Playwrights Unit Readings 2019

After ten months of meetings, the four plays written during the 2018/2019 Goodman Theatre Playwrights Unit are showcased in summer staged readings.

The process of creating a play, from inception to fully realized production, is often long and arduous, and writers typically revise their work through a series of workshops and readings. Among the many ways the Goodman currently supports and develops new plays is the Playwrights Unit, a program in which local writers meet twice a month to discuss their plays-in-process. Each writer possesses a unique voice, and each approaches writing differently; it is precisely this diversity that leads to fruitful discussions. Playwrights Unit plays are strongly considered for production in the Goodman’s New Stages Festival and/or mainstage programming. In recent years, audiences have seen Playwrights Unit works in the Owen Theatre such as Andrew Hinderaker’s The Magic Play, Seth Bockley’s Ask Aunt Susan, Kristiana Rae Colón’s florissant & canfield, Martín Zimmerman’s The Solid Sand Below, and Ricardo Gamboa’s The Wizards.

Tickets are FREE, reservations required. Please plan on arriving early to the readings. Doors will open 20 minutes prior to start time. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Seating is not guaranteed.

Staged Readings

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  Portrait (holding a mirror)

  By Georgette Kelly
  Directed by Vanessa Stalling

  Friday, July 5 at 7pm

  At a time when women were largely excluded from the art world, Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun rose to fame by painting Queen Marie-Antoinette—and crafting her image for public consumption.  But as the French Revolution begins, Vigée Le Brun is forced into exile with her daughter, on a 13-year artistic odyssey across Europe and Russia.  In a poetic riff on women’s bodies against the backdrop of a bloody revolution, this play follows a mother and daughter on their journey from fame to infamy.

  SOLD OUT

• 

  December

  By Marisela Treviño Orta
  Directed by Denise Yvette Serna

  Saturday, July 6 at 3pm

  When college poetry instructor Carolina and her student Benjamin first meet, an attraction blossoms, but the possibility of romance is halted by Carolina who cannot overlook the age difference in good conscience. Spanning twenty years, this May-December romance follows Carolina and Benjamin as they meet at three different moments in their lives. December is a meditation on love, poetry, and timing.

  SOLD OUT

• 

  America v. 2.3: The Gospel of Simeon Samuels

  By Stacey Rose
  Directed by Christopher D. Betts

  Saturday, July 6 at 7pm

  Simeon Samuels is a prophet of humble stock who was divinely assigned by God to be the savior this world needs. His battle to overcome his circumstances lands him in a place of great wealth and power, but he faces his own downfall as the world questions: is he a divinely-ordained prophet or just a fanatic with delusions of grandeur? Simeon may not be the savior the country wants, but he’s definitely the one it deserves.

  SOLD OUT

• 

  Ruth

  By Dianne Nora
  Directed by Marti Lyons

  Sunday, July 7 at 3pm

  A Supreme Court Justice entertains and reflects on her life as an activist and artist through standup, cabaret, and naturalistic scenes. Performed by a cast of nine womxn, the play features original songs by Emily Gardner Xu Hall.

  SOLD OUT