Florida Rep's New Play Festival to Feature New Play Readings, World Premieres

Florida Repertory Theatre is pleased to announce that tickets are now on sale for its 2nd Annual PlayLab Festival, an intensive weekend of readings that showcases new voices in American Theatre, and allows playwrights to develop work in a safe, creative environment.

Running Apr 30-May 3 in the Historic Arcade and ArtStage Studio Theatre, tickets are $10 per reading or $35 for an All-Access Pass.

Florida Rep is proud to be an Associate Member of the National New Play Network in Washington, DC, the country's alliance of nonprofit theaters that champion the development, production, and continued life of new plays.

As part of its initiative to develop new plays and nurture playwrights in its ensemble of theatre artists, Florida Rep's 2nd Annual PlayLab features a wide variety of work from five emerging and established writers: Cynthia Babak, Meridith Friedman, Mark Shanahan, Lojo Simon, and Anita Yellin Simons. Audiences will see an epic family drama about loving fiercely, a comedy about two grandmothers vying for the title of Best Granny, a heated drama about race in politics, and a delightfully naughty adaptation of a French sex comedy.

Also as part of the 2015 festival, audiences will have the unique opportunity to see two fully realized World Premiere productions-both are plays that were read as part of the inaugural festival last May.

Playing in the Historic Arcade Theatre Apr. 24 to May 10, Split in Three by Daryl Lisa Fazio is an electrifying, powerful, crisply-written drama that is full of heart, hope and humor. The production is the centerpiece of the 2015 PlayLab, and as such, a talk-back and a reception will follow the 8pm performance on Saturday, May 2.

Also featured in last season's reading festival was Journey to Oz by Christopher T. Parks, an experiential play that Florida Rep commissioned for its Children's Theatre Series. The innovative adaptation of L. Frank Baum's work has been on tour to schools throughout Southwest Florida since the fall, and will have a showcase performance for families on May 2 at 10:30am.

Each reading and performance will feature a talk-back and a discussion with the playwrights, directors, and actors, and the audience feedback will help to guide Florida Rep as it decides which of the four plays it will produce in its 15-16 season.

The festival will feature work from many of Florida Rep's ensemble artists, professionals from across the state of Florida, and a number of local actors familiar to Southwest Florida audiences.

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