Wendy C. Goldberg serves as artistic director of the July conference that will aid in the development of seven new plays. Tony, Pulitzer and Academy Award-winning playwright Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Parade), Rock of Ages book writer Chris D’Arienzo and Russian playwright Yaroslave Pulinovich will be writers in residence. Goldberg, who was a creative advisor on Rock of Ages, will collaborate with D'Arienzo on new projects throughout July.
The Playwrights Conference selections follow:
Creation by Kathryn Walat. "When a renowned evolutionary biologist suddenly develops an obsession for music, four lives become unexpectedly entwined, in this play about the mysteries of the human mind, the alchemy of the creative process, and the spark that changes everything." (July 9-10).
The Dream of the Burning Boy by David West Read. "In a high school classroom, a poster on the wall reads: 'EVERYTHING WILL BE ALL RIGHT.' The poster offers little comfort to English teacher Larry Morrow, who is trying to move on after the sudden death of a popular student, but finds himself haunted by a troubling dream." (July 14-15).
Follow Me to Nellie's by Dominique Morisseau. "If you follow the footsteps to Nellie Jackson’s Whorehouse, you may discover a hopeless blues singer looking for a way out, a brave freedom fighter looking for a way in, and a house of wounded women, looking for a new day. In 1955 Mississippi, during the reign of segregation, to get what they’re looking for may cost everything they have." (July 16-17). Close Up Space by Molly Smith Metzler. "Paul Barrow is the most feared and powerful book editor in the biz. He reads the dictionary for pleasure and spends his days alone, scouring manuscripts for grammatical errors or anything “schmaltzy” to bludgeon with his red pen. But when his grieving daughter Harper shows up unannounced at his office—having been expelled from boarding school because she refuses to stop speaking Russian—Paul has no idea how to communicate with her. How does a father navigate with only his red pen as a guide?" (July 21-22).
The Burden of Not Having a Tail by Carrie Barrett. "You are invited to an intimate bunker-side chat on how to prep for when 'It' happens. Your discussion leader will be a paranoid woman with a tragic past. 'Think of the worst-case scenario and then think of something worse than that. It’s going to be worse than something that’s worse than that.'" (July 23-24).
A Devil at Noon by Anne Washburn. "A Devil At Noon is a play about a science fiction writer living in the bad part of Berkeley, California in a slightly imaginary 1981. His novel is going well but his magnets no longer adhere to the refrigerator, he has an ant problem, and the young woman who popped up on his doorstep won't tell him her last name." (July 28-29).
Comes A Faery by James McLindon. "A single mother deployed overseas. Her little girl left with a less-than-willing aunt. A cantankerous Irish fairy who may or may not have escaped from a favorite storybook. Has he come to keep the lonely child company … or steal her soul?" (July 30-31).
Tickets begin sale to the general public June 9. O'Neill members may purchase tickets beginning May 17. Phone (860) 443-1238 or visit www.theoneill.org.
The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center was founded in 1964 and is 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.
