PROVO — Budding playwrights now have a chance to experiment with their passion at festivals designed around 10-minute plays.
New Play Project, now a nonprofit organization, spun off from a Brigham Young University playwriting club when some of its key members graduated or were approaching the end of their college careers.
The group gives writers a chance at more practice and feedback than most college settings can allow, said artistic director James Goldberg.
New Play Project has produced 35 plays from as many as 25 writers since last August
"I've attended their shows, and there's no question that they provide an opportunity for young playwrights to continue to hone their craft in performance," said BYU associate professor Eric Samuelsen. "I applaud their success and root for it to continue."
The 10-minute plays are more the norm for most college campuses.
"It is very rare for most universities to do full-length, student-written new plays on their regular, main stage season," Samuelsen said. "BYU is unique in committing to do one full-length, fully mounted, main stage show in our regular season, every year. This year, for example, we produced 'Stuck on the Edge."'
BYU has also done 10-minute festivals, but not for the last two years, Samuelsen said. Next year he plans to resume them.
As a spin-off, New Play Project maintains the same moral standards as BYU, while the theater world around them "has no boundaries," Goldberg said. "Theater has been pushing the envelope for a long time. You don't have to swear or have sexual content to be thought-provoking or engaging."
Each play is given a name before it's ever written, while every festival is themed, said New Play Project spokesman Matthew Davis.
The budding theater group meets at a member's home for workshops and puts on its plays at the Provo City Library at Academy Square. Its first full-length play is Friday, April 13, and Saturday, April 14, at the west ballroom in BYU's Wilkinson Center. Admission is free.
The play, "Really Cool, Smart and Better Than You," is a comedy about dating at BYU.
A college experimental theater club is working with the group, Davis said.
The group plans festivals following general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Comedies are scheduled for April and dramas for October, Goldberg said.
The next script due date is April 25 for a play titled "All's Fair," about love and war.
Scripts can be submitted online at www.newplayproject.org or e-mailed to newplayproject@gmail.com.
The group produces as many as eight plays for each festival. Most of the actors and writers are college-age, but Goldberg would like to see more community involvement and age diversity.
The remaining 2007 season schedule is as follows:
May 24 and 25, "All's Fair," plays about love and war. Scripts due April 25.
June, July, no date specified, "On the Road," the touring show. Scripts due May 19.
July 6 and 7, "Stand-Up Comedy and Sit-Down Drama," stand-up comedians get serious. Sample material due May 19.
Aug. 17 and 18, "Roots," not just family history. Scripts due July 14.
Oct. 12 and 13, "Religious plays," exploring religious issues. Scripts due Sept. 5.
Nov. 9 and 10, "America," the good, the bad and the silly. Scripts due Oct. 5.
Dec. 14 and 15, "On Christmas Day," exploring the light at the darkest time of the year. Scripts due Nov. 3.
E-mail: rodger@desnews.com