Geva's Festival of New Theatre 2014 Kicks Off 10/20

Geva Theatre Center unveils its line-up for the Festival of New Theatre 2014 to be held in the Fielding Nextstage from October 20 - November 2. FONT 2014 is a vibrant and innovative mix of new works by some of the most exciting playwrights from across the country and around the corner and is part of Geva's ongoing commitment to developing and producing new work for the American theatre.

FONT 2014 is a celebration of the theatrical imagination, an exciting glimpse into the creative process, and YOUR opportunity to contribute to the future of theatre in Rochester and around the world. During the Festival, you're invited to take a glimpse into the writers' studios as they work on new ideas, tell new stories and explore new forms. Your part in it all is crucial - writers need to hear an audience's response in order to fully understand the impact of their work. And because the readings of new plays are presented concert-style - with actors at music stands, facing the audience - the budget for the set, costumes and other effects is limited only by your imagination! Audiences will also have the unique opportunity for a post-reading discussion with the playwright.

Geva's Literary Director/Resident Dramaturg Jenni Werner commented, "Normally when audiences come to Geva, they see a fully-produced play, complete with sets, costumes and lighting. But that's not the first step? The stories you see onstage come from the inspiration of playwrights - but they don't start out ready for audiences. The stories need to be developed, heard by people who want to participate in the shaping of these stories. That's where Rochester comes in."

Admission to the Festival of New Theatre 2013 readings is free, but reservations are required. Call the Geva Theatre Center Box Office at (585) 232- 4382 or visit www.gevatheatre.org for tickets. Play readings sell out quickly, but tickets often become available the night of the performance.

Here is the line-up for the 2014 Festival of New Theatre:

Katherine's Colored Lieutenant by Nora Cole
Directed by David Schweizer
Monday, October 20 @ 7pm

Nora Cole (Fences, Voices of the Spirits in My Soul) digs deep into her family's history to tell the story of her uncle, a Tuskegee airman, and her aunt, a Louisville schoolteacher. A moving and captivating love story set amidst the racial divisions of the American South during and after WWII. This is a work-in-progress reading of the play which Geva will premiere in February 2015. The reading will be followed by a conversation with the playwright and a light reception. Nora Cole and Geva Theatre Center are participants in the Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowships, funded by the William & Eva Fox Foundation and administered by Theatre Communications Group.

The Author's Voice: Wendy McLeod
Friday, October 24 @ 7pm

Join playwright Wendy MacLeod (Women in Jeopardy!) in a conversation about her work. In conversation with Geva's Literary Director Jenni Werner, Wendy will share stories about her work and inspirations, as well as read excerpts from three of her plays, including a scene from the play which Geva will premiere in February 2015. Join us for an evening of art and laughter! The conversation will be followed by an informal reception.

Young Writers Showcase: New Plays in Performance
Saturday, October 25 @ 3pm
Sunday, October 26 @ 3pm

In the spring, Geva presented staged readings of several short plays written by Rochester area writers, ages 13-18. Those plays were then given to local theatre artists, who have rehearsed over the summer for presentation in the festival. The young writers who participate gain a greater understanding of the process of moving a play from page to stage in a collaborative process. Join us as we celebrate these young artists and see how their plays have changed since their first reading. The six plays which will be presented in this festival are: Omigawd, by Olivia Spenard; Dear Diary, by Betsy Hahm; Blue Skies, by Francesco Bruno; Just Like That, by Clara O'Connor; Sunny Side Up, by Austin Hammond; Origins and Stumbles, by Cameron Bennett.

Rochester "Bake-Off": New Play Excerpts
Sunday, October 26 @ 7pm

This is a creative experiment, the outcome of which cannot be predicted! Inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel, Geva will present a challenge to five writers: Wendy MacLeod (Women in Jeopardy!), Victor Lesniewski (Amid Purpleheart), Christina Gorman (Far From the Trees), David Henderson (Method Machine) and Maria Brandt (The Cell). When they arrive in Rochester on October 23, they'll be given three days to write something, anything, inspired by Rochester, and including three common elements (last year's requirements were flour or flowers, a reference to a song, and an invention). The pieces, which could be scenes, songs, monologues, etc., will be read after a light reception. Audience members may be asked to participate in scenes, or the writers may read the scenes themselves. Will it be exciting and entertaining to see what these writers cook up in just three days? All signs point to yes. Light Reception at 7pm, Reading begins at 7:30pm

Project ROC
Curated by Sean Daniels and Jenni Werner
Monday, October 27 @ 7pm

When was the last time you heard the phrase, "Not everything in life can be all about you..."? Well, this fall, Geva is creating a new kind of play - and it is, in fact, all about you! We're looking for your stories, your tales about Rochester, about what makes life here unique. Share your thoughts with us at http://www.gevatheatre.org/new-play-programs/#5, and Sean Daniels and Jenni Werner will curate the responses we receive into a new event we're calling Project ROC. If we use your stories, we'll invite you to a special event celebrating the project. All stories may be shared (in part or in whole) on our blog, at www.gevajournal.wordpress.com.

Amid Purpleheart by Victor Lesniewski
Directed by Sean Daniels
Tuesday, October 28 @ 7pm

Derrick reluctantly returns to his Minnesota hometown to check on his father, whose illustrious NFL career may have left him with progressive brain degeneration. But in order to evaluate his father's memory, Derrick has to confront the past he's been trying to forget. The reading will be followed by a conversation with the playwright and a light reception.

Far From the Trees by Christina Gorman
Directed by Shelley Butler @ 7pm

An Oregon widower spends his days unearthing the forest of petrified trees he's discovered on his land. When his nephew is expelled from graduate school for "academic sabotage," the university demands its scholarship money back, driving the family into a debt so deep they may never recover. But a botany student arrives with unimaginable news: the beloved trees are priceless. All the family has to do is sell. Why then can't they let go? The reading will be followed by a conversation with the playwright and a light reception.

Regional Writer: The Cell by Maria Brandt
Directed by Jean Gordon Ryon
Saturday, November 1 @ 7pm

Lisa and Harry launch an affair while following the trail of a twenty-year-old environmental crime. In the process, they both must decide whether or not it's possible to let go of the past and-even more important-to change the future. Part of Geva's Regional Writers' Showcase, this play was given a staged reading this past spring, and chosen for further development during the Festival. The reading will be followed by a conversation with the playwright and a light reception.

Son House Stories
Sunday, November 2 @ 7pm

Often referred to as the Father of the Delta Blues, Son House led a life that veered between his passion for preaching and his passion for the blues. After making a name for himself as a bluesman, House renounced music and moved to Rochester in the 1940s, where he lived in relative obscurity for nearly 25 years. In 1964, a trio of young musicians began scouring the country for him and other bluesmen, and eventually found House living in Corn Hill. With their encouragement, the 62-year-old man picked up the guitar again and re-launched his career as an internationally-recognized "folk blues" artist, performing around the world and recording several albums for Columbia Records before his death in Detroit in 1988.

Geva has commissioned playwright Keith Glover to write a play based on Son House's life, which will be read during a four-day celebration of House's music and impact, to be held at Geva in the summer of 2015. As part of the process of writing the play, Keith Glover, director Skip Greer and dramaturg Jenni Werner are looking for stories from people who knew the musician. At this event, the trio will share stories they've heard in Mississippi, New Orleans and Rochester, and invite the audience to share stories of their own. Join us as we launch this thrilling new project, and celebrate the life and impact of this tremendous musician. A light reception will begin at 7:00.The sharing of stories begins at 7:30.

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