The Davenport Developmental Reading Series Announces HEARTLAND 6/14

Broadway and Off-Broadway producer Ken Davenport (author of the popular blog, www.TheProducersPerspective.com) will present the second offering of THE DAVENPORT DEVELOPMENTAL READING SERIES, four readings of new works (plays and/or musicals), on Monday, June 14th at the Mint Theater (311 West 43rd Street/3rd floor): Steven Owad's Heartland, directed by Stafford Arima. Featured in the cast will be Greg Stone, Peter Lockyer, and Wes Seals. The reading will be followed by a talkback with the playwright.

To attend, email rsvp@davenporttheatrical.com

Heartland is a searing drama about three young men on the brink of self-destruction in Middle America. Loners in a small community, they form a deadly triangle tempered by violence, revenge and a ruthless alpha-male need for control. To save themselves, they will have to scrape together an inner strength that has eluded them all their lives.

Heartland is the second presentation in the Davenport Developmental Reading Series. The series takes place every three months and highlights new plays or musicals from exciting up-and-coming writers. Information regarding submissions for the remaining reading slots in the series can be found at www.DavenportTheatrical.com. The remaining readings will take place on Monday, September 13th and Monday, December 13th, 2010.

Steven Owad is a writer and editor living in Calgary, Alberta. His works include the novels Bodycheck and Brother's Keeper and short stories and poetry in U.S. and Canadian literary magazines. As a journalist, he has published news, business and feature stories as well as more than 300 film, book and theater reviews. Steven can be found on the Internet at www.stevenowad.com.

Stafford Arima (Director): Productions include Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (Stratford Shakespeare Festival); Altar Boyz (Off-Broadway - Outer Critics Circle Award, Best Off-Broadway Musical); Ragtime (West End - Olivier nomination, Best Director); The Tin Pan Alley Rag (Roundabout Theatre Company - Outer Critics Circle nomination, Best Off-Broadway Musical); Candide (San Francisco Symphony); Bowfire (North American tour); Ace (Old Globe); Guys and Dolls (Paper Mill Playhouse); Marry Me a Little (Cincinnati Playhouse); The Secret Garden (World AIDS Day concert); Bright Lights, Big City (Prince Music Theater); The Princess and the Black-Eyed Pea (San Diego Rep.); A Tribute to Sondheim (Boston Pops). In development: Carrie - The Musical (Lawrence D. Cohen, book; Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford, score), A Separate Peace (Warren Leight, book; Todd Almond, score), Somewhere in Time (Richard Matheson, book), and Bare (Jon Hartmere, Jr. and Damon Intrabartolo, book and lyrics; Intrabartolo, music). Arima was the associate director for the Broadway productions of A Class Act and Seussical. www.staffordarima.com.

Greg Stone (Phil): Broadway: The Pirate Queen, Urban Cowboy, Oklahoma! and Les Miserables. Other NY credits: Juno, Of Thee I Sing, Under The Bridge, Summer of 42. In 2009 Greg received a Helen Hayes nomination for Outstanding Lead Performer in the Signature Theatre's critically acclaimed reimagining of Les Miserables. Greg has toured extensively across North America as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, Chris in Miss Saigon and The Snake Preacher in Whistle Down The Wind. Favorite regional roles include Curly in Oklahoma!, Jerry in The Full Monty, Willie Conklin in Ragtime and Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. TV: "Guiding Light," "Baywatch Hawaii."

Wes Seals (Gary): is originally from Birmingham, Alabama. NY theatre credits include The Quest for Fame, ProAm; Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll (both with Second Stage Theatre), Dreamworld (reading), Lubrication Necessary (People's Improv Theatre) and The Macarthy Account (Windup Productions). 25th Anniversary National Tour of Cats. Regional theatre credits include Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Alpine Theatre Project) West Side Story (Arrow Rock Lyceum), Forever Plaid (Schoolhouse Theatre), and The Balcony (Sirote Theatre).

Peter Lockyer (Clint): Broadway: South Pacific; The Phantom of the Opera; Baz Luhrmann's La Boheme (Rodolfo); Les Miserables (Marius, 10th Anniversary Co.); Miss Saigon (Chris); Cyrano The Musical. Tours: Phantom; Miss Saigon (Chris, 1st National); Les Miserables (Marius, China Premiere); Special guest star for Barbra Streisand's 2007 European Concert Tour. Other theatre credits: The Glass Menagerie (Tom Wingfield, Ivoryton Playhouse, CT Critics Circle Award Nomination) TV: CBS telefilm Gypsy (Yonkers).

Ken Davenport's recent Broadway productions include Oleanna starring Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles, Speed-the-Plow starring Raul Esparza, Will Ferrell's You're Welcome America, Blithe Spirit starring Angela Lansbury, and 13. Ken is the only independent producer to have had three shows running simultaneously Off-Broadway - Altar Boyz, The Awesome 80s Prom and My First Time. Ken was featured on a national commercial for Apple's iPhone, named one of Crain's "Forty Under 40" in 2008, and dubbed the "P.T. Barnum of Off-Broadway" by the New York Times. He also recently accepted the 2010 Award of Distinction from the Musical Theatre Society. Current projects include Broadway revivals of Godspell and Aaron Sorkin's A Few Good Men, Ken's musical adaptation of Somewhere In Time, and a documentary on one of the top unsigned rock bands in the country - Red Wanting Blue. Ken also runs a number of theatrical websites including Broadway's #1 social networking site -. BroadwaySpace.com <http://www.BroadwaySpace.com> . His blog, TheProducersPerspective.com, has been featured in Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, The Gothamist and many others. He has written articles for Forbes, Mashable, Imedia and others. For more information, visit www.DavenportTheatrical.com.

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