Three finalists for Wisconsin Wrights’ new play project announced

Bruce Murphy, Greg Lawless and Kurt McGinnis Brown have been selected as the three finalists for the first Wisconsin Wrights New Play Development Project.

A weekend of readings of their new works will take place at 7:30 p.m. each night from Thursday-Saturday, June 7-9, at the Hemsley Theatre at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The Wisconsin Wrights New Play Project was created to foster the development of new works by Wisconsin playwrights. Producing partners for this new endeavor include UW–Madison Continuing Studies in Theatre, UW–Madison Department of Theatre and Drama/University Theatre and the Madison Repertory Theatre. The play selection process culminated in rankings by lead judge and Madison native Bradley Whitford.

Each of the three finalists will be awarded one-week residencies at Edenfred Mansion in Madison. The three plays will be featured as part of the University Theatre summer season, with one receiving a three-week workshop and the other two receiving one-week workshops, culminating in the June readings. In addition, the Madison Repertory Theatre will select one of the three works for further development through the 2007 Madison New Play Festival.

Tickets are $10 for each reading or $25 for a pass for all three. Tickets are on sale through the Vilas Hall box office at (608) 262-1500 and the Wisconsin Union Theater box office at (608) 262-2201. Call for box office hours, to place a phone order or for location information. Tickets can also be ordered online.

For further information on the play selection process and playwrights contact Sarah Marty at smarty@dcs.wisc.edu or (608) 263-2790.

For further information on the workshops and weekend of readings contact Michele Traband at traband@wisc.edu or (608) 262-6551.