"Talking to Westfield" History Play Postponed

The family-friendly history play I was commissioned to write for Premiere Stages' Liberty Live initiative was supposed to be performed at the Liberty Hall Museum on the Kean University Campus November 1-4.  But the weather had other plans!  Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey and New York with devastating force, shutting down schools, businesses, transportation lines and power.

The show has been postponed indefinitely.  We had begun rehearsals, but hadn't yet reached load-in or tech rehearsals.  We all hope that it will have a life, once the lights come back on!

"Talking to Westfield" by EM Lewis.
Liberty Live Initiative at Premiere Stages.

For more information about the show:

KeanXchange: History Up Close and Personal

KeanXchange: Rehearsals Begin

New Jersey Stage: Premiere Stages at Kean University Launches Liberty Live

Alternative Press: Go Back in Time with Liberty Live's Interactive Production

The Examiner:  Premiere Stages Forms Partnership with Westfield Museum

One-Acts by EM Lewis at high schools in Lansing, MI

Congratulations to Everett and Sexton High Schools in Lansing, Michigan, where director Jim Allen produced nine of my short plays with his student actors.

• The Incident Report
• Partners
• Drop-Off Day
• Apple Season
• $2,500 OBO
• The Edge of Ross Island
• Sing Me That Leonard Cohen Song Again
• Lend Me a Mentor
• Leonard's Voice

Hope you had fun with the plays!

"Infinite Black Suitcase" at Colony High School

Congratulations to Colony High School in Ontario, CA for their production of "Infinite Black Suitcase!"

"Infinite Black Suitcase" by EM Lewis
at Colony High School in Ontario, CA.

ANPF 2012!

Having fun as Host Playwright of ANPF 2012!

The 2012 Ashland New Plays Festival kicked off with a beautiful gala at the Art Museum on October 22, celebrating the festival's 20th anniversary.  It was a fantastic week of play readings and talk-backs, theater talks, and playwriting workshops.  I was so glad to return for my third year as Host Playwright! The week was hosted by dozens of volunteers, led by the festival's Artistic Director, Doug Rowe, and Board President Gray McKee.

Three of this year's playwrights were from New York City, and one was from San Francisco.  We had a delightful time getting to know each other during our week in Ashland!  The directors and actors were fantastic.

"The God Game" - Written by Suzanne Bradbeer, directed by Kimberly Scott

"This Rough Magic"- Written by Richard Manley, directed by Michael J. Hume

"Omission" - Written by Joshua Rebell, directed by Liisa Ivary

"How It Works" - Written by Cary Pepper, directed by Cristofer Jean

Ashland audiences always provide the best talk-back conversations, and this year was no exception.  The playwrights had given us much to discuss, with plays on topics ranging from politics and religion and the implications of social media and technology to financial misdeeds and the perils of success in the art world.

I enjoyed teaching a three hour playwriting workshop on Friday with local writers.  On Saturday morning, Cary, Josh and Suzanne offered a second workshop, allowing local writers the opportunity to ask them questions about everything from the craft of writing plays to how to market your work.

Local Bed and Breakfasts hosted the playwrights, and other local businesses opened their doors to us as well, including local cafes that offered coffee and the official drinking establishment we attended each night, appropriately named "The Playwright."  I was also able to see several shows at the world-class Oregon Shakespeare Festival!  I cried at "Romeo and Juliet," and am still thinking about "Troilus & Cressida" and "Medea/MacBeth/Cinderella."

It's always so wonderful to see everyone who makes this festival happen each year.  Thanks for another great ANPF, my friends!

Me and playwright Josh Rebell at the ANPF 2012 Gala.

Carol, ANPF Board President Gray McKee and host playwright EM Lewis.

ANPF 2012 winning playwrights:
Richard Manley, Cary Pepper, Suzanne Bradbeer and Joshua Rebell.

All photos by ANPF's fantastic marketing director, Elizabeth von Radics!

A production of "Heads" at Missouri Valley College

Harold Hynick directed a production of my play "Heads" at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, MO where he teaches.  I'm very glad that my plays are finding homes not only in traditional theaters, but also in university theaters and classrooms!

The Heads cast featured: Thomas Waller (Sedalia, Mo.) as Harold Wolfe, the American Engineer; Samantha Hill (Greenwood, Mo.) as Caroline Conway, the British Embassy worker; Matthew Ford (Camdenton, Mo.) as Michael Aprés, the network journalist; and Joshua Tag (Redmond, Wash.) as Jack Velazquez, the freelance photographer. The production was directed by MVC Assistant Professor of Theatre Harold Hynick. This production featured lighting design by MVC Senior Theatre Major Catie Combs (Blue Springs, Mo.), scenic and sound design by MVC Associate Professor of Theatre Jay Rozema, and costume design by Dyann Rozema. The play was stage managed by MVC Senior Theatre Major Crystal Mann (Marshall, Mo.). The assistant stage manager was MVC Freshman Theatre Major Jessie Carpenter (Oak Grove, Mo.). 

A Reading of "Heads" at NOW Theater Company

A talk-back after the reading of "Heads" with our cast, playwright and director,
moderated by Ian August.

A big thank you to Lynne Elson and her new NOW Theater Company for including my play "Heads" in her new reading series at the West Windsor Arts Council in Princeton Junction, NJ.  I love the opportunity to work locally, and with such great people!  The series also features new plays by Ian August, Jim Christy and Elson herself.

My playwright/director friend and colleague David Hilder directed for me.  What a pleasure, always, to work with him!  And we had a great cast!  New Jersey actors Chris Coucill as American engineer Harold Wolfe, and Eric Rolland as photojournalist Jack Velazquez, and New York actors Christian Conn as network journalist Michael Apres, and Thia Stephan as British embassy worker Caroline Conway.

I'm particularly fond of this play, which is a fictional story about four civilians who are taken hostage in the early years of the war in Iraq.  It was nice to have the chance to spend some time with these characters again. Like seeing old friends again.

Semi-Finalist for Page 73's 2013 Development Programs

I'm pleased to be a semi-finalist for Page 73's 2013 Development Programs.  This is a great group in New York City that supports playwrights and the development of new work.  I really hope that they have a place for me in one of their programs next year.

More information about this year's list of semi-finalists HERE.

Who is Page 73?  From their website:

Founded in 1997, Page 73 Productions has made a name for itself as a home for the development and production of new work by early-career playwrights. We seek out untried playwrights who are yet to be produced and recognized in New York City and usher their work from first draft to production-ready script. Page 73′s developmental programs are carefully designed to give early-career playwrights the tools and resources to ready their work for production opportunities. Our mission is to offer a crucial steppingstone at a critical, early point in a writer’s career. 

Each year, Page 73 offers five primary programs to early-career playwrights: a New York City or world premiere production of a new play by an emerging playwright; the year-long P73 Playwriting Fellowship which provides cash, development and career support to one writer annually; a week-long summer residency program on the Yale University campus to four playwrights; Interstate 73, a writing group that consists of six to eight playwrights; and the Page 2 workshop, offering extensive rehearsals and design support to a play in development.