Firehouse Theatre Project & SPARC Present FESTIVAL OF NEW AMERICAN PLAYS, 7/3-16

The Firehouse Theatre Project and the School for the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community are pleased to announce the fusion of Richmond's premier play festivals under one roof! Firehouse Theatre's 9th Annual Festival of New American Plays and SPARC's New Voices for the Theater, will present their respective events together, July 3-16, 2011 at the Firehouse Theatre! The events are open to the public.

SPARC's young playwrights will work with this year's New Voices Playwright-in-Residence, Barbara Lindsay, and other theater professionals and writers. During the residency program, students will participate in workshops, revise their winning scripts, and attend Firehouse Theatre's Festival of New American Plays on July 8- 11, 2011. The students' plays will be premiered as staged readings at the Festival of New Works, held July 15 & 16, 2011 at the Firehouse Theatre.

The partnering of these established events will strengthen the educational and entertainment value of both festivals and will highlight and celebrate the future stars of American playwriting. Both organizations are known for their quality productions and educational programs, and both are dedicated to the development and production of new theatre works. Thus, this event is an important and exciting new collaboration within Richmond's arts and cultural sphere, and for the community as a whole.

About the New Plays Festival and Playwriting Contest:
In keeping with the Firehouse Theatre's mission of promoting new work by American artists, the Festival of New American Plays began in 2002 as a way to encourage and incubate new plays by established and emerging playwrights in the USA. It has become a grass-roots event with substantial involvement from the community, as hundreds of scripts submitted from all over the country are read by volunteer readers from the Greater-Richmond area.

Each script is read twice (more if it needs a tiebreaker), and scripts with "two thumbs up" are passed on for further evaluation to an expert panel of judges, who then pick two finalists for a two-night Festival "showdown". Members of the festival audience who have seen staged readings of both finalists' works cast a vote for their favorite play, and the winner of the festival is chosen by the public. Festival winners receive cash prizes.

Kristen LePine and Chisa Hutchinson, are the finalists for the 9th Annual Festival of New American Plays! A staged reading of Foolish Fire by Kristen LePine will be presented at the Firehouse on July 8th & 10th at 7:30pm and Somebody's Daughter by Chisa Hutchinson will enjoy readings on July 9 & 11th!

About SPARC's New Voices for the Theater and Festival of New Works:
New Voices for the Theater celebrates and cultivates the talents of young high school playwrights from across Virginia. In this nationally acclaimed statewide high school playwriting program, now in its 22nd year.

The New Voices for the Theater playwriting competition provides an exciting opportunity for Virginia students to work closely with professional theater artists during a two-week residency. Students come to Richmond July 3 - July 17 and work to bring their original one-act plays to life on the stage. Over 100 plays from around the state were submitted this year and eight resident finalists were chosen:

Catherine Buscher: Last December, Landstown High School
Mary Davis: It Begins with a Princess, York County School of the Arts
Preston Duff: The Peasant, the King and the Quest, Martinsville High School
Mark Donehoo: Loops of Life, Loudoun County High School
Cali Jackson: How's Your Mother? Appomattox Regional Governor's School
Jillian O'Hare: Every Murder Deserves and Investigation, York County School of the Arts
Peyton Spivey: The Slow Dance Society, Collegiate School
Elise Watt: The Interview, York County School of the Arts

New Voices for the Theater has produced a writing alumni currently working nationally. Major supporters include the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, REB Foundation and Virginia Commission for the Arts, among other patrons. -The School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community (SPARC), is among the largest community-based performing arts training program in Virginia. SPARC is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year.

WHERE
Firehouse Theatre Project
1609 W. Broad Street
Richmond, Va. 23220
804-355-2001
www.firehousetheatre.org

 

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