Around the Coyote 2008 Playwrights Reading Series The Little Prince Generation Z love, Self- Call It Voyeurism And Other Acts Of God Pilot Light 2007 Reading Series 2006 Reading Series	October 2007, RE:Action Reading Series
The Little Prince Written by Antoine de Saint Exupery An Original Adaption by Jenny Brennan Directed by Lavina Jadhwani With dramaturgy by Kristin Idaszak Thursday, November 20, 7:30pm Curated by Megan Shuchman and Amanda Dunne $5 suggested donation. Refreshments provided. As part of our new Third Thursday Reading Series, Around the Coyote will be hosting the first public reading of the new play by Jenny Brennan, an adaptation of a familiar classic-- Antoine de Saint Exupery's The Little Prince. Synopsis: After crashing his plane into the Sahara Desert, a WWII fighter pilot forms an unlikely bond with a strange young prince on an intergalactic journey. A beloved French classic, The Little Prince is a modern fairytale that has touched the hearts of both children and adults for over sixty years. Professional actors will present the reading which will be followed by a panel discussion about the play with the playwright and actors. Audience members are encouraged to provide feedback on the reading all in the hopes of helping the playwright further develop the play. Actors included in the reading are: Jacob Aware, Jason Cohen, Brian Barber, Catherine Dughi, Carol Enoch, Minita Gandhi, Luke Harmon, and Katie Frient Jenny Brennan (playwright) is a proud company member of WNEP Theater where she has contributed to such shows as Dirty Bible Stories, Armageddon Radio Hour and the upcoming Soiree Dada: Schmuckt Der Hallen at the Storefront Theater. Her work has been produced at TANTA Productions in San Francisco and Messenger Theatre in New York and her plays A Crime in a Rhyme and Searching for Him are currently published by TADA! Youth Theater. She has had staged readings at Chicago Dramatists, the Illegitimate Arts Festival, the Children's Theater of Western Springs, Wood St. Theater and her alma mater Knox College. Jenny is a Chicago native. Lavina Jadhwani's (director) directing credits include work with Apple Tree, Chicago Dramatists, Infamous Commonwealth, Remy Bumppo, the side project, Stage Left and Victory Gardens. Lavina has also assisted directors Barbara Gaines, Frank Galati, Henry Godinez, Steve Scott and Di Trevis. She is an Associate Artist at Silk Road Theatre Project, Artistic Director of Rasaka Theatre Company and serves on the steering committee of the South Asian Theatre Arts Movement. Lavina is a graduate of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy and Carnegie Mellon University. lavinajadhwani.com
Generation Z Written by Dusty Wilson Directed by Rebecca Butler Thursday, September 18, 7:30pm Curated by Amanda Dunne $5 suggested donation. Refreshments provided. Starring: Josh Lesser Courtney Maistros Kat Paddock Mara Stern Josh Stiens Douglas Thornton Generation Z focuses on a group of twenty-somethings who have barricaded themselves inside an abandoned warehouse, which they have dubbed, Ft. Romero. Outside the world has become completely infested with a zombie apocalypse. This group is joined shortly by a second band of refugees, led by a man who believes those bitten have been marked by God as truly evil. The play examines the widening generation gap, the dangers of extremism and mob mentality, and the long term affects of misplaced blame. Dusty Wilson (Writer) is a recent graduate of Ohio University and a current resident of Chicago. His work has been awarded the Actors' Choice Award in the Bite-Size International Playwriting Competition (Hove, United Kingdom), 2nd place in the 16th Annual Nantucket Short Play Competition (Nantucket, MA), and was a semifinalist in Reverie Productions' 2007 Next Generation Playwriting Competition. His work was most recently featured in Dramatis Personae's 24 Hour Project.
love, Self- Written by Brian Lobel Friday, June 6, 2008 from 8pm Curated by Megan Shuchman $5 suggested donation. Refreshments provided. ATC Gallery is proud to present as part of the Playwrights Reading Series curated by Megan Shuchman, the Chicago Premiere of love, Self- by Brian Lobel. For one night only, writer and performer Brian Lobel, along with special guests Margot Bordelon, Rachel Claff, Mary Fons and Dylan Reiff, publicly explore - themselves. Join us for an evening of unrepentant self-indulgence. In his most masturbatory, qua solipsistic, performance ever, Brian Lobel explores the extent to which solipsism and masturbation are inherent in solo autobiographical performance. In this performance essay, Brian engages with over 30 online amateur xtube pornographers about their practice, becomes an online pornographer, and attempts to understand alternative queer communities. This performance marks Lobel's first return to Chicago from London, where love, Self- premiered in April, 2008. *Please note that love, Self- contains stark-naked emotions and copious nudity.*
CALL IT Written by Keely Flynn Directed by Lucinda Alipio Thursday, April 17, 2008 from 7-9pm Curated by Megan Shuchman $5 suggested donation. Refreshments provided. As part of our Third Thursday Reading Series, Around the Coyote will be hosting the first public reading of the new play by Keely Flynn, Call It. A love story about neuroses, bets and trust funds; with some exes thrown in for good measure. Professional actors will present the reading which will be followed by a panel discussion about the play with the playwright and actors. Audience members are encouraged to provide feedback on the reading all in the hopes of helping the playwright further develop the play. Actors included in the reading are: P.J. Schoeny as T.J., Simone Roos as Lonnie, Jared Martzell as Reynolds, David Pittmann as Paul, Annie Gloyn reading stage directions. Keely Flynn is a Chicago-based playwright, teacher and actress, by way of Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Marymount London Drama Programme at RADA and Hampshire College in Amherst, MA. She's a Collaboraction Artistic Associate, A Reasonable Facsimile Theatre Co. Resident Playwright (The Curse of the Goonies; Christmas Eve 1945 or Another Drink, Darling?), Misplaced Planet Productions member (NYC/L.A.) and Chicago Dramatists Network Playwright (Instant Theatre). She can be seen in Dog & Pony Theatre's upcoming "As Told by the Vivian Girls," where she'll understudy every female role.
THE HUBBLE CONSTANT Written by David Alex Directed by Jessica Hutchinson February 21, 2007 from 7-9pm Curated by Megan Shuchman and Amanda Dunne $5 suggested donation. Refreshments provided. During a home invasion, two families learn a new meaning of promise and freedom. David Alex has been awarded two grants in Recognition for Playwriting from the Illinois Arts Council and one from the Pilgrim Foundation. He has written ten full-length plays and more than a dozen one-acts. Many of his plays have won or placed in national writing competitions. He is a former Secretary of the Illinois Theatre Association and the Chicago Alliance for Playwrights. And is presently a member of the Jeff Committee which recognizes Excellence in Chicago Theatre. Recent productions include ENDS (African American Theatre Festival award winner), New Jersey Repertory Co. and Bowen Park Theatre Co.; BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON, Chicago Playwrights' Center; KICHEL, Bailiwick Directors Fest; AND THEY MOTHER AND WHAT IF?, New World Theater; ONTO INFINITY, Bowen Park Theatre Co.;THE VISITORS, New York's Harold Clurman Building; RIDE OF A LIFETIME, winner of the Gold Coast Players Short Play Contest, and THE SALE, published by Dramatic Publishing Company in the collection, SHORT STUFF. Other productions include, THE LUTWIDGE CANVASS, THE TINKER WINS, THE E-MAIL CONSPIRACY, and A SLICE OF TEEN LIFE (Collection of Monologues).
VOYEURISM AND OTHER ACTS OF GOD Written by Kit Idaszak Directed by Stephen James Anderson February 21, 2007 from 7-9pm Curated by Megan Shuchman and Amanda Dunne $5 suggested donation. Refreshments provided. Starring Tarryl Benedetto Jenn BeVard Chris Brown Stephanie Chavara Christopher Chmelik Kay Kron Juan Gabriel Ruiz You can't always believe your eyes. Kristin Idaszak is a Chicago-based freelance playwright, dramaturg and producer. She recently dramaturged The Theatre School at DePaul's production of Burial at Thebesand is co-curating Caffeine Theatre's upcoming Antigone Coffeehouse, both in conjunction with the city-wide Year of Antigones. Other upcoming projects include dramaturging Point of Contention's Still Photosand developing a new work with The Capnomancy Project. She also served the literary intern for Passion Play: a cycle in three parts by Sarah Ruhl at The Goodman.
PILOT LIGHT Written by Tim Bruns Directed by Megan Shuchman January 31, 2008, 7pm Curated by Megan Shuchman $5 suggested donation. Free Peroni beer. Starring Cory Conrad Margot Borderlon Robin Kacyn Tim McCarthy Nobody is pure. People lie. They cheat. They don't even know what they want, but they find a way to take it from somebody else. When someone from Cortland's past unexpectedly appears in her future, the thin line between needing to know, and not being able to forget is forever blurred. Tim Bruns graduated Emporia State University with a BFA in Theatre, and is now working for Actors' Equity Association in Chicago. Tim has written, directed, and produced many projects through Dark Tag Productions, a company he started in college. Look for the premiere of his next film, You Can't Outrun Bullets, this Spring. Tim's productions have been staged in California, Maryland, Kansas, and Illinois, and information about his work can be found at www.darktagproductions.com. Panel discussion will follow with director, playwright and actors available for questions. Curated by Megan Shuchman.
Do you have a new play you want to workshop in front of an audience as part of our Third Thursday Reading Series? Visit our Opportunities for Artists page for more details on how to submit your play.