The White Trash Grail Play Premieres in November Reading Series

First Draft at Charter Theater - a nonprofit organization devoted to developing theater audiences alongside new plays; supporting local artists; and partnering with theaters looking to produce new work - announced today that it will present two readings this month of the new comedy, "The White Trash Grail Play," by DC-based playwright Allyson Currin. The readings will be guest directed by Randy Baker, artistic director at Rorschach Theatre.

"The White Trash Grail Play" is a hilarious take on "quest" storytelling, that follows the adventures of the heroine, Diana, on her slightly deranged journey to self-discovery and the secret to happiness.

The November readings will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 8th at Theater on the Run in Arlington, VA; and 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 15th at the Arts Club of Washington. The popular First Draft series combines the reading of a play with a guided, post-show audience discussion.

Allyson Currin is an award-winning playwright, actor and artistic associate with First Draft at Charter Theater. Several of her plays that have premiered in the First Draft Reading Series have gone on to full productions - the most recent being "Benched" and "Caesar and Dada." Other recently produced works include: "The Dancing Princesses" (coauthored with composer/lyricist Chris Youstra) at Imagination Stage, "Unleashed! The Secret Lives of White House Pets" at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, "Treadwell: Bright and Dark" at American Century Theatre, and "Love and Whiskey" (an Actors Equity Members Code Workshop) at the National Conservatory of the Dramatic Arts.

The world premiere of Currin's new play, "Hercules in Russia" - directed by First Draft Artistic Associate Jessica Lefkow - will take place early next year at the Doorway Arts Ensemble in Maryland.

Currin has been nominated twice for the Helen Hayes Awards' Charles D. MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play. She is also an actor who has appeared on a variety of area stages, including Charter Theatre, Signature Theatre, Everyman, Rep Stage, Olney Theatre Center, Studio Theatre, Washington Shakespeare, Theatre J and Washington Stage Guild. She teaches in the department of Theatre and Dance at the George Washington University.

First Draft at Charter Theater is supported in part by Arlington County through the Cultural Affairs Division of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources and the Arlington Commission for the Arts. The First Draft Reading Series is also made possible in part by the warmth and generosity of the Drama Committee of the Arts Club of Washington, and The Share Fund of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region.

The organization's mission is to develop audiences alongside new plays, and support local artists and theaters looking to produce new work. For more information, visit First Draft online at www.firstdraft.org.

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