Cold Read

Credits

April 5 - April 8, 2018

Description

Description

New work hot from the imaginations of some of the freshest voices writing for the theatre today. Syracuse Stage launches its Festival of New Plays by hosting a talented playwright and professional actors and directors for four days of exciting events. A party and script reading kick things off on Thursday evening. On Friday, see a reading of a play under consideration for a future production at Syracuse Stage. Saturday brings a solo performance of new work by renowned actress, poet, educator, activist, and playwright Liza Jessie Peterson. And on Sunday afternoon, we close the festival with a reading of a brand new work in progress by Maurice Emerson Decaul, a former Marine, poet, essayist, librettist, and playwright. Along the way, enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and local craft beer. Good times and a chance to experience plays in the making.

Read the program here.

RESIDENT PLAYWRIGHT

Maurice Emerson Decaul, a former Marine, is a poet, essayist, and playwright, whose writing has been featured in the New York Times, The Daily Beast, Sierra Magazine, Epiphany, Callaloo, Narrative and others. His poems have been translated into French and Arabic and his theatrical works, Holding it Down and Sleep Song, collaborations with composer Vijay Iyer and poet Mike Ladd, have been produced and performed at New York City’s Harlem Stage, Washington DC’s Atlas Intersections Festival, in Paris and in Antwerp. His play Dijla Wal Furat, Between the Tigris and the Euphrates was produced in New York City by Poetic Theater Productions in the winter of 2015. Maurice is a graduate of Columbia University [BA] and New York University [MFA] and is finishing his MFA in playwriting at Brown University.

RESIDENT SOLO PERFORMANCE ARTIST

Liza Jessie Peterson is a renowned actress, poet, playwright, educator, and youth advocate who has been steadfast in her commitment to incarcerated populations both professionally and artistically, but specifically with adolescent boys and girls detained at Rikers Island for over eighteen years. She was recently featured in Ava DuVernay’s Emmy award winning documentary 13th (Netflix) and was a consultant on Bill Moyers documentary Rikers (PBS). She has written several plays, including, The Peculiar Patriot, where she performed excerpts of it in over 32 penitentiaries across the country and opened for Angela Davis at Columbia University’s conference on mass incarceration. Also known for her exceptional poetic skills, Liza began her poetry career at the Nuyorican Poets Café and was a vital member of the enclave of notable poets who were part of the “underground slam poetry” movement. It was this electric group of artists that inspired Russell Simmons to bring “spoken word” to HBO where Liza appeared on two episodes of Def Poetry. As an actress Liza appeared in several feature films: Love the Hard Way (costarring with Pam Grier and Adrien Brody), Spike Lee’s, Bamboozled, K. Shalini’s, A Drop of Life, and Jamie Catto’s, What About Me. Liza’s book, ALL DAY; A Year of Love and Survival Teaching Incarcerated Kids at Rikers Island, is available on-line and in bookstores now.

FESTIVAL CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

Please note: All events are free, but individual tickets are required.

THURSDAY, April 5

COLD READ KICK-OFF. A cast of Stage stakeholders, board members, local celebrities, and community leaders put the fun in Fundraiser as they “cold read” a comedy script. Former Syracuse Stage artistic director Bob Moss is our honorary director! Champagne Reception: 6:30 pm, Reading: 7:30 pm on the Archbold Stage.

FRIDAY, April 6

UNDER CONSIDERATION. Join us for a reading of an exciting new play under consideration for an upcoming season. Audience talkback follows. Reading: 7:30 pm on the Archbold stage.

SATURDAY, April 7

SOLO ACT. A workshop production of a new piece by renowned actress, poet, educator, activist, and playwright Liza Jessie Peterson. Credits include HBO'S Def Poetry Jam and Spike Lee's Bamboozled. Moderated talkback follows. 3 pm and 7:30 pm at The Nancy Cantor Warehouse, downtown Syracuse.

3 PM Performance:

7:30 PM Performance:

SUNDAY, April 8

DRAFT/PAGES. A first-ever reading of a brand new play in-progress by Maurice Emerson Decaul, a former Marine, poet, essayist, librettist, and playwright. Theatrical credits include: Dijla Wal Furat: Between the Tigris and the Euphrates. Selected print publications include: New York Times, The Daily Beast, and Callaloo. Local craft beers will be available. A talkback with the playwright follows. 3 pm on the Archbold stage.