Celebrating its 24th season, New Plays for Young Audiences (NPYA) will present rehearsed readings of three new plays. These rehearsed readings are presented by NYU Steinhardt’s Educational Theatre program at the historic Provincetown Playhouse from June 11-26, 2022 and are free to attend.
The plays are the outgrowth of New Plays for Young Audiences’ annual summer play development series, established in 1998 by Lowell and Nancy Swortzell. The prize-winning series has developed dozens of new plays written by leading playwrights for young audiences and families, many of which have gone on to receive both national and international recognition, publication, and production.
About the 2022 readings
Soundscapes
Co-written by Claudia Haas and Sarah Kraning.
Best enjoyed by ages 11-15.
Rehearsed readings are on Saturday, June 11 at 7:30pm and Sunday, June 12 at 3pm.
Iris has synesthesia. She has no idea. She simply thinks that everyone sees colors and shapes when music plays. As she becomes a tween, she learns that not only is that not true but others think it weird or to put it more kindly – “wildly imaginative.” As Iris tries to downplay this trait, she increasingly finds herself at war with herself over what is natural to her. Nan Smithner directs.
Sheela and the Amazons
Written by ChelseaDee Harrison.
Best enjoyed by ages 13-18.
Rehearsed readings are on Saturday, June 18 at 7:30pm and Sunday, June 19 at 3pm.
When the world needs saving, who will lead with love? Immerse yourself in the journey and warrior training of Sheela, a modern young person pulled into a mystical timelessness by a tribe of warrior queens who must prepare Sheela to fight a looming darkness taking over the world. Sheela must learn how to be a leader, how to defend what they believe in, and most importantly how to love deeply. ChelseaDee Harrison tackles the historic legacy of warrior queens by weaving together powerful stories of ancient matriarchal societies through song, dance, and shadow puppetry. Sheela and the Amazons deconstructs common misperceptions about the Amazons, femme leadership, and celebrates strong, diverse bodies working together in unity. Zenzelé N. F. Cooper directs.
Keys
Written by Roxanne Schroeder-Arce and composer Jenn Hartmann Luck.
Best enjoyed by ages 7 to 11. Rehearsed readings are on Saturday, June 25 at 7:30pm and Sunday, June 26 at 3pm.
Lyric is a second-grader who is having trouble learning to read when an unlikely teacher, the janitor at her school, recognizes the challenges Lyric is facing. Mr. Hartley elicits the help of his made-from-junk robots to nurture within Lyric the necessary confidence and learning strategies to read. Anthony Runfola directs.
Attending a reading
All rehearsed readings are in the Provincetown Playhouse. Tickets are free, but audience members must reserve a seat by emailing producer Teresa Fisher ([email protected]) and follow NYU’s COVID-19 guidelines. For NYU community members, simply send an email to Teresa with your name and which reading(s) you are attending. You will receive a confirmation within 1-2 days. For non-NYU audience members, in addition to reserving a seat, you will need to secure access prior to the reading you plan to attend. To do this, email Teresa Fisher ([email protected]) by no later than the Monday prior to the reading (June 6 for the Soundscapes readings, June 13th for the Sheela and the Amazons readings, and June 20th for the Keys readings) with the name, email address, and phone number for each non-NYU audience member. You will receive a confirmation email within 1-2 days with additional instructions for gaining access to the theatre. Only children 12 and older will be able to attend, as per NYU's COVID guidelines.
The Provincetown Playhouse is located at 133 MacDougal Street, between West 4th and West 3rd streets [Subway: A, C, D, E, F, M (West 4th St.)]. For more information on the series, contact David Montgomery at [email protected].
Concurrent with the full series, an online mentorship program will also be occurring under the leadership of Tammie Swopes. “Seeing Our Stories on Stage: Amplifying Global Majority Voices in TYA” is designed to provide support for global majority TYA playwrights and stories geared towards the global majority youth experience.
New Plays for Young Audiences is supported by The Nancy and Lowell Swortzell Permanent Fund in Educational Theatre and with thanks to NYU Steinhardt’s Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions.
Steinhardt’s Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions, established in 1925, instructs over 1,600 students majoring in music and performing arts programs. Music and Performing Arts Professions serves as NYU’s “school” of music and is a major research and practice center in music technology, music business, music composition, film scoring, songwriting, music performance practices, performing arts therapies, and the performing arts-in-education (music, dance, and drama).
