Red, White, Blue - and Black

by Peter Gunter

Saturday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m.

Staged Reading of Red, White, Blue - and Black by Peter Gunter

Free and open to the public.

Come for a snack and a chat, and then stay after to give the playwright the feedback he needs to get his play where he wants it to be.

Co-directed/dramaturged by Carol Pedersen and Boomie Pedersen

Cast:
Richard Cooper
Carrie Stuart
Rebecca Hudnall
Chris Courtenay
Jim Johnston

Cynthia, a white Republican lobbyist is helping her African American fiancé, David, run for Congress as a Republican. Their relationship — both political and personal — is jeopardized when the influential conservative she invites to her old Virginia home turns out to have written a notorious book on race and intelligence. The battle lines are drawn when the party is crashed by Cynthia’s ultra-liberal mother and David’s African American ex-girlfriend who is catering the party and wants him back — as a Democrat.

About the playwright: Peter Gunter is the author of numerous plays and screenplays. Most recently, his plays have appeared in the Samuel French Off-Broadway one-act play festival, and at the Argonaut Playwrights Series in New York City. Last summer, his play, The Garden, was produced in the upstage theatre at Live Arts under the direction of Ray Nedzel. He is a current member of the Live Arts Playwrights Lab, and is a past member of NYC Playwrights and the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop. He is a two-time winner of the John Golden Playwriting Award.

(right) Playwright Peter Gunter at the Actor Reading of his play Red, White, Blue - and Black

Stage 2 of VPSI: Actor Reading of Red, White, Blue - and Black, held Feb. 5, 2009

Saturday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m. - Staged Reading of Red, White, Blue & Black by Peter Gunter

Free and open to the public.

Come early for coffee, cookies and a chat, and then stay after to give the playwright the feedback he needs to get his play where he wants it to be.

Cast:
Richard Cooper
Carrie Stuart
Rebecca Hudnall
Chris Courtenay
Jim Johnston

Co-directed/dramaturged by Carol Pedersen and Boomie Pedersen

Cynthia, a white Republican lobbyist is helping her African American fiancé, David, run for Congress as a Republican. Their relationship — both political and personal — is jeopardized when the influential conservative she invites to her old Virginia home turns out to have written a notorious book on race and intelligence. The battle lines are drawn when the party is crashed by Cynthia’s ultra-liberal mother and David’s African American ex-girlfriend who is catering the party and wants him back — as a Democrat.

Peter Gunter is the author of numerous plays and screenplays. Most recently, his plays have appeared in the Samuel French Off-Broadway one-act play festival, and at the Argonaut Playwrights Series in New York City. Last summer, his play, The Garden, was produced in the upstage theatre at Live Arts under the direction of Ray Nedzel. He is a current member of the Live Arts Playwrights Lab, and is a past member of NYC Playwrights and the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop. He is a two-time winner of the John Golden Playwriting Award.
Playwright Peter Gunter

Riddle Me, Riddle Me

by Mike Mulvihill and Charmi Neeley

This is the first step in the VPI process, in which the playwright reads his play - or in this case where the playwrights read their play - to the assembled audience and use the feedback from the conversation afterwards to help in the rewriting process.

We will gather at 6:30 p.m. for a snack and a chat and the reading will commence at 7:00 p.m. Listening is a vitally important part of this endeavor - come, lend us your ears! Please come listen to the play and be part of the conversation afterwards.

The Virginia Playwrights Initiative (VPI) is a part of the Hamner Theater's continuing mission to foster new works for the stage, specifically those by Virginia playwrights. Following the reading, there will be a discussion open to all.

Blackout

by William Howard Rough

Friday, Jan. 8 at 7:30pm
Staged Reading of Blackout, by William Howard Rough

Free and open to the public.
Come at 7:00 for a snack and a chat and then stay after to give the playwright the feedback he needs to get his play where he wants it to be.

Directed by Chris Baumer.
Dramaturged by Boomie Pedersen.
Cast:
Orion Bloom
Bree Luck
Ray Nedzel
Marcello Rollando
Mendy St. Ours

Playwright William Howard Rough

Featuring (l-r) Mendy St. Ours, Orion Bloom, Bree Luck, Marcello Rollando and Ray Nedzel.

Sunday, July 26 at 1:00 p.m. - Staged reading of All is Always Now, by Robert Wray
Elements of Shakespeare, Melville and Chekhov combine to create a story about a group of theater friends who gather together for one last night in New York.

Co-directed/dramaturged by Carol Pedersen and Boomie Pedersen

Playwright Robert Wray

Featuring (from left) Ryan Wender, Mary Coy, Chris Patrick and Kevin O'Donnell.