For specifics on this year's festival, please scroll down. Above: the 2008 MFAs.

About the festival: The annual Ohio University Seabury Quinn, Jr. Playwright's Festival held each year at the end of the Spring Quarter (usually the last two weeks of May), represents the culmination of the work of the playwrights in the program.  During the festival, first year students present their work in the form of rehearsed sit-down readings. The work of second and third year students is presented in the form of rehearsed reading, script-in-hand workshop productions, or full Studio productions. Playwrights receive audience feedback in addition to individual professional response and individual mentoring.

Many festival plays go on to receive professional productions in New York, Chicago and around the country. Renowned theater professionals are invited to the University to respond to the work of OU playwrights. These distinguished guests conduct seminars, workshops, and respond to the work of OU playwrights. Recent guests have included nationally acclaimed playwrights Lee Blessing, Rick Cleveland, Eric Coble, Rebecca Gilman, Julie Jensen, Jon Klein, Sherry Kramer, Quincy Long, Julie McKee and Susan Yankowitz, in addition to Chuck Smith (Artistic Associate, Goodman Theatre in Chicago), Janet Allen (Artistic Director, Indiana Repertory), Mead Hunter (Literary Director, Portland Center Stage, in Portland Oregon), Sandy Shinner (Associate Artistic Director, Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago), Ed Herendeen (Contemporary American Theatre Festival) and Dennis Zacek (Artistic Director of the Tony-award winning Victory Gardens Theater). For more information on the nationally known professionals and guest artists in residence during past festivals, please click on  the "Guests" link on the left border of this page.


The 2008 Ohio University Seabury Quinn, Jr., Playwrights Festival
May 21-24, 2008

Third-year MFA Thesis Plays, (Studio Productions): Nick Sgouros' Annika Gold and Dana Formby's Inherit the Whole will run in rep May 21-24, and 28-31, 2008 at 8:00 pm in the Hahne Theater, Kantner Hall. Tickets are available at the Kantner Hall box office. Annika Gold is directed by faculty member David Haugen and Inherit the Whole is directed by faculty member Brian Evans.

Staged Reading Schedule:
The Festival's staged readings of OU MFA plays are free and open to the public; each performance can be seen in the Forum Theater at the RTV Building. The reading series schedule is: Wednesday the 21st at 1:00 pm (MFA play by David Robinson), 4:00 pm (MFA play by Joseph Gallo), 8:00 pm (MFA play by G. William Zorn); Thursday the 22nd at 1:00 pm (MFA play by Garret Scheider), 4:00 pm (The "Sugar Play" Commissions) and 8:00 pm (MFA play by Reginald Edmund); Friday the 23rd at 8 pm is Dana Formby's thesis play, Inherit the Whole; Saturday the 24th at 1:00 pm (MFA play by Ryan Dowler), 3:00 pm (MFA play by Kara Dunn), and an 8:00 pm performance of Nick Sgouros' thesis play, Annika Gold. The readings of the MFA full length plays are each followed by a discussion with leading playwrights, artistic directors, and other nationally known professionals -- audience members are encouraged to stay and enjoy this forum. See below for the list of nationally known guest artists in residence to respond to the MFA plays.

Guest Artists in Residence: Playwright Darrah Cloud; Sandy Shinner, Associate Artistic Director of the Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens Theater; playwright Brain Dykstra (who will also perform his one man show during the festival); and actor and writer, David Toney. Guests bios can be found here.

Third-year MFA Thesis Play, (Studio Production): Merri Biechler's Real Girls Can't Win!  (May 16-19, and 23-26, 2007 at 8:00 pm in the Hahne Theater, Kantner Hall.) Directed by Shelley Delaney, Head, MFA Acting Program. Tickets available at the Kantner Hall box office.

Staged Reading Schedule:
The Festival's staged readings of OU MFA plays are free and open to the public; each performance can be seen in the Forum Theater at the RTV Building. The reading series schedule is: Thursday the 24th at noon (Dana Formby's Loaded Gavel), 3:00 pm (G. William Zorn's Trinity) and 8:00 pm (Nicholas Sgouros's School by the Sea); Friday the 25th at 3:00 pm (Laura Jacqmin's The Revisionists) and 8pm (Joseph Gallo's 2 Man Kidnapping Rule); Saturday the 26th at noon (Kara Dunn's Red Lane) and 3:00 pm (Reginald Edmund's Juneteenth Street).

Guest Artists in Residence: Deborah Brevoort (playwright), Julie Jensen (playwright) and Dennis Zacek (Artistic Director, Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens Theater). Guests bios here.

Photo: Laura Jacqmin (left)  and Merri Biechler: 2007 MFA graduates.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 25-27, 2006

The 2005 Ohio University Seabury Quinn, Jr., Playwrights Festival

May 19-28, 2005

Artists in Residence:  Lee Blessing (playwright), Sherry Kramer (playwright), Peter Filichia (critic). Click the "distinguished guests" link to the left for more details about each.

Third-year MFA Plays, (studio productions in repertory):  Aaron Carter's If Condition and Melissa Gawlowski's On the Line.

Second-year MFA Plays, (staged readings):  Watchdog by Christopher DePaola and Belly of the Whale by Mark Witteveen.

First-year MFA Plays, (readings):  What Ever Happened to Baby Abby? by Merri Biechler, Bled White by Laura Jacqmin, Lives of the Saints by Jean Seitter Cummins, and On the Shoulders of Giants by Traci Meister.