Southern Rep Presents PINTS & PLAYS, 4/22

Southern Rep continues its "New Plays New Orleans" mission with PINTS & PLAYS, a reading series presented monthly at the Rusty Nail that features selected works read by local actors. This month's reading is Permanent Collection by Tom Gibbons. PINTS & PLAYS takes place this month on April 22nd, at 7:30pm. Our partner on this new project is The Rusty Nail, 1100 Constance Street, New Orleans, LA. Tucked away on the edge of The Warehouse District, The Rusty Nail can be a bit hard to find.

Permanent Collection by Tom Gibbons.
Soon after African-American businessman Sterling North becomes the new director of the Morris Foundation, he discovers that this world-famous art collection includes several significant African sculptures tucked away in storage. His proposal to add them to the public galleries is opposed by the foundation's long-time education director, who is loyal to the idiosyncratic wishes of the late Dr. Morris. Spurred on by a zealous local journalist, this clash quickly escalates to public accusations of racism and a bitter struggle for control of the collection. Permanent Collection is a searing examination of racial politics that ultimately asks how much space -- literally and figuratively -- the white world gives to African-Americans. What is the cost of failing to view the world through another's eyes?

Thomas Gibbons is playwright-in-residence at InterAct Theatre in Philadelphia, which has produced seven of his plays: PRETENDING TO AMERICA, 6221, AXIS SALLY, BLACK RUSSIAN, BEE-LUTHER-HATCHEE, Permanent Collection, and A HOUSE WITH NO WALLS. His plays have been seen at the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, off-off-Broadway at Blue Heron Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Actors Express, Florida Stage, Unicorn Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Arizona Theatre Company, Center Stage, New Repertory Theatre, Aurora Theatre, and many others. He is the recipient of seven playwriting fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a Roger L. Stevens Award from the Fund for New American Plays, a Barrie and Bernice Stavis Playwriting Award, two Barrymore Awards for outstanding new play, and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts.