Primary Stages Marvin and Anne Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA) has announced casting for its inaugural ESPA*Drills Readings, a new play development program enabling four ESPA playwrights the opportunity to workshop their plays at Primary Stages and present full readings at 59E59 Theaters.
Casts include Ngozi Anyanwu, Kelly AuCoin, Akeem Baisden-Folkes, Natalie Venetia Belcon, Kina Bermudez, Jeanette Bonner, Leah Dietrich, Maria Dizzia, Corinne Edgerly, Einar Gunn, Walker Hare, Talaura Harms, William Jackson Harper, Jessica Hecht, Autumn Horne, Becca Lustgarten, Katelyn Manfre, Quentin Maré, Nick Pauling, Morgan Reis, Maduka Steady, Jason Watkins and Rick Younger.
The program is as follows:
August 22nd at 12pm - The Green by Kate Tarker, directed by Glynis Rigsby and featuring Ngozi Anyanwu, Akeem Baisden-Folkes, Kina Bermudez, Corinne Edgerly, Nick Pauling and Maduka Steady.
Leeann is an American veterinarian who just got her dream job: managing a chimpanzee sanctuary in Africa. Surrounded by poachers, antagonistic adolescent chimps, and an eccentric French boss, she suddenly needs to choose between caring for animals and caring for people. With human allegiances unraveling and chimps running a wild mock, the line between animals and humans dissolves under the canopy of the African jungle
August 22nd at 4pm - American Drum Circle by Vanessa Shealy, directed by Melissa Attebery and featuring Natalie Venetia Belcon, Katelyn Manfre, William Jackson Harper, Becca Lustgarten and Rick Younger.
Mandy's mother has died, and her father is desperate. She's torn between college or continuing work at the local post office. Then she meets Olujimi, a rising hip hop artist from Africa, who escaped his parents to pursue dreams of stardom in America. From family fraud and family failure, Mandy and Olujimi look for a future in each other. Will that be enough to escape the rhythm of the past?
August 29th at 12pm - Jersey Intersections by Tina Esper Kolomatsky, directed by Jade King Carroll and featuring Kelly AuCoin, Jeanette Bonner, Maria Dizzia, Leah Dietrich, Einar Gunn, Autumn Horne, Quentin Maré, Morgan Reis and Jason Watkins.
Olivia dumbs herself down to stay in a broken relationship with Leigh. Ben works like a dog to support his unforgiving wife Maggie. Kate and Lisa dream of fairytale lives, but wake up to harsh realities. Trapped by their habits and their needs, these friends, lovers and co-workers are spinning their wheels in the pursuit of happiness. Maybe, just maybe they can make it. If they can only find the road that leads out of Jersey.
August 29th at 4pm - In Ways Both Frivolous and Deep by Marin Gazzaniga, directed by Alexandra Aron and featuring Walker Hare, Talaura Harms and Jessica Hecht.
When Sparky makes a quick getaway from a relationship, going on tour and out of reach, his apartment provides the perfect hideout for Millicent, also on the run from her life, pressures, and disappointments. Caught in the act of forced metamorphosis, these wanderers have no choice but to rely on the chancey wisdom of Craigslist and the kindness of a stranger.
