The
Annual
Ohio University Playwrights Festival News and Information 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 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 view full guest artist bios here.
NOTE: The performances and readings of MFA plays during festival week are each followed by a
discussion with leading playwrights, artistic directors, and other
nationally known professionals; audience members are encouraged to
stay and particpate in this forum. See below for the list
of nationally known guest artists in residence to respond to the MFA plays.
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The 2007 Ohio University
Seabury Quinn, Jr., Playwrights Festival
May 24-26, 2007 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
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The 2006 Ohio University Seabury Quinn,
Jr., Playwrights Festival
May 25-27, 2006
 The
2006 festival was a great success. Thanks to all who made it
possible, including the amazing actors in the BFA and MFA programs and
our indefatigueable colleagues, the Professors of Acting and Directing,
Shelley and Dennis Delaney.Guest Artists in
Residence:
Eric Coble (playwright), Ed Herendeen (Artistic Director, CATF), Jacquelyn Reingold (playwright). Guests bios here. Third-year MFA Play, (studio production): Christopher De Paola's Streets Come Knocking. Directed by Melissa Hill Grande, OU MFA directing candidate. Staged Readings: Staged readings of new MFA plays by Mark Witteveen, Merri Biechler, Laura Jacqmin, Joseph Gallo, Beth Sager and Nick Sgouros. Photo: Laura Jacqmin's staged reading of "Happyslap". The 2005 Ohio University Seabury
Quinn, Jr., Playwrights Festival
May 19-28,
2005
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. -------------------------------------------------------------------------
For information on plays or playwrights produced in the annual festival from 1994-2004, please contact the OU MFA program assistant at ohioplaywriting@gmail.com. Note: For specific MFA playwriting program information on scholarships, admission, curriculum, degree requirements, or how to apply, visit the Ohio University School of Theater web site by clicking here. For the MFA news blog, the latest on guest artists in residence, MFA faculty news, current MFA student playwright bios, MFA playwriting festival scheduling and updates, and MFA playwriting alumni news please navigate using the links along the top of this page. |
The
Festival's staged readings of OU MFA plays are free and open to the
public; each performance can be