BWW Previews: AMERICAN STAGE'S NEW MONTHLY MONDAY READING SERIES, FIRST MONDAYS DEBUTS at Creative Pinellas

Debuting Monday, March 7 at 7 p.m. and continuing every first Monday of the month, American Stage will be stepping out of the theatre and into the community with the new reading series, "First Mondays."

The free monthly event will feature staged readings of excerpts of new plays and the rediscovery of forgotten, older works.

In collaboration with Creative Pinellas, the series will be in their Gallery in Largo. They will showcase readings by professional actors and artists, followed by a community dialogue around the themes of the works.

During his town hall meeting, the partnership was born from a conversation between Creative Pinellas CEO Barbara St. Clair and American Stage's Producing Artistic Director and Resident Playwright Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj.

"In the sixth month of my tenure here at American Stage, I wanted to really listen to the community coming in as a BIPOC leader in theatre, in a time when being the first, I knew I wanted to listen to listen to what the community had to say about what this community could be."

When Rajendra visited Creative Pinellas, he fell in love.

"The beauty, the nature, the energy of it," he enthused.

"It is a wonderful arts organization that focused in the past mainly on serving grants for artists and mentorship programs to be mentored into the field. They offer a theatre space in the botanical gardens. It's absolutely beautiful out in the woods," explained Associate Artistic Producer Paul Wilt. They also have an art gallery where they perform many different forms of visual art and performance art. We have an evolution and a harmony of what they (American Stage) do to compliment the story we will then bring and bring the community in, as well."

The goal is to make theatre accessible to everyone and create a conversation between performing arts and other art forms.

"This will give a total connection of the power of art in its many mediums," said Rajendra. "This is a free event because although not everyone can afford to come to the theatre, everyone should have the right to be able to come and be awakened. We are excited for the town hall after to discuss the themes that resonated with our community and remind us how we are more alike than different."

Paul added, "This will enable students to see themselves in the theatre and say, 'oh, I have a future here. I want to learn more.' We can guide them into finding their own path within the theatre."

In celebration of Women's History Month, "Witness" will be the first work performed, written by Rajendra. He interviewed women who were hiding from ICE in sanctuaries, churches, mosques, and synagogues during the height of deportation by the last administration.

"The story focuses on three mothers and tells of their horrific, harrowing, joyful journey in the pursuit of the American Dream and their sacrifice that many of us, as Americans, take for granted. This is the journey that many of our immigrant brothers and sisters in pursuit of the American Dream have to go through," Rajendra said. "It is a reminder of the power of motherhood and the sacrifices that one makes for their children to have a better life to be able to dream without a ceiling and to breathe without wondering if that's going to be their last breath."

"First Mondays" is at Creative Pinellas, 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo, at 7 p.m. The event is free, family-friendly, and open to the public. Local actors in Tampa Bay interested in performing and playwrights interested in submitting new works for consideration can email Paul at American Stage via the website. Patrons can reserve seats at americanstage.org. Masks and proof of vaccine or negative Covid-19 test are required.

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