Ten-Tucky Festival Opens August 17th

The Bards Town's Ten-Tucky Festival of Ten-Minute plays is a showcase and celebration of Kentucky artistry. The festival features eight (8) plays by eight (8) Kentucky playwrights. The plays feature Kentucky directors and actors...all in the only Kentucky theatre dedicated to the production of new work.

Festival show dates are August 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26 and 27; all shows begin at 7:30 PM.

The Bards Town is loctated at 1801 Bardstown Road in the heart of Louisville, KY's Highlands neighborhood.

In Brian Walker's Neighborly Do's and Don'ts, a woman is more than a little upset about the constant disappearance of her Girl Scout Cookies.

In Nancy Gall-Clayton's Encounter at the Ink Spot, a guy walks into a bar. He's a writer. She's a bartender. Let the pursuit begin.

Over, by Alex Lee Morse, brings together two childhood friends who have completely lost touch.

Disappearances, or The Groom's Shoes, by Nadeem Zaman, finds a wedding party with no groom. Only his shoes remain. Is this cold feet, or something more?

In Patrick Wensink's The Internet President, two bitter rivals debate as they strive to be elected president of the Internet. The fate of the Internet hangs in the balance.

Tom Kerrigan's The Intruder sees a young husband out looking for a lost pet, his wife making it painfully clear that he will not return until the pet is found. This young husband, though, finds a way to remain comfortable in this search.

In Andrew Epstein's Wedding for Godot, Didi and Gogo have found themselves as invited guests to Godot's wedding...if he ever shows up.

And rounding out the festival is Doug Schutte's Love Religiously, where Adam and Eve seek marriage counseling, much to Adam's dismay.

Ten-Tucky 10-Minute Play Festival

The Bard's Town Theatre is seeking submissions for both it's Ten-Tucky Ten-Minute Play Festival and it's 2012 Mainstage season. While it embraces comedies and dramatic pieces, they look in either case for plays that focus on engaging characters, honesty, and a love of words. Their space is intimate, and thus necessitates plays with which the audience will "connect."

• Plays should not have received more than 1 professional production in the Louisville, KY area.
• Playwrights may submit up to 3 scripts.
• Submission period ends June 15 annually.
• Plays should be properly formatted, and should be no more than 10 minutes long. (If the play has had at least a reading, the playwright should know).
• All genres accepted; however, plays with advanced technical requirements and/or intricate musical needs will have a lesser chance of being selected.

• Questions should be directed to Doug Schutte, doug@thebardstown.com.

Bards Town's Theatre to Open May 11, 2011

Final preparations are underway, and the The Bard's Town new theatre will open on May 11, 2011, with it's inaugural show: Doug Schutte's new comedy CHASING OPHELIA, directed by Scot Atkinson. The Bards Town is located at 1801 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY 40205...on the corner of Bardstown Rd. and Speed Ave. in the Louisville Highlands.

CHASING OPHELIA charts the course of a ne-formed character named Ned, who finds love, loses love, and chases after love--wreaking havoc as he does.

The show features Ryan Watson, Beth Tantanella, Nadeem Ziman, Jason Cooper, ...Tad Timberlake, and Doug Schutte

Advance ticket sales will be available on our website (thebardstown.com) in mid-April. Tickets are $12-14 in advance, and $13-15 day of show. Seating for the show will be limited, so purchase early for your desired date.

Tickets can also be reserved by calling 749-5275.

ADDED BONUS: Each ticket purchased for the show will include a 10% off coupon to dine at The Bard's Town either before or after the show. A wonderful selection of "beverages" will be available DURING the performance.

SHOW DATES

Wed, May 11. 7:30 PM
Fri, May 13. 7:30 PM
Sat, May 14. 7:30 PM
Sun, May 15. 7:30 PM
Wed, May 18. 7:30 PM
Thu, May 19. 7:30 PM
Fri, May 20. 7:30 PM
Sat, May 21. 7:30 PM

Questions? Email Doug Schutte at doug@thebardstown.com

Happy New Year

Here's wishing one and all a Happy New Year.

The year just ending has been a good one for Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. We have done the heavy lifting of preparing bylaws, preparing a policy manual and otherwise doing the paperwork to become a 501(c)3 nonprofit recognized by the IRS. We elected our first Board of Directors: Bill McCann, Jr. president, James Brown, treasurer and Shan Ayers, secretary. We've held meetings in both Lexingtona and Louisville. We've grown to 14 members. And we held our second international 10-minute play contest.

There have been some disappointments as well, most notably that we had to postpone the Kentucky Festival of New Plays because, unfortunately, the facility we were to have held the festival was not yet ready.

On the plus side 2011 is already shaping up to be a good year: at some point the IRS will-- after working with us to make sure everything is good to go-- approve our application for nonprofit status. We will have our first public staged reading of member plays on February 2-3 2011 at the Lexington Public Library's theatre. We will continue to grow our membership. And hopefully the Bards Town's theatre will be up and running in time for us to produce the festival in April.

Our next meeting will be January 23, 2011 at Common Grounds Coffee House in Lexington from 2-5 pm. Please join us. Meetings are open to the public. We will read the one act and full-length plays of members. Anyone who attends may bring a 10-minute or shorter work that we may read as time allows.

Membership in KPW is open to any Kentuckian interested in the deveklopment of new works for the stage. Dues are $10 per year.

More Pictures from the Reading at Bards Town

The reading at the Bards Town was a rousing success, as you can see. About thirty people showed up to eat, drink and read new plays by four Kentucky Playwrights and three from elsewhere. DIGGING FOR DIAMONDS was actually acted out (no scripts, and with costumes and props), the other six plays were given cold readings by volunteers from the audience.

Our next public reading of new plays will likely be in February 2011 in Lexington. Check back here for the details.

Pictures from Readings at the Bards Town

Bill Forsyth, a member of KPW, took pictures of the reading held at the Bards Town on November 14th. Bill reported taking more pictures but for now the only ones available are above. Left to right (in the left most picture) are Kay Chambers (standing) Bruce McCann (face in the cutout), Bill McCann and Gail Johnson. Kay and Gail both read parts in one or more of the plays.

In the second photo (left to right) are Doug Schutte, one of the owners of the Bards Town, playwright James Hamblin (DIGGING for DIAMONDS) and actor Adam Luckey.

News Update

November has been an exciting and busy month for the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. We held our first meeting/reading in Louisville at the Bards Town, 1801 Bardstown on November 14th from 4:30 to 7:00 pm. About thirty people were in attendance to hear readings of the plays selected as part of the Kentucky Festival of New Plays. Though the festival has been postponed in part because the theatre at the Bards Town is not yet ready, the reading was a great success. Audience members did readings of the 10-minute plays that will be performed at the Bards Town when it is ready, probably in spring 2011. Meantime playwrights and others in attendnace were able to hear some wonderful new scripts and eat some of the Bards' great food.

Upcoming in December is an event you will want to put on your calendar. Btuce Williams-- one of the founders of 517 Playwrights-- is directing the second production of his full-length play TIM: A CHRISTMAS STORY. TIM, an update of Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL, will be produced by the Georgetown Community Theatre at the Thoroughbred Theatre in Midway.

The performance dates and times are Friday and Saturday night the 17th and 18th of December at 7:30 and Sunday the 19th at 2:00. Tickets should become available soon at the ThroughbredTheatre.com website. They are $12 for adults ($ 15 at the door).

More About Playwrights Whose Works Will be Read at The Bards Town

The rest of the playwrights whose plays will be read on Sunday November 14, 2010 at the Bards Town, 1801 Bardstown Road in Louisville, Ky are listed below:

Sara Ilyse Jacobson author of Nephrology is from Baltimore, MD. Other plays include Have Your Cake, The Heart is Hollow and Past Shadows Dark and Deep, which was selected as first runner-up in the 1999 Agnes Nixon Playwriting Competition. Her plays have been produced in Baltimore, Washington, DC and in New York City.

Bill McCann the author of There is No Wrigley Field is a graduate student in Theatre at the University of Kentucky, a founding member of the Kentucky Playwrights’ Workshop, Inc. and a co-founder of 517 Playwrights. Bill is also an actor who most recently appeared as Charlie Martin in On Golden Pond for Little Colonel Playhouse in Pewee Valley, KY

George J. McGee, co-author of Digging for Diamonds, is from Georgetown, Kentucky. He holds a B.F.A from Illinois Wesleyan University, in Drama, and a M.F.A. from Florida Atlantic University, in Acting and Directing. He is a Professor and Director of Theatre at Georgetown College, Georgetown, Kentucky.

McGee was a member of the Chicago based sketch comedy group, ‘The American Dream’, and was the Artistic Director of the Palm Beach Children’s Theatre. He has appeared in film, network television, commercials and industrials. McGee is also an actor, performing as ‘Kentucky’s Greatest Statesman, Henry Clay’, for the Kentucky Humanities Council’s, Chautauqua program.

Louise Penberthy, the author of No More Than Reason, isan actor, playwright, and director. Recent productions include “Miss Hannah Comes Back” at Pierce College in Tacoma, Washington, and her short play “The Cougar in the Coffeehouse” in the Erotic Shorts Festival at the Little Red Studio in Seattle. Louise lives in Seattle with her husband and two cats. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Brian Walker a Louisville based playwright,is the author of Linda and Kirk and the Mouse Incident. Brian is the artistic director of Louisville, Kentucky based Finnigan Productions and has written and produced several full length plays in the Louisville area, including: Smoke this Play, Great American Sex Play, dirty sexy derby play and ZOMBIE!. Walker is the creator and co-producer of Finnigan’s Festival of Funky Fresh Fun, an annual 10-minute play festival celebrating independent theatre artists in the Louisville area.

Brian was awarded the Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship Emerging Artist Award for playwriting by the Kentucky Arts Council in July 2010. He is a member of The Dramatists Guild, The Playwrights’ Center, The Kentucky Theatre Association The Kentucky Playwrights Workshop and the Theatre Alliance of Louisville.

Advertising Rates for Program Announced

Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. announced advertsing rates for this year's Kentucky Festival of New Plays that will be held November 19 and 20 at The Bards Town, 1801 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY:

business card: $35

1/4 page ad: $60

1/2 page ad: $100

full-page ad: $175

To advertise or for more information write ky.playwright@yahoo.com

This year's Kentucky Festival of New Plays features eight 10-minute plays by five Kentucky playwrights as well as three plays by playwrights from across America.

Couple to Headline New Plays Festival

Berea residents and playwrights Shan and Trish Ayers, are headlining this year's Kentucky Festival of New Plays November 18-21, 2010 at The Bardstown Theatre, 1801 Bardstown Road in Louisville, KY.

Trish Ayers, author of the 10-minute play JUDGING QUILTS in this year's festival is co-artistic director and resident playwright of Mountain Spirit Puppets with her husband Shan Ayers. Her plays have toured the United States and Japan. She has been a guest artist at Iowa State and Western Illinois University and has won numerous playwriting awards from the Appalachian Writers Association and was a finalist in the 2009 Heartland Ten-Minute and One-Act Play Festival.

Ms. Ayers originated the Kentucky Women Playwrights’ Seminar, which has twice been funded by the Kentucky Foundation for Women (KFW). Currently she is editing the full-length play, “Taking Stock” with funding from the KFW Individual Artist Grant. She is a member of The Dramatists Guild.

Shan R. Ayers, author of the play DRAPED IN HONOR, holds an MFA and is a Professor of Theatre at Berea College. He teaches courses in design, script analysis, theatre history and playwriting. Twice he has taught playwriting for the Kentucky Institute for International Studies summer program in Japan and will be again in the 2011 summer program in Italy.

The Kentucky Festivla of New Plays is in its second year; in 2009 the festival was known as the Midway Festival of Plays and was produced at the Thoroughbred Communuity Theatre, Midway, KY.

James Hamblin: Digging for Diamonds

James Hamblin, co author of DIGGING FOR DIAMONDS’ is an actor, writer and director from Georgetown, Kentucky. He has a BA in Communications from Georgetown College, and spent 2 years in the MFA Acting program at the University of Florida.

James has performed off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and throughout New England. He has worked in independent film and television, and works as a writer, director, actor and teacher all over the country. Locally, James is very proud of his work with Lexington Children’s Theatre.

DIGGING FOR DIAMONDS, by George Mcgee and James Hamblin, will be presented November 18-21, 2010 at the Bards Town Theatre, 1801 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY as part of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc’s Kentucky Festival of New Plays.

George J. McGee: DIGGING FOR DIAMONDS

George J. McGee, co-author of ‘DIGGING FOR DIAMONDS’ is from Georgetown, Kentucky. He holds a B.F.A from Illinois Wesleyan University, in Drama, and a M.F.A. from Florida Atlantic University, in Acting and Directing. He is a Professor and Director of Theatre at Georgetown College, Georgetown, Kentucky.

McGee was a member of the Chicago based sketch comedy group, ‘The American Dream’, and was the Artistic Director of the Palm Beach Children’s Theatre. He has appeared in film, network television, commercials and industrials. He has recently appeared in Ed Smith’s film, ‘Surviving Guthrie’, and his short film, ‘doc doc’, has been selected for screening at Ireland’s 2010 International Film Festival. His 2008 play, ‘A Fence for Martin Maher’, written with award winning Irish playwright, John Mc Ardle, toured Kentucky and the Republic of Ireland. McGee is also an actor, performing as ‘Kentucky’s Greatest Statesman, Henry Clay’, for the Kentucky Humanities Council’s, Chautauqua program.

McGee is married to Cathy Gorman McGee they are both originally from the Chicago land area, but now live in Georgetown, Kentucky.

DIGGING FOR DIAMONDS, by George McGee and James Hamblin, will be presented November 18-21, 2010 at the Bards Town Theatre, 1801 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY as part of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc’s Kentucky Festival of New Plays.

Rose-Mary Harrington

Rose-Mary Harrington, author of THERE IS NO DASH, is from Ashland, Oregon. She holds a B.A. from New College of Speech and Drama, England and an M.A. from the University of Arizona in Theatre/Playwrighting.

Ms. Harrington's efforts have been generously rewarded, they run the gamut from Pulse Ensemble in New York to the Kennedy Center and to being awarded honors by the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. Rose-Mary was the 2009 recipient of the Oregon Literary Fellowship in Drama.

Rose-Mary is the mother of five muses, she has seven grand children. She is now able to field her very own soccer team, having played and coached soccer. She reluctantly admits to being an armchair soccer hooligan.

Rose-Mary is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

THERE IS NO DASH, by Rose-Mary Harrington, will be presented November 18- 21, 2010 at The Bards Town Theatre, 1801 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY as part of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc.'s Kentucky Festival of New Plays.

Contest Winners Selected

Winning plays have been selected from the more than 180 submissions in this year's 2nd Annual 517 Playwrights 10-Minute Play Contest. Five Kentucky and three non-Kentucky playwrights have had scripts selected for production as part of this year's Festival of New Kentucky Plays that will be presented November 18- 21, 2010 at The Bards Town Theatre in Louisville, KY. The winning scripts will be announced once each of the winning playwrights has agreed to participate in this year's Festival.

The Bards Town to Host the Kentucky Festival of New Plays

This year's Kentucky Festival of New Plays will be November 18- 21st at The Bard's Town Theatre at the corner of Bardstown Road and Speed Ave. in Louisville, KY. Featuring 10-minute plays by primarily Kentucky playwrights this year's Kentucky Festival of New Plays promises to be an outstanding festival hosted by one of the state's most unique theatres: The Bards Town.

Located in Louisville's arts oriented Highlands neighborhood The Bard's Town, at 1801 Bardstown Road, is a truly unique concept: the ground floor consists of a 60-seat restaurant and 30-seat lounge, that each serve the Bard's delectable Bites and Beverages. But what really sets The Bard's Town apart, is the second floor--home to The Bard's Town Theatre. This 70-seat theatre comes equipped with 70 chairs (with tables!), food and drink service, and some of the finest entertainment in Louisville including a resident troupe.The restaurant, bar and lounge will open in late July. The theatre will open in the fall. And the Festival will be November 18-21. If you're in the neighborhood, stop in and say hi! For more information about The Bards Town check out their web site at http://www.thebardstown.com/

Festival Producer to be James Brown

The Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc. 2010 Kentucky Festival of New Plays to be held November 18- 21st at The Bards Town Theatre, 1801 Bardstown Road, in Louisville, KY, will be produced by James Brown. Mr. Brown is a playwright and actor who lives in Lexington. As this year's festival producer Mr. Brown will be responsible for finding directors and actors for the plays that will be featured in the festival. Additionally, Mr. Brown will coordinate what will truly be a "state-wide" festival of plays, playwrights and theatrical efforts to make certain that the event can move plays that are performance-ready to go when they reach The Bards Town Theatre's stage.

James Brown will be seeking directors and actors in both Lexington and Louisville-- and elsewhere in Kentucky as well-- to help make this event happen. Directors are responsible for bringing the plays to Louisville ready to go; directors are to hold auditions, block and rehearse the play, find appropriate costumes, props and set pieces, and do any lighting and sound design required. Mr. Brown, his directors and actors have a huge task in front of them; but he and they are up to it.

As an actor James Brown most recently has appeared in Bluegrass Community and Technical College's (BCTC) A FEW GOOD MEN as Major Markinson; James is also in an upcoming play being directed by another KPW member Kathi E. B. Ellis. More about this production will appear on the blog when the details are available. As a playwright James had a performance of his play HIGHER EDUCATION at the downtown branch of the Lexington Public Library in February of 2010. Mr. Brown is a member of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, Inc.

The plays for this year's Festival have not yet been selected however it is never too soon for directors, actors and technicians to say they are interested in helping. If you would like to participate in this year's Festival-- whether as an actor, director or back stage please contact James Brown at ky.playwright@yahoo.com