Dreamcatcher to Host Annual 'Meet the Artist' Reading Series, 5/20 & 27

Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, professional Theatre in Residence at the Oakes Center in Summit, will present its annual Meet the Artist free new play reading series on Wednesday May 20 and Wednesday May 27 at 7 pm at the Oakes Center.

The new play reading series is a chance for the audience to participate in the development of new works, both to hear the play read by professional actors and also to discuss the project with the playwright, director and actors afterward. Feedback from these evenings helps the playwrights to further refine their scripts and also gives them a first-hand experience of how the audience will respond to the finished work. These evenings provide a fun and lively way to interact with the creative process, and to receive a preview of plays that may be performed on Dreamcatcher's mainstage in the future.

The first reading, Lights Up On the Fadeout by Padraic Lillis, will take place on Wednesday, May 20 at 7 pm. In this play, aspiring filmmaker Stephen is struggling to reunite with an old love when his ailing father is deposited on his doorstep by his brother, James. Lillis is a director and playwright who is a member of the faculty of the NYU Department of Dramatic Writing. The reading will be directed by Laura Ekstrand, Dreamcatcher's Artistic Director, and will feature John Little, David Miceli, Kevin Sebastian, and Heather Wahl.

What Stays by Laura Ekstrand and Jason Szamreta will be read on Wednesday, May 27 at 7 pm. This play tells the story of a mother and her adult children as they pack up their family home and grapple with their changing relationships. Ekstrand and Szamreta are Dreamcatcher company members who created this play for the acting ensemble. The reading will be directed by Clark Carmichael and will feature Nicole Callender, Harry Patrick Christian, Noreen Farley, Michael Livingston, Scott McGowan, Jessica O'Hara-Baker, Beth Painter and Harriett Trangucci.

The readings are at the Oakes Center, located at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit. Admission is free and no reservations are necessary. The parking lot is accessible from Ashwood Avenue, behind the theatre. For information on any of Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre's programs, please contact Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre at the Oakes Center, 120 Morris Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901, 908-514-9654, www.DreamcatcherRep.org.