"Plays in Progress" at The Rep: Staged readings of new works by local talent

This October, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre will launch its pilot series "Plays In Progress," featuring lightly staged readings of new works by the Rolling River Playwrights Collective. Scripts by local playwrights Judy Goss, John Haman and Werner Trieschmann will be presented in The Rep's Annex Black Box at 518 Main St. with feedback sessions following each reading.

Anna Kimmell, The Rep's Director of Education and the project's producer, said the Collective approached her after attending a listening session The Rep hosted with members of the Little Rock theater community after The Rep suspended production operations earlier this year. The collective wanted to help The Rep move forward through its financial instability and uncertain future. From those conversations, the Plays In Progress series was born.

"It's not only an opportunity for these playwrights to test out their new work," Kimmell said. "It's also an opportunity for The Rep to engage local talent and our audiences as a part of the process. Developing local talent has been a part of our mission since the beginning... I think that programs like Plays In Progress give... The Rep opportunities for creating meaningful connections."