Comedian Janae Burris, NYC Actors Alex J. Gould And Cesar J. Rosado, Tiffany Villarin, And More Join The Acting Ensemble Of Local Lab

Local Theater Company will welcome three playwrights and an ensemble of 14 actors from across the country to Boulder for Local Lab 2018: New Play Festival. The 3-day festival of new plays and playwright panels will be held at Dairy Arts Center Friday-Sunday, April 20-22, 2018. Festival passes and show-only tickets are available online at www.localtheaterco.org/local-lab-2018.

Now in its seventh year, Local Lab festival-goers help playwrights shape their scripts. Following professionally-staged readings, attendees participate in discussions with the playwrights, offering important feedback as the writers move the scripts forward into full productions. Plays discovered and developed at Local Lab have gone on to critically-acclaimed productions Off-Broadway and at some of this country's most respected regional theaters, including Local Theater Company.

This year's plays include "Clockwork" by Emily Zemba, a comedy about a congresswoman up for re-election scrambling to fish her campaign out of the toilet; "Ladybits" by Rehana Lew Mirza, about an aspiring comedian who finds solace within a group of other female comedians feeling marginalized in an industry-and world-dominated by men; and "Paper Cut" by Andrew Rosendorf, a raw exploration of the physical and emotion of war on a soldier returning home as an amputee.

This year's acting ensemble includes Alex J. Gould ("BALLS" and "The Woodsman" Off-Broadway), Cesar J. Rosado (YES Broadway's Top 40 Under 40), and Tiffany Villarin (Actor's Theater of Louisville-Humana Festival), Denver-based comedian Janae Burris (Comedy Works "Best New Comic 2016"), as well as regional favorites and Local Associate Artists Jada Suzanne Dixon ("The Firestorm"), Meridith C. Grundei ("Faith") and Cajardo Lindsey ("The Rape of the Sabine Women, By Grace B. Matthias").

The full ensemble includes Janae Burris, Sommer Carbuccia, Jada Suzanne Dixon, Diana Dresser, Peyton Goossen, Alex J. Gould, Meridith C. Grundei, Curtiss Johns, Candace Joice, Cajardo Lindsey, Leslie O'Carroll, Cesar J. Rosado, Bernadette Sefic, and Tiffany Villarin.

"At Local Theater Company, we are committed to bringing stories to the stage that challenge the world we live in today. The weekend will be riveting-I can't think of a more exciting time to engage our community in some of our nation's most pressing issues through the lens of art," said Pesha Rudnick, artistic director. "We are proud to welcome this incredible acting ensemble to the team as we develop these three new plays."

Local Lab serves as the first step in Local's development pipeline, with the possibility of readings culminating in a full production, as was the case with this season's celebrated productions of "The Rape of the Sabine Women, By Grace B. Matthias" and "Wisdom From Everything."

Festival passes and show-only tickets are available now at www.localtheaterco.org or by calling the Dairy Arts Center at 303-444-7328. Festival Passes are $89 and include all readings, a panel conversation with the playwrights, and two parties. Show-only tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for patrons under the age of 30, and $5 for students.