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Miami’s City Theatre Presents Reading Series
Audiences Can Influence Summer Shorts Selections
By Ashley Davidson
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The cast of Terms of Agreement, featured at the 2005 Summer Shorts festival. Plays in the festival often get their start at City Theatre’s Reading Series. |
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this February, Miami's City Theatre is a premiere, professional company dedicated to showcasing unique one-act shows featuring both up-and-coming and established playwrights from South Florida.
In preparation for Summer Shorts, the organization's annual festival of one-act plays, City Theatre hosts a series of free readings to allow the community to preview possible plays, musicals, and comedies.
“The readings show plays that are in consideration to be on the main stage for the Summer Shorts,” says Danielle Karliner, City Theatre managing director.
With pencil and paper in hand, audience members play a very integral part in the readings.
“We want to get audience input,” Karliner says. “Did they hate it? Love it? Were they moved by it? We encourage our audience to be actively participating in the selection of our plays.”
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Stephen Trovillion in Paul Rudnick's Pride and Joy, featured in the 2005 Summer Shorts festival |
| Because of the short 10 minutes of each act, City Theatre can gain valuable feedback on five to six plays each night of the readings.
City Theatre was recently chosen as an exclusive partner of the Actors Theatre of Louisville, based in Louisville, Kentucky. Both groups co-sponsor the National Ten-Minute Play contest, allowing City Theatre to be able to choose from a pool of shows for their Summer Shorts program.
Readings have been held at Books & Books in Coral Gables, the Ring Theatre on the University of Miami campus, and the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theatre.
Interested in being an active participant in which plays are showcased at next year's Summer Shorts festival? Readings will begin on Jan. 15 at 1 p.m., following a kick-off brunch. Contact City Theatre at 305-755-9401 to inquire about brunch prices. A second reading will take place on Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. at the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theatre.
The Summer Shorts program will be held June 1 – July 2, 2006 at the Ring Theatre and July 6-9 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts Amaturo Theater in Fort Lauderdale.
For more information about City Theatre and Summer Shorts, visit www.citytheatre.com
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