Pay-What-You-Choose readings of new works by regional playwrights
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Corey Frier
cfrier@everymantheatre.org
Everyman Theatre is thrilled to announce the launch of Script Tease, a pay-what-you-choose reading series highlighting new works. The 2024/2025 season of Script Tease will feature playwrights from this region: two Baltimore-born playwrights, a D.C.-based playwright, and a Baltimore-based Associate Artistic Director and Playwright. This series offers audiences an early look at new plays and a unique glimpse into the creative process of playwriting, while also giving local creatives the opportunity to bring these stories to life.
The four plays in this year’s series include Glitter in the Glass by R. Eric Thomas (playwright of Everyman’s 2022 production of Crying on Television), Trouble (At the Vista View Mobile Home Estates) by Audrey Cefaly, The Sandwich Ministry by Miranda Rose Hall, and Dawn by Tuyết Thị Phạm (playwright of Everyman’s 2022 production of Dinner and Cake). Each reading will take place in Everyman’s second-floor performance space on select Monday evenings beginning this fall. The plays will be performed as informal readings and provide a platform for the contemporary works to be experienced in a raw and intimate setting. These poignant and heartfelt stories explore a spectrum of themes including love, loss, challenges of belief, and finding one’s identity amidst struggles.
“These four fantastic plays ask proactive questions about a wide range of human experiences,” states Everyman Associate Artistic Director, Noah Himmelstein. “In collaborating with the artistic team on the curation of this series, we were drawn to these bold voices, whose work is all very different in style and feel, to create a joyful and eclectic series celebrating new works by writers in our region.”
Affordable Pay-What-You-Choose Pricing for The Entire Series
In line with Everyman Theatre’s commitment to accessibility, as well as its dedication for offering opportunities to support regional artists and creatives, tickets for Script Tease, including packages to the full series, will be available on a Pay-What-You-Choose basis. With this sliding scale pricing, audiences can choose to attend a reading for as little as $5 each ensuring that price is not a barrier to participate in this unplugged form of storytelling. It also provides those who wish to contribute an additional donation in support of this type of theater programming the opportunity to do so.
Everyman will also offer convenient Script Tease ticket packages with tickets to all four staged readings in one simplified purchase. Following a similar Pay-What-You-Choose model, these packaged offerings will be priced at a three-tiered rate of $50, $75, and $100, with a special bonus-experience package offered at the suggested price of $200. Patrons have the option to choose the package price that is best suited to their comfort level. Ticket sales to Script Tease support Everyman’s commitment to newer and contemporary works as part of their mission to provide relevant and transformative theatre experiences.
“We’re excited to present this additional programming not only as a complement to our main stage productions, but as additional access points for those looking to engage deeper into the world of theatre,” offers Marissa LaRose, Managing Director at Everyman Theatre. “New plays readings offer a fabulous opportunity to hear stories in their infancy, and a chance for audiences to be in the room first. At Everyman, it is important to us to provide pay-what-you-choose access for our programming and choosing to have all tickets for this series as pay-what-you-choose felt like the best way to provide equitable access to this unique opportunity.”
A History of Everyman’s Commitment to New Works
Script Tease marks the return of Everyman showcasing new works with a reading series. Everyman previously hosted the popular Salon Series showcasing plays written by women for three consecutive seasons from 2016-2019, which steadily grew in overwhelming demand and had many sold-out performances. Now, after a five-year hiatus, the Theatre is excited to reintroduce this type of programming that celebrates talent and contributes to the cultural tapestry of Baltimore, DC and beyond.
2024/2025 “Script Tease” Reading Series Lineup
Glitter in the Glass
By R. Eric Thomas
Monday, November 4, 2024 – 7PM
Chelle, a Black mid-career artist who is running out of steam, faces a creative block as she attempts to replace a Confederate monument in Baltimore with her artwork. Despite securing a grant, she struggles to complete her piece, getting lost in the complexities of American history. Her journey is further complicated by her brother Willard, who is organizing a Juneteenth festival, and Thalia, an interior designer with a unique perspective. As Chelle reconnects with her childhood home, and caught between the past, present, and future, she embarks on a reflective journey that transcends time and space.
Trouble (At the Vista View Mobile Home Estates)
by Audrey Cefaly
Directed by Paige Hernandez
Monday, December 16, 2024 – 7PM
Set in the fictional mill town of Litman, Alabama, this story depicts the strained relationship between a former mill worker, Euba, and her mother, Bernie. The narrative unfolds during Euba’s reluctantly celebrated birthday party, involving her pregnant friend Lila, best friend Fin, and security officer YoYo. A raven’s visit on this day propels Euba into a quest for truth about her father’s death. The play poignantly portrays the struggles of working-class women, addressing themes of mental health, addiction, and motherhood. TROUBLE is the 4th installment in Cefaly’s Alabama Cycle (The Gulf, Alabaster, Maytag Virgin), an exploration of the unsung voices, stories, and topographies of working-class people in the Gulf Coast region.
The Sandwich Ministry
by Miranda Rose Hall
Directed by Tuyết Thị Phạm
Monday, Feb 17, 2025- 7PM
A small town. A once in a century storm. Three women gather to make sandwiches for neighbors who have been displaced from their homes by floods. As they contend with the damage of the storm, they learn what brings them together and threatens to tear them apart. Is their friendship strong enough to make it through the night?
Dawn
by Tuyết Thị Phạm
Directed by Raymond Caldwell
Monday, Apr 7, 2025- 7PM
Mary, a first-generation Cambodian American, struggles with guilt, anger, and grief of generational trauma as she tries to unpack her parents’ experiences as survivors of the Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot, having lost their first child in a bomb raid. Mary’s parents, one Catholic and one Buddhist coped differently with their grief, and Mary must find a way to reconcile her own beliefs and with theirs to find a path to healing.
ABOUT EVERYMAN THEATRE
Everyman Theatre is a professional Equity theatre company celebrating the actor, with a Resident Company of Artists from the Baltimore/DC area. Founded in 1990 by Vincent M. Lancisi, the theatre’s mission is to provide transformative experiences through professional theatre that are welcoming, relevant, and affordable to everyone. Lancisi partners with Managing Director Marissa LaRose in leading the organization in diverse, equitable, and inclusive storytelling, which is vital to living up to the name, Everyman Theatre. Everyman Theatre Education works closely with educational institutions of all levels to engage beyond the stage. Through dynamic and diverse programming, Everyman Education welcomes students of all ages to engage in theatrical experiences that encourage discovery, build confidence, and inspire artistic growth.