Space 55 Opens PLASTIC THINGS in Phoenix

It has been a good year already for my play Of Plastic Things and Butterfly Wings.  Published earlier this month by YouthPLAYS, this all-ages play opens today, January 26th, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Brought to life for its second production (the premiere by Little Fish Theatre continues to tour the Philadelphia/NJ-area), the good folks of Space 55 have put together an impressive group of artists who will present the work each Saturday and Sunday through February 10th, for nine performances total (2:00 pm and 7:00 pm shows on Saturday, 2:00 pm on Sunday).

This production, directed by the lovely and talented Michelle Kable, will include live music, puppetry (including a shadow-puppet version of "the Gyres"), and will feature a set made of recyclable materials, all in the intimate environment of Space 55's downtown Phoenix home.

For more information about the show, you can visit Space 55's website HERE.

I am grateful to Space 55 for taking on this work, and for continuing and expanding its life.  Big leg-breaking thank yous to director Michelle Kable, and performers Mack Duncan, Ron Foligno, Pina, and Dilcia Yanez.

much love,

ROMERO

PLASTIC THINGS Published by YouthPLAYS

I am completely excited to announce that my play, Of Plastic Things and Butterfly Wings, is now published by YouthPLAYS, Inc., a Los Angeles-based publisher and licensing house.

The Oldest Sea Turtle Who Ever Lived (Josh Totora), Reginald the Blue Crab (Kevin Chick), and Sam the Plastic Water Bottle, from the Little Fish Theatre production; Philadelphia, PA; September 2012.  Photo by Charlotte Leigh.

As my first attempt at writing a theater for young audiences play, this experience, from conception to presentation to publication, has been a thrilling, rewarding journey, introducing me to new collaborators and new audiences.  This project is one of the highlights of a very satisfying body of work.

It is my hope that, in addition to the productions already in progress, the publication of this play will give this work a continued and sustained life, playing out over and over again with audiences and imaginations of all ages.

It is my hope that Sam the Plastic Water Bottle, Reginald the Blue Crab, Billie the Parrot, and The Oldest Sea Turtle Who Ever Lived will get to play together for a very long time.

To visit the Of Plastic Things and Butterfly Wings' publishing page, visit YouthPLAYS here.

Sam's Father (Kevin Chick) and Sam's Mother (Maryruth Stine) caught in The Gyres.  Photo by Charlotte Leigh.

Big congratulations and thank yous to Little Fish Theatre for originally commissioning and trusting me to create this play, and for all of their support during the process.  Also, big congratulations and thank yous to the members of the 2012 Winter Studio at Drexel University, whose creativity and exploration inspired the first draft of Plastic Things.  Big thank yous also to Charlotte Leigh, who, by good fortune, happened to photograph one of our performances.  And huge thank yous to Jonathan Dorf and Ed Shockley of YouthPLAYS, Inc., for believing in this play, and for their generosity during the publishing process.

much love,

ROMERO

BABEL a Finalist for Source Festival

With much enthusiasm, I share news that THE BABEL PROJECT is one of 25 finalists selected for Source Festival, a new works festival in Washington DC.

The Babel ensemble from the 2012 WordBRIDGE Playwrights Lab.  Photo by Phoebe Troiani.

Source Festival, which began in 2008, is one of my favorite new works festivals, as it has a wonderful history of generosity and artistic experiment.  Featuring several different forms of live theatrical works, BABEL is under consideration for one of the three works to be selected in their "full-lengths plays" programming.

Big congratulations to my collaborator, electronic music composer Mike Vernusky, whose work on this piece is completely thrilling.

Congratulations as well to the entire roster of finalists, whose works and bios can be viewed here.

Mike and I both hope to continue working on this project, and to create and sustain a long, unpredictable life for this play and for our relationships with the people who collaborate with us.

Huge thank yous to Source Festival, to the 2012 WordBRIDGE Playwrights Laboratory (whose developmental process was truly excellent, and whose collaborating artists were even more truly excellent), and to the awesome student-ensemble at Drexel University (where we developed a very early version of this work).

much love,

ROMERO