←Premiere Stages at Kean University

Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize “Hyannis” by Kari Bentley-Quinn as a finalist for the 2019 Premiere Play Festival. “Hyannis” rose through a competitive selection process conducted by Premiere staff and a panel of outside theatre professionals to become one of just 4 finalists out of 659 submissions. The panel was particularly impressed by the play’s compelling, evocative dialogue; its heartbreaking examination of the ways that addiction affects a family; and its well-rounded ensemble of complex, nuanced characters. Our congratulations and thanks to Kari.

Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize “Walden” by Amy Berryman as the runner-up for the 2019 Premiere Play Festival. “Walden” rose through a competitive selection process conducted by Premiere staff and a panel of outside theatre professionals encompassing 659 submissions. The panel was particularly impressed by the play’s vivid presentation of a world endangered by climate change, its evocation of the beauty of nature, and the warm, compassionately drawn trio at its heart. The play will receive a staged reading at Premiere in June 2019. Our congratulations and thanks to Amy.

Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize “The Lucky Ones” by Lia Romeo as a semifinalist for the 2019 Premiere Play Festival. “The Lucky Ones” rose through a competitive selection process conducted by Premiere staff and a panel of outside theatre professionals to become one of 23 semifinalists out of 659 submissions. The panel was particularly impressed by the deeply detailed and convincing relationship between Vanessa and Janie, the play’s surprising blend of humor and heartbreak, and the script’s appealing, energetic theatricality. Our congratulations and thanks to Lia.

Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize “Possession” by Catherine Castellani as a semifinalist for the 2019 Premiere Play Festival. “Possession” rose through a competitive selection process conducted by Premiere staff and a panel of outside theatre professionals to become one of 23 semifinalists out of 659 submissions. The panel was particularly impressed by the play’s exploration of a timely and important question: what does it truly mean to be nostalgic for a past era? The play’s arc feels both heartbreaking and utterly inevitable. Our congratulations and thanks to Catherine.

Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize “Torera” by Monet Hurst-Mendoza as a semifinalist for the 2019 Premiere Play Festival. “Torera” rose through a competitive selection process conducted by Premiere staff and a panel of outside theatre professionals to become one of 23 semifinalists out of 659 submissions. The panel was particularly impressed by the warmth and complexity of Elena and Tanok’s relationship, the powerful theatricality of the play (particularly the bullfighting scenes), and its exploration of the harm that gender roles do to all people. Our congratulations and thanks to Monet.

Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize “This Happened Once at the Romance Depot Off the I-87 in Westchester” by Gina Femia as a semifinalist for the 2019 Premiere Play Festival. “This Happened Once” rose through a competitive selection process conducted by Premiere staff and a panel of outside theatre professionals to become one of 23 semifinalists out of 659 submissions. The panel was particularly impressed by Gina’s fully realized, astonishingly complex characters and the warm, human moments of tenderness between them. Our congratulations and thanks to Gina.

Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize “The Hope Hypothesis” by Cat Miller as a semifinalist for the 2019 Premiere Play Festival. “The Hope Hypothesis” rose through a competitive selection process conducted by Premiere staff and a panel of outside theatre professionals to become one of 23 semifinalists out of 659 submissions. The panel was particularly impressed by Cat’s sharp, provocative dialogue, the warmly drawn and human central characters, and the powerful way that the play’s dark humor skewers failures of empathy in U.S. culture. Our congratulations and thanks to Cat.

Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize “The Hairy Man” by Bryan Halperin as a semifinalist for the 2019 Premiere Play Festival. “The Hairy Man” rose through a competitive selection process conducted by Premiere staff and a panel of outside theatre professionals to become one of 23 semifinalists out of 659 submissions. The panel was particularly impressed by the play’s compassionately drawn characters (particularly Abraham, a phenomenal creation); its examination of anti-Semitism in the Depression-era U.S; and its embrace of storytelling as a universal cultural pleasure. Our congratulations and thanks to Bryan.

Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize “the calm before” by Deborah Yarchun as a semifinalist for the 2019 Premiere Play Festival. “the calm before” rose through a competitive selection process conducted by Premiere staff and a panel of outside theatre professionals to become one of 23 semifinalists out of 659 submissions. The panel was particularly impressed by the play’s warmly drawn father-daughter relationship, expert pacing, and subtle, probing investigation of what it means to be a responsible citizen and family member. Our congratulations and thanks to Deborah.

Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize “the broken hearts of a corrupted white house” by Matthew Paul Olmos as a semifinalist for the 2019 Premiere Play Festival. “the broken hearts” rose through a competitive selection process conducted by Premiere staff and a panel of outside theatre professionals to become one of 23 semifinalists out of 659 submissions. The panel was particularly impressed by its dialogue, simultaneously both true to life and deeply poetic; its drive; and its centering of Dorothy Hunt, a fascinating historical figure. Our congratulations and thanks to Matthew.