Applause Books has published a scene from my play FREEDOM HIGH in their collection DUO! The Best Scenes for Two for the 21st Century.
The Inkwell Theatre will present 20-minute excerpts of “six of the most daring plays in The Inkwell’s selection pool” – including EMPIRE OF THE TREES – at the Kennedy Center’s Page to Stage Festival on Sept. 7th at 2 PM
EMPIRE OF THE TREES is set in India, in the fall of 1963. It explores the relationship between the wife of an American foreign correspondent and a traveling Indian bookseller. Their journey through the worlds of literature, romance, and myth clashes with cruel facts of class, history and human nature.
Applause Books has published my one-act, Laundry and Lies, in BEST AMERICAN SHORT PLAYS 2007-2008.
On Saturday, Sept. 12, there will be a reading from Laundry and Lies and other plays in the anthology at the Lincoln Center Barnes and Noble.
The play has been produced by Ensemble Studio Theatre and the Rude Mechanicals Theatre Company, among others.
Empire of the Trees was designated one of three finalists for the Stanley Drama Award.
The play is set in India, in the fall of 1963. It explores the relationship between the wife of an American foreign correspondent and a traveling Indian bookseller. Their journey through the worlds of literature, romance, and myth clashes with cruel facts of class, history and human nature.
Empire of the Trees was developed at the Lark Theatre, William Inge Center for the Arts and LaMama ETC.
This spring, Adam Kraar will be one of two playwrights-in-residence at the William Inge Center for the Arts, along with Alice Tuan.
The residency includes a workshop of Adam’s latest play, The Return of Sita Rubin, culminating in a presentation on April 6th. The workshop is directed by Shilarna Stokes and features Catherine Eaton, Joseph Gomez, Ed Hajj, and Rizwan Manji.
Read The Brooklyn Rail feature on William Inge and the Inge Center residency
This new collection from Applause Theatre Books includes a monologue from FREEDOM HIGH.
Queens College and Queens Theatre in the Park
present
FREEDOM HIGH
a new play by Adam Kraar
directed by Susan Einhorn
Wednesday, May 9, 7 pm
Thursday, May 10, 7 pm
Friday, May 11, 8 pm
Saturday, May 12, 2 pm & 8 pm
Sunday, May 13, 3 pm
The Little Theatre
King Hall 115, Queens College
Tickets: FreedomHighTickets@hotmail.com
Directions: http://www.qc.cuny.edu/about/directions.php
Also at QUEENS THEATRE IN THE PARK:
Saturday, May 19, 8 pm
Sunday, May 20, 3 pm
Box Office: (718) 760-0064
Inspired by actual events, FREEDOM HIGH takes place in June 1964, when black Civil Rights workers trained hundreds of white volunteers to work in Mississippi registering blacks to vote. Jessica, a young white volunteer, has no idea has no idea how dangerous – both physically and emotionally – the project will be. Instead, she throws herself into learning non-violent tactics and stubbornly trying to befriend an angry, wounded veteran of the Movement.
When three Civil Rights workers who’d been at the training the previous week disappear, the volunteers are forced to decide if they can risk their lives for a mission that seems doomed. Jessica discovers the deep – sometimes dark – complexity of her motivations, and those of everyone else involved.
“An outstanding world premiere of Adam Kraar’s powerful look at love, love lost and looking back in order to move forward. Kraar’s writing reaches all corners of the mind… vivid, human, often humorous. [THE ABANDONED EL] is definitely on track at Illinois Theatre Center.”
— The Star, Sun Times News Group
In THE ABANDONED EL, two ex-lovers encounter the ghosts of their tangled relationship at the elevated subway station where they first met. Sixteen years after their stormy break-up, Robbie and Shari are mysteriously drawn together. They share dark secrets, struggle to settle accounts, and then discover a hidden connection.