Wednesday, October 3, 2007

So this Pulitzer Prize Winner Woke Up One Day and Decided to Write a Play Every Day for a Year...

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

Back in November of 2002, Suzan-Lori Parks (the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright of Topdog/Underdog, In the Blood, Venus, and F------ A) decided that she would write a play, every day, for a year. Now, remember the last time you woke and said, "[insert unrealistic goal here]." Remember when that didn't really happen? Well the really cool thing about Suzan-Lori's goal is...she actually did it!!!

Now, there is a nationwide festival--well, a movement really--to produce all 365 of these plays all over the country. Participating theatres or individuals present a week of plays (seven plays) during the week that they were written (along with "The 3 Constants"...but more about that later).

Barksdale Theatre (I'm so ecstatic about this) is presenting "Week 50" on October 22nd at 8PM on the Barksdale Willow Lawn lobby stage. A cash bar will be available. It's another component of our ongoing Women's Theatre Project.

Cost is...well...at the requirement of Suzan-Lori Parks, Pay-What-You-Will. So come be part of making American theatre history. Throw some cash in the jar and take in some of the most stimulating, fascinating, and often quite hilarious (I mean REALLY hilarious) theatre one is likely to experience.

More to come...

--Billy Christopher Maupin

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

VCU and Firehouse participated in this project during earlier weeks, but did so under the radar. I'm glad to see Barksdale joining the fold. Anything that brings attention to new works, African American theatre, and women playwrights is good by me.