Ten Plays and Three Musicals Selected for O'Neill Theater Center Summer Fest in CT

By Ernio Hernandez
16 Jun 2004

With news of 2002 alumnus Avenue Q winning the Tony Award still lingering, the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center has announced the participants for this summer's Playwrights and Music Theater conferences.

The 40th anniversary season under new artistic director J Ranelli [sic] will include ten plays and three musical theater works. For the first time, both programs will play together at the Waterford, Connecticut complex, July 5-31.

The chosen plays include:

  • The Electric Century by Andrew Case
  • Blind Mouth Singing by Jorge Ignacio Cortinas
  • A Living Room in Africa by Bathsheba Doran
  • The Frugal Repast by Ron Hirsen
  • Dark Yellow by Julia Jordan
  • As Reaper in Summer Grain by Keith Byron Kirk
  • Transference by Wayne Peter Liebman
  • Slay the Dragon by Victor Lodato
  • afterdark by Kara Manning
  • Erin Go Bra-less by John Shea

    The musicals selected are:

  • River's End - Book and lyrics by Cheryl Coons, Music by Chuck Larkin
  • Hell Hole Honeys - Book by Steve Mackes, Music by Dave Ogrin, Lyrics by Ben Budick, Mackes and Ogrin
  • .22 Caliber Mouth - Book, music and lyrics by Lauren Robert

    More details — cast, directors, schedule — will be announced at a later date.

    Another work that will be in residence at the O'Neill will be the developing musical Storyville set in New Orleans' red light district at the dawn of the Jazz Age. The show features music by Lisa DeSpain, lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and book by Shawn Churchman and Anderson-Lopez (wife of Avenue Q co-creator Robert Lopez).

    The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center was founded in 1964 and based in Waterford, CT. Programs at the Center include the Puppetry Conference, Playwrights Conference, Critics Institute, Music Theater Conference and the National Theater Institute. The Monte Cristo Cottage, O'Neill's childhood home, is also owned and operated by the group.

    For more information on the O'Neill Center, visit the website at www.TheONeill.org or call (860) 443-1238.