The 2nd Act Players will be featuring seven new works for the stage in their 2017 season. In September, they will host a weekend of staged readings of six new short plays by local authors, followed in November by the new two-act play, Moving Boxes, the joys and trials of caring for an aging adult.
“Our audiences tell us they want to see new works and that fits perfectly with our mission of showcasing new talent,” says 2nd Act Founder and Artistic Director John N. Frank. “Last season, we featured three new works, we want to top that in 2017. We’ve decided adding staged readings is the best way to do that.”
The 2nd Act Players is currently holding a contest to gather scripts from Chicago-area authors for the September staged readings which will take place Saturday evening, Sept. 23 and Sunday afternoon, Sept. 24 at the Player’s home in the Northminster Church theater in Evanston. Six scripts will be selected for readings.
“We want to reach as wide an audience as possible with these readings, one of these authors could turn out to be the next David Mamet. We want to bring that talent to the stage,” says Frank.
In addition to showcasing new writing talent, the 2nd Act Players will be showcasing new acting talent as well with its second production of the year, Moving Mother to Chicago.
“We plan to hold auditions for a high school girl to play one of the lead characters in the play,” explains Frank. “The grand-daughter role is a key one in the play, which looks at the challenges of caring for an aging adult. The character is a high school student and we want to be authentic in having a student portray that role.”
Auditions for the role, and others in the play, will be held in late July, check the 2nd Act Players website for details this June. Performances of the play will be weekends from Nov. 4 through Nov. 19. Tickets will be $17 in advance and $22 at the door.
“It’s going to be an exciting year, we have an all-new, all-female board that is bringing a wealth of new ideas and a new vitality to us this year,” says Frank. “They’re reinvigorating me after five years of building this theater, there’s a new excitement in the air’.”
Frank, and his daughter Jenny Frank, are co-authoring Moving Mother, based on their own experiences with Frank’s mother after 9/11. Jenny Frank also has joined the board after serving as the 2nd Act’s graphic designer since its first play in 2013.