Page To Stage! CVREP Writers Studio Presents Reading Of New Work THE DESERT OF LOVE

The Writers Studio at the Coachella Valley Repertory Conservatory will present a first-of-its-kind event in December 2018. "The Desert of Love," a new full-length play by Studio member Bruce Bonafede, will be presented as a public staged reading on Saturday, December 15. The reading will be mounted on the CVRep main stage and marks the first time the group has presented a reading of a full-length play by one of its members.

"This reading marks an important milestone for our group as we expand our offerings to valley audiences," said Andy Harmon, who will direct the reading. Harmon founded and leads the Writers Studio at the CVRep Conservatory and facilitates the group's bimonthly "Writing for Performance" workshop. "This play showcases the high quality of the work that's emerging from our group. It's a privilege to direct the first public reading of a play of this caliber and to have played a part in the development process."

According to the author, the play is a dark comedy on the subject of love. "It follows five characters - some gay and some straight - as they make their way through the challenging terrain of love in its many forms - romantic, parental, and philial or friendship," said Bonafede. He added the play contains adult themes and language. "There's no nudity, unfortunately, but I wouldn't bring the kids."

The Writers Studio is part of the CVRep Conservatory program to advance the theatrical arts in the Coachella Valley. Throughout the year the group holds public readings of works in progress by its members. These can include short plays, scenes from longer plays, monologues, poetry, comedy, memoir, and other types of shows.

Bonafede has been a produced, published playwright for more than 30 years. His first produced play won first place at the prestigious Humana Festival and was published in "Best Short Plays-1986." In 2017 his play "Quarantine" was an award-winner in the One-Act Competition at the Little Theatre of Alexandria, Virginia. He is a long-time member of the Dramatists Guild. He lives in Palm Springs.

Andy Harmon is a director, actor, and playwright who has been teaching actors and business professionals for over four decades. He holds an MFA in Theatre and Film from Brandeis University and studied Improv with Viola Spolin, the creator of modern improvisational theatre in the late 1970s. In 1980 he moved to the UK where he lived and worked for 30 years, directing over 25 productions in England, Scandinavia and the US. His play, "La Comedia." premiered in Sweden in 1999 and won Best Staged Reading from the Desert Theatre League in 2016. His new play, "Freud's Golem" was a semi-finalist at the Garry Marshall Theatre's New Works Festival in 2018. He started the Writers Studio (formerly the Writers Group) at the CVRep Conservatory in 2012 where he also teaches Acting and Improv. He lives in Rancho Mirage.

Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre is located at the Atrium, 69-930 Hwy 111 in Rancho Mirage. Admission to the reading is $15 and tickets are available through the box office at 760-296-2966 or online at www.cvrep.org.

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