O’Neill Playwrights and Musical Theater Conference Continues With Staged Readings of New Plays and Music Theater Works by Benjamin Budick, Andrew Case, Cheryl Coons, Jorge Ignacio Cortinas, Bathsheba Doran, Ron Hirsen, Keith Byron Kirk, Chuck Larkin, Steve Mackes, David Ogrin and Lauren Robert.

Waterford, CT, July 23, 2004 — The 2004 O’Neill Playwrights and Musical Theater Conference continues this week, July 23rd to July 31st, with new plays and music theater works by Benjamin Budick, Andrew Case, Cheryl Coons, Jorge Ignacio Cortinas, Bathsheba Doran, Ron Hirsen, Keith Byron Kirk, Chuck Larkin, Steve Mackes, David Ogrin and Lauren Robert. The 2004 conference, which includes playwrights, composers, lyricists, book writers and hundreds of professional theater artists, trustees, teachers and audience members, offers staged readings of its ten new plays and three new music theatre works, free guest speakers and stimulating conversation about writing, creativity and theater since July 11 of this year. This is the first time in the O’Neill’s forty years of existence that both the Playwrights and Musical Theater Conferences have been combined. For more information, please visit www.TheONeill.org or call (860) 443-1238.

This weekend’s and upcoming week’s O’Neill Playwrights and Musical Theater Conference events are:

As Reaper In Summer Grain by Keith Byron Kirk, Directed by Oz Scott
July 23 at 8:00 p.m.; July 27 at 8:00 p.m.
1914. Julian Carlton and his wife Gertrude have been hired to work in the home of the great Frank Lloyd Wright. What Carlton learns will eventually lead him to madness and murder. Based on actual events, this is a tale about the tragic events that took place during that summer at Wright’s famous home, Taliesin.

River’s End Book by Cheryl Coons; Music by Chuck Larkin; Lyrics by Cheryl Coons; Directed by Jack Cummings, III; Music Direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell
July 23 at 8:00 p.m.; July 29 at 8:00 p.m.
Based on the true story of Glen and Bessie Hyde, who vanished on their honeymoon to the Grand Canyon in 1928, River’s End weaves together two completely different scenarios of what might have happened to the couple, with two pairs of actors playing Glen and Bessie Hyde. Two marriages begin and end the show in drastically different states.

Erin Go Bragh-less by John Shea; Directed by Daniel Goldstein
July 23 at 4:30 p.m.
A group of close friends find out what happens when celebration crosses the line into inebriation. A St. Patrick’s Day weekend leads to accusations, insults and assault, testing the bonds of friendship and family ties. And then there is the morning afterŠ

Slay the Dragon by Victor Lodato; Directed by Melissa Kievman
July 24 at 2:00 p.m.
A young, mentally retarded man living with his aging, party-girl mother and his scatterbrained grandmother makes a confused effort to claim his independence as Holloween fast approaches and family skeletons jump out of the closet.

.22 Caliber Mouth Book by Lauren Robert; Music by Lauren Robert; Lyrics by Lauren Robert; Directed by David Pittu; Music Direction by F. Wade Russo
July 24 at 4:30 p.m.; July 30 at 4:30
The human mouth is a dangerous weapon. .22 Caliber Mouth is a drama with mystery, a tragedy with humor and a musical in two acts which explores the potency and impact of languageŠwords saidŠand words unspoken. A union between strangers sparks a repartee borne of shamefilled, secret pasts.

Blind Mouth Singing by Jorge Ignacio Cortinas, Directed by Melvin Bernhardt
July 24 at 8:00 p.m.; July 28 at 8:00 p.m.
Reiderico sneaks out and spends nights in the garden with a boy who is living at the bottom of a well, while Aunt Bolivia secretly earns money treating syphilis patients at the open-air market. When the boy and Reiderico trade places, secrets are exposed and their worlds forever transformed.

The Electric Century by Andrew Case, Directed by Joe Grifasi
July 25 at 4:30 p.m.
Set in a 19th Century New York of Murray Hill Mansions and Five Point Saloons, this historical fantasy imagines a meeting between Thomas Edison and Belle da Costa Greene, the curator for JP Morgan’s library.

Hell Hole Honeys Book by Steve Mackes; Music by David Ogrin; Lyrics by Benjamin Budick, Steve Mackes, and David Ogrin; Directed by Doug Moser; Music Direction by Tom Kitts and David Loud
July 25 2:00 p.m., also July 28 at 8:00 p.m. and July 31 at 2:00 p.m.
A fast-paced, musical comedy with dark undertones. Mary Jo Huntsinger, an idealistic TV producer, refuses to name a source, and is thrown into Bellpole Prison. This twisted tale gives us a sensuous shower scene, a repressed Jesusfreak guard, a courtyard fight, a bold escape and even an insane prison riot. It’s a great way to do some time.

The Frugal Repast by Ron Hirsen, Directed by Joe Grifasi
July 27 at 8:00 p.m.; July 30 at 8:00 p.m.
The two impoverished circus performers in Picasso’s limited edition print see a copy on display in a gallery in Paris. Their upset at the great artist’s invasion of their privacy fuels the fuss that forces Picasso himself, Gertrude Stein and some friends to address the matter.

Living Room in Africa by Bathsheba Doran, Directed by Daniel Goldstein
July 28 at 8:00 p.m.; July 31 at 2:00 p.m.
Edward and Marie have moved to a village in Botswana. Within weeks it becomes apparent that they have moved to an area devastated by AIDS. As questions about their own personal and political responsibilities become impossible to ignore, Edward becomes increasingly anxious to leave, while Marie makes the unexpected decision to stay.

O’Neill Playwrights and Musical Theater Conference 2004 public readings will be held Tuesday through Sunday, July 11 through July 31. Ticket prices range from $10 to $12, or $8 weekdays for O’Neill members. To reserve tickets or receive a summer schedule, call The O’Neill at 860-443-5378 or the box office at 860-443-1238. For more information, visit www.TheONeill.org.

The O’Neill’s 40 x 40 Sunday Brunch Discussion Series will be “Playwright’s Dream and Beauty” on July 25 at 10:00 p.m. Join us this Sunday as we continue our 40th anniversary celebration.

The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, founded in 1964 and based in Waterford CT, is a learning community dedicated to advancing the American Theater through programs that encourage creative excellence and develop diverse voices and new work. These include the Puppetry Conference, the Playwrights and Musical Theater Conferences, the Critics Institute and the National Theater Institute, a college-accredited training program for theater artists. The O’Neill also owns and operates the Monte Cristo Cottage, childhood home of America’s only Nobel Prize-winning playwright, Eugene O’Neill, and holds an annual celebration honoring the life and works of its namesake every October.