THE 3RD ANNUAL
CLEVELAND PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

All events are free.
Tickets or reservations are not required.
Intended for adults and teens.

12:00 PM

Workshop: Cross-Pollination: The Art of Adapting Works for the Stage with Eric Schmiedl

Presented with The Dramatists Guild

Adaptation has been a component of western theatre since Sophocles first dreamed of putting Oedipus on stage. And, the current success ofThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Fun Home, and Hamilton indicate that theatrical adaptation is alive and well in the 21st Century. This workshop seeks to discover the basic steps in transforming non-theatrical works into drama for the stage. And, it’s practical! Bring your writing utensils and your imagination!

2:00 PM

Craft Talk: Working with New Plays: The Director’s Perspective with Sarah Greywitt, Anjanette Hall, and Matthew Wright
Moderated by Les Hunter

Presented with The Dramatists Guild

In this craft talk, Sarah Greywitt, Anjanette Hall, and Matthew Wright address the ways in which contemporary directors approach new plays. Presented as a panel discussion and moderated by Les Hunter, this session provides insights on how new work is interpreted by established collaborators. Essential for playwrights, but open to all.

3:45 PM

Special Screening & Talkback: Mama Said: Stories of Life, Love, and Triumph

Presented with The Oatman Players

Join playwright Michael Oatman for a presentation of his new webseries of dramatic monologues.

5:00 PM

Pics, or It Didn’t: Written and directed by Rachel Baird 

A guest presentation by The Bessemer Project

Synopsis: Pics, or It Didn’t is a life story constructed in pictures. We chronicle our lives and retain memories through images, slowly turning our lives from real events to a string of stories. The play’s single character invites the audience in, as though into her living room, and begins by telling the story of her upbringing. She weaves together photos to bring the audience up to the present day, constructing a reality with images. As she weaves her way through her life, however, some of the events from between the pictures begin to ooze their way through.

6:45 PM

Axe Under the Bed by Vickie L. Williams

A staged reading directed by India Burton

Synopsis: On the stormy night of June 23, 1822, in Charleston, South Carolina, midwife Mildred Hurston was at the home of Clay and Aberdeen Montgomery to birth their child. Mildred brought along her birthing axe: something she believed had represented good luck and had spiritual powers to relieve pain. She also brought her daughter Annie Mae, the last of her nine children, to teach her the art of midwifery. When not comforting Aberdeen, Mildred secretly spoke about a new life of freedom when Denmark Vesey’s plan of a revolt was accomplished. As each moment went by, Mildred’s hatred for the Montgomerys grew. Nothing seemed good anymore. Not even the axe.

8:00 PM

Broken Wings by Stuart Hoffman

A staged reading directed by Erik Andrews

Synopsis: A haunting tale of isolation, Broken Wings tells a love story between an elderly man with personal demons and a teenage girl with a lot on her mind. A lover of literature and ornithology, Mr. Starling has been alone his whole life. To compensate for his loneliness, he retreats into his fantasies, imagining conversations between himself and an unknown Woman he loved as a younger man. When energetic and spontaneous Phoebe enters into his life, Starling is at first reluctant, but grows fond of her while bonding over literature, birds, and life. As their friendship grows, Starling’s relationship with the Woman begins to deteriorate. Although a figment of his imagination, she is so real to him that she becomes jealous and heartbroken, forcing him to choose between an unpredictable reality and a reliable fantasy. What happens when your imagination takes control of your emotions?

10:00 PM

Newcomers’ Night Session

Staged readings of works by writers new to Playwrights Local

DIY: Written by Brian Zoldessy and directed by Juliette Regnier

A Boy and His Bullies: Written by David Ritchey and directed by Jessica R Swank

The Story of Mr Not So Well: Written by Daniel McNamara and directed by Ismael Lara

It’s Just Pudding: Written by Rachel Zake and directed by Christopher Johnston

Elbow Room: Written by Craig A. Webb and directed by Anne Karyna Bakan