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MFA Jacquelyn Reingold Writing for NBC’s "Smash"

Tonight at 10/9c, NBC premieres “Smash,” a musical drama that celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire – to be a “Smash.” MFA alumna Jacquelyn Reingold writes for the show, which is executive produced by acclaimed playwright Theresa Rebeck. Starring Debra Messing, Anjelica Huston, Megan Hilty, and Katherine McPhee, the series centers on a desire to create a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. Reingold penned episode six, which is slated to air in March. Before working for “Smash” Reingold worked on HBO’s IN TREATMENT season two, (Executive Producer, Warren Leight), writing the “Mia” episodes for Emmy nominated Hope Davis and Gabriel Byrne. Recent plays include: I KNOW in Ensemble Studio Theatre’s One-act Marathon and ARMS UP for Christine Jones’ Theatre for One. Other plays include STRING FEVER had a sold out run Off-Broadway at Ensemble Studio Theatre, starring Cynthia Nixon and Evan Handler. It was produced at Playhouse West in California, and in Washington DC at Theatre J. Her one-acts THEY FLOAT UP, and A VERY VERY SHORT PLAY were produced in ’10 and ’08 at Ensemble Studio Theatre. Her other one-act 2B (OR NOT 2B) was produced at The Actors Theatre of Louisville in 2009. Her full length play, A STORY ABOUT A GIRL was part of the JAW Playwrights Festival at Portland Center Stage, Oregon. Her other plays: GIRL GONE, 2B (OR NOT 2B), ACAPULCO, FOR-EVERETT, DEAR KENNETH BLAKE, DOTTIE AND RICHIE, TUNNEL OF LOVE, JILEY & LEDNERG, JOE AND STEW’S THEATRE, LOST AND FOUND, A.M.L., and FREEZE TAG have been produced or workshopped in New York at the MCC Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Naked Angels, HB Playwrights Theatre, the Drama League at HERE, All Seasons Theatre, Atlantic Theatre, the Working Theatre, the Circle Rep Lab; in Los Angeles at the Canon Theatre, Theatre of NOTE, City Garage, ASK Theatre Projects; at theatres across the country; in London, Berlin, Belgrade, New Zealand, Australia, and Hong Kong. Read more at Jacquelyn Reingold’s website.

36th Annual Humana Festival Taps OU Alumna

Each year, more than a thousand playwrights submit to the National 10-Minute Playwriting Contest. In the end, a chosen few are selected to have their plays featured at America’s premiere new play event, the Humana Festival at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. Laura Jacqmin, who received her MFA in playwriting at Ohio University, will see her 10-minute play Hero Dad premiere during the final weekend of this year’s festival. Read more about this year’s featured playwrights in this Broadway.com article.

OU Playwrights Bound for Kennedy Center

Third-year MFA playwright Ira Gamerman and First-year Jacob Juntunen took top honors at the Region II KCACTF conference this past week. Both writers will see their 10-minute plays advance to the national competition at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival; additionally, Gamerman took home the prize for best one-act. Congratulations to both playwrights!

Started in 1969 by Roger L. Stevens, the Kennedy Center’s founding chairman, the Kennedy Center American College Theater (KCACTF) is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide which has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States.

East Coast Premiere of Student’s Feature Film

Separation Anxiety, a feature film written by 2nd year MFA playwright Jeremy Sony, is an Official Selection of the 5th Annual Alexandria Film Festival and will be screened on Saturday, November 5th at 5pm, at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria. “More than 200 high quality, independent, short and feature length films, documentaries, animation and narrative entries from 25 countries were received,” said organizers of this year’s festival. Sony will be in attendance with the film’s director Cole Simon of Glass City Films. Separation Anxiety stars Tyler Seiple, Corbin Jones, Kiana Harris, with John Wesley Shipp (Dawson’s Creek) and Polly Adams (United 93). Visit alexandriafilm.org to learn about the festival.

Watch the trailer for Separation Anxiety and visit Glass City Films for more information.

OU Playwrights Invited to KCACTF 2011

Molly Hagan (BFA Playwriting ’10) and Ryan Dowler (MFA ’10) both had 10-minute plays invited to the Region 2 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival through the script submission process. Current MFA Playwright Ira Gamerman also had a one-act invited via script submission.

*UPDATE* – 3/2/11
Ira Gamerman (MFA ’12) has been names a National Finalist for the John Cauble Award for Outstanding Short Play from The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. His play SECRET SANTA will presented alongside the other finalists as concert readings during the National Festival.

Ohio University will also be represented by Molly Hagan’s play SPACESHIPS AND THINGS THAT LOOK LIKE THEM, which advances from the Region II conference to the National Festival this April.

Since 2005, OU playwrights have been recognized and selected for seventeen major regional and five national awards from KC/ACTF, including winning the National 10-minute Play Award in 2009.

Kendeda Winner CARAPACE Premieres

CARAPACE by David Mitchell Robinson (MFA ’10) received its World Premiere at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta on February 11, 2011. “…an almost perfect work of art. If you care about fine theatre, go see it.”— Manning Harris, Atlanta INtown. “[Carapace is] deftly drawn…[a] sharp, often incredibly funny drama…”— Felicia Feaster, ArtsCriticATL.com. CARAPACE is the winner of the 2010 Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition, identifying the best new American playwrights and bringing their work to Atlanta. Directed by Judith Ivey, Robinson’s play runs through March 6, 2011.

Collider Projects Taps Inaugural Playwrights

Garrett C. Schneider (MFA ’10) has been selected for Fox Valley Repertory’s Inaugural Collider Project, which will take place during the St. Charles’ Summer Theater Festival in July. Through the project, Schneider will be partnered with area scientists to further develop his play CLOCKWORK CHILD. Read more about The Collider New Play Project and Schneider’s new play at broadwayworld.com.

Kennedy 50th Anniversary Celebration Tap Ohio Playwright for Showcase

Second-year MFA Playwright Ira Gamerman was named a Kennedy Center scholarship recipient for The Presidency of John F. Kennedy: A 50th Anniversary Celebration. Along with the scholarship, Gamerman received a two-day residency at the Kennedy Center in preparation for a showcase of his short play I’ll Hear it When I See It, directed by Jack Wright of the University of Kansas and featuring actors from the Washington DC Community. The showcase and scholarship presentation was presented in the Terrace Theater, as a simulcast and archived Millennium Stage presentation, on Monday January 31, 2011. Watch the video of the evening here. Gamerman’s play is introduced at 30 minutes and 30 seconds into the evening, according to the video’s time code.

3rd Year at Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis

Reginald Edmund, a 3rd year MFA playwright graduating next week, has been named a Playwrights’ Center Many Voices Fellow. This fellowship is designed to increase cultural diversity in the contemporary theater, both locally and nationally, through cash grants, education, and opportunities to develop new work with theater professionals. http://www.pwcenter.org/

Alum at Mile Square and More

Joseph Gallo’s play MY ITALY STORY, will open on June 17 at Mile Square Theatre, starring Emmy-award winner Tom Pelphrey. Recently, two of Gallo’s other plays were also presented in New York, both of which were developed, in part, during his time at OU (Gallo is a 2008 alum). NEW YORK CITY 523 was given a reading at the Lark Play Development Center, and THE GOON SQUAD was presented in workshop by TDG Productions at the Bridge Theatre, featuring 2007 OU alum Andy Lutz, who recently appeared on Broadway in A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS.