PRESS CUTTINGS and SHAW: ON THE ROCKS

Two more bold programs from the people who bring you PROJECT SHAW!

pcPRESS CUTTINGS

New plays will be written employing the humorous and humanist precepts of George Bernard Shaw. They will be produced in tandem with Shaw’s plays. That’s the aim of the Gingold Theatrical Group, currently producing the wildly popular Project Shaw @ The Players. Surprisingly, these plays will all be written by members of the press.

This project is named after one of Shaw one-act plays: PRESS CUTTINGS.

Beginning his life in the theatre as a theatre critic, Shaw moved on to writing plays simply because he wanted his own perspectives heard in a suitable forum. In short, he didn’t feel challenged enough by the plays he was reviewing so he decided to write plays, himself. He went on to write over fifty plays. Living to be 94, his passion for both life and the theatre never diminished. He insisted that each individual had a moral obligation to challenge all of society’s dictums, to make bold life choices and to take responsibility for those choices. He was an outspoken advocate of equal rights for all, actively campaigning for women’s’ rights. The most common theme in his works involved the urging of people to create the most challenging and fulfilling lives for themselves, while fully contributing to the world around them. He actively sought to abolish all laws and traditions that discriminate against equal rights for all, giving women.

Therefore, the Gingold Theatrical Group is sponsoring a new and unique program. It’s a new play development project that will draw specifically from staff-writers currently devoted to writing about the theatre. Critics, columnists and journalists who have been playwrights or who aspire to writing plays will begin creating new works from the ground up. This series will take place at New York’s legendary Players Club on Gramercy Park South, the former home of actor Edwin Booth.

This project will begin in September of this year. Each play will be developed from scratch: outline form, preliminary readings, draft work, workshops and reading presentations. The sessions will be attended by invitation only. These writers will be using pseudonyms when requested. All works will be commissioned. The aim is to work with four different writers a year.

As Gingold Theatrical Group continues to search for their own theatre space, these works willbe developed with the goal of full productions. Ultimately, GTG will produce two Shaw plays and one new play each season.

These plays will be written with the strong influence of the often radical and still potent individualistic values of G.B. Shaw who lived from 1856 until 1950. This will not involve the rewriting of Shaw’s plays, nor biographical plays about Shaw. No previously developed works will be considered.

Interested writers should contact the Gingold Theatrical Group, attention: Peter Flynn: 212-355-
7823 or dstaller@gingoldgroup.com

SHAW: ON THE ROCKS

David Staller, the producer and director of PROJECT SHAW will also begin a new reading series in the fall. SHAW: ON THE ROCKS. This, by popular request, will be a performer-drivenseries allowing actors to play the Shavian roles they’d always dreamed to. An evening comprised of various scenes will cast actors playing the parts they’d always wanted to but neverdid: due to age, gender or opportunity. This series will occur six times in the upcoming season. Actors who have expressed interest include many of New York theatre’s luminaries. Aside fromactors, casts will also include playwrights, directors, producers and journalists. This series is scheduled to begin in January of 2008.

ON THE ROCKS is the title of one of Shaw’s plays.

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