Although American Theater Nexus is only
a few months old, this monthly BRIC Studio series is quickly
establishing itself as a showcase for new, experimental theater
and emerging playwrights.
These days, serious theater is hard to find. It is overshadowed
by the big-budget Broadway extravaganzas and under-produced by
cash-strapped community theaters. That BRIC Studio has taken
this bold step is a sign that the organization wants to be a
major player in Brooklyn’s cultural life.
The series is curated by DUMBO Theater Exchange (DTX), a Brooklyn-based
theater company headed by Luke Leonard, who is also an actor
and director. Leonard is assisted by co-curator and DTX member,
S. Melinda Dunlap.
The series was created for "people looking for something
new and engaging," Dunlap told GO Brooklyn. "Something
that is not going to patronize them, but will appeal intellectually
as well as emotionally."
Both Leonard and Dunlap have already had plays produced at BRIC
Studio – Dunlap’s "The Woman She Declined to Become,"
in October, and "Totemic Compulsion," in November;
and Leonard’s "Performance Record 1," in January.
"We’re looking for plays that have to be put on stage, plays
that couldn’t be shown on television or on film," said Dunlap.
"They’re not melodramas where people come in and work out
their problems. They’re plays that challenge the audience by
making people figure them out."
In addition to plays by emerging playwrights, last December,
BRIC Studio presented three plays by Sam Shepherd, directed by
Leonard and his wife, Natalie. Last February, American Theater
Nexus presented several original plays. On March 27, the program
will include 10-minute plays by Brooklyn-based playwrights B.
Walker Sampson, Barbara Cassidy, Young Jean Lee, Jonathan Bernstein
and Douglas Green.
The BRIC Studio theater has a flexible black-box stage and seats
75 cabaret style – which means members of the audience can have
a drink, watch the show and share the experience with a friend.
The March 27 performance begins at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $10,
$8 students with valid ID. A discount book of four admissions
(which includes all other BRIC Studio shows) is $32. BRIC Studio
is located at 57 Rockwell Place, second floor, between Fulton
Street and DeKalb Avenue. For reservations, call (718 0855-7882,
ext. 53, or visit www.brooklynx.org.
– Paulanne Simmons
