Staged Reading of Michael Leeds' MIRA Set for Lynn University, 4/20

"We haven't seen the finished script yet,' says Jan McArt, Florida's First Lady of Theater, who heads theater development at Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL. "We won't see it till the first day of rehearsals, when our playwright turns it in."

One week later 'MIRA,' a new play by Michael Leeds, will then be presented as a fully Staged Reading for one night only, at 7:30 PM on Monday, April 20th, 2015, in Lynn University's Wold Performing Arts Center, as part of Jan McArt's New Play Reading Series.

McArt runs this award-winning play reading series at Lynn, where playwrights get the chance to bring a new play to life, working with a cast and a director for six days - rehearsing, re-writing, rehearsing, rewriting. Then, at the end of the six days, their new, polished, reworked play is presented to the public in performance, fully staged, with actors up on their feet, scripts in hand, employing minimal costumes, sets, lighting, etc., to aid them in the presentation of the new work.

"Michael Leeds has been working on 'MIRA,' for the past year," says Tony Finstrom, associate producer of the series. "He sees it as possibly the book for a new musical, though no songs have been written yet. So what we'll be presenting is simply the play that might one day become a musical.

'MIRA' takes place in the Hollywood of 1928, just before the advent of "Talkies." Inside Prestige Studios, in the Ladie's Wardrobe Department, a mirror yearns to not just be looked at, but to actually be seen. And so, to find out what lies beyond the dressing room door, the mirror bursts to life and ventures into the whirlwind world of a busy Hollywood film studio.

"It's a comedy," says playwright Leeds. "But the story of a mirror coming to life because she wants to be seen touches on deeper issues: the need for outside validation, and the cost of sacrificing who you are for who you think others want you to be."

Leeds is the Tony Award nominated writer/director of Broadway's 'SWINGING ON A STAR' who, regionally, is the Associate Artistic Director of Fort Lauderdale's Island City Stage, where he won a Carbonell Award last year as Best Director of a Play for 'THE TIMEKEEPERS.'

'MIRA' will be directed at Lynn University by Island City Stage's Artistic Director, Andy Rogow.

"Andy and I have a great working relationship in our roles as Artistic Director and Associate Artistic Director of Island City Stage," Leeds says. "I'm excited we'll be working together as director and writer. I can't think of a better collaborator to have, to help start 'MIRA' on her journey."

Rogow says "When Michael described the play to me for the first time, I was excited and really intrigued. I loved that it was an adult fairy tale about mirrors coming to life, and how characters would react to their reflections. It's challenging material and I can't wait to workshop it with the terrific cast that's been assembled."

The 'MIRA' cast includes Todd Bruno, Clay Cartland, Ken Clement, Lindsey Corey, Elizabeth Dimon, Laura Hodos, Ann Marie Olson and Stephanie White.

Cartland and Olson just won 2014 Carbonell Awards last month as Best Actor and Actress in a Musical for their work in 'THE TROUBLE WITH DOUG' (Theatre at Arts Garage) and 'PARADE' (Slow Burn Theatre Company), respectively.

"Andy has quite a challenge, staging a reading using a cast of eight to play twice that number of characters," says Leeds. "And it will be fun to watch these talented, versatile actors change characters, sometimes in one scene!"

This is the final presentation of the 2014-2015 season for this play reading series..

Season tickets are now available for next season's 2015-2016 lineup, which will include: 'THE VIVIAN VANCE STORY,'a new play by Eric H. Weinberger, directed by John Tolly, November 2nd, 2015; 'THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS,' a new comedy by Stuart Meltzer, directed by Margaret M. Ledford, January 11th, 2016; 'LET IT LIE,' a new drama by Dan Clancy, directed by Peter Pileski, March 7th, 2016; 'WAVE YOUR FLAG!,' a new comedy with music by Tony Finstrom, starring Jan McArt, directed by Wayne Rudisill, April 4th, 2016.

Tickets are $10 each for 'MIRA.' Call 561-237-9000 or go to www.lynn.edu/tickets for more information.

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