Four Plays Announced for SPACE on Ryder Farm Working Farm Reading Series
(photo via spaceonryderfarm.org)
SPACE on Ryder Farm — a nonprofit residency program and organic farm located on the grounds of a 224-year-old family homestead in Putnam County, New York — announced its annual Working Farm Reading Series featuring free full-length readings of new plays written by members of its residents writers' group, the Working Farm.
The Working Farm brings eight playwrights, composers, lyricists, or librettists to Ryder Farm each year for five nonconsecutive weeks to inspire and nurture the creation of a new work for the theater. The Working Farm affords artists an unprecedented level of creative freedom and flexibility, accommodating each individual's own personal artistic process, while also supporting the need to attend to their day-to-day lives and livelihood between concentrated periods of work over the course of the season.
In the spring following their residency, writers are offered the opportunity to present readings of their SPACE-developed works for members of the industry and general public in New York City in partnership with Playwrights Horizons, where SPACE is also a company-in-residence. As with all individual and small group residencies at SPACE, the Working Farm is fully subsidized and provided at no cost to participants.
All readings will take place at Playwrights Horizons and are scheduled as follows:
Monday, April 15, at 7pm
Tambo & Bones
By Dave Harris
Tambo and Bones are two characters in a minstrel show. They soon come to realize that they are, in fact, just two characters in a minstrel show. This realization brings them great distress. All they want is some quarters and a nap. They decide that there is only one solution: They must find and kill the source of all their troubles. Tambo & Bones interrogates the intersection of race and capitalism, and the connection between pain, profit, and audience.
Tuesday, April 16,at 7pm
Tomorrow Will Take Care of Itself
By Stefanie Zadravec
A climate scientist lands a plum position on Nauru, recording the island nation's impending demise, but comes in contact with a group of forgotten refugees and an island whose complicated global history are fighting to get out.
Wednesday, April 17, at 7pm
UNTITLED
By Donnetta Lavinia Grays
This long-form poem with humor, heart and music tells the story of a man standing before his town asking them for forgiveness after he has made a deal with a mysterious stranger on their behalf. More than a recounting of events, this piece both engages and implicates the audience in determining the man's fate.
Thursday, April 18, at 7pm
You Hateful Things
By Will Arbery
Nicole, Crystal, and Lawrence have a white father. While they're renovating his house, they discover Dad's got a dude in a box. It's wild & terrifying play about compartmentalization, hatred and whiteness.
Complimentary food and drink curated by SPACE chefs will accompany each reading. Following the reading on Thursday, April 18, SPACE will host a special closing talkback and reception with members of the 2018 Working Farm and SPACE alumni.
All readings are free and open to the public, and registration is required. To register click here.
