The biennial festival features works in various stages of development that have been submitted by theatre companies worldwide. The projects are selected based on their potential and quality. The creators of the works are invited to present their productions at the festival, which has aided in the development of 66 new works since its inception in 1991.
Among the selected works are:
The Happiest Happiness Medicine Show, a collaborative work incorporating a flea circus, a sharp-shooting act, a cure for baldness and a ventriloquist's dummy named Danny. Dave Brown directs the work presented by Patch Theatre Company from Adelaide, Australia.
Christopher Dimond and composer Michael Kooman present their work Dani Girl, a tragicomedy which follows an imaginative seven-year-old girl fighting leukemia. Dani Girl is presented by San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre.
London's Polka Theatre presents The Monster Under The Bed written by Kevin Dyer. Richard Shannon directs the work about a boy named Ben, his friend Vince, and the monster under his bed. Nocturnal, by Ramon Esquival and directed by Richard Perez, tells of four teenagers who dare one another to a perilous nocturnal war of the wills. Nocturnal is presented in collaboration with Bloomington Playwrights Project from Bloomington, IN.
Cambridge, MA's ART presents The Judgment of Bett by R.N. Sandberg. It is the true story of Elizabeth Freeman (Mum Bett), who challenged Massachusetts's slavery laws in the late 1700's.
Katrina: The Girl Who Wanted Her Name Back, written by Jason Tremblay and presented by Adventure Stage Chicago from Chicago, IL., follows a young girl from New Orleans on a magical journey to reclaim her name and city in the face of the devastating hurricane. Tom Arvetis directs.
Toronto's Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People will be represented with Pobby And Dingan. Penned by Paula Wing and based on the book by Ben Rice, the work centers on a young girl named Kellyanne and her two missing imaginary friends.
The New Visions/New Voices festival provides the authors with a cast of local Washington, D.C., talent. While in attendance, the creative teams collaborate during a weeklong intensive in which the productions undergo revisions throughout the rehearsal process. The workshop culminates in the three-day national conference where the staged readings are presented to theatre professionals, educators and members of the public.
The Kennedy Center's New Visions/New Voices festival runs April 25-27. For more information visit www.kennedy-center.org.
