The annual program is free and open to the public. All readings begin at 8 PM, with the exception of the Dec. 2 reading, which begins at 2:30 PM. Readings are in the Near Studio.
The schedule features works-in-progress by 2007 units members Salvatore Antonio, Kate Hewlett, Edwige Jean-Pierre, John Lazarus, Joseph Jomo Pierre, Erin Shields and Jonathan Garfinkel, a member of the 2006 unit.
Each reading is directed by Richard Rose, artistic director of Tarragon Theatre.
For more information, call (416) 531-1827 or visit at www.tarragontheatre.com.
The schedule includes:
Nov. 27, 8 PM: A New Nation by Erin Shields, with Gordon Bolan, Monica Dottor, Gregory Prest, Martha Ross. "A stranger arrives at a farmyard aflame with flu-infected chickens and is welcomed into the home of a desperate family. He draws them from despair to hope, isolation to desire, and reawakens them to the possibility of happiness. But when the flu takes a turn for the worse, faith and doubt become dangerous bedfellows."Nov. 28, 8 PM: The Swearing Jar by Kate Hewlett, with Tim Campbell, Deborah Grover, Christopher Stanton, Carly Street. "Carey and Simon are the perfect couple. With romance, laughter and a baby on the way, their marriage seems destined to last forever. But when Carey throws a concert to celebrate Simon's 40th birthday, she is forced to confront the past, and come to terms with the greatest lie her husband ever told."Nov. 29, 8 PM: Shakespeare's Nigga by Joseph Jomo Pierre, with Peter N. Bailey, David Collins, John Gilbert, Lisa Norton, Andre Sills. "What would happen if two of Shakespeare's black characters had to co-exist within the same play? We find ourselves on a plantation owned by Shakespeare, with Aaron and Othello cast in the roles of slaves. Against this violent backdrop, both men grapple with their sense of self and place. Did Shakespeare have himself a negrow and a nigga?"Nov. 30, 8 PM: My Next Guest by John Lazarus, with Kate Lynch and Jim Mezon. "Like many casual friends, and some occasional lovers, David and Elsie get together every couple of years, catch up on their lives, gossip, quarrel, make up, and sometimes wind up in bed. However, as David is a novelist and Elsie an arts reporter, their turbulent relationship plays out openly in public — even as Elsie's career soars and David's hits the skids."Dec. 1, 8 PM: The House of Many Tongues by Jonathan Garfinkel, with Hrant Alianak, Maev Beaty, David Fox, Janick Hebert, Daniel Karasik, Julian Richings. "A house in Jerusalem, 2003, is home to Israeli General Shimon, and his adolescent son Alex, who's busy trying to bring peace to the Middle East through improved sexual techniques. When Palestinian writer Abu Dalo returns to the house he left 40 years ago, pursued by his long-lost daughter, we realize somehow these four people are going to have to live together — if they don't kill each other first."Dec. 2, 2:30 PM: Saint Bitch by Edwige Jean-Pierre, with Edwige Jean-Pierre. "Haunted by her past, Lillian Holt is a bitter old woman who resides at Shady Lane Manor — and she's making the life of her nurse, Sandrine Vincent, a living hell. As her life slowly comes to an end, Lillian realizes that she needs Sandrine's forgiveness to find peace. Sandrine, a devout Catholic, will have to put into practice what has been preached to her all her life."Dec. 3, 8 PM: The Coronation of Medusa Regina by Salvatore Antonio, with Paul Dunn, Michelle Giroux, Diana Leblanc. "It is closing night of Medusa, a new opera written especially for the legendary soprano, Regina Duran. As the audience of a thousand applaud during the final curtain call, the spotlight remains empty: Regina Duran is nowhere to be found. Beneath the stage, in an abandoned part of the Metropolitan Opera's ancient basement, Regina hides and awaits her moment of reckoning."
