“Speaking as a playwright, I don’t know of another program currently operating in the state of Florida that’s anything like this,” says Tony Finstrom.
“The plan is terrific. What a great opportunity to develop a new work,” says playwright Dan Clancy.
“I am thrilled and grateful to be a part of this wonderful new program,” says Michael McKeever.
They are all talking about Jan McArt’s Theatre Arts Guild Florida “New Play” Workshop that begins in January at Boca Raton’s Lynn University.
McArt, Florida’s First Lady of Theater and head of theater development at Lynn, is elaborating on a reading series she’s been running at the university for years.
“Usually, when anybody does the reading of a new play, the cast and director come in and read through it in the afternoon and present it to an audience that evening,” says Finstrom, who will also serve as associate producer for this new workshop program.
“And often, the cast is simply seated in a semi-circle, or perhaps they’ll step up with their scripts to music stands when it’s their character’s turn to speak.”
But this play reading series at Lynn is being expanded into a much more ambitious program, where actual workshops will be produced that give playwrights the chance to bring in a new play and work with a cast and a director for six days – rehearsing, re-writing, rehearsing, rewriting. Then, at the end of the six days, they will present their new, polished, reworked play to the public, in performance.
“And these will be staged readings in the true sense of the word,” Finstrom adds. “With actors up on their feet, playing on a minimal set, wearing bits of costumes, using some props, lighting, etc. Like a real performance of a new play, except the actors will, of course, be carrying their scripts.”
What’s more, they get paid! Everybody gets a modest week’s salary for their efforts.
“Having an opportunity like this to develop and workshop a new play is a gift to any playwright,” says McKeever, a four-time Carbonell Award winning, three-time Curtain Up Award winning, two-time Silver Palm Award winning Florida playwright
McArt started the Royal Palm Dinner Theatre, the first professional theater in South Florida to run year-round, in 1977. That theater, and its spin-offs (Jan’s Rooftop Cabaret Theatre and the Little Palm Children’s Theatre), ran for nearly 25 years.
Now in charge of theater development at Lynn, she says “I love it because it’s creative and I’m making things happen.” Her mission with this workshop program? To develop new commercially entertaining plays by Florida playwrights.
And she’s doing it: The four new works are:
Jan. 14 – Back Stage Story, a new play with music by Tony Finstrom, directed by Wayne Rudisill
Feb. 11, Proposition 8, a new drama by Dan Clancy, directed by Stuart Meltzer.
March 18, “Champagne and Bosom Buddies: A Tribune to Jerry Herman,” a new musical revue by Jay Stuart, directed by Wayne Rudisill.
April 22 – “Finding Mona Lisa,” a new play by Michael McKeever, directed by Michael Leeds.
Tickets to each of the four workshopped staged readings are now on sale for $13 each, and may be purchased at the Lynn University box office online at http://events.lynn.edu, or by phone at 561-237-9000.
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Jan McArt