Playwright Mat Smart, Festival Producer Hayley Finn, playwrights Dominic Orlando, Winter Miller, and Sarah Gubbins, and Producing Artistic Director Jeremy B. Cohen hanging out at the PlayLabs Celebration.

Thanks to everyone for a fantastic PlayLabs! If you’d like to see more photos of the festival, you can visit our Facebook photo album.

The PlayLabs panel discussion, “Defining the Playwright,” begins at 3:30 CST! Featuring panelists Shá Cage, Laurie Carlos, Kate Fodor, Dominique Serrand and Lisa Steindler, the panel will examine the critical issue of how we define the word “playwright” and its ramifications that extend far beyond semantics. Watch it right here and join the #newplay conversation on Twitter!

Vita.mn: Jay Gabler on PlayLabs »

“It was the first time I’d attended a reading at the Playwrights’ Center, and though I was not surprised to find the play compellingly presented by actors Anna Sundberg and Bruce A. Young, I was surprised to find that it was a semi-staged reading that felt surprisingly tight and engaging despite the fact that sections of the script were less than 24 hours old. I was also surprised to find complimentary drinks that you could bring into the theater with you. And the tickets are free. Apparently many local theatergoers have realized how rewarding these readings are to attend, since I understand the entire festival is almost sold (er, ‘sold’) out - but did you know? I didn’t, but I definitely do now.” -JAY GABLER

Today at The Center: Fellow Showcase Rehearsal

So I’m guessing you think the four PlayLabs plays are all the great theatre The Center could possibly handle right now. You’d be wrong. The Center is working with NINE additional playwrights this week as we prepare for the Jerome and McKnight Fellow Showcase.

Company and Production Manager Ryan Ripley puts his hard hat on to get down to business for this year’s PlayLabs: New Plays Breaking Ground.

Administrative Assistant Sarah Sponsler and Intern Rachel Strayer get ready to great patrons coming to see Dominic Orlando’s All That is Solid Melts Into Air. The house was packed, so if you haven’t already, be sure to reserve your seats in advance for the next readings!

Producing Artistic Director Jeremy Cohen and PlayLabs Festival Producer Hayley Finn celebrate a great first reading in the 2011 festival.

Playwright Dominic Orlando, PlayLabs Festival Producer Hayley Finn, and Board Member Barb Davis mingle before the first reading of PlayLabs 2011: All That Is Sold Melts Into Air.

Tonight at The Center: Dominic Orlando's First Reading!

Dominic Orlando’s All That Is Solid Melts Into Air invites the audience to visualize a world in our not too distant future. Entering this imagined world requires precision and detail to feel real and possible. In order to achieve part of this world, Dominic enlisted Projection Designer Andrew Welken to create “memories” using green screen technology. Today’s tech rehearsal was the first time these images were revealed to the actors. While the actors had posed and performed for these videos, they weren’t all told the specifics of what would appear on the green screen behind them. Watching the newly revealed videos, the actors were excited to find the definition and detail in the scenes—and sometimes even surprised by what and who (even a presidential candidate!) was around them.

The videos were not the only things revealed to the actors today, however, as Dominic arrived with news of a new Act Two. The actors were left on their own to read the new act as the technicians stayed to finalize details in lighting, projection, and prop elements.

Today has been filled with new things for the cast and crew of All That is Solid, but tonight is sure to bring even more additions. Dominic is thrilled to finally hear the piece in front of an audience at the first reading tonight at 7 pm. As show intern Callie Meiners explains, the audience will help playwright and director determine where to go next and what changes to make to create a more defined piece for the second reading. 

Tinker Heads to Tech

As its Wednesday reading fast approaches, rehearsals for Mat Smart’s Tinker to Evers to Chance get more impassioned. While the play has only two characters, it has always been about more than just Lauren and RJ. The difficult trick is to maintain and develop relationships between characters who never get a chance to be present, except through the script Lauren’s mother has written. FULL POST

Playing in The Water

The Center was loud and bustling last night as Tinker to Evers to Chance entered tech rehearsals, The Water Play began rehearsing a song, and across the street Augsburg College celebrated homecoming with a show of fireworks. It was hard to tell where all the sound was coming from, since the whole building was alive and alight. FULL POST

Ed Huyck talks with Jeremy B. Cohen about PlayLabs in City Pages »

Jeremy B. Cohen: “We support writers who are thinking big with their hearts and visions, and all four pieces definitely do that.” …

A lovingly hipstamaticked shot of the playwright/director brunch at Producing Artistic Director Jeremy B. Cohen’s house.

METRO Magazine highlights PlayLabs »

METRO’s Morgan Halaska gives an overview of the festival and chats with playwrights Sarah Gubbins and Dominic Orlando.

Today at The Center: Winter Miller's Fourth Rehearsal

Playwright Winter Miller’s piece is tough. It’s gutsy and it’s scary. It asks us questions about ourselves we aren’t prepared to answer. As such, her rehearsals are lively and passionate. When a play deals with violence, extremism, and belief systems like The Arrival does, each line needs to be carefully crafted. The actors ask questions, speak up, make sure to note when something is hard for them or doesn’t feel quite right. Sometimes it’s a matter of getting themselves to a place where they can personally embody these ideals, and other times a tweak of the text will be the solution.

In one case, a member of a group called The Liberation Front gives a speech into a camera. The speech needs to be perfectly timed in order to work. It is incredibly hard to say such powerful and dangerous words in a detached and unemotional manner.  FULL POST

The latest version of Sarah Gubbins’ The Water Play awaits actors & collaborators near the Playwrights’ Center entrance.

Actors Kathryn Lawrey and Jairus Abts act a scene for Andrew Welken’s Projection Design.

Projection Designer Andrew Welken works with actress Kathryn Lawrey on her green screen work for Dominic Orlando’s All That is Solid Melts Into Air.

Projection Designer Andrew Welken films actor Sam Bardwell for the video design in Dominic Orlando’s All That is Solid Melts Into Air. 

Actors Anna Sundburg and Bruce A. Young prepare to begin a new scene in Mat Smart’s Tinker to Evers to Chance.