Tag Archive for: Lee Sellars

2010 REPERTORY

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Finally a new blog. I am ready to begin to post new blogs RE: our 2010 REPERTORY. The snow is beginning to melt in Shepherdstown. Man…what a winter! The local newspapers are calling our recent snowfalls” THE STORM OF THE CENTURY!” Shepherdstown was a winter wonderland. Life here simply stopped for over a week. Time seemed to stand still. We lost electrical power at my house for two and a half days during the first 28′ snow storm. It seemed like the snow would never stop falling. But…I can now say that I am ready for Spring.

Needless to say the STORM OF THE CENTURY has put CATF behind schedule. We are putting the final touches on the 2010 FESTIVAL GUIDE and hope to have it to the printers later this week. Please let me know when you receive it in the mail. I am interested in hearing your thoughts about our upcoming Five Play Repertory. Let’s begin to have a conversation on this Producers Blog.

I returned from Philadelphia on January 28th where I was directing the World Premiere of THE ECLECTIC SOCIETY by Eric Conger at The Walnut Street Theatre. Rehearsals began on December 26th and we opened on January 27th. It runs until March 7th. So if you are in the Philadelphia area…check it out. www.walnutstreettheare.org  I had a BLAST! working at the Walnut. The play is doing well and is playing to full houses. Which is great…because…it is an 1,100 seat theater.

Last November Lee Sellars and Max Baker invited me to attend a private concert reading of their new Performance Theater Musical THE EELWAX JESUS 3-D POP MUSIC SHOW. I was blown away by the reading. I am looking forward to introducing you to this imaginative new work this summer. We are producing the World Premiere on the Frank Stage in our rotating repertory of Five new American plays. EELWAX JESUS will rotate with Michele Lowe’s beautiful new play INANA. I attended a reading of INANA in Denver and decided to produce it on-the spot. I am pleased to welcome Michele to the CATF Repertory.

J.T. Rogers is returning to the Festival with a controversial newly revised draft of WHITE PEOPLE which we will perform in our intimate 75 seat Performance Space. The CATF Studio Theater will feature two brand new works: BREADCRUMBS by Jennifer Haley and LIDLESS by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig.

We have a strong Five Play Rep in 2010. I recommend that you begin to make your travel and lodging plans now. Serious theater is back…thinkTheater 2010 is coming…

More about the 2010 Rep later.

Ed Herendeen

Research and Development

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I just returned from a week of R&D in New York City. On Tuesday I attended a Reading of a new play at MTC and attended Victor Lodato’s AFTER SEVEN Readings at NEW DRAMATISTS. Victor has completed his 7 year residency with NEW DRAMATISTS. He presented readings from his plays: DEAR SARA JANE, MOTHERHOUSE, WILD LIFE, and he read an excerpt from his new novel MATHILDA SAVITCH. Victor’s novel was recently published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. He has received excellent reviews for his first novel. I especially enjoyed hearing him read from the first chapter.

On Wednesday I attended meetings with Literary Agents and playwrights. I received four proposals/pitches RE: a 2011 CATF new play commission. On Tuesday evening I attended Lucy Thurber’s stunning production of KILLERS AND OTHER FAMILY at the Rattlestick Theater.

On Thursday I attended more playwright/agent meetings and then I took the Metro North train to Beacon NY to rehearse a Workshop/Reading of WRECKS by Neil LaBute at True North Theater. Kurt Zischke recreated his CATF performance as Edward Carr and we presented two Readings on Friday and Saturday. I enjoyed working with Kurt again. He gave a powerful reading.

It was a very productive week. I received several new scripts to read and consider for our 2010 Repertory. One of the highlights of the week was having breakfast with my friend Lee Sellars. Lee is appearing in WEST SIDE STORY on Broadway. It was great to see Lee and hear about his successful Broadway run. Lee pitched me a proposal for a new musical that he and Max Baker are writing with their band EELWAX JESUS. It is a fascinating project about greed and paranoia in America…more on this later…

I am back in Shepherdstown and I am reading new work and beginning the pre-season preparations for our 20th Anniversary Season.

Ed Herendeen