Ohio University MFA Playwriting Program
On Saturday, January 6 at 2 PM, Alum Aaron Carter (MFA ’05) and 3rd-year MFA Laura Jacqmin will be featured in the 5th Annual Showcase of the New Resident Playwrights at Chicago Dramatists. The showcase will feature a scene from Jacqmin’s BUTT NEKKID (dir. Ann Filmer) and Carter’s SWAMP BABY (dir. Ilesa Duncan), along with scenes by the other 4 new residents. For more information, see: http://www.chicagodramatists.org/events.
Beginning in January 2007, Christopher De Paola (MFA 2006) will be working for the Chicago television station WCIU: Channel 26. His position will be as a head writer and on-air talent for “Green Screen Adventures,” a children’s program currently in development. Look for Chris on four distinct episodes per week set to begin airing in February.
The latest episode of “Law and Order: Criminal Intent” written by 2004 MFA playwriting alum Jacquelyn Reingold will air on NBC on Tuesday, January 2nd at 9:00 pm EST. The director is Steve Shill. The actors include: Erick Avari, Eric Bogosian, Jason Cerbone, Patti D’Arbanville, Mahira Kakkar, Tony LoBianco, Julianne Nicholson, Chris Noth, Maulik Pancholy, and Meera Simhan. Jackie’s first episode aired last October.
2005 MFA Alum Aaron Carter’s play Swamp Baby will be read in February at the Soho Think Tank, 6th floor reading series: http://www.sohothinktank.org/sixthfloor.html. Carter’s If Condition (his thesis play at OU) will be produced as part of the Manhattan Rep’s Winterfest 2007 in March.
2nd-year MFA Joseph Gallo’s short play Star Song was recently selected as one of six plays to be workshopped at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region III held in Milwaukee at Marquette University this coming January. The winner among the six plays, based on the scripts submitted the last day of the workshop, will go on to be produced at the Kennedy Center in May 2007.
3rd-year MFA Laura Jacqmin’s play 10 Virgins was read at Victory Gardens as part of their Readers Theater; directed by Zack Zulauf.
2006 Alum Christopher De Paola’s thesis play Streets Come Knocking was given a reading at Victory Gardens as part of their Readers Theater. Under the guidance of the Literary Manager, Andrea J. Dymond, the Readers Theater program assists playwrights in the development of their work by allowing them to hear their plays read aloud by actors in front of a live audience. This reading of Streets Come Knocking was directed by Eddie Torres, Artistic Director of Teatro Vista Theater Company.
2nd-year MFA Joseph Gallo has been awarded $1300 by the GSS to travel and research his second-year full length play.
The OU MFA Playwriting Program traveled as a group to Chicago for the weekend to see Program Head Charles Smith’s play Denmark at the Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens Theatre and also 2005 MFA Alum Aaron Carter’s play produced by MPAACT at Victory Gardens Greenhouse. The students also met with VG Artistic Director Dennis Zacek and Sandy Shinner, Associate Artistic Director, for a seminar on the Chicago theatre scene, and what VG is looking for from OU MFAs when they submit scripts.
Alum Aaron Carter’s play First Words will be read at Around The Coyote on November 18th. First Words explores the power that hope exerts on our perception of reality. The influence of hope can allow us to persevere against all odds. It can also blind us to important truths. In First Words, the power of hope can either save or destroy a family raising an autistic child… Around the Coyote is committed to fostering new art in all its forms. This reading series is a platform for playwrights to reach new audiences while workshopping new scripts. The reading series offers playwrights and directors a forum in which to table their script in the hopes of creating a stronger play. Directed by Zach Zulauf. Nov. 18th, 2006 at 7pm at the Around the Coyote Gallery. $5 suggested donation.
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