Hey everybody. I want you all to save the dates!

My residency with Freedom Train Productions continues, and next month, Freedom Train’s Fire! Festival of new plays in development begins.

My project – Bring the Beat Back – opens the festival, followed by two other exciting projects from Freedom Train’s resident playwrights. More info is available here. http://www.freedomtrainproductions.org/

Here are some upcoming dates:
July 22, 2009 – 6:30 P.M. Offstage Forum: Freedom Train

will host an open discussion

exploring the relationship between the concept of the

Apocalypse and progressive social movements.
August 5th, 2009 – 7 P.M. – Performance
August 6th, 2009 – 7 P.M. – Performance

More on the Project: Bring the Beat Back: an Apocalyptist Episode

Tru Believers know the Musicship Megarhythmic is on its way to save them from the End of the World, but you can’t get on if you can’t get down, and somebody done stole the beat. Trudy thinks her boy-crazed brother may be the troublemaker in question. And unless she can literally “straighten things out” between her brother and his latest love, the Musicship may just groove on by without them. Reaching into a transcendental realm of underground dance music, Bring the Beat Back is an experimental work of music-drama.

This is shaping up to be a very exciting project. Christopher Burris has joined the project as my collaborating director, and I really appreciate his perspective as we are moving towards the staged reading events.

Freedom Train gives its resident playwrights so much support to help bring the work to life. From the play development workshops, to assistance with casting, to career sessions, to the Train’s great network of backstage and onstage talent, to the other resident playwrights.

It’s great, great, great! I hope you all get a chance to see our work in August.
More soon.

Derek Lee McPhatter.