Finalist for Mach 33 Festival

Last week, I announced that my play Dark Night of the Soul had made the longlist of shows being considered by the Free Spirit Theatre. Unfortunately, the play ended up not making the shortlist for the company.

However, my play Bones of the Sea has now been named a finalist for the 2019 Mach 33: Caltech/Pasadena Playhouse Festival of New Science-Driven Plays. Three winners are slated to be announced shortly.

Mach 33 seeks to foster conversations around science, math, and technology. It presents staged readings of unpublished new work, hosted by the Pasadena Playhouse, but produced by Caltech Theater. Plays are presented by casts including Caltech students, faculty, staff, and other members of the community. All readings are followed by post-show discussions with playwrights.

Bones of the Sea tells the true story of Mary Anning, a working-class woman and religious dissenter who revolutionized the scientific world at the beginning of the 19th century. Anning was the ultimate outsider: wrong class, wrong sex, wrong religion. Yet she managed to make remarkable contributions to the world, and I think it's about time to tell her story.

The script had a reading in New York City with a cast of wonderful theatre veterans, including Jessica Vera, Steven Haworth, Gordon Stanley, and Carole Monferdini. Elephant Room Productions subsequently did a reading of the play and featured it on a podcast.

In addition to Bones of the Sea, Mach 33 also chose as finalists ProjectX by Taylor Hatch, Sizzle Sizzle Fry by Susan Bernfield, The Surest Poison by Kirsten Idaszak, and Ushuia Blue by Caridad Svich.

Wish me luck!

Fernando at the Ice Factory

I just saw Steven Haworth's exciting new play Fernando at the New Ohio Theatre's Ice Factory festival. Jamie Richards directs this psycho-sexual thriller with wit, class, and an appropriate level of sauciness.

The production greatly benefits from a remarkable cast of veteran actors. Christian Durso plays Zach, an American academic whose last chance at success (and tenure) is an article on the elusive Spanish painter Fernando de la Cruz, who disappeared a number of years ago without a trace.

While photographing Fernando's masterpiece, he meets Terese, played by the charismatic Vivia Font. Terese is interested in Zach, but perhaps just for what she can get from him. What does she want? Throughout the play we are unsure, but she keeps holding out tantalizing clues about Fernando. Could it be she was his model? His lover? His collaborator?

Rounding out the cast is Chris Ceraso, who appears as a mysterious blind man who may or may not be Fernando himself. While the actors keep us guessing, the audience never feels frustrated or cheated. In large part, that's due to the script's considerable humor, which the performers make come to life.

Fernando has only two performances left, so see it soon! The Ice Factory festival continues until August 12th, with new plays written by Melisa Tien, Nina Segal, and others. For more information, go to:

Ice Factory Festival