Boston Court Pasadena Announces A Year Of 'Making Scripts Happen'

Boston Court Pasadena is embarking on a year of significant new play development in 2021. The year will feature presentations of theatrical projects at various stages. Some scripts have had previous workshops, while others are beginning as first drafts. This work will provide the audience with an exciting sneak-peak of works in progress, a better understanding of the artistic process, and will lay the foundation for extraordinary future productions.

Anchoring this initiative is a new Playwrights' Group featuring five talented writers. Emilie Pascale Beck, Boston Court's Literary Manager and Director of New Play Development, will facilitate the group in monthly meetings throughout the year. Ms. Beck explains:

"Boston Court will offer the playwrights' cohort in-depth dramaturgy as well as the ability to hear their work in the mouths of actors. We will workshop the scripts in-house during the first half of the year. Starting in July, the monthly readings will be open to our audience as public events."

Ms. Beck describes how the playwrights and their scripts were chosen.

"The five playwrights are: Rosie Narasaki (Unrivaled), Jihan Crowther (Lions), Somebody Jones (Too Grey Too Loud), Paula Cizmar (Strawberry), and Ryan Stevens (The Resurrectionist). We were drawn to the artists in different ways. Some of the playwrights are completely new to us; others we've been aware of and interested in for years. Each play was stylistically appropriate to Boston Court, and written with an exceptional level of craft. This was an opportunity to pull together writers at various stages of their careers, and within these particular scripts, to form a dynamic conversation."

Other Making Scripts Happen projects include:

• A tale of overreaching government handing out capital punishment from a self-created moral high ground with a dash of sexual harassment. Sound familiar? It's no wonder Measure for Measure is still one of the most discussed of Shakespeare's plays. In partnership with Play On Shakespeare, Boston Court is offering a virtual reading of Aditi Brennan Kapil's modern-verse translation of Measure for Measure on Saturday, February 27 at 4PM PT. A conversation with Aditi Brennan Kapil and dramaturg Amrita Ramanan will follow. More information and free reservations are available at http://bostoncourtpasadena.org/events/measure-reading/.

• Mariology, a free virtual presentation created and directed by Nancy Keystone in collaboration with Critical Mass Performance Group. This dynamic performance spectacle will explore the Virgin Mary as a beacon of faith, a source of comfort, and as a weapon for colonization. This is a one-time only event on Sunday, March 28 at 7PM PT. More information and free reservations are available at http://bostoncourtpasadena.org/events/mariology-workshop/.

• Both And...A Play About Laughing While Black is a brand new one-woman play by Carolyn Ratteray. The worlds of clowning, dreams, and loss collide in this show about the healing potential of laughter. Andi Chapman directs. This free virtual presentation is coming in May 2021.

• Letters from Home, a one-woman play by Kalean Ung, was created in collaboration with director Marina McClure and musician Chinary Ung. Kalean examines her own story as a bi-racial, first-generation American in light of new discoveries she makes about her family's Cambodian refugee stories, using the medium of her father's music as well as Shakespeare's iconic female characters. This free virtual presentation is coming in June 2021.

• B/C Playwrights' Group Public Readings will be presented as follows. Free reservations will be available closer to the events.

  • Unrivaled by Rosie Narasaki - July 17, 2021

  • Lions by Jihan Crowther - August 21, 2021

  • Too Grey Too Loud by Somebody Jones - September 18, 2021

  • Strawberry by Paula Cizmar - October 16, 2021

  • The Resurrectionist by Ryan Stevens - November 20, 2021

• The 17th Annual New Play Reading Festival will finish off the year in early December. Whether these readings will be virtual or in person is yet to be determined.