water, ammunition, and SPAM to prepare for the end of the world.

Death of a Late Summer Songbird, by Rachael VanWormer, directed by Francis Gercke
Sunday, November 3 at 7:30pm
Inspired by situations depicted in Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the play explores relationships in the rural south in an effort to answer why a young girl would send an innocent man to his death.

CALENDAR of EVENTS
Friday, November 1, 2013
7:00 pm: Kickoff Reception, Cygnet Theatre's Elaine Lipinsky Patio
8:00pm: Reading of Sleeping Dogs

Saturday, November 2, 2013
6:30 pm: Workshop - I liked it! Why? - Articulating Constructive Feedback
8:00pm: Reading of Pleasure and Pain

Sunday, November 3, 2013
2:00 pm: Reading of Off the Map
4:15 pm: Workshop - Many Voices: One New Play
6:00 pm: Workshop - What Are They Looking For? - Theatre Leaders & the Hunt for
New Plays
7:30 pm: Reading of Death of a Late Summer Songbird

TICKET INFORMATION / PRICES
Festival Pass: $30
Includes access to:
- All 4 Play Readings
- All of the Workshops
- Kickoff Reception on the Elaine Lipinsky Patio on Friday night

Ticket to One Reading: $10
Includes access to:
- 1 Play Reading
- All of the Workshops

Tickets can be purchased by phone at 619-337-1525, online at www.CygnetTheatre.com or by visiting the Box Office at 4040 Twiggs St.