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Ensemble Studio Theatre and The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation have announced details for the 2021 First Light Festival, part of the EST/Sloan Project to develop plays exploring science and technology.
The 2021 First Light Festival will be held virtually from FEBRUARY 25 to MARCH 29, 2021. All presentations are free to attend, but reservations are required and can be made at estnyc.org/firstlight.
Since 1998, the EST/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Project has developed hundreds of new plays that question and broaden the view of science in the popular imagination. Each play's life onstage begins with the First Light Festival, an annual presentation of new readings, workshops and productions.
The 2021 First Light Festival includes public presentations of the following works-in-progress:
Circumstances Affecting the Heat of the Sun's Rays
By Amanda Quaid
Thursday FEBRUARY 25 at 4pm ET
A story about amateur scientist Eunice Foote, one big discovery, scientific legacy, and the ever-rising levels of carbon dioxide.
Henry Makes a Bible
By AJ Clauss
Monday MARCH 1 at 3pm ET
The creation story of the world's most famous medical textbook created by two college students in 1850, Henry and Henry. Henry Makes a Bible is a story of gentle eyes and cold bones.
Smart
By Mary Elizabeth Hamilton
Thursday MARCH 4 at 3pm ET
When called to fix a virtual home assistant, a tech support worker becomes infatuated with her client. Smart examines the real-life implications of our virtual interactions.
Lemuria
By Bonnie Antosh
Wednesday MARCH 10 at 3pm ET
In the animal kingdom and in our own, how does a queen pass the crown to another queen? Lemuria is a queer King Lear set in a North Carolina lemur lab.
The Reservoir
By Jake Brasch
Monday MARCH 22 at 4pm ET
A lost, queer, neurotic mess of a twenty-something moves home to get sober. Struggling with memory loss, he finds unlikely allies in his four unpredictable grandparents.
Good Hair
By Phaedra Michelle Scott
Monday MARCH 29 at 3pm ET
Told through three timelines, Good Hair tangles together the lives of women and the central question: Does the pursuit of acceptance outweigh its cost?
The 2021 First Light Festival also includes invitation-only presentations of the following works-in-progress:
Pō e Ao [darkness & light]
By Susan Soon He Stanton
Dramatizing the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope, Pō e Ao explores the intersections of the sacred, science, capitalism, and tradition in modern Hawai'i.
Beyond Words
By Laura Maria Censabella
Beyond Words dramatizes the mysterious relationship between human beings and birds through a 30-year groundbreaking experiment that captures our longing to communicate with animals.
Las Borinqueñas
By Nelson Diaz-Marcano
Las Borinqueñas is the story of the first birth control pill mass trial and the Puerto Rican women who risked their own health for the breakthrough to occur.
Throughout the First Light Festival, EST is encouraging patrons to donate to the non-profit organization Black Girls Do STEM. Black Girls Do STEM is a diversifying innovation, empowering Black girls to achieve equitable STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) representation. By creating a culturally unique learning space, we give room for cognitive and mental resilience. This lends to development of a STEM mindset and belief in their STEM capability, while placing positive role models who look like them right in their path. Through our core values of scholarship, training, empowerment (equity), and mentorship, we trigger curiosity in the minds of Black girls building confidence, skills, and the future STEM workforce. Visit bgdstem.com to learn more and support them today.
News About The 2021 First Light Festival at Ensemble Studio Theatre
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July 21, 2023oin Atlantic Theater Company's The Judith Champion MixFest as they showcase the best of traditional diaspora music. Immerse yourself in a vibrant celebration of cultural heritage and experience a melodic journey through the rich traditions of the diaspora. Don't miss this unifying event that brings together diverse musical talents on one stage.
Ensemble Studio Theatre Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
Ensemble Studio Theatre is at 3269 Casitas Ave. , Los Angeles, CA.
The Ensemble Studio Theatre was founded by Curt Dempster in 1968 with a group of 20 theatre artists. It has since grown into a company of over 600 actors, directors, playwrights and designers. The Ensemble Studio Theatre develops and produces original, provocative and authentic new plays. We engage and challenge our audiences in New York City and across the country. EST is a dynamic community committed to a collaborative process and dedicated to inclusion across all aspects of identity and perspective, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexuality, physical or mental ability, physical or mental health, and recovery. We acknowledge and work to end systemic marginalization and oppression at all levels of our organization. EST discovers and nurtures new voices and supports artists throughout their creative lives. We believe that this extraordinary support and our commitment to inclusivity are essential to yield extraordinary work.
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