XX PlayLab Festival Introduction

On Friday, March 22, I'm heading to Boston to take part in the XX PlayLab Festival! The lovely Ilana Brownstein invited Otis Cortez Ramsey-Zoe and me to participate in a round table discussion on race and gender that will be taking place on Sunday. More on that soon!

Now, for those who don't know, XX PlayLab is a program jointly presented by the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) and Company One, a BCA Resident Theatre Company, that supports, develops and propels the work of female playwrights. This season, the BCA and Company One invited three diverse, talented and dynamic women at various stages of their careers for a year-long program composed of in-house and public readings, dramaturgical support and artist mentorship, culminating in this weekend long festival. 

The festival will feature three powerful, compelling and exciting new plays by local Boston writers Natalia Naman, Kirsten Greenidge and Lydia R. Diamond. Their work represent a vibrant picture of the region's new play sector. 

Natalia Naman

Kirsten Greenidge

Lydia R. Diamond

The festival will also host two panel discussions on race and gender in the American theatre featuring leading scholars, playwrights, directors and dramaturgs from across the nation. 

All events are free and open to the public! RESERVE YOUR FREE TICKETS HERE! Follow BCA on Facebook for ongoing updates!

Reading of Smart People by Lydia R. Diamond
Friday, March 22nd | Reading at 8p |Calderwood Pavilion | Free
In a whirlwind of crackling dialogue and tricky questions, an actor, a doctor and a pair of academics navigate the complexities of race, class, friendship and the human brain.

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The XX Playwright in Boston
Saturday, March 23rd | 10am | Calderwood Pavilion | Free
A conversation with Lydia R. Diamond, Kirsten Greenidge, Natalia Naman and Charles Haugland (Artistic Programs & Dramaturgy at the Huntington Theatre Company)
Panels will be broadcast on NewPlayTV!

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The Old Ship of Zion by Natalia Naman, a reading
Saturday, March 23rd | 2pm | Calderwood Pavilion | Free
After a hundred years, the foundation of this old Georgian church is crumbling, inside and out. As the community prepares for what may be their final service, their faith is tested - is it too much to pray for a revival.

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Splendor Lit Beneath Their Bones by Kirsten Greenidge, a reading
Saturday, March 23rd | 8pm | Calderwood Pavilion | Free
With her bank account on empty, itching for more than her small town can provide, Nicole confronts both the unfulfilled promises of her youth and the ramifications of how she and her friends treated the only black girl in their graduating class.

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Where We Stand: Gender & Race in the New Play Sector
Sunday, March 24th | 12pm | Calderwood Pavilion | Free
A national conversation with industry professionals Anne Garcia-Romero, Hana Sharif, Otis Cortez Ramsey-Zoe Jacqueline Lawton and Lenelle Moïse.
Panels will be broadcast on NewPlayTV!

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The Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) is a nonprofit performing and visual arts complex located in Boston’s South End, the largest historic district in the United States. As a creative home for artists and an arts destination for audiences, the BCA builds a connection between the arts and the city’s diverse community.

Company One is a resident company at the Boston Center for the Arts. 

Our mission is to change the face of Boston theatre by uniting the city’s diverse communities through innovative, socially provocative performance and the development of civically engaged artists.