Meet the Artist: New Play Readings 2025
Wednesday Evenings in May
All “Meet the Artist” New Play Readings will take place
at the Summit Community Center
100 Morris Avenue, Summit, NJ
Vivid Stage's “Meet the Artist” series is a forum that showcases new theatrical works. The series provides audiences an opportunity to experience new shows and participate in discussions with playwrights, directors and actors.
The series’s goal is to expose the adult public to the evolution of a theatrical presentation and to give the playwright valuable feedback to be used in the development of the play.
For more information on submitting a new play for consideration, click here.
A Way of Life by Joe Sutton
Directed by Laura Ekstrand
Wed., May 7, 2025 @7:00 pm
A father who is a Dartmouth alum grapples with what it means for his daughter to be among the first women admitted to the school in 1971. And the daughter finds that being a trailblazer comes with its own set of sometimes painful challenges. A Way of Life explores what happens when the status quo is threatened, and how change is often the hardest on those who lead the way.
Cast
Clark Carmichael
Eli Ganias
Jolee Morris
The Patrons by Nick Gandiello
Directed by Laura Ekstrand
Wed., May 14, 2025 @7:00 pm
It's the Fall of 1963, and Head Librarian Mrs. Quarter is training Rhonda to serve the community amid budget cuts and a staff shortage. Unbeknownst to Quarter, Rhonda allows teenage patron Adam to check out a controversial book, which is soon voted for removal from the shelves by the county. As local tempers flare against the library, the staff must choose how far they will go to protect their ideals and each other. The Patrons explores the power of public spaces and what happens when we can't agree on what is allowed within them.
Cast
Ciara Chanel
Haley De Luna
Jose Fernando Gonzalez-Vidal
Harriett Trangucci
Chris Young
Etiquette by David Lee White
Directed by Noreen Farley
Wed., May 21, 2025 @7:00 pm
It’s the Fall of 2021 and the Cellar Theatre is back in production after a year of Zoom programming. When Lauren Ellis, the lead actress in the Cellar’s production of the American classic "Midnight Cicadas," spots an audience member filming the show with his phone, Lauren strikes back – stopping the show and refusing to perform. A video of the incident goes viral, bringing the Cellar praise for speaking out against poor theatre etiquette. But when an online commenter gives an alternate interpretation of the same event, the praise quickly turns bitter and the criticism begins to mount. The overworked and underpaid staff suddenly have to navigate in-fighting, diva tantrums, illegal vaping and internet trolls…not to mention the Cellar’s problematic history.
Cast
Darin F. Earl II
Laura Ekstrand
Becca Landis McLarty
Jason Szamreta
Emaline Williams
It's You by Laura Ekstrand
Directed by Betsy True
Wed., May 28, 2025 @7:00 pm
Two actors play all of the parts in this examination of the choices we make that lead to the lives we live. Working parents Lily and Greg confront the possibility that their marriage won’t survive the challenges of modern life. In living rooms, offices, boutiques and spas, characters cycle through a La Ronde-esque series of scenes where people perform a chain of actions that lead back to the original conflict. It’s You asks the question: how do we each influence the lives of others to nudge them to their destiny?
Cast
Dave Maulbeck
Becca Landis McLarty
At readings actors typically hold scripts as they sit or stand in front of the audience. There are no sets, costumes or props.
Clark Carmichael & Harriett Trangucci read “Backfire” from “Random Horrible Thoughts About Love” on May 11, 2011.
With feedback from you, the show had its world premiere as “The God Game” on May 6, 2014 at Capital Rep in Albany, NY.
At readings actors typically hold scripts as they sit or stand in front of the audience. There are no sets, costumes or props.
The new play reading series is a chance for the audience to participate in the development of new works, both to hear the play read by professional actors and also to discuss the project with the playwright, director and actors afterward. Feedback from these evenings helps the playwrights to further refine their scripts and also gives them a first-hand experience of how the audience will respond to the finished work. These evenings provide a fun and lively way to interact with the creative process, and to receive a preview of plays that may be performed on Vivid's mainstage in the future.
What is a “Reading”?
A reading is a performance of a play that focuses on the words of the script and the interaction of the actors without sets, props and costumes. Readings are a way to present plays in front of live audiences without the expense of a fully staged production. While readings can be of new or existing works, Vivid chooses to read new plays only. Readings of new shows can help a show’s creative team see what works and what might need a rewrite. When a reading goes particularly well, Vivid will consider the play for a fully-staged production in an upcoming season.
What to Expect
Just like in a staged performance, Vivid company members and guest actors will perform all the roles in the play. Typically, the cast will be seated in chairs onstage, and they will read their lines from the script. They might occasionally stand up and move about. There may also be a narrator, who reads aloud stage directions and describes scenery or movement as written in the script. There will be no costumes or sets.
Are readings appropriate for kids?
The themes of most chosen plays are probably “of interest” to those approximately 12 and up.
Overall, play readings are similar to reading non-picture books to your children at home. If your child can focus, listen, pay close attention, and imagine the setting for the play, she or he will probably enjoy the reading. Remember: there are no costumes or sets, and there is no action.
Why would I attend a reading if I can wait for a fully staged production?
Play readings at Vivid are about discovering new artists and their works, and including yourself in the development cycle of the plays. You will get to witness a work in progress, and afterwards you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback to the creative team. Playwrights often use readings to test new characters and lines in front of live audiences. And if you do come back for a fully staged production, you might notice some of your suggestions incorporated into the final performance.