The seven represented playwrights are members of Primary Stages' Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group and also include David Caudle, Cheri Magid, Janine Nabers and Adam Szymkowicz.
The free public readings will be presented through June 1 at Primary Stages Rehearsal Studios. The playwrights have been developing the works in a series of meeting this past fall and winter.
The schedule follows:
Where You Can’t Follow by Szymkowicz (May 23 at 3 PM)
"Matt's doctor tells him he doesn't have long to live. He realizes he's never been in love before. So he leaves home, flies to Paris and tries to find love before he runs out of time."
Show People by Caudle (May 24 at 3 PM)
"In 1882, a 17-year-old NYU student is driven to help the disrespected and downtrodden actors in New York City. Recruiting megastars Edwin Booth, James O'Neill, Sarah Bernhardt and Buffalo Bill, the teen hopes to realize his dream by establishing a fund for actors. But to overcome society's prejudices, he must first overcome his own doubts and fears." The Virtues of Raw Oysters by Magid (May 25 at 5 PM)
"Bushwick 1894. An eighteen-year-old entrepreneur and scamp boosts his father’s phonograph business by producing and selling aural smut. When he gets caught, questions of indecency and censorship arise."
Zero by Smith (May 26 at 5 PM)
"When an aspiring young architect receives a grant to work on his studies in a swanky condo for a year, the pressure of producing work overwhelms his psyche and forces him to externalize his inner turmoil, causing an increasingly aggressive relationship with his clueless doorman."
A Swell in the Ground by Nabers (May 27 at 5 PM)
"28-year-old Olivia is grieving over the loss of her mother while her seemingly happy relationship with her fiancé Nate is starting to deteriorate. A Swell in the Ground examines the 10 years that Olivia and Nate have loved each other and the friends they kept at a distance in order to grow up. A play about the process of mourning… the loss of yourself."
Bicycle Girl by Martinez (May 31 at 5 PM)
"In 1939 two girls from very different backgrounds traveled across America on bicycle. Their destination was New York and the World’s Fair with its promise of revealing to every single American The World of Tomorrow. A play about one world giving way to a new one, and two girls changing along with it."
Little Man by Brunstetter (June 1 at 5 PM)
"Howie, or Little Man, attends his high school reunion with his best friend Andy. He’s suppressed his tragic high school experience. After all, now he’s a millionaire. Little does Little Man know the truth and whiskey to be had at the convention hall as the evening and his memories unfold in this dark, funny play with nametags and karaoke."
For reservations e-mail [email protected] or phone (212) 840-9705. Primary Stages Rehearsal Studios are located at 307 West 38th Street, Suite 1510.
For more information, visit primarystages.org.
