Four new works have recently been part of Center Theatre Group's new developmental pipeline for plays and musicals, created by Artistic Director Snehal Desai. The initial phase, a series of four readings, workshops, and presentations, focused on supporting Latine plays and playwrights, as well as new musicals.
Titles included Mama of the Row or Who Raised the Rent? [A Los Angeles Vaudeville of Tragic Proportions] A Displacement of Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage by Luis Alfaro; WEST: The Final Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a new musical by Tara Mose, Andy Mientus, Jackson Teeley, and Wade Fernandez that was directed by Michael Arden; Aya by Fernanda Coppel and directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos; and The Turning, a new musical by Zack Zadek, directed by and developed with Sammi Cannold.
The rigorous and reflective development process focused on both structure and substance.
Desai said in a statement, “As CTG’s
third artistic director, I am renewing our commitment to fostering,
developing, and, in time, producing the next generation of trailblazing
plays and musicals—as well as providing support to the writers,
directors, and creative teams who bring them to life. We want to
continue to be the home for bold new works that is CTG’s legacy while also continuing to champion the voices of Los Angeles for our stages and beyond.”
Desai added, “We’re not developing work in isolation—we’re developing it with the true hope of producing it. While nothing is guaranteed, our investment in new work is a reflection of CTG’s commitment to nurturing deep artistic relationships, a vibrant new works pipeline and building the theatre of tomorrow.”
In addition to these workshops, CTG has ongoing artistic programs to develop new plays and support playwrights, as well as local artists and companies through both the LA Writers’ Workshop and the LA Artist Residencies.
Center Theatre Group has a long history of developing new works, including Angels in America by Tony Kushner; Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez; Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 by Anna Deavere Smith; and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Rajiv Joseph.
Visit CenterTheatreGroup.org.
