Atlantic Stage is pleased to present the 3rd Annual New Voices Play Fest, May 2 and 3 at 79th Avenue Theatre. This year’s festival will be comprised of an evening of ten-minute plays on Friday, May 2 and a day of one-act and full length plays on Saturday, May 3 with a reception at 6:00 pm. Admission is free.
Through staged readings directed by Atlantic Stage company members, New Voices gives the audience an opportunity to hear plays that have not yet been produced within an environment that provides thoughtful and constructive feedback to the playwright. Post-reading talkbacks will be moderated by Kevin D. Ferguson, Atlantic Stage Company member and resident playwright. For a second year, Todd Ristau, Program Director of the Playwrights Lab at Hollins University, will be the guest responder. In addition to Mr. Ristau, the audience is also encouraged to share their thoughts on the readings. In doing this,they become part of the process of bringing a play to the stage, and according to Mr. Ferguson, a number have been produced or received recognition from other theatre organizations.
Ferguson, chair of the New Voices committee said, “Since I started running the festival, I keep in touch with many of the playwrights and they continue to share with me news of the plays we read at Atlantic Stage.” Two of the plays from the first year were produced locally; The Porch, by Vikki Gentry Ferris was produced in May 2013 by Swamp Fox Players at The Strand Theatre in Georgetown, and Ferguson’s Child’s Play had its World Premiere last May at Atlantic Stage. There are two upcoming World Premieres from last year’s festival; Heels Over Head by Susan Goodell will be produced this May at Tri-State Actors Theater in Newton, NJ and Pleiades by Marissa Skudlarek will premiere at Phoenix Theatre in August 2014. Stolen Danishes by Jared Strange, a featured ten-minute play from last year, has been selected for the Bath Fringe Festival in England this June. This adds to the excitement to see what the future has in store for this year’s plays.
New Voices Play Fest will open on Friday, May 2 at 6:00 pm with an evening of 6 ten-minute plays, including the featured ten-minute play, Clean Linen by Kathy Campshure of Gillett, Wisconsin . It continues Saturday, May 3 at noon with a selection of one-act plays, including the featured one-act, Fallout by Laura King of Barnesville, Georgia and will continue with full-length plays, a reception and the featured full-length play, Spinning Jenny by Kevin D. Ferguson of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. There will be a reception at 6:00 pm for the Spinning Jenny. At this time volunteers and new Atlantic Stage company members will be recognized.
New Voices Play Fest full schedule of events
Friday, May 2 @ 6pm An Evening of Ten-Minute Plays
6:00 - “A Cut Above the Rest”by mary Clohan (Richmond, VA)
6:30 - “Corn Flakes”by Aaron Adair (Chicago, IL)
7:00 - “Gun Jr. Leaves Home” by Stanley Toledo (Richmond, CA)
7:30 - “Form Follows Function” by Judd Lear Silverman (Brooklyn, NY)
8:00 - “Clean Linen” by Kathy Campshure (Gillett, WI) *
8:30 -“Dorothy’s Train Ride”by Kevin D. Ferguson (North Myrtle Beach, SC)
Saturday, May 3 @ 12pm A Day of One Acts and Full-Length Plays
12:00 - Ice Dancing by Ron Pullins (Newburyport, MA)
1:00 - Fallout by Laura King (Barnesville, GA) *
2:00 - Oblivion by Paul Lewis (Seattle, WA)
4:00 - An Uncommon Language by Evan Guildord-Blake (Stone Mountain, GA)
6:00 - RECEPTION
7:30 - Spinning Jenny by Kevin D. Ferguson (North Myrtle Beach, SC) *
* Denotes Featured plays for each category
New Voices will take place at the 79th Avenue Theatre, inside Coastal Carolina University’s Myrtle Beach Education Center on the corner of bypass 17 and 79th Avenue North. For additional information, contact the box office at (877) 287-8587 or www.atlanticstsage.com There is no fee for the festival or reception. Donations will be accepted by Atlantic Stage.
Atlantic Stage is a professional, nonprofit theatre whose focus is to enhance the cultural landscape of the Myrtle Beach area by providing quality theatrical productions of classical, contemporary, and new works that are entertaining and enlightening. Atlantic Stage is an ensemble of professional resident artists committed to artistic excellence, community enrichment, and educational outreach.
