Bay Street Artistic Director Scott Schwartz believes it is important to be showcasing new works at the Bay Street Theater. He created “Title Wave,” years back to do this. It has been very successful. This year’s, “8th annual Title Wave: The 2022 New Works Festival,” kicks off Friday May 6, 2022 at 7p.m. The festival runs to Sunday May 8th.
Hope Villanueva, the Bay Street Theater Literary Manager, has again worked successfully on this festival. She has expanded and broadened the reach of “Title Wave.” Through her efforts this year, submissions came from a very exciting and diverse group of writers who submitted their projects. Through Ms. Villanueva’s connections in different communities 600 new works were submitted.
The New Works series was created as an opportunity for playwrights to work on their play in-person with directors and professional actors. The exciting factor is that the selected playwrights actually go through a special process with dramaturgical notes from Bay Street’s artistic leadership. Then, after supervised rehearsal time, there is a public staged reading at the theater which is followed by an audience talkback.
The first presentation will be a musical by Madeline Myers, titled Double Helix. This musical will explore the story of Rosalind Franklin and her work with DNA. With many twists and turns, this production aims to please while showcasing the mid-20th century race to find the structure of DNA.
The first production on Saturday May 7th is at 2p.m. when Atacama, a play by Augusto Federico Amador, will be presented. This production lasers in on the darker truths of the horrors of the decades-long wars waged by Chilean General Pinochet on his people.
Then Saturday evening May 7th at 8 p.m. a one-man musical, One Man Titanic, is to be presented. This production is a collaboration from the writers of Murder For Two, with music by Joe Kinosian, Lyrics by Kellen Blair and Book by Scott Rothman. It is a musical comedy centered around the five-piece band that was aboard the Titanic. All parts in this presentation are brilliantly played by just one actor.
The final production of the 2022 will be on Sunday May 8th at 3p.m. Zero State, a play by Allison Moon, will be showcased. This play is a fascinating story centered around a neuroscientist who uses her revolutionary consciousness-transferal technology to inhabit her dead husband’s body, learning uncomfortable truths about her genius and her marriage.
Scott Schwartz has said, “New Works plays represent a broad array of voices, viewpoints, cultures, and styles.”
For more info, visit www.baystreet.org
