Every year I look forward to our Partner Producer roll-call process! We’ve had the good fortune to work with so many awesome theatre companies and producers, that I almost can’t believe it. This year we have quite a few new partners to cheer on and thank – so we’ll be posting “Spotlight On…” series to give them the applause they deserve!
The ONSTAGE Festival always wraps with a final production in my home-town of Prescott, AZ. Sometimes I fly in just for production week (woof!) and other times, I’m able to schedule it for a window of time in which I’ll be around long enough to enjoy the visit and even to direct a few of the pieces myself. (Oh, who am I kidding? Even when I’m not in town, I wind up directing at least a few of the pieces via Skype! That which does not kill us only makes us stronger…) But I’ve got to give a HUGE shout out to Micki Shelton, an ONSTAGE alum, who last year decided to co-produce one of our semi-finalist readings with ONSTAGE alum Amber Bosworth, AND direct her own play in the final line-up. This year, she bravely took on the task of producing a reading for us and will be directing three of the readings herself – so, she’s kind of kicking some ass! You can read more about the organizations Micki is affiliated with/the organizations sharing presenting credit for our Prescott reading below.
Since 2007, Tomorrow’s Theatre Tonight has been Prescott’s only organization devoted solely to promoting Arizona playwrights and their original works. Presenting readings before live audiences, its purpose has always been to provide local playwrights the opportunity to present their scripts, hear constructive criticism, and create fresh drafts of their works. In 2017, ‘TTT’ broadened its mission to include occasional readings of plays by playwrights for the express purpose of presenting female viewpoints and critical, contemporary ideas.
The Artist’s Path is an organization dedicated to 
artists in all mediums. It explores the role of the artist in society, asking whether the artist can create substantive change, and if so, how. Since its inception, ‘Path’ has examined the role of theatre, film, music, photojournalism, and visual art, not only through those mediums but also through the work of academics laboring in those fields. According to its founder Gail Mangham, “The artist tackles big questions: Why are we here? What gives life meaning? What makes life worth living? The artist spurs us to laugh, cry, think, wonder, change, and sometimes act.”
Tomorrow’s Theatre Tonight and The Artist’s Path will be presenting the following readings on Jan 21 at 2pm in the Founders Room at the Downtown Prescott Public Library:
- Cherchez La Femme by Julia Pascal – London, England
- Exceeding the Purchasable Calories by Rhea MacCallum – Downey, California
- Jitterbug by Micki Shelton – Prescott, Arizona
- Performance Review by Nedra Pezold Roberts – Atlanta, Georgia
- Tax Date by Julieta Vitullo – Indianola, WA
- The Bees Are Watching by C.J. Ehrlich – Chappaqua, New York
- Out to Pasture by Melanie Ewbank – Prescott, Arizona
- Unstageable by Lila Dupree – Los Angeles, CA
