Dreamwell - What do you fear to talk about? This was the charge to Iowa Playwrights - answer that question in the form of an original play. Many playwrights answered the call and three were chosen as the winners of Dreamwell Theatre's first Writers Joust competition.
The festival will open this weekend with readings of the two runners up and conclude with two performances of our winning play next weekend.
On November 12 there will be a reading of Divergence by Janet Schlapkohl, a play about a farm family affected by a horrible tragedy. Schlapkohl founded Combined Efforts Theatre, a group that offers opportunities for actors with and without special needs. Her monologues have been included in Riverside Theatre’s Walking the Wire productions.
"Divergence is about family secrets and the impact they can have," said Dreamwell founder Matt Falduto. "And who doesn't have a family secret or two?"
The Night I Kissed Osama Bin Laden - A Post-9/11 Comedy by Joe Jennison will be read on November 13. Jennison is a nine-time produced playwright whose plays have been staged at theaters in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. His play A Beautiful Man won “Best of Fringe” and “Best Comedy” at the San Francisco Fringe Festival in 2003. More recently, his play A New Normal was presented as part of the TCR Underground Festival.
"I've been fortunate enough to see this show since its first drafts as part of the Black Doggers play writing group," said Falduto. "It's a slapsticky farce with an important message that is really at its heart very American."
On November 19th and 20th we will present the world premiere of the winning play Innocence by Tom Deiker. Based on real life events, Innocence tells the story of Pedro Lopez, a mass murderer known as The Monster of the Andes. The play explores the choices made by individuals who encountered Lopez, and how those choices may have lead to more murders. Deiker is a published writer who has had his work placed in several dozen publications, including Cimarron Review, Fugue, Galaxy, Newsweek, and Plain Dealer Magazine. He also recently formed a Des Moines community theatre company, Lucubrations.
All shows begin at 7:30 at the Unitarian Universalist Society, 10 S. Gilbert St. in Iowa City.
Tickets for the readings: $5
Tickets for Innocence performance: $12 Adults, $10 Seniors, $8 students.
Buy a FESTIVAL PASS and see all three for only $18. Passes available at the door or in advance at White Rabbit (109 S. Linn Street in Iowa City).
Reserve seats at any of our shows at www.dreamwell.com
Want to contribute reviews or articles?
Contact us at ictheatreblog@gmail.com.
Showing posts with label Divergence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Divergence. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Dreamwell Announces Writers Joust winners
Dreamwell - Dreamwell Theatre has selected the winners of its first ever Writers Joust: A Fear Festival. Innocence by Tom Deiker of Clive, Iowa was chosen as the winner. The two runners up are The Night I Kissed Osama Bin Laden: A 9/11 Comedy by Joe Jennison of Mount Vernon, Iowa and Divergence by Janet Schlapkohl of Iowa City, Iowa. Innocence will open November 19th. The runners up will receive staged readings the weekend of November 12th.
In order to fit in with the theme of the 2010 season, “Taboo Bijou,” the submitted plays had to reflect the following theme: subjects we fear to talk about. Jennison's play addresses our national tragedy with humor while Schlapkohl's tackles the subject of family secrets. Jennison is a nine-time produced playwright whose plays have been staged at theaters in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. His play A Beautiful Man won “Best of Fringe” and “Best Comedy” at the San Francisco Fringe Festival in 2003. Janet Schlapkohl founded the “Combined Efforts Community Drama,” a group that offers opportunities for actors with and without special needs. Her monologues have been included in Riverside Theatre's Walking the Wire productions.
The winning play, Innocence, tells the story of Pedro Lopez, "Monster of the Andes," who raped and murdered over 300 young girls. Deiker's play explores the choices made by individuals who encountered Lopez, and how those choices may have lead to more murders. Deiker is a published writer who has had his work placed in several dozen publications, including Cimarron Review, Fugue, Galaxy, Newsweek, and Plain Dealer Magazine. He also recently formed a Des Moines community theatre company, Lucubrations.
Dreamwell received many entries to the Writers Joust from writers all over Iowa. "We had so many great plays to choose from," said Matt Falduto, Dreamwell founder. "We felt these three plays best expressed our theme."
Dreamwell has produced original plays in the past, but this is the first time they have ever had a competition. “We wanted to try something new to encourage Iowa playwrights,” said co-Artistic Director Chuck Dufano. “We're thrilled with the number of choices we had and excited beyond belief at the shows we're going to present to the community.”
Dreamwell Theatre is an award-winning non-profit volunteer theatre company dedicated to creating professional-quality productions. In their 13 years of existence, they have produced over 50 plays in various locations around Iowa City. Their mission is to create challenging, innovative and inclusive theatrical experiences as a theatre of exploration.
In order to fit in with the theme of the 2010 season, “Taboo Bijou,” the submitted plays had to reflect the following theme: subjects we fear to talk about. Jennison's play addresses our national tragedy with humor while Schlapkohl's tackles the subject of family secrets. Jennison is a nine-time produced playwright whose plays have been staged at theaters in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. His play A Beautiful Man won “Best of Fringe” and “Best Comedy” at the San Francisco Fringe Festival in 2003. Janet Schlapkohl founded the “Combined Efforts Community Drama,” a group that offers opportunities for actors with and without special needs. Her monologues have been included in Riverside Theatre's Walking the Wire productions.
The winning play, Innocence, tells the story of Pedro Lopez, "Monster of the Andes," who raped and murdered over 300 young girls. Deiker's play explores the choices made by individuals who encountered Lopez, and how those choices may have lead to more murders. Deiker is a published writer who has had his work placed in several dozen publications, including Cimarron Review, Fugue, Galaxy, Newsweek, and Plain Dealer Magazine. He also recently formed a Des Moines community theatre company, Lucubrations.
Dreamwell received many entries to the Writers Joust from writers all over Iowa. "We had so many great plays to choose from," said Matt Falduto, Dreamwell founder. "We felt these three plays best expressed our theme."
Dreamwell has produced original plays in the past, but this is the first time they have ever had a competition. “We wanted to try something new to encourage Iowa playwrights,” said co-Artistic Director Chuck Dufano. “We're thrilled with the number of choices we had and excited beyond belief at the shows we're going to present to the community.”
Dreamwell Theatre is an award-winning non-profit volunteer theatre company dedicated to creating professional-quality productions. In their 13 years of existence, they have produced over 50 plays in various locations around Iowa City. Their mission is to create challenging, innovative and inclusive theatrical experiences as a theatre of exploration.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)