NEWS | FEATURES | PREVIEWS | EVENTS

originally published: 12/18/2020

(WEST ORANGE, NJ) -- Luna Stage will present a free short play festival, The Shortest of Plays for the Shortest of Days on Sunday, December 20 from 12:00pm through 7:30pm. This Zoom event includes ten-minute plays and solo works created in Luna’s playwriting classes throughout 2020. Audience members can book free tickets for hour-long blocks, and advance reservations are strongly encouraged.

Writers featured in The Shortest of Plays for the Shortest of Days include: Liz Alterman, Mariah-Lynn Black, Gilbert Glenn Brown, Marian Calabro, Kristin Curry, Ria Grosvenor, Rochelle Herring, Rachel Hoover, Arlene Hutton, Elizabeth Kaplan, Celia Kapsomera, Elaine Lane, Maritza Lohman, Christopher Parker, Carolina Morales, Magdalen Radovich, Dawrell Rich, Jonathan Samarro, Laura Toffler, Melissa Toomey, and Gabrielle Wagner.

The plays will be directed by Allison Benko, Andrew Binger, Darin F. Earl II, Dillon Mitcham, and Alex Oleksy. The event will also feature solo work from Lauren Gottlieb, Rochelle Herring, Lucas Luchsinger, and Myra Slotik.

Over the past eight months, Luna Stage has expanded its educational offerings with the goal of making creative expression accessible during this time of social isolation. Since March, Luna's virtual plays, programs and classes have impacted over 11,000 youth and adults. All programs are free or pay-what-you-wish to ensure people can stay uplifted and connected, even while physically apart.

The Shortest of Plays for the Shortest of Days will showcase twenty-three ten-minute plays from Luna’s 10-Minute Playwriting Workshop. It will also feature work created in Luna’s Voices Across America solo show workshop, which developed nine writers’ projects during the spring and early summer of 2020. Because classes were held virtually, Luna was able to serve playwrights from across the country.

 

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Audience can sign up to watch hour-long blocks of this event, each featuring 4-5 plays and a talkback with the artists. Following the December 20 event, the plays will be available through December 23 on Luna Stage’s website. Reservations are free and strongly encouraged. Tickets are available at lunastage.org.

For those inspired to write plays of their own, Luna’s winter classes are now open for enrollment. Winter classes will begin on January 4 and run through March 13, with offerings available for all ages.

Youth classes include improv, musical theater, and imaginative undersea and outer space adventures. Teen classes include scene study, on-camera acting, voiceover, playwriting, filmmaking, and solo show creation. Adult classes include 10-Minute Playwriting, audition workshop, scene study, and musical theater classes.

Luna offers all educational programs on a pay-what-you-wish basis. Families can donate what feels comfortable, full scholarships are available, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. All tuition directly supports the artists teaching these innovative programs.

This initiative aims to increase access and equity during the coronavirus pandemic, part of Luna Stage’s larger effort to foster creativity and community during the COVID-19 crisis. Information on these and other educational offerings can be found on Luna’s website.

About Luna Stage

Luna Stage develops and produces vibrant plays about local and global experiences. Firmly rooted in New Jersey's Valley Arts District - a crossroads of cultures - Luna brings its communities together for artistic events that spark conversations and create understanding and change.

Luna Stage is the recipient of the 2019 People's Choice Award for Favorite Small Theatre in New Jersey. Luna has contributed to the development of over 100 new works for the stage, many of which premiered at Luna and have gone on to be produced in New York, regionally and internationally.

As producer, innovator, and educator, Luna is dedicated to eliminating barriers to participation and allowing all community members to nurture their own creativity and vision. Luna offers classes for children and adults, as well as opportunities for early-career and established theatre artists to develop and incubate new work.