“One of the most important theatrical events of the season.” – Richard Sanford, Columbus Underground
Now in it’s sixth year, the Next Stage Initiative returns to the Columbus Museum of Art. Be part of the growth & nurturing of some great plays as they come into their own.
AVLT has a vested interest in daring, new plays. The Next Stage Initiative provides opportunities for up and coming playwrights – both local and national – to share their works in various stages of development. Four talented playwrights from Columbus and beyond will share their unfinished works and enable audiences to witness the creative process unfolding.
THE 2018 NEXT STAGE INITIATIVE
February 15 — 18, 2018
Columbus Museum of Art
480 E Broad St.
Dogged Song
written by Cody Troyan
directed by Linnea Bond
Talkback with the playwright.
We’ve already waited for Godot, now we’ve got to answer to Bossman. In this bizarro dark comedy, Rank and Foul are a pair of dog executioners with an ambitious dream—to become human executioners. Slapstick, banter, and blood abound.
Mistress/Goddess/Queen
written by Jared Sprowls
directed by Eleni Papaleonardos
Talkback with the playwright.
Monica is going through changes, and so is Hera, the goddess of marriage. After a newsworthy break-up, everyone has advice for Monica – her friends, her mother, even the cashier at the grocery store, but who can she trust? Goddess or not, it’s tough to find true compassion, and tougher still to figure out how to really move on.
Tar
written by Jason Beehler
directed by John Dranschak
Talkback with the playwright.
Tar is a narrative history of the modern day opium trade, right here in Columbus, Ohio. From Ancient Greece to Portsmouth in the 90s and from the clinics to the locker rooms to the emergency room, all the the key players are here in a story inspired by much too real events.
Four People
written and directed by Karie Miller
Talkback with the playwright.
If you’ve ever thrown a party, you know the dread that accompanies the planning: “What if no one shows up?” Four People are siblings one and all, strangers too. There’s a party and no one shows up. There’s a life and nothing happens. Or maybe it’s a party overflowing with everyone and it’s a life half-lived. If only they could get back to Moscow. If only…