Theatre NOVA Presents The Play Of The Month Series

Theatre NOVA, Ann Arbor's professional theatre with an exclusive focus on new plays and playwrights, presents its new PLAY OF THE MONTH Zoom Play Series, featuring new plays written specifically for the Zoom format each month.

Due to the success of their Zoom Play Series Festival that ran in October, 2020, and in keeping with their mission to raise awareness of the value and excitement of new plays and playwrights, Theatre NOVA will present a new short play (20-40 minutes long) each month, January through April, 2021. The series will open with "Whatcha Doin?" by Jacquelyn Priskorn, performed live on Wednesday, January 27th at 8pm and available on video for the month of February.

In "Whatcha Doin?," a film student interviews a former child star turned voice over actor for a documentary project. Thrilled to witness Marnie's work-from-home recording studio in action, Raven is surprised to learn about the difficulties Marnie had while portraying the goofy, unattractive kid on a TV series, but even more so, Raven is curious about why Marnie is now unable to leave her home. "Whatcha Doin?" is directed by Theatre NOVA Producing Artistic Director, Diane Hill and features Kate Stark and Megan Wesner.

Tickets are $10 each month, or $30 for a Series Pass which admits ticket holders to a new play each month, January through April, 2021. Purchase tickets online at www.TheatreNova.org. For more information, please email a2theatrenova@gmail.com. All proceeds benefit Theatre NOVA's ongoing efforts to stay alive through the pandemic.

Jacquelyn Priskorn (Playwright) has been writing plays since she took her first class with playwright Kitty Dubin in 1997. She has had several plays and screenplays produced since that first class, including the award-winning short film, "The Guest Room" (shown at the Strasbourg Film Festival in France), as well as a screenplay, "Love & Plutonium," which is currently available on DVD. Her play "Love Shackles" was published in "Quick & Painless: Saturday Night Lites 2004-2005 Season" distributed by Original Works. "Glass Slipper, Size 8 ½," "The Rot," "The Reckless Romantic" and "Off Center" (Best Play at the Oakland University Actor Showcase) are currently available through Brooklyn Publishing. "Good Morning, Miriam" received the Jury's Choice Award at the Detroit Fringe Forward Festival, along with Best New Play from New Plays from the Heartland, and The Chameleon Theatre Circle's 17th annual one act play contest.

Diane Hill (Director) is a Producing Artistic Director at Theatre NOVA and was founder and Artistic/Executive Director of Two Muses Theatre, a nonprofit, professional theatre in West
Bloomfield. Diane was a professor at University of Detroit Mercy and Oakland Community College, where she originated and designed the Theatre degree program. She has a Ph.D. in Theatre from Wayne State University and a Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts in Theatre from the University of Michigan. At Theatre NOVA, she directed "Clutter," "Follies in Concert" and "Kill Move Paradise" (Council Cargle Award for Excellence in Diverse Storytelling)." Theatre NOVA audiences saw her play Olympe de Gouges in "The Revolutionists" (Wilde Award Best Production), Penelope Easter in "The Totalitarians," Zelda in "The How and the Why" (Wilde Award Best Actress), and Sherri in "Admissions."

Kate Stark (Marnie) is a dancer, actor, singer, choreographer, and voice over artist based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. She holds BAs in Biological Anthropology and Broadcast Journalism from Miami University and in a previous life was a TV news producer. Kate performs and teaches with companies like Cincinnati Ballet, Carnegie Center for the Performing Arts, Cincinnati Landmark Productions, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, The Know Theatre, Dancing with Parkinson's, InBocca Performance, and Pones Inc. Favorite roles: Judy Turner ("A Chorus Line"), Jean MacLaren ("Brigadoon"), Phyllis Dale ("42nd Street"), Nellie ("Nellie Bly: A Menace to Propriety"), and Texas ("Cabaret").

Megan Wesner (Raven) is excited to be working with Theatre NOVA for the first time. They have previously worked as an actor, director, scenic painter, and stagehand for various Michigan theaters including the Wharton Center, Wild Swan Theatre Company, All-of-Us Express, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, and Hope Summer Repertory Theatre. Megan graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Arts & Humanities and Theatre. They currently reside in Chelsea, Michigan.

The Play of the Month is supported in part by Michigan Council for the Arts and the NEA.