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Aspen's acclaimed Theater Masters will present its eighth annual "Take Ten," an exciting, fast-paced evening of eight 10-minute plays from award-winning MFA graduate playwriting students from across the country as part of its National MFA Playwrights Competition today, April 22nd - 26th at Off-Broadway's The American Theater of Actors (314 W. 54th Street).
Final casting was announced today by Theater Masters' Executive Director Julia Hansen. The company of actors for the eight plays will include: Dacyl Acevedo, Patrick Ball, Greg Carere, Beth Glover, Drew Lewis, Kathy McCafferty, Stephen McDougall Graham, Naomi McDougall Jones, David Meyers, Sarah Stockton, Rebecca White, and Sophie Wright.
Broadway actor and Artistic Director Robert Lupone will serve as guest judicator for the presentations. Award winning playwright Theresa Rebeck and Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director at Primary Stages, will serve as Artistic Advisors. Directed by Stephen Cedars, Daisy Walker, and Joseph Ward, the evening will feature 8 plays by MFA playwriting students at Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Northwestern, NYU, University of Iowa, University of Texas at Austin, and Yale.The 10-Minute Plays are:
Dar a Luz by Raquel Almazan (Columbia): The wall that is built to keep out immigrants comes crashing down when a border patrol officer's wife finds her past in the desert roadside.
The Logic by Will Arbery (Northwestern): Two young men reconnect online. One writes from a New York apartment, the other from a Texas jail.
Came Tumbling After by Nathan Cann (NYU): Jack and Jill struggle to confront the aftermath of a horrific attack. When Jill presents what she decides is the only way they can move on, their marriage and humanity are put to the test.
Celebration of Life by Julie Jigour (Carnegie Mellon): Hiding out in the bathroom after her boyfriend's funeral, Melanie attempts to answer questions about their relationship through an unwilling friend and an uninhibited stranger.
Clown Room by Brian Kettler (University of Texas, Austin): Jessie, a courageous young girl, battles her evil stepmother in the terrifying clown room.
Dogs in the Debris by Ryan Oliveira (University of Iowa): A mother and her estranged daughter struggle to reconcile after a tornado destroys the mother's home and takes away her only comfort - the family dog.
Nona Who Swallowed a Bird by Eva Suter (University of Texas, Austin): Nona's mother told her lots of things: Don't sleep with your mouth open, avoid men with axes, don't give your heart away like a song. Nona was never very good about listening to her mother.
The House That Blows Down by Emily Zemba (Yale): Three brothers struggle to leave home and start lives of their own, but ultimately realize they can never escape the oppressive convenience of a life in their mother's house.
Based in Aspen, Colorado, Theater Masters is dedicated to nurturing, developing, and producing or causing to be produced the work of the next generation of American playwrights. Since 2001, their goal is always to enhance audience understanding of, and support for, theater. Each year, Theater Masters hosts a national 10-minute playwriting competition among the MFA students at the top MFA playwriting programs in the country.
All performances of "Take 10," at The American Theater of Actors (314 W. 54th Street) Tuesday, April 22nd - Saturday, April 26th are at 7:30PM. General Admission is $18. There will be benefit dinners following the performances on Wednesday, April 23rd and Thursday, April 24th. For more information on the benefit dinners, email theatermasters@gmail.com. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/take-ten-2014-national-mfa-playwrights-festival-tickets-10786620071.
