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Chad Goodridge, Molly Hager, Lorinda Lisitza, John Andrew Morrison, Lucas Near-Verbrugghe, and Baron Vaughn will take part in The Playwrights Realm's concert reading of Michael R. Jackson's Strange Loop on November 8. Maria Goyanes will direct the musical, which focuses on a young gay black songwriter in search of his dream.

The musical is the first in the company's Pipeline Reading Series, a new play development initiative. Other readings will include Kim Rosenstock's look at one woman's particularly difficult day, Tigers Be Still (December 13), Jen Silverman's look at a woman coping with her brother's suicide, Crane Story (January 16), and Nikiya Mathis, Antoinette Nwandu, and Christine Williams' adaptation of Push by Sapphire, Hey Young World (February 22).

In addition to announcing the lineup of readings in the Pipeline series, Playwrights Realm has announced that Alex Lewin, Joe Tracz, Julia Brownell and Amy Herzog have been named as Writers Fellows for the coming year. Each of the playwrights will receive a monetary stipend, as well as additional support, as they work on their scripts, which will ultimately receive an open reading.

The theater has also announced that co-artistic director John Dias has stepped down from his post to pursue outside projects and that Katherine Kovner will remain with the organization, serving as its sole artistic leader.

For further information, visit www.playwrightsrealm.org.