Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival
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The Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival honors new American plays that provide dynamic performance opportunities for college-aged actors.
The festival endeavors both to recognize playwrights for their outstanding work and to provide a resource for universities across the country to identify dynamic plays with robust roles for college-aged actors for production at their institutions. The festival features both a full-length and short play division.
The 2022 Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival will be held in person at the Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre & Dance on the River Campus of Southeast Missouri State University from June 12-18.
The festival will feature staged readings of the five Official Selection plays, as well as workshops and seminars on playwriting and new play development.
At the conclusion of the festival, one play will be selected for the festival’s top prize and will receive its world premiere in the 2022-2023 Dobbins Conservatory Mainstage Season and will be considered for publication by Concord Theatricals, the world’s most significant theatrical company, comprising the catalogs of R&H Theatricals, Samuel French, Tams-Witmark, and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection.
Featured Guest Speakers
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Robert Barry Fleming
Artistic Director
Actors Theatre of Louisville
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Lonny Price
Emmy-Winning and Tony-Nominated Director and Librettist
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Mika Eubanks
Award-Winning
Costume Designer
Special Event
Staged reading of Los Alamos, an unproduced play by the late Pulitzer Prize-Winner Lanford Wilson
Presented through special arrangement with the Lanford Wilson Estate, with special thanks to the Lanford Wilson Collection at the University of Missouri. Followed by a discussion with Lanford Wilson scholar David Crespy, PhD, Professor of Playwriting, Acting, Dramatic Literature and Theatre History, University of Missouri and Director of the Lanford Wilson Collection
2022 Full-Length Official Selections
Tough
by Margot Connolly Synopsis: The troubled teen boot camp, Crosswinds, sells itself to parents as a behavior modification program that will help their daughters straighten out. The girls who have been sent here, however, learn it is a place of ever-changing rules, harsh punishments, and increasing desperation. When they hear a rumor that the program will be shut down if a camper dies, the girls plan their escape – by whatever means necessary. Monday, June 13 at 7 p.m.
The Other Part of the Picture
by Peter Hardy Synopsis: Matt and Maddie are grad students living in apartments next door to one another. Very different people, they are unexpectedly drawn to each other and gradually become friends. A group of other friends gather around them to explore the enigma of some old letters they’ve found in their rooms. A play about friendship, storytelling, and the mysteries of how we come to know other people, learning things about them which they never tell us outright. Tuesday, June 14 at 7 p.m.
Fame Heaux
by Leigh M. Marshall Synopsis: A close-knit group of online avatars gather in their virtual forest, a gossip forum called Alice’s Evidence, to spill the tea on celebrities. On the forum, they are able to create their own rules, theories, and even court of law as they attempt to discover one true thing in a world of fake news. As they focus on the conflicts and kinships of their Technicolor internet rumor mill, the real world around them shifts toward the oppressive, violent, and unknown. Wednesday, June 15 at 7 p.m.
The Dark Arts for Beginners
by Nick Robideau Synopsis: It's the year 2057, and the planet's climate crisis has passed the point of no return. Fires rage, cities drown, cancer rates soar, and the population is forced to live nocturnally. Humanity's last hope lies with a coven of teenage witches. There are just two little problems: these kids are tapping into forces more powerful than they could ever imagine, and they don't exactly know what they're doing. Thursday, June 16 at 7 p.m.
The Winterguard Play
by Avery Deutsch Synopsis: Winter Guard is not Color Guard. Forget football. Forget pom-poms. In Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania, a High school Winter Guard team attempts to choreograph a routine on global warming. A play about catching flags, catching each other, and realizing the grown-ups aren't going to save you. Friday, June 17 at 7 p.m.
2022 Short Play Official Selections
SUNDAY, JUNE 12 at 7 p.m.
Admittance: A Letter to Northwestern University by Elijah CoxEt tu, Brew Tea by Jeff Dunne
Chem Class by Jennifer O'Grady
A Benevolent Alliance of Mourners by Ken Preuss
Grace by Wendy Gough Soroka
SATURDAY, JUNE 18 at 2 p.m.
Loglines by Dan BorengasserAs Slimy as Young Snails by Arlene Hutton
Sad Lonely People by Seth McNeill
A Monogamy of Swans by John Minigan
Last Dance with MJ by Lindsay Partain
2022 Full-Length Semi-Finalists
A Sad and Merry Madness by David Don MillerBelow the Fold by Matthew T. Stoffel
Black Feminist Video Game by Darrel Alehandro Holnes
Call Time by Deb Hiett
Campus Jihad by Nicole Anderson Cobb
Carl Flunt Would Protect You From Trucks by Scott Mullen
Co-Op by Matthew Stephen Smith
The Discharged Truth by Lexi McKay
Do It For the Bard by Laura Barbieri
Exploding the Swan by Lawrence DuKore
Founders, Keepers by Aurora Behlke
Frankenstein's Mary Shelley by Rachel Atkins
Glitter Bracelets by Nay Harris
Hit the Pavement or, Hoboloboactive by Imani Alyse Redman
How to Build an Ark by Andrew Black
Ill Met By Moonlight by Greg Cummings
Intake: Hawaii by Salwa Meghjee
It’s Better If You Don’t by Stephen Kalpin
Kaleidoscope by Evan Brodsky
Love in Idleness by Walt McGough
Magic Years by Mary DeCarlo
The Making and Breaking of Glass by S. Dylan Zwickel
Midnite by Reina Hardy and Rory Leahy
Miss Understood by Monique Hebert
Near Nellie Bly by Mark Loewenstern
Off-White; Or the Arab House Party Play by Alyssa Haddad
Once on Rumspringa by Ellis Stump
The Rest of Us by Amy Tofte
Sibling Rivalries by Marcus Scott
The Survivors/Los Sobrevivientes by Katie Bender
Taco Town by Luke Sorge
These and Those by Ruth Geye
This Bitch: Esta Sangre Quiero by Adrienne Dawes
three girls never learnt the way home by Matthew Paul Olmos
Tough by Margot Connolly
Untouched by D.L. Siegel
What Else is True? by David Rosenberg
You Cannot Undo This Action by Conor Eifler
FEATURED GUEST BIOS
LONNY PRICE – On Broadway, Lonny Price directed Sunset Boulevard, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, 110 in the Shade, Master Harold... and the Boys, Sally Marr and Her Escorts (co-written with Joan Rivers and Erin Sanders), Urban Cowboy, and A Class Act (Tony Award nomination for Best Book of a Musical, co-written with Linda Kline). London directing credits include Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill on the West End, as well as Carousel, Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, and Man of La Mancha at the English National Opera.
Film and television credits include his film version of the New York Philharmonic’s Sweeney Todd and Company. He also directed the stage and filmed versions of his tribute to Stephen Sondheim, Sondheim: The Birthday Concert! (Emmy Award). Other Philharmonic collaborations include the ‘Live From Lincoln Center’ broadcast of Camelot, Candide, Sweeney Todd (Emmy Award), and Sondheim’s Passion (Emmy Award).
In his years as an actor, Lonny originated the roles of Charlie Kringas in Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Merrily We Roll Along, Ben in Joseph Stein, Charles Strouse, and Stephen Schwartz’s Rags, and Hally in Athol Fugard’s Master Harold… and the boys. He also appeared in the role of Larry during the original Broadway run of Lanford Wilson’s Burn This.
ROBERT BARRY FLEMING – Robert has a varied portfolio and a wealth of administrative/artistic leadership experience, producing, directing, choreographing, performing, and teaching/coaching. Currently the Executive Artistic Director of Actors Theatre of Louisville, Robert was formerly the Director of Artistic Programming at Arena Stage, and served as the Associate Artistic Director at Cleveland Play House. Actors Theatre of Louisville world premieres include Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, Are You There?, Keep Going Song, and Ali Summit. Arena Stage world premieres commissioned, scouted, shepherded and nurtured under his watch include the 2017 Best Musical Tony-winner, Dear Evan Hansen and the 2017 Pulitzer Prize winner, Sweat. He directed/choreographed the acclaimed world premiere musical Grace for Ford’s Theatre in D.C. and in the commercial theatre, Robert was an Associate Producer for the Off-Broadway premiere of The Two Character Play by Tennessee Williams, starring Amanda Plummer and Brad Dourif. He was an Associate Professor and Chair of the University of San Diego Theatre Arts and Performance Studies Department. Some of his professional acting credits include stints on Broadway (Ragtime directed by Frank Galati, Stand-Up Tragedy), Off-Broadway (lead role in Insurrection at The Public), national tour (Cats original Bus and Truck and German companies), playing in major regional theatres (i.e., The Taper in the world premiere of Jelly’s Last Jam, The Old Globe, and The Guthrie), on television (the Emmy winning Adventures in Wonderland, Family Matters, The George Carlin Show) and film (the Oscar winning L.A. Confidential and Twilight of the Golds).
MIKA EUBANKS – Mika Eubanks received her MFA in Costume Design at Yale School of Drama where she has designed Death of Yazdgerd and Tent Revival. Other work includes Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again., In the Red and Brown Water (Yale Cabaret); Feeding Beatrice (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); Harry and the Thief (Strand Theater); Fires In The Mirror (Baltimore Center Stage/Long wharf Theatre); King Lear starring Andre De Shields (St. Louis Shakespeare Festival); and Seize The King (Classical Theater of Harlem). Mika has worked at the Hippodrome, Morgan State University, and Rift Art Studio Gallery, where she was a co-founder. In film she has designed costumes for short films like Candace and The Hulu mini-series Initiative 29. In awards she earned the Leo Lerman Graduate Fellowship in 2019, the Jada Pinkett Smith Applied Arts Award in 2015, and holds a BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art. In Spring 2019 she designed Twelfth Night at the Yale Repertory Theatre, for which she received the Connecticut Critic Circle Award for outstanding costume design. Web site: mikaeubanks.com.
GARRETT ANDERSON – Garrett Anderson is the Senior Manager of Acquisitions and Artistic Development with Concord Theatricals. He also serves as the Literary Director of the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival (OOB). Garrett has previously worked with the Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC, Bret Adams, Ltd., and Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago. He's also been a reader for SPACE on Ryder Farm, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Theatre Masters, and the Austin Film Festival. Originally from El Paso, TX, Garrett holds a B.A in Theatre Arts from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX.
Schedule of Events
Sunday, June 12
| TIME | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:00pm | SHORT PLAY STAGED READINGS – PROGRAM 1 Admittance: A Letter to Northwestern University by Elijah Cox Et tu, Brew Tea by Jeff Dunne Chem Class by Jennifer O'Grady A Benevolent Alliance of Mourners by Ken Preuss Grace by Wendy Gough Soroka directed by Kitt Lavoie and Mary McGough Rust Flexible Theatre - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC |
Monday, June 13
| TIME | Event |
|---|---|
| 10:30am | Festival Opening Session |
| 1:00pm | Twenty Minute Playwriting Challenge Kenneth L. Stilson, PhD Executive Director of the Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival and Chair of the Jeanine Larson Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre & Dance, Southeast Missouri State University |
| 3:00pm | Navigating Artistic Innovation and Social Transformation in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complicated and Ambiguous Climate Robert Barry Fleming Executive Artistic Director of the Actors Theatre of Louisville |
| 7:00pm | OFFICIAL SELECTION STAGED READING Tough by Margot Connolly directed by Lonny Price Reading will be followed by a talkback with the playwright. Bedell Performance Hall - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC |
Tuesday, June 14
| TIME | Event |
|---|---|
| 9:00am | Playwrights Lab moderated by Kitt Lavoie Artistic Director, Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival |
| 1:00pm | Uncharted: Approaching New Musicals from Multiple Perspectives Lonny Price Director and Librettist |
| 3:00pm | What's in your Pocket? Getting to the Heart of the Character through Costume Mika Eubanks Costume Designer |
| 7:00pm | OFFICIAL SELECTION STAGED READING The Other Part of the Picture by Peter Hardy directed by Jennifer Reichert Reading will be followed by a talkback with the playwright. Bedell Performance Hall - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC |
Wednesday, June 15
| TIME | Event |
|---|---|
| 9:00am | SPECIAL EVENT STAGED READING Los Alamos an unproduced play by Pulitzer Prize-winner Lanford Wilson Directed by and followed by a discussion with David Crespy, PhD Professor, University of Missouri Director, The Lanford Wilson Collection |
| 1:30pm | Demystifying Theatrical Licensing and Publication Garret Anderson Senior Manager, Acquisitions and Artistic Development Concord Theatricals |
| 3:00pm | Fluid Design for an Evolving Production Amber Marisa Cook Associate Professor of Costume Design Jeanine Larson Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre & Dance Southeast Missouri State University |
| 7:00pm | OFFICIAL SELECTION STAGED READING Fame Heaux by Leigh M. Marshall directed by Christina Casano Reading will be followed by a talkback with the playwright. Bedell Performance Hall - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC |
Thursday, June 16
| TIME | Event |
|---|---|
| 9:00am | Playwrights Lab The Molecule Literary Magazine 50 Word Play Challenge moderated by Kitt Lavoie Artistic Director, Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival |
| 1:00pm | New Play Development Jeopardy |
| 3:00pm | Spectacle As Starting Point: And The Art of Self-Trickery Avery Deutsch Official Selection Playwright |
| 7:00pm | OFFICIAL SELECTION STAGED READING The Dark Arts for Beginners by Nick Robideau directed by Kenneth L. Stilson Reading will be followed by a talkback with the playwright. Bedell Performance Hall - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC |
Friday, June 17
| TIME | Event |
|---|---|
| 9:00am | Developing Character and Voice Margot Connolly Official Selection Playwright |
| 10:30am | Working With New Plays from Both Sides Peter Hardy Official Selection Playwright |
| 1:00pm | A Dialogue about Process with a Dance Break Leigh M. Marshall Official Selection Playwright |
| 3:00pm | Heightened Theatre from the Heart: Finding Emotional Truth Through Language and Spectacle Nick Robideau Official Selection Playwright |
| 7:00pm | OFFICIAL SELECTION STAGED READING The Winterguard Play by Avery Deutsch directed by Ryan Townsend Reading will be followed by a talkback with the playwright. Bedell Performance Hall - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC |
Saturday, June 18
| TIME | Event |
|---|---|
| 2:00pm | SHORT PLAY STAGED READINGS – PROGRAM 2 Loglines by Dan Borengasser As Slimy as Young Snails by Arlene Hutton Sad Lonely People by Seth McNeill A Monogamy of Swans by John Minigan Last Dance with MJ by Lindsay Partain directed by Cameron Cai, Andrew Freeland, Noah Hinton, Julianne Ledford, and Mary McGough Rust Flexible Theatre - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC |
| 4:30pm | Panel Discussion with Full-Length Playwrights and Closing Awards Ceremony Bedell Performance Hall - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC |
Registration
Attendance at the evening and Saturday afternoon staged readings are free. To register for the daytime conference sessions, please follow the link below.
Registration for the full week of events is:
$225 for general audience
$125 for students
$125 for Cape Girardeau Residents and Southeast Missouri State University alumni
There is no charge for current Southeast Missouri State University students, faculty, and staff.
On-campus housing is available for $15/night for double occupancy and $20/night for single occupancy.
Appropriate CDC-recommended COVID safety protocols at the time of the event will be followed.
Mission Statement
The Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival identifies and supports new plays that feature robust roles for college-aged actors, while providing a laboratory to train students in the skills and ethics inherent to work with living playwrights on new works.
The festival accepts submissions of full length plays from playwrights nationwide and one-act plays from residents of the state of Missouri and/or students enrolled at universities in Missouri.
Festival Staff
Contact Us
For additional information, please contact Kitt Lavoie, Artistic Director, at lanfordwilsonfest@semo.edu
Festival Sponsors
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701