New Village Arts and Playwrights Project's New Play Festival Kicks Off 1/13

New Village Arts and Playwrights Project are teaming up to produce new plays by emerging San Diego artists.  The process combines Playwrights Project's PLAY BY PLAY program and New Village Arts' NEW PLAY FESTIVAL. 

It's a three step process: a first read with actors, playwright and dramaturge; a staged reading in front of an audience; and a weekend-long workshop production of the show.  “We are looking forward to giving the playwright a chance to see their work go from a simple table read all the way to a staged production,” says NVA’s Executive Artistic Director Kristianne Kurner.  The two plays selected for the staged reading in December and the workshop productions in January are LOST APOLLONIA by Rob Novak and M by Karen Li. Both productions will be directed by Chelsea Whitmore.  The productions will be showing at New Village Arts Theatre (2787 State Street, Carlsbad Village), with LOST APOLLONIA playing January 13 & 14 at 8 PM and January 15 at 2 PM; and M playing January 20 & 21 at 8 PM and January 22 at 2 PM.  All tickets are only $15 for each production and can be purchased at www.NewVillageArts.org or by calling 760-433-3245. 

The New Play Festival features work in workshop form: minimal technical elements and rehearsal time, but the actors will be fully memorized and the production will be staged.

LOST APOLLONIA by Rob Novak is a fantastical trip between modern day LA and the end of the silent film era.  On a stormy night in Silverlake, Amelia (Amanda Morrow) finds a long-lost movie camera, Apollonia (Carly Dellinger) brews coffee and Rabbit makes things disappear.  LOST APOLLONIA is a romantic thriller that jumps in time and location and brings the silent film era in Hollywood to magical life.

M by Karen Li merges the worlds of art and academia, and finds a dancer (Dana Fares) attempting to help her fiancé solve the mysteries of string theory through the movement of the human body.  Aided by a mysterious team of scientists and artists (including actors Olivia Espinosa and Durwood Murray), M asks us to question how many realities we are aware of, and how our current actions can affect many more lives than we might know.

Directing both productions will be Chelsea Whitmore, the former Producer and Program Director at Playwrights Project. 

The cast of LOST APOLLONIA is lead by Ensemble Member Amanda Morrow (Waving Goodbye, Sailor’s Song) with Carly Dellinger (Into the Woods, u/s Of Mice and Men) and one other actor to be announced.  The cast of M is lead by dancer/actor Dana Fares with Olivia Espinosa and Durwood Murray (Of Mice and Men), with two additional roles to be announced.

Ticket prices are just $15 for each performance.  Showtimes for LOST APOLLONIA are Friday, January 13 at 8 PM, Saturday, January 14 at 8 PM and Sunday, January 15 at 2 PM.  Showtimes for M are Friday, January 20 at 8 PM, Saturday, January 21 at 8 PM and Sunday, January 22 at 2 PM.  The theatre is located in the heart of Carlsbad Village, at 2787 State Street.  Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.NewVillageArts.org or calling 760-433-3245.