Original Shorts

Original Shorts, the staged readings of the winners of Theatre du Mississippi's 4th annual short playwriting contests will be held April 16, 17, and 18 at the Masonic Temple in Winona.

The four winning scripts will each receive a staged reading.

“Fade to Black” by Greg Freier of Norwalk, IA

“Reciting Emily Dickinson” by Tim J. Brennan of Austin, MN

“I Been There Before” by Lee Gundersheimer of Winona

“Don’t Email Him, He’s Dead” by Kathleen Peterson of Winona

The contest also named four honorable mention submissions:

“Hot Potato” by Emilio Degrazia

“Daves” by Daryl Lanz

“Johnny Shoemaker” by Rand Higbee

“Denying the Pleistocene” by Larry Greenstein

Original Shorts

Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18 at 7:30pm

Sunday, April 19 at 2:00pm.

Masonic Theater 

255 Main Street

Winona, MN

$5 admission

 http://theatredumiss.org

Original Shorts

Casting call for Theatre du Mississippi’s Original Shorts

Theatre du Mississippi is holding open auditions for their upcoming production, Original Shorts—staged readings of four short plays.

Open auditions: April 11 and 12, 7pm - 9pm
Masonic Theater (255 Main Street, Winona)

• TdM is looking for around 9 males and 6 females in their 20s to 60s.
• Actors may request to be cast in only one, or as many as all four short plays.
• Actors will receive a small stipend.

The performance is a staged reading with limited rehearsals beginning March 30th.

Performances May 9-11 at the Masonic Theater.

For questions please email theatredumississippi987@gmail.com

Winners of TdM’s third annual Original Shorts playwriting competition

Staged readings of the four winning plays will be held at the Masonic Theater in Winona on May 9 and 10 at 7:30pm and May 11 at 2:00pm.

Return Engagement by Kathleen Peterson

Fat Actress, Ugly Model, and Other Destructive Labels for Women by Bella Poynton

God Always Exists Somewhere by Greg Freier

The End by Conlan Carter

Honorable Mention submissions:

The Switchblade by Bella Poynton

In the Shadow of the Monste by Jacob Wrich

The Ninth Train by Jane and Jim Jeffries

Soyuz 5 by Rand Higbee

www.theatredumississippi.org

Theatre du Mississippi accepting scripts Original Shorts Playwriting Contest

Theatre du Mississippi is now accepting scripts for their Third Annual Original Shorts Playwriting Contest. Winners shall receive a $50 prize and will be given a staged reading over the second weekend in May 2014.

Contest Rules

1. Plays must be original, un-produced scripts. Previous readings are okay.
2. Scripts must be short plays, approximately 20 minutes to 60 minutes in run time and having only one act. Please, no 10 Minute plays.
3. Playwrights must reside in the tri-state area of Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Iowa. Our mission is to foster area playwrights and our area is the region described. For the purposes of this contest a ‘resident’ is anyone with a postal mailing address in the tri-state area.
4. Submissions must be ‘blind.’ No name or email or any author-identifying signature attached to the script. Playwrights should clearly identify themselves and the name of the attached script in their cover letter or email.
5. Any genre or style of play is acceptable. We are not offended by foul language, but neither are we enamored by it. Use it wisely if you must use it.
6. All scripts will be read by a minimum of two readers. Those scripts passing both readers will be forwarded on to our panel of judges.
7. For a list of judging criteria, please check our web site (www.theatredumississippi.org). We value the qualities that make for strong drama.
8. Deadline for Submissions: All scripts must be sent to TdM before 11:59pm on January 15, 2014. Emailed scripts must show that the email was sent before this time. Postal mailed scripts must have a postmark before this date/time.
9. Winners shall receive a $50 prize and will be given a staged reading. Winning scripts will be assigned a director who shall determine casting and rehearsals. The cast will perform the plays, with script in hand and with minimal production values. Our intent is that the audience (and hopefully the playwrights) get to focus on the words and the story and not the ‘production.’ The plays will perform a variety of times over the second weekend in May.
10. We accept nearly any format for submissions.
    Electronic submissions may be sent to:
    theatredumississippi987@gmail.com
    
    Hard copies should be mailed to:
    Theatre Du Mississippi Original Shorts,
    PO Box 184,
    Winona, MN 55987.
    
    Scripts will only be returned if accompanied by a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope. Electronic submissions may be in txt, word, mobi, epub, pdf, or just about any other electronic format. If we can’t open and read it, we will let you know.

Original Shorts this Weekend

Theatre du Mississippi presents staged readings of the four winning short plays will be held this weekend at the Historic Masonic Temple in Winona.
In a new twist this year, only three of the four will be presented at each performance. Viewers will have to attend two performances to see all four shorts. But if this year’s winners are anything like last year’s, it will be worth it.

Original Shorts
May 3, 4, 5

Siren by Darly Lanz – Friday and Saturday
Condemned by Greg Freier – Friaday and Saturday
Heretics by Richard Zinober – Saturday and Sunday
In Memory of a Russian Playwright by Larry Greenstein – Friday and Sunday
For more information visit www.theatredumississippi.org

Acting Opportunity for Original Shorts

Theatre du Mississippi has an opportunity for two actors to perform in their production of, 'Original Shorts,' the second annual staged readings of the One Act Play contest winners.

Description of needed actors:

--Female, late 40's-60, vivacious, funny, quick-witted. Plays a neighbor to the main   

  character who verbally spars with him, trying to cheer him up.

--Male, late 30's to 60, to play a creepy/slimy landlord. 

Dates of 'Original Shorts':

--May 3rd and 4th, 7:30pm

--May 5th, 2:00pm

Rehearsals will take place during the week before the performance dates.

Rehearsals and performances will take place at the Masonic Theater in Winona, MN.

Contact Paul Sannerud at sannerud@aol.com ASAP if interested!

Homegrown Theater: Winona comes alive

My article on Winona playwrights appeared in Minnesota Playlist. Read it in the Greater Minnesota section of the magazine:

Homegrown Theater: Winona Comes Alive

Angels in the Trees: Rockwell Kent in Winona

written by Lynn Nankivil, directed by Judy Myers
February 8-10, historic Masonic Theatre, Winona

Continuing the new tradition of producing locally penned plays, Theatre du Mississippi presents Lynn Nankivil’s Angels in the Trees: Rockwell Kent in Winona. The play chronicles noted painter, illustrator, and political activist Rockwell Kent’s year in Winona in the early part of the 20th century. The play also coincides with a citywide celebration of Kent’s work.

Nankivil tells the story of Kent’s eventual year in Winona, framed through the memories of a German immigrant couple, Alex and Martha Geckler. While not following a traditional plot line, the selected memories draw a complex character and make for compelling theater. It offers a thoughtful insight into the bravado that would drive Kent’s later success as well as striking flaws that make can’t a deliciously interesting character.

The play is bolstered by strong cast, particularly David Coral, who has appeared locally with both The Commonweal Theater and the Great River Shakespeare Festival, and Karen Dulak as Alex and Martha Geckler. Local coffee mogul Carew Halleck does a fine job as the confident and reckless Rockwell Kent.

Pianist Nancy Edstrom leads a talented, four-piece orchestra that helps place the historical era and deepen the overall texture of the play.

The play opens Friday, February 8.

For tickets BrownPaperTickets.com
For schedules, visit www.theatredumississippi.org.

I Am Anne Frank

Jan 3 - 6; WSU’s Black Box Theater
Libretto by Enid Futterman; Music by Michael Cohen;
Stage direction and design by Ben Krywosz
Vanessa Muras Gamble, Joel Liestman, and Jill Dawe.
Nautilus Music-Theater, Winona State University department of Theatre & Dance, and Theatre du Mississippi present.

Vanessay Muras Gample and Joel Liesetman in the Nutilus Music-Theater production of I Am Anne Frank

Nautilus Music-Theater’s Ivey award-winning production of I Am Anne Frank opened tonight at Winona State’s blackbox theater for a four-day run. This musical adaption of Anne Frank’s famous diary is the story of a young girl standing tip-toe on the edge of her future during a time of hatred and intolerance. The play combines spoken excerpts from Anne’s diary with songs that reveal the power of her inner life. Fully faithful to its source material, Anne’s famous chronicle of two Jewish families secreted in a cramped garret in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation is still as suspenseful and moving as ever. Her writing is propelled by an undying faith in the goodness of people. This heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting story stirs our deepest emotions as it insists upon honoring the endurance of the human spirit. Winona native Vanessa Gamble portrays Anne Frank in this production.

New York critics called Futterman and Cohen’s work “A moving, poignant, and in every sense tasteful piece of musical theatre... beautiful, flawless... this is what theater is all about.” Nautilus’ production earned rave reviews from critics and audiences alike when it premiered in 2006. The production won a coveted Ivey award, which noted that “the impressive artistic contributions of the talented cast, combined with the matchless vision of the directors, made Nautilus production of I Am Anne Frank a stunning collaboration of fine acting, sharp stage direction, effective lighting, and gorgeous music-a wonderful blend of music and acting, and an innovative way of telling an important story.”

Visit Theatre du Mississippi online for times and ticket information: www.theatredumississippi.org.

Theatre du Mississippi Summer: Prelude Concerts and Drops and Drama

Theatre du Mississippi is busy this summer presenting its third annual installment of Drops and Drama as well as producing 5 concerts in conjunction with the Great River Shakespeare Festival.

One scene from "Drops and Drama III"

Drops and Drama III

Theatre du Mississippi has prepared another new “Drops and Drama” production that will feature many of the theater drops from the historic Masonic Temple. The theater’s 90 drops were hand painted in 1909 and powerfully create numerous scenes from classical theater. This new show is written by Lynn Nankivil, narrated by Ray Felton, and will include recorded dramatic readings from the classics by Great River Shakespeare Festival apprentice actors.

Saturdays through July 28
Shows at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m..
Historic Main Street Theatre
255 Main Street
Winona, Minnesota

Prelude Concerts

Theater du Mississippi is also producing musical events in conjunction with the Great River Shakespeare Festival (including last Saturday’s James Armstrong Concert). Four prelude concerts are free and open to the public and start at 6:30 p.m. in the commons area in front of the Performing Arts Center at Winona State University.

Cam Waters
Friday, July 6, 6:30 p.m.

Liz Queler & Seth Faber
Saturday, July 14, 6:30 p.m.

Curtis & Loretta
Saturday, July 21, 6:30 p.m.

Chris Koza
Saturday, July 28, 6:30 p.m.

Visit Theater du Mississippi’s Web for performer bios.