Landmark Event (Nashville)

Next Monday August 27th, 2012 will complete the first full year of the Metro Nashville Parks Theatre Department's New Play Reading Series at The Z. Alexander Looby Theatre, which I have had the honor to curate, thanks to my colleague Carolyn German, who is the Artistic Director of the Metro Theatre Department.

Over the past year we have showcased 9 properties with a dual focus, that being:

Plays by members of The African American Playwrights Exchange (AAPEX) and new works by Nashville songwriters.

The reading series began in September 2011 as a partnership between The African American Playwrights Exchange and Carolyn's department.

The casts have ranged in size from the 5 character UMBRELLA to the cast of over 30 for the reading of Mark Clayton Southers NINE DAYS IN THE SUN.

The curtain call for Southers' play, with a cast pretty much evenly split between African American and Caucasian actors, was a tribute to Nashville's outstanding acting community, and these events are intended as much as showcases for the actors as for the plays and the playwrights. Agents, casting directors and industry (film) folks are the first to receive invitations and sometimes they even come.

Speaking of UMBRELLA - the Steve Leslie/Len Cohen collaboration - this fine new musical is one of three finalists in the Boiler Room new musicals competition and just had a brief sold out run over at Bongo Java, while Jamie Cutler's WWII drama ANGELS WITHOUT WINGS got a workshop workout at The Darkhorse (ANGELS was given a Looby reading in March 2011).

Next Monday, in addition to celebrating a successful year of new play readings, we will also be celebrating the fifth anniversary of The African American Playwrights Exchange, so our August 27th event will feature two one act plays by writers who are members of AAPEX: Dr. Frank Dobson of Vanderbilt University and Dr. Mary Weems of Cleveland, Ohio and the Karamu House community of artists. These two powerful dramas deliver the kind of gestalt altering experience that only African American survivors of the 20th century United States can summon up.

Come to Nashville and Go to the Theatre.

Free: All are welcome.

Monday, August 27th

7:00 pm

The Z. Alexander Looby Theatre

2301 Rosa Parks Boulevard

Nashville, Tennessee

Looby Reading Series Schedule

Taking a moment to stop and thank the playwrights who have helped launch the Metro Nashville Parks Theatre Department's New Play Reading Series, Carolyn German, Artistic Director:

Hershell Norwood - Billie's Blues

Mark Southers - Nine Days in the Sun

Steve Leslie and Len Cohen - Umbrella

Jamie Cutler - Angels Without Wings

Jesse Goldberg and Gene Levine - It's a Ruff Life

As of Monday, June 21 we hit a landmark with the sixth event in the new play readings at The Looby. Our track record actually includes one default but weigh that against the five extraordinary successes we have had with your plays and I sincerely believe that this series has something unique to offer playwrights.

As we move forward, I am looking to develop a strategy for establishing the importance of this project at a national level which will brand us as a prestige launching pad in the world of new play development. I am confident to do this because of our artistic team and their ability to turn out quality entertainment and that team is Courtney McClellan, Helen Pettaway, Mark Payne, Alexis Lherisson, William Jenkins and Halee Culicerto. It also includes Len Cohen & Steve Leslie and Jesse Goldberg & Gene Levine for taking charge of their own projects - and a huge round of applause to Leslie & Cohen for landing a spot as one of the three finalists in the Boiler Room competition.

And of course it includes our actors. And our special guest artist, musician Bob Teague.

The selection of plays here is a fusion of my own personal dramaturgical agenda, which is split between the plays of AAPEX and new musicals by Nashville songwriters. Here's how that plays out for the rest of 2012:

June - we are actually mounting a full - and very spontaneous - production of Chris Boardman's play SO SHE LIVED at the Darkhorse, opening June 15th. The Darkhorse isn't the Looby and this isn't a reading, but this project is a direct result of the Metro Parks Theatre Department's New Play Reading Series because it was after the reading of UMBRELLA that Chris came up to me and asked for assistance with his first play. Chris has 6 Emmys and received an Academy Award nomination for THE COLOR PURPLE. Courtney McClellan is directing and I am hoping that all of you will plan to be there opening night, which is June 15th. Check out the playwright at www.chrisboardmanmusic.com

June will also see the world premiere of the Carolyn German/Rollie Mains Steampunk Musical AIRSHIP AT VAPOR STATION at The Looby Theatre, opening June22. Reservations and information at 615-509-0247.

July -( this is very cool!.) - It seems that some of the theatre students at The University School of Nashville have written a musical called "hYm" under the mentorship of Catherine Coke, so we will be partnering with a local school whose recent productions included a fantastic take on CABARET and the regional premiere of BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON.

Just for the record, in my world there is no such thing as a "student" production - there are just actors of all ages.

August - Shawn Whitsell and his team of artists will encore their reading of YOUNG MESSIAHS FLY by Dr. Frank Dobson, Executive Director of Vanderbilt's Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center - and the possibility of a double bill with another one act out of Atlanta (in negotiation.)

September - Alexis Lherisson directs THE CHITTLIN THIEF by Mike Oatman, Resident Playwright at Karamu House in Cleveland, Ohio. On board so far cast wise - Max Desir, LaToya Gardner and Elliot Winston.

October - we will celebrate our one year anniversary with HANNAH ELIAS by two Winston Salem colleagues, Nathan Ross Freeman, playwright, as commissioned by Johnie Blue Gardner - with Helen "Olaketi" Shute-Pettaway in the title role directed by Dr. Dara Talibah and an original piano score by yours truly, Jaz Dorsey.

HANNAH ELIAS is a story that is gonna rock you with some serious historical revisionism - not to mention murder, scandal and millions (of dollars).

The season ends in November with STORIES MY GRANDMOTHER TOLD ME by Ted Swindley of ALWAYS . . .PATSY CLINE fame.

Jaz Dorsey

Dramaturg

AAPEX