The reading features Heidi Armbruster (Time Stands Still, Disgraced at LCT3), Christian Conn (Desire Under the Elms), Marissa O'Donnell (Shrek), Olivia Oguma (Mamma Mia!, Eve Ensler's Emotional Creature), Jake Falahee, John-Michael Lyles and Eddie Carroll.

Here's how the new play is described: "Can cheating on the SATs be justified in order to secure the future of a promising at-risk student? Faced with this dilemma, an esteemed teacher must decide whether the scam is any more deplorable than allowing students to flounder within an entity designed to work against them. A harsh lesson in moral ambiguity will either destroy a dedicated teacher or provide the remedy to a corrupt educational system."

Playwright Ramsburg's other plays include We All Fall Down and Fluid. She is the dramaturg and assistant to Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Brian Yorkey and has worked on the Broadway productions of Next to Normal and Catch Me If You Can as well as the upcoming productions of If/Then and The Last Ship.

New Directors/New Works seed grants are designed for promising new theatre pieces at the earliest stages of conception. The grants, according to press notes, "support projects which need an extended period of re-writing and dramaturgical guidance to explore ideas and inspirations. Directors and their collaborators receive a funding stipend, rehearsal space, professional mentorship, administrative support and community engagement. Seed Grant Projects are inherently process-oriented and culminates in a short rehearsal period."

Stupid Hope will culminate in an invitation-only presentation. For more information on Stupid Hope, email [email protected].