Pasadena's Free Reading Festival Returns July 26-28!

A Noise Within (ANW) is proud to announce the return of its Words Within Resident Artist Reading Festival from July 26 through July 28, 2019. ANW will partner with three Los Angeles-based theatre companies, Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble, East West Players, and Latino Theater Company, for the free reading festival, titled inVision. A Noise Within and its festival partners will produce eight staged readings over the course of three days at ANW's East Pasadena campus. This is the second reading festival ANW has produced. ANW's first reading festival, The American Dream, launched the classic repertory theatre company's 25th anniversary season when it premiered in summer 2016. The festival is an extension of ANW's popular Words Within reading series, which began over 10 years ago and to date has produced 46 staged reading performances by the company's resident artists.

"We are excited to partner with three amazing Los Angeles theatre companies for the return of our reading festival this summer," said festival co-organizer and ANW resident artist Deborah Strang. "Building community and expanding our artistic family has always been at the core of ANW's DNA. Through our collaboration with other leading theatres in LA, we're able to ensure that inVision includes all voices, and continues our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Best of all, by bringing the four companies under one roof, we're able to engage in rich conversations about stories that may be familiar to some, and new to others."

The festival will kick off on Friday, July 26 with a happy hour event in ANW's lobby beginning at 6:30 p.m., followed by two staged readings at 8 p.m., Appropriate (Branden Jacobs-Jenkins) and The Sinner from Toledo (Oliver Mayer; adapted from the short story by Anton Chekhov), performed by A Noise Within and Latino Theater Company respectively.

On Saturday, July 27, A Noise Within will begin day two of the festival with a staged reading performance of Broken Eggs (Eduardo Machado) at 2 p.m., and a second reading of Appropriate (Branden Jacobs-Jenkins) at 5 p.m., followed by a special dinner under the front lawn tent from 6 to 8 p.m. The evening will end with the first readings of Dutchman (Amiri Baraka) and Day of Absence (Douglas Turner Ward) performed by Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble, and Le Switch (Phillip Dawkins) performed by A Noise Within at 8 p.m.

On the last day of the festival, Sunday, July 28, A Noise Within will produce a staged reading of The Book of Will (Lauren Gunderson) at 2 p.m., while Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble will perform second readings of Dutchman (Amiri Baraka) and Day of Absence (Douglas Turner Ward) at 5 p.m. There will be a final dinner under the front lawn tent from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. East West Players will close out the festival with its staged reading of Snow in Midsummer (Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig; based on the classic Chinese drama by Guan Hanqing) at 7:30 p.m.

Co-festival organizer and new ANW resident artist Samantha Sintef concluded, "inVision seeks to speak to the unspoken, explore untold stories, and listen to voices that can otherwise get lost in the noise. Our resident artists and partner organizations have chosen works by playwrights who explore the power of storytelling and challenge the victors who have written history thus far."

While it is free to attend the reading festival, reservations are required. Festival attendees who make a gift of $150 will receive a VisionPass that gives them VIP access for the weekend, including access to priority seating, admission to the festival kick-off happy hour and dinners, and exclusive opportunities to mingle with ANW artistic staff and resident artists. Of the $150 gift, $100 is tax-deductible.

To make a free reservation for the inVision Reading Festival or to receive a VisionPass with your $150 gift, visit http://anoisewithin.org or call the Box Office at 626-356-3121. A Noise Within's Box Office is located at 3352 East Foothill Blvd., just north of the Madre Street exit off Interstate 210, in Pasadena, Calif.

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