Native American new plays readings in LA May 29-31

NATIVE VOICES AT THE AUTRY PRESENTS ITS 15th ANNUAL
PLAYWRIGHTS RETREAT AND FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS,
FEATURING PUBLIC READINGS OF INTRIGUING
NEW WORKS BY NATIVE AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS

Wednesday, May 29, 2013, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 30, 2013, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 31, 2013, 7:30 pm
Autry National Center, Los Angeles

Native Voices at the Autry, America’s leading Native American theatre company, continues its tradition of excellence, developing works by new and established Native American playwrights at its highly regarded PLAYWRIGHTS RETREAT AND FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS, culminating in staged public readings of three intriguing new works on Wednesday, May 29, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, May 30, 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, May 31, 2013, 7:30 pm, at the Autry National Center’s Wells Fargo Theater.  Presented during the 15th annual event are THE HEALERS REMAINS by Lori Favela (Yankton Sioux*), in which a young woman with a troubled family past meets hostility as well as kindness from elders when she starts her new job at a reservation nursing home; STAND-OFF AT HWY#37 by Vickie Ramirez (Tuscarora*), about a clash between protestors and law enforcement over a land dispute that causes a U.S. soldier to abandon his uniform and rank in order to defend his culture; and WHERE HAVE ALL THE WARRIORS GONE? by Darrell Dennis (Shuswap*), a tale of a woman's murder and how the four men who loved her most must grapple with the cultural pressures that have shaped their lives to understand what caused her death.  Illustrating Native Voices’ long-term commitment to the development process, the three plays showcased at the 2013 Festival of New Plays are in various phases of development, ranging from initial stages to near completion.

Native Voices’ highly respected PLAYWRIGHTS RETREAT AND FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS, introduced to Autry audiences in 2004, provides the opportunity during a weeklong retreat at UCLA for beginning, emerging, and established Native American playwrights to work closely in shaping their plays with nationally recognized directors, dramaturgs, and an acting company comprised of exceptional Native American actors. The retreat concludes with public readings.  Many works developed during this project have gone on to enjoy successful runs on Native Voices’ Autry main stage and elsewhere, including the company’s recent world premiere of The Bird House, its 2011 production of The Frybread Queen and its 2009–2010 season opener, Carbon Black.

Native Voices at the Autry, led by Founder/Producing Artistic Director Randy Reinholz (Choctaw*) and Founder/Producing Executive Director Jean Bruce Scott, is the country’s only Equity theater company dedicated exclusively to producing new works by Native American playwrights and performed by Native actors. It maintains successful long-term relationships with New York’s The Public Theater, Native American Public Telecommunications (NAPT), Washington’s Kennedy Center, and La Jolla Playhouse.

The Autry is located at 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462.  Readings are free, but reservations are suggested. To reserve free tickets, call 323.667.2000, ext. 354, or visit www.NativeVoicesattheAutry.org.


*Refers to the artists’ tribal affiliation