AMERICAN THEATRE: As part of this special issue’s exploration of the state of the new American play, we wanted to highlight some of the most exciting works of theatre written within the past five years. So we asked a group that champions new work, dramaturgs and literary managers across the U.S. and Canada, which productions they were most looking forward to this season.
3 comments:
Honestly, this is a great resource. Although it can be a little difficult to read through as it is only play suggestions, it is highly informative. It is great to have outside School of Drama perspectives on what theatre to look out for. The School of Drama is relatively diverse (it could always be more so), but hearing perspectives outside the bubble of Purnell is invaluable. Especially when these opinions are coming from all over the country. This article is also a great refresher on the major regional theatres throughout the country.
If anything this is a great list of new plays to read.
As a designer, it was refreshing to read an article that relatively focused on dramaturgy. Despite the fact that for the most part, this article is mainly just a list of shows, it does serve to expose different theaters from the across the country and the new theatre being produced nationally. This article provides a new perspective on theatre outside of New York and the world of musicals that theatre can sometimes be blindsided by. It is so important to acknowledge other forms of theatre outside of the Broadway realm of big stage musicals for the sake of diversity on stage. Theatre, as an art, is made to take a stance for change and this article is a great resource for representing that diversity.
As a Drama school, one of the things that I think sets CMU aside is the heavy focus on new material and largely unknown works. We dedicate two slots in the Rauh to the concept of newly written material a year, not only giving the Dramatic Writing folk a chance to see their work staged, but also providing the opportunity of working with a playwright on a scrip that has never been put before an audience, a script with no precedent, to directors and designers. The decision to build this component into is not only interesting, but extremely telling of just how much the SOD value the freedom and challenge of putting on a new show that has something valid to say about right here, right now. I’ll keep this list of plays in my back pocket if ever I foresee an opportunity to go out get to a show that I’m not working on at CMU.
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