Page 73 Reading of "Song of Extinction" in NYC

I've loved being part of Page 73's Interstate 73 Playwriting Workshop this year, and am delighted that they are sponsoring a reading of my play "Song of Extinction."  We have an incredible director (Carolyn Cantor, who just directed "The Great God Pan" at Playwrights Horizons), and some fantastic actors, including Francis Jue as Khim Phan and Reed Birney as Ellery Forrestal.  Hope to see you there, friends!  Details below.

Join us for Page 73's first Interstate 73 reading of 2013!

SONG OF EXTINCTION

Written by EM Lewis
Directed by Carolyn Cantor

Featuring Francis Jue as Khim Phan, Ephraim Birney as Max Forrestal, Reed Birney as Ellery Forrestal, Curzon Dobell as Gill Morris, Enid Graham as Lily Forrestal, and Jonathan Hova as Joshua Dorsey.

Wednesday, May 15th at 4pm

Roundabout Rehearsal Studio - 115 W. 45th Street, 12th Floor, New York City

In "Song of Extinction," Max, a musically gifted high school student, is falling off the edge of the world — and his biology teacher is the only one who’s noticed. A play about the science of life and loss, the relationships between fathers and sons, Cambodian fields, Bolivian rainforests and redemption.

Winner of the Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award and the Ted Schmitt Award for the world premiere of an Outstanding New Play from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle.

Free!
RSVP at www.page73.org/tickets

Pictures of Song of Extinction from the EcoDrama Festival

Here are some pictures from the EcoDrama Festival's workshop production of "Song of Extinction." The play was directed by University of Oregon theater doctoral student Theresa Dudeck. She did a great job, and it was fascinating to see what she, her design team and her actors had done with my little play. These pictures were taken by Theresa's husband.

The set under the lights. The set needed to work for both my play, "Song of Extinction," and C. Denby Swanson's play "Atomic Farmgirl." Because the thrust of the conference was ecological issues (and because they're good, ecologically minded people), the designers chose to use only re-used materials for their set construction. I really liked what they did -- the "forest" of table legs and rescued two-by-fours, the rolling bed/boat from which sittables could be extricated, and the beautifully painted floor... (Bolivia, maybe Cambodia).

Max, writing music in his head again...

Terrible truths from Mom and Dr. Joshua.

Max is missing, you're no help, and he is my husband.

Max goes to talk to his biology teacher, Khim Phan. They discuss extinction...

Lily is on her journey now. Khim helps all he can. This is a terrible thing to be an expert in.

A Rockin' Good Time at the EcoDrama Festival!

I've just returned from Eugene, Oregon, where I was attending the "Earth Matters on Stage" EcoDrama Festival. What a wonderful trip! Here are a few pictures.






The poster.











The wonderful Farmer's Market in Eugene -- I listened to music, walked around all the booths, had lunch, saw a woman with a tame skunk, and bought fresh-picked straw- berries to carry with me on my bike ride.


Canadian geese (and goslings).


The Willamette River. I rented a bike and rode on Saturday and Sunday. The path takes you down one side of the river and back the other.








Una Chaudhari (NYU teacher and scholar), C. Denby Swanson (playwright: Atomic Farmgirl) and John Schmor (U of O Theater Department Head).

Una Chaudhari with Rachel Rosenthal, who talked about (and showed clips from) her theatrical activism.


University of Oregon's motto, written on their front gate: Mens agitat molem. The mind moves the masses.






Me in the hot seat, with playwright Jose Cruz Gonzalez moderating, at the talk-back after the first performance of "Song of Extinction" at the EcoDrama Festival.

Off to EcoDrama

Good lord, I've got a lot to do. I'm taking off for the EcoDrama Festival in Eugene, Oregon tomorrow morning (yay!). Today I have:

1. Discussed my Friday night talk-back on the phone (at 9am) with Jose Cruz Gonzalez, who will be moderating (and seems really nice).
2. Returned a couple dozen e-mails.
3. Checked on the ticket situation for my Mom again. Called her, and e-mailed her, to reassure her that there will be tickets and all will be well.
4. Looked up and e-mailed parking information, directions and a map to U of O to my folks (who will be coming with an entourage of relatives and friends to Friday night's performance).
5. Passed keys and cat care information to my awesome friend Stephanie, who has agreed to take care of Joe.
6. Highlighted important events on the EcoDrama schedule. Lots of fun stuff to do! And hopefully some time to walk by the river and write and hang out, too.

I still have to pack (washed clothes last night, though), wash dishes, wash car, put registration stickers on car, talk with YPF mentee, talk to a man about a reading, load final draft onto laptop, find sleeve of final draft disk so I can load software, and probably seven other things. I watered the plants last night. What am I forgetting? I love being other places... but the "getting out the door" part makes me a little crazy.

Soon! I'll be there soon! I can't wait to spend the whole long weekend BEING A PLAYWRIGHT. It's not that I'm not a playwright the rest of the time. Now, finally, I do think of myself that way, even if I AM a playwright with a day job. But... the gift of time and immersion into one's passion, alongside other passionate, immersed people, is tremendous. Thank you, EcoDrama people! I can't wait to meet you, and work with you, and be part of what you're making happen.

Song of Extinction in the EcoDrama Festival in May

I'm delighted to announce that Song of Extinction will be having a workshop production in May as part of an amazing event -- the Earth Matters on Stage (EMOS) Festival at the University of Oregon! Over the course of ten days, U of O will be investigating all the ways that theater and the environment intersect. I'll be there the first weekend and hope to see you there! (PS: Ian Garrett, who did the wonderful lighting design for Song of Extinction's world premiere in Los Angeles, will be at EMOS too, presenting workshops on Sustainable Design in Theater. Check it out!)

Earth Matters On Stage

www.uoregon.edu/~ecodrama

University of Oregon, Eugene

The mission of Earth Matters on Stage is to nurture connection and collaboration among artists and scholars who share an ecological sensibility. The Ecodrama Playwright's Festival calls for innovative dramatic work that explores our ecological condition; then to showcase the best work through collaborative workshops and production. The concurrent Symposium asks us to think more deeply about how theatre and performance might participate in a sustainable society.

Join us May 21 ~ 31, 2009 for ten days of performances, workshops, readings, and round-table discussions dedicated to nurturing theatrical work that rises out of our connection to the environments we share and love. Presented by the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Oregon.

“Ecological victory will require a transvaluation so profound as to be nearly unimaginable at present. And in this the arts and humanities – including the theater – must play a role.” ~Una Chaudhuri