Playwrights Village Presents Workshop Production of WELCOME HOME, 1/11-13

New Village Arts and Playwrights Project are teaming to produce PLAYWRIGHTS VILLAGE, new play development by emerging, San Diego County playwrights. The process, the fourth cycle of the collaboration between these two organizations, combines Playwrights Project's PLAY BY PLAY program and New Village Arts' NEW PLAY FESTIVAL. It's a three step development process designed to help the playwright develop his/her play with the focus centered on supporting the writer as s/he rewrites and develops the chosen play.

The first step is a table read with professional actors, attended by staff of the two organizations, as well as the play's director, the playwright herself, and a dramaturg. Following the table read the playwright hears feedback from the other artists; she and the dramaturg then meet several times to revise the work leading to step two.

The second step - the Community Read - is a staged reading before an audience. Through a facilitated talk-back session, the playwright hears comments from the attendees on her play. The playwright, guided by her dramaturg, revises the play further clarifying some of the issues raised by the Community Read.

The Third Step is a three performance Workshop Production, with minimal design elements, but staged by the director and performed by the actors, off book. Each performance is followed by comments from the audience members. During the course of the Workshop Production performances, the writer, with the cooperation of the actors and director, may choose to change her play based on the audiences' feedback.

"This is one of the most exciting aspects of Playwrights Village," say Playwrights Project Program Manager and Producer, Derek Charles Livingston. "Audiences can have an immediate impact on the direction the play takes. During our last process, the play changed - and improved - with every performance."

"This is where having minimal production values is helpful," adds New Village Arts Executive Artistic Director, Kristianne Kurner. "The artists, because they are focused on the text, and not production values have a nimbleness that truly encourages risk taking from night-to-night. It's an exciting way to develop a play and I'm proud it's happening in our space."

The play selected for Playwrights Village is WELCOME HOME by Jennie Olson Six. This comedic play begins when Caroline returns to her hometown after losing her job (in an unorthodox way); once home, she works at improving herself and reestablishing ties to her mother, Lavinia, and her sister, Amy. Actor/director Manny Fernandes will direct the play and actor/playwright/teaching artist Olivia Espinosa is the dramaturg.

Jennie Olson Six is San Diego based actor who has appeared in numerous shows. She received her B.A. in Theatre Arts from UCSD and learned about playwright and television writing. She's been working on Welcome Home for 8 years. A truly emerging playwright, this will be her first workshop production of a full-length piece. Her ten-minute piece, Twelve O'Clock Barbecue, was produced at San Diego's short-lived New Perspective Festival.

The cast includes: Danielle DeCarlo (Caroline), Virginia Gregg (Amy), Kathryn Herbruck (Lavinnea), and Durwood Murray (The TV).

The Table Read took place at New Village Arts on October 22, and the Community Read took place on November 26, 2012 at 7 PM at New Village Arts. The Workshop Production will run January 11 and 12, 2013 (8 PM), and January 13 (2 PM). Tickets are $15, purchased at www.NewVillageArts.org or by calling (760) 433-3245.