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).
Showing posts with label Tim: A Christmas Story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tim: A Christmas Story. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Sunday, November 15, 2009
1st Anniversary will Soon be Here!
The first anniversary of 517 Playwrights is coming up! On the Sunday following Thanksgiving last year-- November 30, 2008-- the first meeting of 517 Playwrights was held in the kitchen of a house on Georgetown Road outside Lexington, KY. At that first meeting-- hosted by Greta Fields-- Bruce Williams, Steve Taylor, Bill McCann, Jr. and Greta Fields read through Bruce William's delightful full-length play TIM: A CHRISTMAS STORY while enjoying snacks and drinks provided by Greta Fields.
Members of 517 Playwrights took the month of December 2008 off. In January 2009, at a meeting of the group at the Beaumont Branch of the Lexington Public Library, Jim Betts joined the group. As the meeting was winding down Betts suggested that the group should hold a 10 minute play contest. There was enthusiasim for the idea so a day or two later Bill McCann, Jr., who had been serving as moderator of 517 meetings announced on line that the group was holding a play contest for 10 minute plays beginning February 1, 2009 and ending July 30th or whenever it "received 100 entries."
At the February meeting of 517 Playwrights Bill McCann announced that he had done as the membership had asked and posted the rules inviting entries for the 517 Playwrights 10 Minute Play Contest. However, it quickly became evident that the posting was a mistake; noone had meant to begin a play contest. Misunderstanding or not though members agreed that since the contest had been posted the contest should be held. So, the contest continued, and entries continued to arrive in Bill's email mail box.
Who would have guessed that the 100th entry would be received March 11th 2009; the contest was "closed" that same day. The play contest had been advertised in only two places: this blog and Playwrights Forum! According to the contest rules the submission period ended with the 100th entry. But getting that word out was more difficult than that there was a contest. Entries continued to arrive, more than 150 total!
At the March meeting it was evident 517 might have bitten off more than it could chew. We had more than 100 plays to read and judge, what now?
Members of 517 Playwrights took the month of December 2008 off. In January 2009, at a meeting of the group at the Beaumont Branch of the Lexington Public Library, Jim Betts joined the group. As the meeting was winding down Betts suggested that the group should hold a 10 minute play contest. There was enthusiasim for the idea so a day or two later Bill McCann, Jr., who had been serving as moderator of 517 meetings announced on line that the group was holding a play contest for 10 minute plays beginning February 1, 2009 and ending July 30th or whenever it "received 100 entries."
At the February meeting of 517 Playwrights Bill McCann announced that he had done as the membership had asked and posted the rules inviting entries for the 517 Playwrights 10 Minute Play Contest. However, it quickly became evident that the posting was a mistake; noone had meant to begin a play contest. Misunderstanding or not though members agreed that since the contest had been posted the contest should be held. So, the contest continued, and entries continued to arrive in Bill's email mail box.
Who would have guessed that the 100th entry would be received March 11th 2009; the contest was "closed" that same day. The play contest had been advertised in only two places: this blog and Playwrights Forum! According to the contest rules the submission period ended with the 100th entry. But getting that word out was more difficult than that there was a contest. Entries continued to arrive, more than 150 total!
At the March meeting it was evident 517 might have bitten off more than it could chew. We had more than 100 plays to read and judge, what now?
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Busy, busy, busy fall
As a teacher my definition of the season includes that fall has arrived when students are back on campus and the yellow school busses are again prowling neighborhood streets picking up and disgorging children. Fall is here: school is back in session!
Fall finds members of 517 Playwrights very busy indeed. Jim Betts is producing our evening of 10 minute plays, even as he is busy directing one of them: Steven Schutzman's The Weight. Jim is also producing another play, Shakespeare Abridged for a different local community theatre. And, full-time Jim is the owner, chief baker, and bottle washer at Bluegrass Baking Company at 3101 Claysmill Road, Lexington: 859 296-0581. (The Chocolate Mousse Cake is fabulous!)
Bill McCann, Jr. is getting his play, Its Who You Know: A Play about Identity and Opportunity, ready for its first (table) reading on September 13th; after the reading he is planning to make some additional revisions before submitting it to Sundance. Bill is in rehearsal for On Golden Pond in which he plays Charlie Martin. The curtain on On Golden Pond, produced by the Little Colonel Players in Pewee Valley, KY, will rise on Sept 24th for seven performances. (Reservations at 502 588-1557). Luckily for Bill he has few responsibilities for the Evening of 10-Minute Plays or he'd be burned out long before the second weekend in October!
Steve Taylor, a lawyer by profession a playwright by aspiration, is working on a larger stage than the rest of us. Steve is preparing briefs and arguments for a case he is arguing before the Kentucky Supreme Court later this fall.
Last, but certainly not least, Bruce Williams is seeking a second production by actively promoting his full-length play Tim: A Christmas Story; he is also awaiting word from Baker Plays as to whether or not they will publish it. Additionally, Bruce is appearing in Leon Kaye's More Pasta.
We're a diverse group with lots of talent. What we lack though is the talent YOU could bring to our little but ambitious group. Join us on September 13th for the next meeting of 517 Playwrights at the Beaumont Branch of the Lexington Public Library. The meeting will begin at 2:00 pm in the small conference room where we will read a members' work and then discuss it. Join us. 517 Playwrights is open to anyone-- actors, directors, playwrights, theatregoers-- with an interest in helping develop new works for the stage.
Fall finds members of 517 Playwrights very busy indeed. Jim Betts is producing our evening of 10 minute plays, even as he is busy directing one of them: Steven Schutzman's The Weight. Jim is also producing another play, Shakespeare Abridged for a different local community theatre. And, full-time Jim is the owner, chief baker, and bottle washer at Bluegrass Baking Company at 3101 Claysmill Road, Lexington: 859 296-0581. (The Chocolate Mousse Cake is fabulous!)
Bill McCann, Jr. is getting his play, Its Who You Know: A Play about Identity and Opportunity, ready for its first (table) reading on September 13th; after the reading he is planning to make some additional revisions before submitting it to Sundance. Bill is in rehearsal for On Golden Pond in which he plays Charlie Martin. The curtain on On Golden Pond, produced by the Little Colonel Players in Pewee Valley, KY, will rise on Sept 24th for seven performances. (Reservations at 502 588-1557). Luckily for Bill he has few responsibilities for the Evening of 10-Minute Plays or he'd be burned out long before the second weekend in October!
Steve Taylor, a lawyer by profession a playwright by aspiration, is working on a larger stage than the rest of us. Steve is preparing briefs and arguments for a case he is arguing before the Kentucky Supreme Court later this fall.
Last, but certainly not least, Bruce Williams is seeking a second production by actively promoting his full-length play Tim: A Christmas Story; he is also awaiting word from Baker Plays as to whether or not they will publish it. Additionally, Bruce is appearing in Leon Kaye's More Pasta.
We're a diverse group with lots of talent. What we lack though is the talent YOU could bring to our little but ambitious group. Join us on September 13th for the next meeting of 517 Playwrights at the Beaumont Branch of the Lexington Public Library. The meeting will begin at 2:00 pm in the small conference room where we will read a members' work and then discuss it. Join us. 517 Playwrights is open to anyone-- actors, directors, playwrights, theatregoers-- with an interest in helping develop new works for the stage.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Tim: A Christmas Story
Bruce Williams author of Tim: A Christmas Story is seeking a group that would like to produce the second coming of the play. Produced first in 2008 by the Georgetown Community Theatre, Georgetown, KY where it was directed by Gil Thurman following a developmental workshop, Tim is a modern re-telling of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Updated for modern audiences with a diverse characters that include Indian (as in natives of India) and Mexican characters as well as Lebron James and settings that include a Mexican restaurant Tim: A Christmas Story is a play that will truly get audiences in the 'Christmas Spirit.'
If you or your theatre wants to find out more about this play that is well suited for community theatre or high school productions leave a comment or write to ky.playwright@yahoo.com
If you or your theatre wants to find out more about this play that is well suited for community theatre or high school productions leave a comment or write to ky.playwright@yahoo.com
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Pictures of Tim
I've requested pictures of scenes from Tim. As soon I receive them I'll get those pictures posted. In the meantime go see a play that likely will become a seasonal staple of many community theatres: Tim: A Christmas Story.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Go see Tim!
Get a ticket to see Tim: A Christmas Story which has it's world premier this weekend in Georgetown, KY.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Plays Read
The plays read at the recent play reading included:
Excerpts from Tim: A Christmas Story by D.B. Williams and Wild Card by Greta Fields. Both of these plays are full-length works so only one or a few selected scenes were read.
Plays read in their entireties were: The Summer It Rained Every Day by Steve Taylor, a ten minute play and two more ten minnute plays, both by Bill McCann, Jr. The Devil's Christmas Party and There Was No Wrigley Field: A Tragedy for Two, A Comedy for the Rest of Us.
If you have an interest in learning more about any of the plays listed above please leave a comment and the playwright can get back to you.
Excerpts from Tim: A Christmas Story by D.B. Williams and Wild Card by Greta Fields. Both of these plays are full-length works so only one or a few selected scenes were read.
Plays read in their entireties were: The Summer It Rained Every Day by Steve Taylor, a ten minute play and two more ten minnute plays, both by Bill McCann, Jr. The Devil's Christmas Party and There Was No Wrigley Field: A Tragedy for Two, A Comedy for the Rest of Us.
If you have an interest in learning more about any of the plays listed above please leave a comment and the playwright can get back to you.
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