5 Questions with Russell Davis

THEATRE FOR YOUR MOTHER: THE LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD SHOW is appropriate for the entire family.

This FORUM reading will be held at The Growing Stage on Sunday, December 4 at 1:00pm and later that day at 7:00pm at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Russell Davis' plays have been produced at various theatres, including People's Light & Theatre, Actors' Theatre of Louisville, Yale Repertory, Long Wharf and Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey. He was resident playwright at People's Light for the Theatre Residency Program of the National Endowment for the Arts/Theatre Communi­cations Group. He was a recipient of a 2008-10 Pew Fellowship in the Arts and has received playwright fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, McKnight Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts, New York Council on the Arts and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. He is also a juggler.

1. What inspired you to write Theatre For Your Mother: The Little Red Riding Hood Show?
People's Light & Theatre Company produced an English Pantomime some years ago and I loved how the actors talked and argued with the audience. This seemed to fit nicely with the Little Red Riding Hood story, where the Wolf, Little Red, the Mother and Grandmother could all have contesting versions of the same story. It seemed an excellent opportunity to tell a tale for children and also to question it as an adult.

2. Can you tell our audience what it means to be a resident playwright?
It means that rehearsal space is available when I need it as a playwright or juggler. It means that once in awhile they'll produce a play of mine, or certainly think about it. It's a tremendous resource actually in terms of having folks, such as actors, designers, directors, to talk with about the various projects we're each working on.

3. How does your juggling help your playwriting process?
I would not be a functioning playwright if I had not learned to juggle. It sounds silly but juggling taught me how to be disciplined. It taught me how to work on something, and to keep at it over and over. You can't kid, or lie to, yourself as a juggler. Either you're learning and progressing or you're not and, either way, it's plainly visible.

4. What do you love most about being a playwright?
I love how never ending it is. The more you think you know the more you realize actually you don't know.

5. Which do you prefer chips or pretzels?
Neither, actually. But if I were in prison and had to choose, I'd choose pretzels.

Click here to purchase a ticket to see THEATRE FOR YOUR MOTHER: THE LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD SHOW at The Growing Stage.

Click here to purchase a ticket to see THEATRE FOR YOUR MOTHER: THE LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD SHOW at FDU.

You can also find additional information on our website about the entire FORUM reading series.

$10 per reading
$25 for a FORUM pass (attend all 23 readings in the series)
Children attend free (with a paying adult) to the December 4 reading at Fairleigh Dickinson.
THEATRE FOR YOUR MOTHER: THE LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD SHOW is appropriate for the entire family.

5 Questions With Anne Negri

The family friendly FORUM series of readings continues with Anne Negri's WITH TWO WINGS.

This reading will be held at The Growing Stage in Netcong, NJ on Saturday, December 3 at 1:00pm and again on that same day at 7:00pm at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Anne Negri is currently living in Evanston, Illinois working as a full-time drama teacher in the Evanston/Skokie School District 65, teaching 4th-8th grade students. She is a graduate of Arizona State University’s M.F.A. Theatre for Youth program. With Two Wings is her first full-length play, but other works include The Dancing Dog! and Faithful Adaptation. In addition to teaching and playwriting, Anne is a dramaturg, film buff, and puppet enthusiast.

1. What inspired you to write With Two Wings?
The original idea for With Two Wings came from realistic relationships in my immediate family. However, the world of the play, with humans who have wings and the ability to fly, came to me in a dream. I remember waking up and running to find a piece of paper to write down the ideas. I was also inspired by one of my favorite Greek myths, Icarus and Daedalus.

2. What do you love most about being a playwright?
There are two things that I really love about being a playwright. The first is that I love writing creatively, thinking of new stories that have never been told before. Second, I love collaborating with a creative team who have a passionate vision of how my plays can come to life.

3. What advice would you give to young playwrights?
Don’t stop writing creatively! At a certain point in high school and college, I was writing so many academic papers that I completely lost sight of the creative writer in me until my late 20s. My advice is to embrace and share your creative stories with others and to seek out local organization that might support your work.

4. What is your favorite play or book and why?
This is a really difficult question because I have so many favorites. One of my favorite books is The Little Prince. I’ve read, studied, and taught it in English and in French. I love the Prince as our protagonist and the strange journey he embarks upon. I think the story appeals to both adults and children in equal measure.

5. Given the choice between cake, cookies or candy, which would you choose?
Unfortunately for my teeth, I love candy. I love chocolate, licorice, caramel, and Lemonheads most of all!

Click here to purchase a ticket to see WITH TWO WINGS at The Growing Stage.

Click here to purchase a ticket to see WITH TWO WINGS at FDU.

You can also find additional information on our website about the entire FORUM reading series.

$10 per reading
$25 for a FORUM pass (attend all 23 readings in the series)
Children attend free (with a paying adult) to the December 3 reading at Fairleigh Dickinson.
WITH TWO WINGS is appropriate for the entire family.

5 Quesions with Joan Cushing

Our FORUM series this year features three plays which are appropriate for the entire family. Joan Cushing's LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY kicks it off.

You can catch the reading of this play at The Growing Stage in Netcong, NJ, at 7:00pm on Thursday, December 1 or at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Dreyfuss Theatre in Madison, NJ at 7:00pm on Friday, December 2.

Joan Cushing is best known for writing and performing political satire in Wash, DC, more recently Cushing is adapting children's books as musicals, receiving over 350 productions. Works include Miss Nelson Is Missing! (winner, Nat’l Children’s Theatre Festival), Field Day, Junie B. Jones, Petite Rouge (NY Musical Theatre Festival), George and Martha, all commissioned by Imagination Stage, and Diary of a Worm, A Spider & a Fly, commissioned by Oregon Children’s Theatre. Others: The Christmas Doll, Nat’l Youth Theatre Award for Outstanding New Musical, Tussaud, based on Madame Tussaud’s bloody pursuit of art, and Breast In Show, a brand new musical about breast cancer. Representation by The Susan Gurman Agency. See http://www.joancushing.com/.

1. What inspired you to write Lizzie Bright And The Buckminster Boy?
The book had a really interesting title, it had won several prizes, and the synopsis was intriguing, including the fact that it was based on a true event. At the time, I was adapting “hot” children’s books as musicals for young kids. I was also raising a son and we listened to tons of audio books in the car. The books for young adults were the ones that grabbed us the most. After reading this book, I couldn’t get the story out of my head. At first, I didn’t see the book as a candidate for the musical stage. How would I capture the gorgeous descriptive language? And the main characters didn’t seem to me like characters who would sing. But over several months, I decided to try my hand at adapting it as a play.

2. What is your process for adapting children’s books as musicals?
In the early days, we worked by the seat of our pants. I just wrote the show, with some help from the theatre, in terms of plot synopsis, character development, the journey of the characters, cast size, and what we wanted to accomplish. Now I am commissioned two years out, and we always do a 4 to 5 day workshop a year in advance. That way we can work out the problems and make every line work. I develop most of my scripts with Imagination Stage. Janet Stanford (art. dir/playwright) and Kate Bryer (assoc. prod. dir.) are masters of development.

3. You have written and performed political satire in Washington, DC,do you prefer one over the other?
I never meant to stop writing satire, but my director (of 13 years) died and I was commissioned by Imagination Stage to write my first children’s musical, based on a popular children’s book, Miss Nelson Is Missing. To my great surprise, it was a huge hit. Then I adapted Junie B. Jones, which was an even bigger hit. Since then I have had nonstop commissons to write new musicals, but mostly for young kids. I keep meaning to get back to the satire, and occasionally perform, but mostly political roasts.

4. Tell us a little about your new musical about breast cancer?
A local woman interviewed 200 hundred breast cancer survivors and asked a playwright to write a script from the material, and me to write music and lyrics. Several months into the project, my husband Paul was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I dropped everything to take care him. The producer put off the project for a year to keep me on board, and after my husband died – 4 months later – I had something to say. I brought in Kate Bryer from Imagination Stage to direct and dramaturg. We mounted an initial production with sets, costumes, and orchestra for 2 nights. It got an overwhelming response, and requests for productions are multiplying. It was very healing for me, as I was able to take my husband’s death and turn it into something positive which will touch a lot of people.

5. Do you prefer coffee, tea or soda for your caffeine fix?
I go to Starbucks every day and order a tall skim no water chai. No coffee for me.

Click here to purchase a ticket to see LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY at The Growing Stage.
Click here to purchase a ticket to see LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY at FDU.
You can also find additional information on our website about the entire FORUM reading series.

$10 per reading
$25 for a FORUM pass (attend all 23 readings in the series)
Children attend free (with a paying adult) to the December 2 reading at Fairleigh Dickinson
LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY is appropriate for the entire family.

5 Questions with R. N. Sandberg

As we gear up for the FORUM Roundtable Reading Series (November 29 - December 18, 2011), we asked our playwrights five questions to get to know them and the readings that will be presented a little better.

R. N. Sandberg's play CONVIVENCIA will be presented on Tuesday, November 29, 7:00pm at Fairleigh Dickinson, Dreyfuss Theatre in Madison, NJ and on Wednesday, November 30, 7:00pm at The Growing Stage, Netcong, NJ.

Sandberg’s plays have been seen in Australia, Canada, England, Japan, Panama, South Korea and throughout the U.S. He’s been commissioned by, among others, McCarter, Seattle Rep and Seattle Children’s Theatre. Current work includes IRL for George Street Playhouse, What Can’t Be Seen, developed at Passage Theater and Provincetown Playhouse, and Judgment of Bett, at Kennedy Center’s New Visions/New Voices. His plays are published by Playscripts and Dramatic Publishing. He teaches playwriting, acting and dramatic literature at Princeton University.

1. What inspired you to write CONVIVENCIA?
I'd been interested in Spanish history since I started studying Spanish as a teenager. A number of years ago, I was talking to a theater about writing a piece focused on the conflict in the Middle East when I came across a book entitled Convivencia. I was fascinated reading about the interactions among the cultures and religions in medieval Spain. It seemed an exciting way to deal with the Arab-Israeli conflict from a different point of view.

2. How many full length plays have you written? How many one-acts?
About 25 full lengths and 20 short pieces.

3. What do you believe is the most valuable attribute you bring to the students you teach?
I set high standards but give them tons of support. But really you should ask them.

4. You've had plays produced outside of the USA, what is the major difference in production values that you experienced?
Unfortunately, I haven't seen almost any of the productions I've had overseas.

5. Do you have a favorite ice cream flavor?
No. If it's ice cream, I love it and I'll eat as much as you'll give me.

Click here to purchase a ticket to see CONVIVENCIA at FDU.
Click here to purchase a ticket to see CONVIVENCIA at The Growing Stage.
You can also find additional information on our website about the entire FORUM reading series.

$10 per reading
$25 for a FORUM pass (attend all 23 readings in the series)
Children attend free (with a paying adult) to the November 29 reading at Fairleigh Dickinson.
CONVIVENCIA is appropriate for teen audiences.

2012 New Jersey Young Playwrights Contest & Festival

For 29 years, the New Jersey Young Playwrights Contest & Festival (NJYPF) has been deepening the writing experience for young writers by providing detailed feedback from theatre professionals about students' plays. For the 7th year in a row, winning plays will be presented during the New Jersey Young Playwrights Festival, a partnership between Playwrights Theatre and Premiere Stages at Kean University.

Through a series of rounds, a team of readers may select plays from each division to be honored as statewide winners. These plays will receive a staged-reading performance by professional actors during the Festival. Date to be determined. This is certain to be a must-see event!

Plays are accepted in the following divisions:
Elementary (grades 4-6)
Junior High School (grades 7-9)
High School (grades 10-12)

High School play submission deadline - January 14, 2012
Elementary and Junior High School submission deadline - January 15, 2012

Are you working on your play? For more details visit, our website

New Items and New Rummage Sale Dates

Playwrights Theatre is leaving its space at 33 Green Village Road, Madison, NJ and is selling excess articles it has acquired over the past 25 years.

New things have been addeded since the previous rummage sale dates. We've cleaned out all extraneous items, so only the really useful and interesting ones are left. Everything will be tagged with a price. There are no costumes, lighting, sound equipment or theatre seats.

The rummage sale dates are:
Saturday, October 22 from 9am-2pm
Sunday, October 23 from 9am-2pm

The sale will take place on the first floor of 33 Green Village Road. Cash and checks gladly accepted. Playwrights Theatre regrets it cannot accept phone calls or e-mail inquiries about sale items. All business to be conducted in person.

Need directions? http://www.ptnj.org/pages/directions-and-getting-around

25th Anniversary Gala Photos

On Saturday, September 17, 2011, Playwrights Theatre had a benefit celebrating 25 years of creativity and community at the Hartley-Dodge Memorial building in Madison, NJ.

The evening included music with Jerry Vezza and a performance by Sahirah Johnson and The MoMs (from MoM A Rock Concert Musical) -- Donna Jean Fogel, Jane Keitel, Bekka Lindstrom, Dana Loren McCoy, Stefanie Seskin.

There was a silent auction, new plays from improbably playwrights Hon. Mary-Anna Holden, Mayor of Madison and Hon. Jon M. Bramnic, NJ State Assemblyman as well as Collaborative Play written that evening by the guests and performed by Duncan Rogers and Bev Sheehan.

Playwrights Theatre honored:
Lawrence S. Feinsod, Executive County Superintendent, Essex County
Lisa Ellis, President, Madison Board of Education
Jeannie Tsukamoto, Council Member, Madison Borough Council
Arthur Wilson, Poet/Playwright/Teaching Artist
Shamsuddin Abdul-Hamid, 2010 NJ State Poetry Out Loud Champion

Photo Credit: Walter Rodriguez

To view more photos, visit our website