A Local Showcasing for Aspiring Playwrights
By Gwyneth Lee, Staff Writer
Blueprint Photo by Cameron Powell
Fresh artistic voices are constantly shaping the progression of American theatre. Local efforts can play a vital role in showcasing these emerging playwrights.
The Lafayette Town Hall Theatre welcomed several handpicked playwrights to present their work between March 7 and 23. The playwrights were a part of the Spotlight on New American Plays (SNAP) Festival which Town Hall Theatre founded last year with the purpose of uplifting underrepresented voices.
“The hope is that our community is exposed to thought provoking plays from writers who are not part of the dominant culture. Giving us all an opportunity to learn and grow from getting to know the stories of people and cultures that are unfamiliar to us,” Town Hall Theatre Artistic Director Richard Perez said.
Professional actors presented each play with script in-hand so the audience could focus on the language and storytelling. Afterwards, the audience could share their thoughts during post-discussions.
The SNAP Festival began with Edward Gunawan’s Comrades shown from March 7 to 9. The full-length play explores themes of identity and cultural displacement. Gunawan found inspiration in his own homecoming trip to his grandparents’ village in China to tell the story of Don, a queer Chinese man looking to reconnect with his ancestry.
The Blank Theatre’s Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) presented their four finalists’ readings on March 15. The first reading was Cassidy Mintz’ Wedding Worries and Crazy Cakes: A Gale Williams Story, which draws on themes of friendship and collaboration. It tells the story of Gale, who is about to get married when her fiance sends her a confusing text.
“I wanted to write something that was fun, lighthearted, and funny to watch … [and] chose to write this, and submit it for YPF because I really like writing and really like theatre, and just thought it would be a fun thing to do,” Mintz said in a Lafayette Town Hall social media post.
The second reading was Quinn Chiappetta’s Till the Very Last Breath. Again. Chance Marie Newby’s Duality followed, and then Amelia Soong’s The Morrison.
The festival’s finale from March 21 to 23 presented Anne Yumi Kobori’s The Window Affair. Kobori’s reimagining of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet takes place in a global pandemic, retelling the story with a new lover: Ophelia, from the neighboring apartment building. It highlights loneliness, connection, and the struggles of being a young artist.
The SNAP Festival can be a great opportunity for playwrights to share their work on the stage and build community. Next year, the SNAP plans to continue their theme of representing minority groups as they workshop their first musical: Love U, a queer romantic comedy with a small town college setting.
“I submitted to SNAP because I’m very excited about the new playwright initiatives that Town Hall is doing and am very glad to be a part of this community,” Kobori wrote in another social media post.
