DG National Report: Western New York by Donna Hoke
@dramatistsguild @DonnaHoke
September 8 saw the second installment of the New York State Roving Readings Series on the Fielding Nextstage at Geva Theatre Center in Rochester. With more than 120 people in attendance for a reading of The Scavenger’s Daughter by Gary Earl Ross of Buffalo, Ithaca/Syracuse rep Aoise Stratford and I consider the event a rousing success, not just for the size of the audience, but also for the community and networking experiences that took place beyond the stage.
Roving Readings is an initiative intended to give produced works – as well as their authors – an introduction to the greater New York state theater community. Last fall, New York State Guild members were invited to submit plays to create a pool from which participating theaters chose works to present as readings. In May, the Kitchen in Ithaca read Clean Break, by Darryl Schneider of Buffalo, and Geva chose Ross’s play, a murder mystery and family drama in one.
“New plays are a really critical part of Geva’s mission; we want to produce work that celebrates the human experience, that asks us to step outside of our own lives and contemplate a new understanding of ourselves and others,” says Geva Literary Director/ Resident Dramaturg Jenni Werner. “We’re always looking for ways to cultivate local talent through things like our Regional Writers Showcase and Young Writers Showcase, but those are limited to the five-county area around Rochester. This reading series, then, felt like an extension of programming we were already invested in, but with a wider reach. Also, we’re very thankful for the support that the Dramatists Guild has given to Geva’s new play programming over the years, and we were very happy to be able to do something to show our appreciation.”
Ross, a retired University at Buffalo professor, author, playwright and winner of the Edgar Award for Drama from Mystery Writers of America, was thrilled with the outcome. “This was a terrific benefit of membership,” he says. “We’re off in the hinterlands and we’re working without access to some of the contacts that make wider exploration possible, so I appreciate this opportunity.”
The playwright arrived early on the 8th to have dinner with one of the cast members and learn about the Rochester theater scene; he also took part in rehearsals with director David Henderson and the cast of six: Kate Washington, David Shakes, Reuben Tapp, Robin Brown, Reenah Golden, and Erin-Kate Howard. “Some of the actors have their own production company, and they want to do the play!” Ross shares, “so that was also a good benefit. And Jenni said she’d like to see more scripts.”
“We were very happy to meet Gary, and to learn about his work,” Werner concurs. “This business, no matter how you spin it, comes down to relationships. We now have a relationship with Gary, and with the other writers who came to the theater for the reading. So when his name shows up in our email, with scripts attached, it’s not just a faceless name. While we give every play equal consideration, it does make a difference to know who is on the other end of the email address!”
Werner was also pleased to see audience members who had not previously been part of Geva’s new play processes. All of this is exactly the kind of thing we hoped would come from Roving Readings, and as we retool the program for next year, we’ll be asking theaters for suggestions as to how we can make it even better. I unfortunately am on a tight deadline and can’t share the details of our final reading, which took place September 15 when Road Less Traveled hosted Watertown playwright Craig Thornton and presented a rollicking reading of his comedy, Happy Birthday, Tina Marie featuring Marc Sacco, Charmagne Chi, Wendy Hall, Chris Kelly, Kelli G. Natale, and Tyler Brown.
In the upcoming months, please watch your email blasts for a call with updated guidelines but, more importantly, consider attending a Roving Readings event next year. The series is meant to build community among all New York State theater artists, not just those chosen to be presented. I met many new playwrights and theater artists in both Ithaca and Rochester and, when you live in the hinterlands, that’s no small thing.
