New Play Readings at The Pear- May 2007

New Play Readings - May 2007

The Pear will be holding readings of new full-length plays in consideration for production in our 2007-2008 season. All readings will be on Sunday evenings at 7pm at the Pear. The public is invited, and there is no charge.

Address: 1220 Pear Avenue, Mtn. View, CA

Phone: 650-254-1148

May 6 at 7 PM

Whales in the Channel
by Richard Medugno

A group of strangers form a surprising connection with a whale that has mysteriously stranded itself.

May 20 at 7pm

Room 15
by Elyce Melmon

A new teacher finds herself bucking the system in a prestigious and competition-driven private school.

May 27 at 7pm

Homeland Prayer
by Jeff Carter

Members of a family struggle to keep hope alive when a badly wounded soldier returns from war.

June 6 at 7pm

Campaign Strategy
by Lynn Snyder

All's fair in love and politics? In this play the twists and turns of a political campaign intersect with those of complicated love affairs and friendships.

Live staged reading of “Perpetual Motion”, a new script by Jack Richards

I just wanted to let you know about a play reading that’s coming up at City Lights Theatre in San Jose. The script is great, and as always, the readings are engaging and informative. Plus you get to give feedback in a short talk-back session following the reading – so you become part of the creative process!

I know life is busy, but if you have a little time I would love to see you there. More info below and at http://cltc.org/newplay.htm

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WHAT:

Live staged reading of “Perpetual Motion”, a new script by Jack Richards.

PERPETUAL MOTION
By Jack Richards

A black man and a white boy join forces to escape from abuse and persecution on the streets of Chicago. Based on a true story, PERPETUAL MOTION was originally written for the stage, then adapted for the screen, and has now been re-adapted for the stage.

Since taking an early retirement from teaching English in college to concentrate on writing projects, Jack Richards has completed seven screenplays (all of which have either won or placed in screenwriting competitions), two stage plays, and a TV pilot. He has also published seven books and a reading series for public schools.

WHEN:

Tuesday June 5, 8pm

WHERE:

City Lights Theatre Company

529 South Second Street

San José, California 95112

Phone

(408) 295-4200

DIRECTIONS:

From San Francisco

Take Highway 280 south. Take the 7th Street exit, staying in the extreme left hand lane. The road will curve to the left and you will come to a traffic light where you will turn left onto 7th Street. Follow 7th Street to the third light, William Street, and turn left onto William. Follow William 5 blocks until you come to 2nd Street and turn left on 2nd. City Lights is the 3rd building on the right; you will see our lighted marquee. Secure parking is available directly across the street from the theatre on your left.

From Oakland

Take Highway 880 south to Highway 280 South. Take the 7th Street exit, staying in the extreme left hand lane. The road will curve to the left and you will come to a traffic light where you will turn left onto 7th Street. Follow 7th Street to the third light, William Street, and turn left onto William. Follow William 5 blocks until you come to 2nd Street and turn left on 2nd. City Lights is the 3rd building on the right; you will see our lighted marquee. Secure parking is available directly across the street from the theatre on your left.

From Milpitas

Take Highway 680 south, which becomes Highway 280 North. Take the 7th Street exit. At the bottom of the ramp, turn right on 7th Street. Follow 7th Street to the third light, William Street, and turn left onto William. Follow William 5 blocks until you come to 2nd Street and turn left on 2nd. City Lights is the 3rd building on the right; you will see our lighted marquee. Secure parking is available directly across the street from the theatre on your left.

ABOUT THE PLAY:

A black man and a white boy join forces to escape from abuse and persecution on the streets of Chicago. Based on a true story, PERPETUAL MOTION was originally written for the stage, then adapted for the screen, and has now been re-adapted for the stage.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Since taking an early retirement from teaching English in college to concentrate on writing projects, Jack Richards has completed seven screenplays (all of which have either won or placed in screenwriting competitions), two stage plays, and a TV pilot. He has also published seven books and a reading series for public schools.

2006/2007 Tony Nominations are Here

Nominees for the 61st Annual Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards follow:

Best Play
The Coast of Utopia
Frost/Nixon
The Little Dog Laughed
Radio Golf

Best Musical
Curtains
Grey Gardens
Mary Poppins
Spring Awakening

Best Book of a Musical
Curtains, Rupert Holmes & Peter Stone
Grey Gardens, Doug Wright
Legally Blonde The Musical, Heather Hach
Spring Awakening, Steven Sater

Best Original Score
Curtains
Music: John Kander
Lyrics: Fred Ebb, John Kander & Rupert Holmes

Grey Gardens
Music: Scott Frankel
Lyrics: Michael Korie

Legally Blonde The Musical
Music & Lyrics: Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin

Spring Awakening
Music: Duncan Sheik
Lyrics: Steven Sater

Best Revival of a Play
Inherit the Wind
Jouney's End
Talk Radio
Translations

Best Revival of a Musical
The Apple Tree
A Chorus Line
Company
110 in the Shade

Best Special Theatrical Event
Jay Johnson: The Two and Only
Kiki & Herb Alive on Broadway

Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Play
Boyd Gaines, Journey's End
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Brían F. O’Byrne, The Coast of Utopia
Christopher Plummer, Inherit the Wind
Liev Schreiber, Talk Radio

Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Play
Eve Best, A Moon for the Misbegotten
Swoozie Kurtz, Heartbreak House
Angela Lansbury, Deuce
Vanessa Redgrave, The Year of Magical Thinking
Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed

Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Musical
Michael Cerveris, LoveMusik
Raúl Esparza, Company
Jonathan Groff, Spring Awakening
Gavin Lee, Mary Poppins
David Hyde Pierce, Curtains

Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Musical
Laura Bell Bundy, Legally Blonde The Musical
Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
Audra McDonald, 110 in the Shade
Debra Monk, Curtains
Donna Murphy, LoveMusik

Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Play
Anthony Chisholm, Radio Golf
Billy Crudup, The Coast of Utopia
Ethan Hawke, The Coast of Utopia
John Earl Jelks, Radio Golf
Stark Sands, Journey's End

Best Performance By a Featured Actress in a Play
Jennifer Ehle, The Coast of Utopia
Xanthe Elbrick, Coram Boy
Dana Ivey, Butley
Jan Maxwell, Coram Boy
Martha Plimpton, The Coast of Utopia

Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me
Christian Borle, Legally Blonde The Musical
John Cullum, 110 in the Shade
John Gallagher, Jr., Spring Awakening
David Pittu, LoveMusik

Best Performance By a Featured Actress in a Musical
Charlotte d’Amboise, A Chorus Line
Rebecca Luker, Mary Poppins
Orfeh, Legally Blonde The Musical
Mary Louise Wilson, Grey Gardens
Karen Ziemba, Curtains

Best Direction of a Play
Michael Grandage, Frost/Nixon
David Grindley, Journey's End
Jack O'Brien, The Coast of Utopia
Melly Still, Coram Boy

Best Direction of a Musical
John Doyle, Company
Scott Ellis, Curtains
Michael Greif, Grey Gardens
Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Curtains
Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear, Mary Poppins
Bill T. Jones, Spring Awakening
Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde The Musical

Best Orchestrations
Bruce Coughlin, Grey Gardens
Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening
Jonathan Tunick, LoveMusik
Jonathan Tunick, 110 in the Shade

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Bob Crowley & Scott Pask, The Coast of Utopia
Jonathan Fensom, Journey's End
David Gallo, Radio Golf
Ti Green and Melly Still, Coram Boy

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Christine Jones, Spring Awakening
Anna Louizos, High Fidelity
Allen Moyer, Grey Gardens

Best Costume Design of a Play
Ti Green and Melly Still, Coram Boy
Jane Greenwood, Heartbreak House
Santo Loquasto, Inherit the Wind
Catherine Zuber, The Coast of Utopia

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Legally Blonde The Musical
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Susan Hilferty, Spring Awakening
William Ivey Long, Grey Gardens

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, Coram Boy
Brian MacDevitt, Inherit the Wind
Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner, and Natasha Katz, The Coast of Utopia
Jason Taylor, Journey's End

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, Spring Awakening
Christopher Akerlind, 110 in the Shade
Howard Harrison, Mary Poppins
Peter Kaczorowski, Grey Gardens

Regional Theatre Tony Award
Alliance Theatre, Atlanta, GA

The number of nominations each show received follows:
Spring Awakening - 11
The Coast of Utopia - 10
Grey Gardens - 10
Curtains - 8
Legally Blonde The Musical - 7
Mary Poppins - 7
Coram Boy - 6
Journey's End - 6
110 in the Shade - 5
Inherit the Wind - 4
LoveMusik - 4
Radio Golf - 4
Company - 3
Frost/Nixon - 3
A Chorus Line - 2
Heartbreak House - 2
The Little Dog Laughed - 2
Talk Radio - 2
The Apple Tree - 1
Butley - 1
Deuce - 1
High Fidelity - 1
Jay Johnson: The Two and Only! - 1
Kiki and Herb Alive on Broadway - 1
Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me - 1
A Moon for the Misbegotten - 1
Translations - 1
The Year of Magical Thinking - 1

Who's Afraid of Edward Albee?

Yesterday I sat in the front row at the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco and watched Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin turn my gut into a cauldron of anxiety. I've read Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf a couple of times, of course. But, I have never seen it done on stage. Edward Albee must have had an absolutely awful childhood. And, he must be an absolute genius. As is always the case with Albee, I find myself laughing often and with gusto, while inside I'm becoming slowly but surely upset at what I see unfolding before me. In the hands of this cast, which also includes Kathleen Early and David Furr and directed by Anthony Page, this Virginia Woolf is scathing, hilarious and very disturbing. Sitting in the front row didn't help ease my inability to escape the verbal violence going on before me. I literally felt I was sitting there in the living room with them. Kathleen Turner is just amazing. Never do you feel that she's acting. It's as if the part was written for her and she knows it in her bones and her soul. I actually found myself feeling profoundly sad for her. She was visibly exhausted during the curtain call. No wonder, her performance is an absolute master class in realistic theatre.

If you have a chance you must see this show. I won't say that you will leave feeling happy. You might even be upset, but it will change your life and make you examine your own grief.

There are only two days left.

Tickets