The 36th
Season of the Baltimore Playwrights Festival summer original play productions continues this week. This year the participating theaters will be offering everything from full productions, to book-in-hand productions and developmental staged readings.
King of the Seventh Grade by Rich Espey, produced by Rapid Lemon Productions at The Strand Theatre. Directed by Alice Stanley, it runs on July 3 and 17. Get more information about buying tickets and parking at www.rapidlemon.com
There will be two staged readings: Monday July 3rd at 7:00pm, and again 2 weeks later on the 17th. The playwright and director will lead a conversation following each reading, and Rich will take his impressions and thoughts away from July 3rd’s event to create a revised and refined version for the 17th.
Jay is a teacher being forcibly retired, and he’s invited every former student to one final, inspirational class. But only Kenya shows up, and she is more interested in rectifying the past than being inspired. Secrets are revealed, old wrongs are righted, and a surprise snowfall helps soothe two battered souls.
Rich Espey is a playwright, actor and teacher living in Baltimore. He has been honored with more than 80 productions of his plays throughout the United States and the UK. Rich is a three time winner of the Carol Weinberg Award for best play at the Baltimore Playwrights Festival and has been honored three times with an Individual Artist Award in Playwriting by the Maryland State Arts Council. He has served as a Playwright Mentor for Center Stage’s Young Playwrights Festival and has taught playwriting there as well. Rich has formerly served as the Baltimore region representative for The Dramatists Guild of America, as Chair of the Baltimore Playwrights Festival, and as Board President for Single Carrot Theatre.
King of the Seventh Grade by Rich Espey
directed by Alice Stanley
developmental staged readings with revisions
July 3 and July 17
Rapid Lemon Productions at The Strand Theatre
Mondays at 7 pm
The Strand Theatre
5426 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21214
Ticket information can be found at www.rapidlemon.com
Information about the Baltimore Playwrights Festival, its mission and history, and upcoming events can be found at www.baltplayfest.org