Laurie Metcalf and Stephen Tobolowsky Set for Road Theatre Company's Summer Playwrights Festival

The Road Theatre Company and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, remain committed to their meaningful mission to produce and develop New Work for the Stage. They are thrilled to announce in this, their upcoming 26th season, the seventh annual SUMMER PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL (SPF7).

This year's festival features all new works to Los Angeles and has attracted playwrights internationally including,Wendy MacLeod (The House of Yes, nominated for 6 LADCC for The Water Children, Juvenalia), Vince Melocchi (Ovation Award nominated Lions, LA Weekly Best Play nomination Julia), Sharr White (The Other Place Outer Critics Circle Award nominee for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play Annapurna Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award Finalist. Producer/writer TV: The Affair.) Lucille Lichtblau (The English Bride, winner the Susan Glaspell Prize and Israel Baran Award), Stephanie Walker (The Art of Disappearing- O'Neill Playwright's Conference semi-finalist, Princess Grace Award), Shem Bitterman(A Death in Colombia, 2011 Influence, 2010 (Best Play, Best Production, Best Ensemble Nominations, LA Weekly awards), Erik Gernand (The Beautiful Dark New Works Project Winner at T. Schreiber Studio in New York, Woodward/Newman Award Finalist), Michelle Kholos Brooks (Family Planning (2014 Riva Shiner Comedy Award Finalist), JAmes Brown (Emmy Award winner, six-time Writer's Guild of America nominee five-time Emmy nominee), Allison Gregory (Not Medea (2015 O'Neill Finalist, The Kilroy's "The List, 2014), Mary Sue Price (Two-time Emmy-winner WGA Award, Billy the Bomber 2014 semi-finalist for the O'Neill Theater Conference) and many more.

The festival will also feature performances from guest artists Laurie Metcalf (three-time Emmy winner, Roseanne, Desperate Housewives, The Big Bang Theory, Toy Story) and Stephen Tobolowsky (Glee, Californication, Deadwood, Groundhog Day).

THE SUMMER PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL (SPF7) will open on Sunday July 31 at 8pm and run through Sunday August 7 at the Historic Lankershim Arts Center, 5108 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, CA. Additional performances will be held Tuesday August 2, Wednesday August 3 and Thursday August 4 at The Road on Magnolia in the NoHo Senior Arts Colony located at 10747 Magnolia Blvd North Hollywood.

Road Company members are also highlighted with plays by: Deana Barone (Peabody Award winner). Bettina Zacar, Elizabeth Sampson (Aquarius), Susan Diol, Laurie Okin, Steve Apostolina . This year's festival features noted directors such as, Taylor Nichols (Barcelona, NAACP Award All My Sons, LA Drama Critics Circle Award), April Webster (Emmy Award Winner-3 nominations, 4 time CSA winner. 11 nominations ), and many Road company members and members of the Los Angeles theater community. Most of the playwrights whose work is featured will be attending and will participate in a post-show discussion with the audience and cast.

Artistic Directors Taylor Gilbert and Sam Anderson on the importance of the festival to the theatre, "The Road's Summer Playwrights Festival offers a wonderfully compressed period of new works and voices from established and emerging playwrights brought to life by the Road ensemble and guest artists who interact in lively discussions with our audiences, different live bands each evening, great food and drink and a tremendous sense of community between artists and theatregoers. An unforgettable event."

LIVE MUSIC! - One popular feature of the festival last summer was the live music that was featured during each reading reception in our gallery space. This year's festival will feature the bands and musicians Mleo, Stage 11, Theo's Dream, and Irish band sensation, Whiskey Sunday. The reception will be held in our backyard patio-Bettina's Cantina-and will feature wines from Paso Robles Wineries and delicious appetizers and desserts.

Located in the heart of the NoHo Arts district-the fastest growing arts district in Los Angeles County-the company has called the Historic Lankershim Arts Center home for the past 20 seasons. Now on the verge of their 26thseason of bringing new works to Los Angeles the company is coming off a very successful Silver Anniversary 25th season featuring the hit plays Broken Fences by Steven Simoncic (SPF4 Official Selection), Homefree by Lisa Loomer (SPF5 Official Selection), John is a Father and Birder by Julie Marie Myatt (SPF6 Official Selection) andThe Mongoose by Will Arbery (SPF6 Official Selection)

Fiercely committed to that most dangerous of theater missions-the dedication to new works-the Road Theatre Company led by founding artistic director Taylor Gilbert and artistic director Sam Anderson, is a multi-award winning theater that has been named one of the top ten intimate theater companies in Los Angeles (LA Weekly). It is home to over 100 theater artists devoted to the creation of the highest level of work. This festival is our way of sharing the process of play development with our community and allows participants playwrights the chance to hear their plays in a professional setting of talent and artistry. The festival is also a fundraising event for the theater to help us launch our 26th season, which begins with Edward Albee's The Play About the Baby. A suggested donation of $15 is requested of festival attendees and they are invited to give as little or as much as they want during each day's performance. A week long all play festival pass is available for $60. See as many plays as you want for $60.

Performances are Monday-Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 2pm and 8pm; Sunday at 11am (August 7) (July 31-8pm only) 2pm and 8pm at the Road on Lankershim and Tuesday-Thursday at 8pm at the Road on Magnolia. Ticket prices are suggested donation of $15; WEEK-LONG FESTIVAL PASS available for $60. Good for any reading any and all days. For more details and to view complete schedule, play descriptions and cast lists visit roadtheatre.org.