Free! Waterfront Playhouse Play Reading Series

Waterfront Playhouse Play-Reading Series

Theater audiences cast in major role in developing series scripts. 

Waterfront Playhouse is proud to present the works of four Monroe County writers during this season's New Plays in May reading series, scheduled to run at 8:30 p.m. on May 15, 22 and 29 at the Playhouse. Admission is free.

This is the second year the Playhouse has sponsored the series. Promoting local playwrights is part of The Key West Players' mission statement.

A five-person play-reading committee reviewed more than a dozen scripts before deciding on the final four, with story, characters, length, appropriateness for Waterfront audiences and other factors in mind.

Last year's series featured one play – "The Times" by Mark Watson – which went to full production at Waterfront this season.

Audience members are in for a unique treat Tuesday night (May 15) as Waterfront Playhouse proudly presents "Hurricane Season," an unfinished script selected to kick off this season's New Plays in May reading series.

The reading is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. at the Playhouse. Admission is free.

Chris Tittel, chair of the theater's play-reading committee and director of "Hurricane Season," said that he and other committee members are excited about the kind of audience buzz that showcasing a work in progress can bring.

"The fact that the story is still under construction gives audiences the golden opportunity to do more than just help the playwright fine-tune dialogue, characters or plot," Tittel said. "They'll actually be given the chance to influence the direction the whole story takes, whether it be a heavy drama or a light comedy. I hope we'll have some lively discussion during the talkback following the presentation."

The short play opens with James and Susan taking up residence in their new home in Hastings on the very same day that Angela is moving into the home next door. As the play progresses, the neighbors discover that they have more in common than just their new neighborhood and move-in date. James and Susan and Angela learn not only that they are all ex-Londoners, but also that they enjoy vacationing in the Greek islands.

Complete coincidence?

"That will be up to the audience to decide," Tittel said.

Claire Carroll, an accomplished actress with an extensive list of stage, television and screen credits who moved to Key West from London two years ago, wrote the play.

As this is Carroll's first attempt at writing for the stage, she has said that she's eager to hear what audiences have to say not only about what has already been written, but also about what the next plot twist might be.

The series will continue with readings of "Blue Horizon" by Lois Wolfe and "Other Minds" by Margot Lasher on May 22. "True North" by Chris Tittel will close the series on May 29.

For more information, call Waterfront Playhouse at (305) 294-5015.

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