Casting Announced For L.A. Writers' Workshop Festival

Center Theatre Group has announced casting for the inaugural L.A. Writers' Workshop Festival: New Plays Forged In L.A., a one day event at the Kirk Douglas Theatre celebrating some of the freshest and most exciting voices in Modern American Theatre. The festival will take place on June 23 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. with readings of three new plays by three L.A. Writers' Workshop participants from throughout the program's 13-year history. The readings include "A Kind of Weather" by Sylvan Oswald, "New Life" by Dan O'Brien and "How To Raise A Freeman" by Zakiyyah Alexander.

The cast for "A Kind of Weather" includes Sam Anderson, Jer Adrianne Lelliott, Sandra Tsing Loh, Jasika Nicole, Scott Turner Schofield and Rodney To. The creative team includes director Eric Hoff, music director James Lent and dramaturg Lydia Garcia. The stage manager is Alyssa Escalante.

The cast for "New Life" includes Cristina Frías, Tim Guinee and Brian Henderson. The creative team includes director Neel Keller and dramaturg Joy Meads. The stage manager is Kirsten Parker.

The cast for "How To Raise A Freeman" includes Malcolm Barrett, Jon Chaffin, Jason Dirden, Aric Generette Floyd, Ben Horwitz, Elyse Mirto and Tamberla Perry. The creative team includes director Monty Cole and dramaturg Joy Meads. The stage manager is Lia Metz.

The festival begins at 11 a.m. with a breakfast reception and there will be a closing reception at 7:30 p.m.

Photo: Playwrights Zakiyyah Alexander, Dan O'Brien and Sylvan Oswald, whose work will be presented as part of Center Theatre Group's inaugural L.A. Writers' Workshop Festival on June 23 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Photo by Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging.