[NEohioPAL] NEOMFA Playwrights Festival Feb 7-16

[convergence-continuum]

THE 2013 NEOMFA PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL AT THE LIMINIS THEATER FEBRUARY 7 – 16.
SEE WHAT THE NEXT GENERATION OF PLAYWRIGHTS IS UP TO!

convergence-continuum presents four new plays by local graduate-student
playwrights at the 2013 NEOMFA Playwrights Festival. The Festival features
four world-premiere one-act plays, with two presented each evening.  These
plays are part of a three-year intensive program of study under playwright
and professor Mike Geither, and are co-produced by convergence-continuum,
Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts (NEOMFA) in Creative Writing and
Cleveland State University.

The Formula  by Deborah Magid and Dye Jung by Michael Laurenty run at 8 pm
Thu-Sat, February 7, 8 and 9.  Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead by
Rachel Baird and Puppet Party by Claire Robinson May run at 8 pm Thu-Sat,
February 14, 15 and 16

The Formula by Deborah Magid, directed by convergence-continuum’s Amy
Bistok-Bunce:
What do you get when you mix a humanoid robot, a menopausal biochemist, a
Ninja mathematician, and the cure for cancer?  The 1940s SciFi comedy, The
Formula, of course! Featured actors are Rose Leininger, Christine McBurney
and con-con company member Marcia Mandell.

Dye Jung by Michael Laurenty, directed by con-con’s Geoffrey Hoffman:
Alan is different, but he hasn’t always been this
way. A terrible car crash has rendered Alan with a bit of an edge even his
mother cannot figure out.  His trauma left him with a persona that
warrants consideration if not assistance, which his mother seeks with the
aid of an old friend.  Yet to Alan, the truth has already been unveiled.
Featured actors are company members Tim Coles, Zac Hudak and Lisa Wiley.

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead by Rachel Baird, directed by Geoffrey
Hoffman:
Thousands of people die every day; somebody's got to do the paperwork,
right?  Levy, a harried researcher of questionable moral background,
guides Terry, the recently deceased, through the underworld.  It's Levy's
job to help him patch together his past, his rights and wrongs, and the
nature of good, evil, and free will -- before he creates a backlog of red
tape.  She takes him on a surreal journey through parlor games, recipes,
and even a bit of role-playing, forcing him to face some hard truths and
even harder choices.  Featured actors are con-con’s Laurel Hoffman, Tyson
Rand and Zac Hudak.

Puppet Party by Claire Robinson May, directed by con-con’s artistic
director Clyde Simon:
It’s the groovy 1970’s and Leon asks Gloria, his attractive new co-worker,
to come to his puppet party.  What’s a puppet party? It’s a party to which
only puppets are invited, and their people should not intrude. But with
human and puppet relationships ranging from hostility to forbidden love,
anything can happen, and it all depends on who’s really in control.  The
play, which contains adult puppet content, features company actors Liz
Conway, Clint Elston, Tom Kondilas and Sarah Kunchik.

The 2013 NEOMFA Playwrights Festival opens Thursday, Feb. 7 and runs at 8
p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Feb. 16 at the Liminis, 2438
Scranton Rd., Cleveland, OH 44113.  Tickets are $10 general and $5 for
students.  For reservations and information visit
http://www.convergence-continuum.org or call 216-687-0074.