BPP announces upcoming season

For theater lovers and playwrights alike, the 2004-05 season of the Bloomington Playwrights Project will be full of drama, as well as a few thrillers and comedies. \nThis year marks the 25th anniversary of the organization what likely will be a pivotal year for the organization's education programs and production teams. \n"This season is one of our more exciting in the last few years," Artistic Director Richard Perez said. "There's a wide variety of material, and we will be working with a lot of people both locally and nationally." \nMarketing Director Candace Decker said the BPP is particularly excited about Reva Shiner Winner, "The New Jersey Book of the Dead." This postmodern tale by Jason Grote opens October 7 and tells the story of Diana, a single mother whose daily life is complicated because of a modern-day surveillance program that tracks her every move. \nThe Reva Shiner award winners receive a $500 cash prize and a production of their play by the BPP. \n"Being a playwright is a difficult profession and, unless you're like Neil Simon, it's a hard field to get into," Decker said.\nShe also said that the award is particularly important because it encourages new playwrights and the production of new plays. \nPerez said variety in people, plots, styles and themes is also important to the BPP's mission.\n"Diversity is an important theme that I always try to look at when selecting a series of plays," Perez said.\nPerez explained the BPP's ultimate goal is to have a mix of people and themes in the plays to address local and global issues.\nThe BPP casts its main stage productions locally and each rehearsal period usually runs five or six weeks. \n"The rehearsal time really depends on the play," Decker said. "The plays are cast from open auditions, and often it's people who are local in the theater here and IU acting students. It just depends on who we can find to play the roles." \nEducation Director Breshaun Joyner said this is a chance for IU students to audition for roles. Opportunities to write, direct, work on sets and props, teach writing workshops or help with the BPP summer camps are also available.\n"There are even lots of opportunities for IU students that perhaps have no interest in theater," Joyner said.\nFor any student interested in working with children, elementary education or writing, it's a great practical experience, Joyner said, and "not the typical internship." The BPP is currently looking for English majors to help teach their students basic writing skills.\nThe BPP also hopes to make local theater more affordable and accessible by reducing season subscription prices for the upcoming season by 20 percent. A season pass will include six main stage performances as well as free admission to the BPP's six Dark Alley Late Night Series productions. \nThese "darker, edgier" plays, Perez said, happen late at night in the BPP's studio theatre and last about an hour.\nBPP's main performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Subscriptions are $72 for general admission and $58 for students and seniors. \nFor more information, call 334-1188 or e-mail bppwrite@newplays.org.\n-- Contact staff writer Erika Biga Lee at ebiga@indiana.edu.