Exciting Theatrical Experiences Begin to Take Shape at the 34th Annual Bay Area Playwrights Festival!
The festival opened with an actual BANG! – all props due to the kick-ass heavy metal drumming of Alec MacPherson who accompanied the reading of Dan Dietz’s Home Below Zero followed by a wildly eclectic weekend of smart new work. Jackie Sibblies Drury worked out the choral complexities of her beautiful and rich exploration of an unknown Namibian genocide, while Amelia Roper’s wacky HONG KONG DINOSAUR and Clarence Coo’s sensitive BEAUTIFUL PROVINCE (BELLE PROVINCE) worked out the complexities of love. Festival audiences returned Sunday for an afternoon in the afterlife with Chinaka Hodge and Kate E. Ryan, lunched on The Hill and came back later only to be turned inside out by Lauren Gunderson’s play ROCK CREEK: SOUTHERN GOTHIC, a break-neck paced family war in southern Georgia. And, HELLO! Can we talk about some stellar acting? One play after the next, Bay Area actors tore it up! All seven plays are going back into rehearsal this week and you can get a chance to see them next weekend!
But don’t take our word for it… check out this Yelp review by Charles B. of San Francisco, who says, “The main point is that I am having a wonderful time and this festival is totally worth my time.” Thanks, Charles – we hope to see you back next weekend!
Join Us for the 2011 New Play Symposium!
Beyond Language: Breaking the Barriers of Form
A lively discussion and showcase on the role of the writer in new forms of theater.
Panel Raconteur: Ellen Sebastian Chang
With Octavio Solis & Christine Marie of ShadowLight Productions; Eric Ting & Jackie Sibblies Drury (BAPF Artists); Joe Goode of Joe Goode Performance Group; Marilee Talkington & Marissa Wolf of Crowded Fire Theater; and David Szlasa of Z Space Studio and Independent Video Artist.
Friday, July 29: 2pm-5pm – Event includes a reception for theater professionals and attendees.
What makes THIS theater? Artists have explored cross-disciplinary theatrical forms for decades – but in this past decade entirely new hybrid theatrical genres have emerged that are highly visual, physical, utilize techniques of sampling from many mediums, and integrate written language, but are not entirely ‘text-based’. These theater pieces express emotion, story, character and ideas, often in stunning and startling ways. The question we are asking is this: how does a playwright (or writer) integrate her/his voice in these evolving genres? How does the form itself create meaning, context, and emotional resonance in conjunction with, or even apart from, language? How can we encourage playwrights to explore working relationships with other generative artists to expand the definition of theater? How is the developmental process different from that of a more traditionally crafted script, and what is the role of the playwright in this kind of storytelling?
Please join us for an afternoon of conversation with a group of extraordinary contemporary theater makers who are explorers on the boundaries of form in the theater.
Admission: Free
RSVP to rsvp@playwrightsfoundation.org.
Purchase Tickets Online for up to 25% discount!
Come check out this new work in development as the 34th annual Bay Area Playwrights Festival has its final weekend! You have an opportunity to be among the first to see extraordinary new theater in the making… why limit yourself to just one reading?
A Flex Pass allows you to attend any 4 readings of your choosing – it’s just $50 ($55 at the door)!
A VIP Pass is all-inclusive and guarantees you a reserved seat to any event with no waiting in line at the Box Office. It will also gain you admission to Festival parties, and a beverage or snack of your choice at every reading you attend. At only $85 ($90 at the door), it is an exceptional value!
Single tickets are $15 online and $20 at the door. Purchase now for a 25% discount!
Festival Playwrights Provide Insight and Humor in Thought-Provoking Blog Posts
Read about what’s behind of the BAPF 34 plays! Festival playwrights have written thought provoking blogs about their pieces on the PF blog as they delve into this intense creative experience.
Join us for ongoing conversation at the Playwrights Foundation blog and, of course, at the 34th annual Bay Area Playwrights Festival, now playing in San Francisco. Ends July 31!
William Dao and Louis Parnell*, Beautiful Province (Belle Province) by Clarence Coo
Jordyn Lucas and Ryan Nicole Peters, 700th & Int’l by Chinaka Hodge
Casi Maggio, We are Proud to Present… by Jackie Sibblies Drury
* member of Actors’ Equity Association
Playwrights Foundation 1616-16th Street, Suite 350 | San Francisco, CA 94103 US
