Two Readings Of New Works Scheduled For ArtWeek

As part of ArtWeek, a statewide celebration of the arts, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater presents readings of new work by two Cape playwrights: The House of Nunzio by Patrick Riviere at 2 p.m. on April 28, and Meridian Summer by Candace Perry at 3 p.m. on May 5. Both staged readings are free and open to the public. Experience the process of taking a new work off the page with a staged reading of new works in development. Following the reading, the playwrights will share the history of the plays and their evolutions. Audience members will have an opportunity to offer their feedback to the playwrights, actors and directors.

Both plays harness the power of storytelling-opening and expanding our perceptions through the window of another's experience.

In Patrick Riviere's humor-laced drama The House of Nunzio, an Italian-American family struggles with secrets, sexuality, aging and prejudice. "I grew up in an extended Italian family," Riviere says. "All references I saw portrayed in theatre and on TV as a young man were of the Mafia and a stereotypical accent of some Brooklyn gangster. That was not my experience. I was also a confused gay man and, at first, saw no references to gay men. And then when I did, they were all partying on Fire Island or dying of AIDS. I wanted to write a play about my experience."

Candace Perry's Meridian Summer has its roots in her childhood. Perry says, "Every summer, we visited my mother's family in Meridian, Mississippi. It wasn't until I was an adult that I learned that James Chaney was a native of Meridian. Growing up, I had heard from my white family that outside agitators were to be blamed for all the troubles. I wanted to write about the Movement from some very personal points of view, both inside it and outside it."

ArtWeek is an award-winning festival showcasing hundreds of unique and creative experiences and offering behind-the-scenes access to artists and the creative process. Launched in 2013 and produced by the Boch Center as part of a strategy to strengthen its role in both the community and the creative economy beyond just its downtown historic theaters, ArtWeek has grown to become a statewide event. Find more ArtWeek events at artweekma.org.

ArtWeek: Readings of New Work

The House of Nunzio by Patrick Riviere; Sunday, April 28 at 2:00 PM

Meridian Summer by Candace Perry; Sunday, May 5 at 3:00 PM

Admission: Free
Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater
2357 Route 6, Wellfleet
508-349-9428
www.what.org