Playwright Erik Gernand

The Road Theatre Company Proudly Presents

The Eighth Annual
SUMMER PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

8 Days! 30+ plays!
Receptions and live music nightly!

This year’s festival will include a 50/50 parity of male and female playwrights and runs Sunday, July 3Oth through Sunday, August 6th at The Road on Lankershim, in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood  and at The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood  at the NoHo Arts Colony!

 We will feature spotlights on all the playwrights of full length plays over the next few weeks. This week the spotlight shines on Erik Gernand, author of A Place in the Woods*.

What is your familiarity with The Road and the Playwrights Festival? If you have been here before how would you rate your experience? If not, why did you choose to bring your play here? Have you seen work produced here?

I had a reading of my play "The Beautiful Dark" at the festival last year but was unfortunately unable to make it out from New York. I did, however, have a terrific experience at another reading at The Road in December 2015. I'm excited to be coming out this year for the festival!

What is your process for writing and rewriting? Anything you care to share here as advice for other playwrights would be welcome.

Seems like everyone I talk to has a different process. I tend to work very intensely on a specific project until a draft of it is finished. I then like to take a break from it so I can visit it again later with fresh eyes. I'm a big reviser also. I spend a lot of time tweaking and rethinking my writing, sometimes for months or years on a script.

What is the value of having your work done here at The Road in California? What are your expectations and hopes for your play for the future?

Everyone I've met at The Road has been amazing! I first met Laura Gardner at The Last Frontier Theatre Conference in Alaska and she was my initial connection to the company. My play "A Place in the Woods" had an initial production in Chicago and I'm hoping to find a West Coast home for it as well as other future productions. Working with talented actors and a director like at The Road is immensely helpful in moving a play forward.

Remember: The Road on Lankershim is located in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood  and The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood  at the NoHo Arts Colony! There is street parking available in both locations, but come early, at least a half hour before curtain.

Because SPF8 is a fundraiser, tickets are by donation only and are only available at the door! Suggested donation for a single performance is $15 –or this year, try a weeklong festival pass for the suggested donation of $50! 

*To be read Monday July 31 at 8 pm at Lankershim.

Playwright Minna Koskela

The Road Theatre Company Proudly Presents

The Eighth Annual
SUMMER PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

8 Days! 30+ plays!
Receptions and live music nightly!

This year’s festival will include a 50/50 parity of male and female playwrights and runs Sunday, July 3Oth through Sunday, August 6th at The Road on Lankershim, in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood  and at The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood  at the NoHo Arts Colony!

 We will feature spotlights on all the playwrights of full length plays over the next few weeks. This week the spotlight shines on Minna Koskela, author of Too Deep*with adaptation from Nina Sallinen.

What is your familiarity with The Road and the Playwrights Festival? If you have been here before how would you rate your experience? If not, why did you choose to bring your play here? Have you seen work produced here?

This is my first time in The Festival. We had a staged reading at The Road and happily they asked us to try to achieve the Festival.

What is your process for writing and rewriting? Anything you care to share here as advice for other playwrights would be welcome.

First I write almost everything that is bothering me and what is in my mind. It's a mess. Sometimes even the subject can change.  The second time I try to reach the deeper level of my message. I get to know more of my characters and the storyline comes out. Then I leave it for a while and after the third rewrite I let my "reliable readers" explore the text. This is very important for me. I need to talk about the play and read it aloud before I finish it. 

 What is the value of having your work done here at The Road in California? What are your expectations and hopes for your play for the future?

 It is very important to me to hear what colleagues and audiences say about my play, because that's how I know I get understood. I'll like to get my play produced on the stage in the USA.

Remember: The Road on Lankershim is located in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood  and The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood  at the NoHo Arts Colony! There is street parking available in both locations, but come early, at least a half hour before curtain.

Because SPF8 is a fundraiser, tickets are by donation only and are only available at the door! Suggested donation for a single performance is $15 –or this year, try a weeklong festival pass for the suggested donation of $50! 

*To be read Saturday August 5 at 2 pm at Lankershim.

Playwright Bruce Graham

The Road Theatre Company Proudly Presents

The Eighth Annual
SUMMER PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

8 Days! 30+ plays!
Receptions and live music nightly!

This year’s festival will include a 50/50 parity of male and female playwrights and runs Sunday, July 3Oth through Sunday, August 6th at The Road on Lankershim, in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood  and at The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood  at the NoHo Arts Colony!

 We will feature spotlights on all the playwrights of full length plays over the next few weeks. This week the spotlight shines on Bruce Graham, author of Sanctions*. 

What is your familiarity with The Road and the Playwrights Festival? If you have been here before how would you rate your experience? If not, why did you choose to bring your play here? Have you seen work produced here?

 Nope, never been there.  Didn't even know it existed until Stewart Zully, who directed White Guy on the Bus there, asked to submit it. I really should pay attention to these things.

 What is your process for writing and rewriting? Anything you care to share here as advice for other playwrights would be welcome.

The process changes with each play. One play, Any Given Monday, I thought about for over 20 years and then wrote it in two weeks.  Advice? Nahhh.  I'm the wrong guy for that.  I tell my students about my career and then say, "Do the exact opposite."

What is the value of having your work done here at The Road in California? What are your expectations and hopes for your play for the future?

A reading of any kind is always helpful. We don't know if it works till the audience tells us. Plays are kind of written in a vacuum but not performed that way. The only hope I have is that the audience is entertained. Yeah, I know. Pretty shallow, huh?

Remember: The Road on Lankershim is located in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood  and The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood  at the NoHo Arts Colony! There is street parking available in both locations, but come early, at least a half hour before curtain.

Because SPF8 is a fundraiser, tickets are by donation only and are only available at the door! Suggested donation for a single performance is $15 –or this year, try a weeklong festival pass for the suggested donation of $50! 

*To be read Wednesday August 2  at 8 pm at Lankershim.

Actress/singer Carmen Cusack has graced stages across the country with her beautiful singing voice in the latest revival of South Pacific and more recently in LA at the Wallis Annenberg in For the Record: Scorsese - American Crime Requiem. She took time out of her busy schedule to talk with us about Sondheim on Sondhe im, a brand new concert, of which she is a part, to be presented at the Hollywood Bowl this Sunday July 23.

Tell our readers about your most recent theatrical performances.


I'd have to say some of my most recent work has been incredibly rewarding.  Alongside the iconic SOUTH PACIFIC, I absolutely LOVED working on BRIGHTSTAR with Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. Being part of a journey from the start of conception to the finished product was a such an experience. I was also in awe of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE. Whilst learning it for the Chicago Shakespeare production in 2012 I remember feeling completely inadequate for how deep and sophisticated and inside of itself the piece was. Who was I to think my abilities could somehow elevate it? 

Talk about the Sondheim concert on the 23rd.

This Sondheim on Sondheim is a mixed media concert where filmed interviews are interspersed with gorgeous new symphonic orchestrations of his music - The interviews are projected on huge screens and the songs are performed by the largest orchestras to ever play his music - magnifying his brilliance in a way that's never been attempted before - while still giving audiences an intimate glimpse into the challenges, triumphs, and mind of one of perhaps Broadway's greatest composers.

What are your favorite musicals? Your favorite composer?

Well, I don't really DO favorites but I would say that SWEENEY TODD, SUNDAY IN THE PARK W/GEORGE and WESTSIDE STORY are in my top five so I guess Sondheim would have to be my favorite composer!

What's up next for you?

I'm heading to Williamstown to do a reading of a new piece called LEMPICKA. There are a couple other projects after that but I'm not allowed to announce yet.... so stay tuned!

Talk about this cast and director at the Bowl.

I have had a brilliant time working on this show and have really bonded with everyone in the cast. They really are a dreamy bunch of people but the dreamiest of all is GUSTAVO (Dudamel, conducting the LA Philharmonic Orchestra)!!! He's the real deal. Just lovely!

How do you feel about the state of musical theatre at present?

I believe there's no reason why we couldn't be entering a new age of musical theater IF we continue to nurture young talent, take risks and give them a playing field. Taking the arts out of schools is a terrible mistake. We will always need to be reminded that we are human. Art gives us that. 

Directed by Sarna Lapine, niece of Sondheim's longtime collaborator James Lapine, Sondheim on Sondheim plays one night only at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday July 23. To get tix:

https://my.hollywoodbowl.com/booking/production/bestavailable/1088

Playwright Brian James Polak

The Road Theatre Company Proudly Presents

The Eighth Annual
SUMMER PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

8 Days! 30+ plays!
Receptions and live music nightly!

This year’s festival will include a 50/50 parity of male and female playwrights and runs Sunday, July 3Oth through Sunday, August 6th at The Road on Lankershim, in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood  and at The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood  at the NoHo Arts Colony!

 We will feature spotlights on all the playwrights of full length and one act plays over the next few weeks. This week the spotlight shines on Brian James Polak, author of the full-length play Henry and the Hippocampus*.

What is your familiarity with The Road and the Playwrights Festival? If you have been here before how would you rate your experience? If not, why did you choose to bring your play here? Have you seen work produced here?

 I love The Road. They select excellent plays to produce, and they do them consistently well. The company is full of awesome people who are great to work with. I have seen many plays at The Road over the years and have had plays in previous Summer Playwrights Festivals. This is my third consecutive year with a play in the festival. I have been blown away by the sheer volume of work The Road is capable of producing in these festivals. I love seeing their dedication to new work, diversity, and gender parity. 

What is your process for writing and rewriting? Anything you care to share here as advice for other playwrights would be welcome.

There comes a point in the writing process when you’ve put down everything you had in your head. Now there is the piece that is trying to be a play. This is the moment when you have to shift gears and become a listener. Listen to the play tell you what it needs. Listen to the people you asked to read the play. Give as much credence to criticism as you do to praise. They are equally meaningful. 

What is the value of having your work done here at The Road in 
California? What are your expectations and hopes for your play for the future?

The Road is one of the quintessential Los Angeles theaters. If you’re an LA playwright, this is one of the places you want producing your work. The hope is to have that one play that inspires the company enough for them to give it a full production. That isn’t to say anything short of production is failure, because there is much to gain simply being part of the summer festival. It’s a great opportunity to meet actors and directors and possibly develop new artistic relationships. 

Remember: The Road on Lankershim is located in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood  and The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood  at the NoHo Arts Colony! There is street parking available in both locations, but come early, at least a half hour before curtain.

Because SPF8 is a fundraiser, tickets are by donation only and are only available at the door! Suggested donation for a single performance is $15 –or this year, try a weeklong festival pass for the suggested donation of $50! 

*Henry and the Hippocampus  plays Saturday August 5  on Lankershim at 8 pm.

Tracy Nicole Chapman Plays Gospel Singer Rosetta Tharpe

Actress/singer Tracy Nicole Chapman is best known for originating the role of Shenzi in the Broadway production of The Lion King. She also appeared on Broadway in The Who's Tommy, Caroline, or Change and Cy Coleman's The Life. Other theatre credits include the Broadway revivals of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Music Man, and Into the Woods. She also toured with Jelly's Last Jam, Dreamgirls and Once on This Island. She is about to star in a world premiere musical Shout, Sister, Shout! about the life of gospel singer Rosetta Tharpe. Chapman took time out of her busy schedule to chat with us about the musical and playing Rosetta Tharpe.

Tell us about Shout, Sister, Shout and what in your opinion makes it different from other musical biographies.

I think the biggest difference is that Sister Rosetta Tharpe is not a "household name" and what she accomplished is somewhat unknown to most people. A lot of people can identify with a story about the Four Seasons or Billie Holiday, but Sister Rosetta Tharpe was an African American woman who is considered the "Godmother of Rock and Roll" which makes it sad and interesting that she hasn't been widely recognized as such. She was a "Hidden Figure." She influenced Elvis, Johnny Cash, Little Richard and more. However, Randy Johnson and Cheryl L. West have managed to create a universal story that should appeal to a wide variety of audiences while still capturing the essence of who Sister Rosetta Tharpe was and why she needs to be recognized and honored.

The Lion King

Musically, the life of Rosetta Tharpe covered a lot of territory with rock, blues and gospel. Tell us about her background and what propelled her into show business.

What I discovered was that she was a child prodigy. She played guitar and piano at the age of six years old. Her mother was an evangelist and she took her across the country to spread the gospel in the 1920s. Not much is know about her father, but we do know that he was also a singer as well. Her mother Katie Bell Nubin left her father to preach and perform with Rosetta in various churches and on street corners.

What challenges are you experiencing as an actor in preparing to play her?

Cheryl L. West has created a very compelling character with what we do know about Sister Rosetta which is somewhat limited in regards to what her personality was really like. The challenge I face is capturing all of the nuances that make her whole and not just the typical story of a musician who rose to fame with a background in the church. She was a pioneer and we really want to convey that she had her own special relationship with the Church and God and a trailblazing style of performing as well as unexpected personality. We do also cover a lot of musical styles which makes for an good vocal workout. She sang secular music as well as gospel and jazz and we also have some popular music added to the mix courtesy of the fantastic Melissa Manchester.

Did you have a mentor in show business? Or who are some of the other female singers who influenced you and your style?

I didn't have a mentor necessarily, but I grew up listening to all styles of music from Gospel, to Rock to Pop. R&B, Alternative Rock, Broadway. I am huge fan of folk and roots music. Odetta, Joan Armatrading, and I love Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. When I was little I wanted to sing like Patti Labelle and Chaka Khan and Julie Andrews and Bjork. HA! And I love hip hop! I am a little schizophrenic in my musical tastes, it depends on my mood. I used to perform on Broadway and then head downtown to play with my band back in the day. Being a musician, I can appreciate all music and can usually find something in anything that strikes my ears.

Caroline, or Change

Which Broadway show(s) - of those you have done - is (are) your favorite(s)?

That's a hard one! As far as music and story I think I would have to say Caroline or Change. It's just beautifully written and a joy to sing every night. I really like emotional shows, the contrast between dark and light. I also loved The Who's Tommy, that cast and music was phenomenal and it didn't hurt that Pete Townshend was hanging around. The Lion King is definitely an all time favorite, I have made some of my best friends from that cast and it was an honor to work with that creative team. Jelly's Last Jam... George Wolfe is a master! Into the Woods, working with Stephen Sondhein was a dream. Too hard to choose! :)

Is there one role you are really yearning to play? 

Hmm, I heard that Black Orpheus was coming to Broadway. I love that movie and have seen it a million times. I don't have to play a role in it, I can be the third lady from the left and I would be happy hearing that music and telling that story every night :)

How is it like working with director Randy Johnson and your fellow cast mates? 

Randy Johnson is a very giving director. I really appreciate that he is open to suggestions and considers the journey a team effort. He definitely has his vision, but is flexible and I think that is an exciting working environment to know that the director values his actors opinions. Even though we have only been working together a short period of time, the cast feels like family. I am amazed at how talented and professional this group is. They are performing multiple roles to perfection and jumping in with abandon. The band and Muscial Director Rahn Coleman are exceptional as well as the crew making sure everything runs smoothly. Working at Pasadena Playhouse has been a wonderful experience.

Anything else about the show you care to add?

I just hope that people will attend our show with an open mind and open heart and leave with a feeling of compassion for the story we are telling and a sense that we are all connected in ways that we couldn't begin to imagine as well as an understanding of what this woman Sister Rosetta Tharpe was able to accomplish in her lifetime under incredible circumstances.

Chapman in The Music Man

SHOUT SISTER SHOUT! will begin performances on Wednesday, July 26, 2017 and run through Sunday, August 20, 2017, with the official press opening on July 30, 2017 at 5 p.m.  Performance schedule is Wednesday – Friday evenings at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.  Note that there will be one Tuesday performance on August 15 at 8:00 p.m. and no Sunday night performance at 7:00 p.m. on August 20.  Tickets range from $25 - $115. 

Tickets for SHOUT SISTER SHOUT! are available online at PasadenaPlayhouse.org, by phone at 626-356-7529 or by visiting the Pasadena Playhouse Box Office, located at 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101. For more information on all productions at Pasadena Playhouse visit PasadenaPlayhouse.org.

Chapman on the Tony Awards Hosted by Hugh Jackman

Playwrights' Festival's Ann Hearn

The Road Theatre Company Proudly Presents

The Eighth Annual
SUMMER PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

8 Days! 30+ plays!
Receptions and live music nightly!

This year’s festival will include a 50/50 parity of male and female playwrights and runs Sunday, July 3Oth through Sunday, August 6th at The Road on Lankershim, in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood  and at The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood  at the NoHo Arts Colony!

 We will feature spotlights on all the playwrights of full length and one act plays over the next few weeks. This week the spotlight shines on Ann Hearn, author of the one act Requiem for Stuart*.

What is your familiarity with The Road and the Playwrights Festival? If you have been here before how would you rate your experience? If not, why did you choose to bring your play here? Have you seen work produced here?

I’ve been a member of The Road for about 3 years; this as my third festival as a director, but my first as a playwright.  The experience is always challenging, exciting and definitely rewarding.  I’ve had so much to learn from the amazing actors we have here and the inspiring and unique plays we present.

What is your process for writing and rewriting? Anything you care to share here as advice for other playwrights would be welcome.

I am not primarily a writer, but as a collaborator I always write for actors I know and appreciate. I feel inspired by their talents to provide a voice to our creative selves.  I am excited when I get an idea I can visualize, and hope that it fills a gap - there are never enough opportunities!

What is the value of having your work done here at The Road in California? What are your expectations and hopes for your play for the future?

At the Road, the best talents and visionaries are available to us as actors, directors and writers.  I’d be challenged to think of a more talented and enthusiastic group of actors/producers/writers/dancers/singers.  For the future, I’d like to expand this little play-let to a collection characters around the theme of muddling through the ordinary the best we can.

Remember: The Road on Lankershim is located in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood  and The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood  at the NoHo Arts Colony! There is street parking available in both locations, but come early, at least a half hour before curtain.

Because SPF8 is a fundraiser, tickets are by donation only and are only available at the door! Suggested donation for a single performance is $15 –or this year, try a weeklong festival pass for the suggested donation of $50! 

*Requiem for Stuart will play Sunday, August 6 with other one act plays on Lankershim at 8 pm.

Playwrights' Festival's Andrew Manardo

The Road Theatre Company Proudly Presents

The Eighth Annual

SUMMER PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

8 Days! 30+ plays!

Receptions and live music nightly!

This year’s festival will include a 50/50 parity of male and female playwrights and runs Sunday, July 3Oth through Sunday, August 6th at The Road on Lankershim, in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood and at The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood at the NoHo Arts Colony!

We will feature spotlights on all the playwrights of full length and one act plays over the next few weeks. This week the spotlight shines on Andrew Manardo, author of the one act Boys*.

What is your familiarity with The Road and the Playwrights Festival? If you have been here before how would you rate your experience? If not, why did you choose to bring your play here? Have you seen work produced here?

I have been a member of The arias for the past two years. I have participated in the festival as an actor but wanted to try my luck as a writer. I wanted to bring my okey here because these members are a second family to me and I want to work with them in every capacity that I can.

What is your process for writing and rewriting? Anything you care to share here as advice for other playwrights would be welcome.

My process for writing starts at the ending, the hook or reveal. I imagine and fantasize about that piece first, just letting the pencil write whatever creeps into my mind. I tend to work backwards or in sections, connecting them together at a later time when I feel inspired to do so.

What is the value of having your work done here at The Road in California? What are your expectations and hopes for your play for the future?

The value of having my work done here at The Road is tremendous. I am a member here and bring my writing here because The Road accepts and encourages individuality. My one-acts incorporate disability in some way or another. The Road promotes diversity, and that is one of the many reasons. They accept me and my writing for who I am and for what I write.

Remember: The Road on Lankershim is located in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood and The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood at the NoHo Arts Colony! There is street parking available in both locations, but come early, at least a half hour before curtain.

Because SPF8 is a fundraiser, tickets are by donation only and are only available at the door! Suggested donation for a single performance is $15 –or this year, try a weeklong festival pass for the suggested donation of $50!

*Boys will play Sunday, August 6 with other one act plays on Lankershim at 8 pm.

Playwrights' Festival's Jason Karasev

The Road Theatre Company Proudly Presents

The Eighth Annual
SUMMER PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

8 Days! 30+ plays!
Receptions and live music nightly!

This year’s festival will include a 50/50 parity of male and female playwrights and runs Sunday, July 3Oth through Sunday, August 6th at The Road on Lankershim, in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood  and at The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood  at the NoHo Arts Colony!

 We will feature spotlights on all the playwrights of full length plays over the next few weeks. This week the spotlight shines on Jason Karasev, author of Death House*.

What is your familiarity with The Road and the Playwrights Festival? If you have been here before how would you rate your experience? If not, why did you choose to bring your play here? Have you seen work produced here?

My exposure to The Road came when I initially moved to Los Angeles from Chicago. I was made aware, as I auditioned as an actor around town, of an incredible company that put new work, artists, and community first. Coming from a strong theatre community in Chicago, I was hoping to find the same commitment and openness that I had seen there. Some had said that was hard to come by in LA, but The Road immediately dispelled that. Their bold new work and diverse group of company members have always been a touchstone for my Los Angeles Theatre experience. And this is why now, as a Playwright, I am honored to have my work directed, acted, and nurtured by this incredible group of Artists. 

What is your process for writing and rewriting? Anything you care to share here as advice for other playwrights would be welcome.

My process for writing has been ever-evolving and ever-changing. What remains the same for me is that I will begin with an idea that usual comes through the vessel of human experience, as well as disparate images that inspire me-- random scenes, music, moments, pieces of dialogue; from here I will begin to get energized about a project. After that, I will usually physically improvise with myself, taking on the role(s) of all the characters and begin to shape more concrete scenes for the piece as a whole. At the moment, I aim to keep the outlining process minimal, loose and open to theatrical, outside the box ideas. As a bourgeoning writer, the only real advice I feel equipped to give is: push through. It is easy to be excited about something at the start, but even easier for things to fizzle away when it gets tough. Push through, and you will get to the point of completion. 

What is the value of having your work done here at The Road in California? What are your expectations and hopes for your play for the future?

To have my work at The Road is incredibly powerful. I know that they are open to delving into difficult to discuss and dark subject matters, characters that are greatly conflicted, and worlds we may not always want to explore. This is very present in my play Death House and I know it is, therefore, in good hands. I also feel proud to be a contributor to new work in my home of Los Angeles.

Additionally, I have always hoped for this play to be translated and performed globally, as well as in the prison system. To see this play performed all over the country/world, where I believe this discussion needs to be had, would be a dream. But there is no way for this dream to be realized other than to immerse myself into a diversified, talented community that can not only directly shape the play, but also shape me as an individual who is creating theatre with such issues. I know my experience with the summer festival at The Road will provide this community, as well as be a key element in shaping the path for the future Death House.  

Remember: The Road on Lankershim is located in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood  and The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood  at the NoHo Arts Colony! There is street parking available in both locations, but come early, at least a half hour before curtain.

Because SPF8 is a fundraiser, tickets are by donation only and are only available at the door! Suggested donation for a single performance is $15 –or this year, try a weeklong festival pass for the suggested donation of $50! 

*To be read Sunday August 6 at 2 pm at Lankershim.

Playwrights' Festival's Angela J. Davis

The Road Theatre Company Proudly Presents

The Eighth Annual
SUMMER PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

8 Days! 30+ plays!
Receptions and live music nightly!

This year’s festival will include a 50/50 parity of male and female playwrights and runs Sunday, July 3Oth through Sunday, August 6th at The Road on Lankershim, in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood  and at The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood  at the NoHo Arts Colony!

 We will feature spotlights on all the playwrights of full length plays over the next few weeks. This week the spotlight shines on Angela Davis, author of The Spanish Prayer Book*.

What is your familiarity with The Road and the Playwrights Festival? If you have been here before how would you rate your experience? If not, why did you choose to bring your play here? Have you seen work produced here?

As one who aims to be both a playwright and a good "consumer" of theater, I see The Road as a Los Angeles treasure -- actually, a national treasure, given the number of playwrights from outside California who are represented.   The Road has a track record of excellence and a longstanding commitment to new work, and the company has  -- knock wood -- managed to weather challenging times for the LA theatrical community.  It's also important to me that the The Road has a social conscience, as demonstrated by its community involvement, its outreach to senior and lower income LA residents, and its aims for gender parity. AND, the company members are, like, um -- really, really hard working and smart! In addition to being talented, that is. I'm really delighted to have my work performed here and to work with and get to know such a great group. 

What is your process for writing and rewriting? Anything you care to share here as advice for other playwrights would be welcome.

I'm firmly in the camp that holds writers have to be readers.  I try to read constantly and also listen to tons of books, novels, and stage plays on digital audio files. (I commute to downtown LA daily.)   Of course, one of my greatest challenges is the reality that there are only 24 hours in a day.  (I work full-time as an attorney, teach at a local law school, and also have kids, dogs, a loving spouse, and sometimes above-normal levels of mess and chaos.)  A lot of writing gets done on the weekend and in the very early a.m. hours, and I'm compulsive about taking an Ipad mini and/or laptop everywhere.

I'm also compulsive about revising and always emailing myself copies of my latest scenes and revisions.  Aside from being insurance against a computer snafu, having my latest scenes and drafts in emails to myself makes it possible for me to look over my work when I'm on the go, which is, well, pretty much all the time.  

All of that said, I'm a firm believer that theater is a collaborative process, and that plays reach their highest levels after the input and response of talented, hard working directors, actors, and dramaturgs.  I'm extremely grateful when someone like Steve Robman [the director of the SPF8 reading of the play] puts in the time and effort to read my script closely and carefully, and then tells me, "hey, these are some things you need to look at (i.e., fix / revise, or in some instances just ditch entirely)."  My mentor and NYC-based dramaturg, the playwright Bob Montgomery [who, in an uncanny coincidence, was Robman's classmate at Yale Drama School] has always emphasized that this collaborative process is essential to making plays go from "rehearsal ready" to "audience ready." 

What is the value of having your work done here at The Road in California? What are your expectations and hopes for your play for the future?

Preliminarily, the play has received some very nice attention in the past few months.  After being a semi-finalist for the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, it went on to become a top-12 finalist for PlayPENN''s 2017 National Development Conference and one of six official selections for FutureFest, the new-play festival hosted by the Dayton Playhouse, where it will be performed just shortly before SPF-8.  I also learned, just this past week, that the play was also a finalist for the national play competition hosted by the HRC Showcase Theatre [in Hudson, NY], and their artistic director sent me a very gracious note asking me to please submit the play to them for their 2018 season.  

This is, of course, all very gratifying, but -- see the responses to the above questions -- I've no doubt that working with people at The Road --- even during the compressed time periods that the festival format requires -- will be invaluable to my efforts to improve and refine the script, and that process is critical.  

My hopes for the play in the future? I have a lot of them! I'm hopeful that the story and characters genuinely move people -- both the audience and the creative team.  Also hopeful that the questions the play raises --  about the power of art to forge human connections, about the moral issues generated by cultural treasures displaced during wartime, and about the perils of passing judgment on those who came before us --  have some resonance. 

It's tremendously valuable for me to have my work performed and developed at The Road, and my hope is that SPF 8 will mark the start of a much longer relationship with the company. 

Remember: The Road on Lankershim is located in the Historic Lankershim Arts Center in North Hollywood at 5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood  and The Road on Magnolia at 10747 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood  at the NoHo Arts Colony! There is street parking available in both locations, but come early, at least a half hour before curtain.

Because SPF8 is a fundraiser, tickets are by donation only and are only available at the door! Suggested donation for a single performance is $15 –or this year, try a weeklong festival pass for the suggested donation of $50! 

*To be read Sunday July 30 at 8 pm at Lankershim.