(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage will present its annual Meet the Artist new play reading series on Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21 and 28. All readings will take place at the Summit Community Center (100 Morris Avenue) at 7:00pm. This year's readings include works by Joe Sutton, Nick Gandiello, David Lee White, and Laura Ekstrand.
The new play reading series is a chance for the audience to participate in the development of new works, both to hear the plays read by professional actors and also to discuss the projects with the playwright, director and actors afterward. There will be an opportunity for the audience to provide feedback to the team after every performance.
On May 7, Vivid will present Joe Sutton’s A Way of Life. A father who is a Dartmouth alum grapples with what it means for his daughter to be among the first women admitted to the school in 1971. And the daughter finds that being a trailblazer comes with its own set of sometimes painful challenges. A Way of Life explores what happens when the status quo is threatened, and how change is often the hardest on those who lead the way.
On May 14, Vivid will present The Patrons by Nick Gandiello. It's the Fall of 1963, and Head Librarian Mrs. Quarter is training Rhonda to serve the community amid budget cuts and a staff shortage. Unbeknownst to Quarter, Rhonda allows teenage patron Adam to check out a controversial book, which is soon voted for removal from the shelves by the county. As local tempers flare against the library, the staff must choose how far they will go to protect their ideals and each other. The Patrons explores the power of public spaces and what happens when we can't agree on what is allowed within them.
On May 21, Vivid will present David Lee White’s Etiquette. It’s the Fall of 2021 and the Cellar Theatre is back in production after a year of Zoom programming. When Lauren Ellis, the lead actress in the Cellar’s production of the American classic "Midnight Cicadas," spots an audience member filming the show with his phone, Lauren strikes back – stopping the show and refusing to perform. A video of the incident goes viral, bringing the Cellar praise for speaking out against poor theatre etiquette. But when an online commenter gives an alternate interpretation of the same event, the praise quickly turns bitter and the criticism begins to mount. The overworked and underpaid staff suddenly have to navigate in-fighting, diva tantrums, illegal vaping and internet trolls…not to mention the Cellar’s problematic history.
On May 28, Vivid presents It's You by their very own Laura Ekstrand. Two actors play all of the parts in this examination of the choices we make that lead to the lives we live. Working parents Lily and Greg confront the possibility that their marriage won’t survive the challenges of modern life. In living rooms, offices, boutiques and spas, characters cycle through a La Ronde-esque series of scenes where people perform a chain of actions that lead back to the original conflict. It’s You asks the question: how do we each influence the lives of others to nudge them to their destiny?
All readings will be held at the Summit Community Center (100 Morris Ave) in Summit, New Jersey at 7:00pm. Tickets are $13 and available for purchase online. The community center is wheelchair accessible.
Vivid Stage was founded in 1994 as Dreamcatcher Rep, and is a non-profit professional ensemble of actors who build community with the audience by sharing contemporary, life-affirming stories that challenge, energize and entertain. Their work has at its heart a belief in the essential goodness of people and the power of live performance to connect people through our shared humanity. They expose theatregoers to ideas and lives like and unlike their own with the intention of awakening their imaginations and creating empathy for others. They deepen the experience of all their patrons with personal contact through receptions, talkbacks, and interactive programs.
The company’s activities include mainstage productions, improvisational comedy and cabarets, new play readings and a variety of educational and senior outreach programs.
Vivid Stage’s programs are funded by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Summit Foundation and many other corporations, foundations and individuals. Vivid Stage is an Equity Producing member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.
Vivid Stage, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation, incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey.
Graphic by Yolanda Fundora
