Best of New Play Project

When I heard that New Play Project was putting on a Best of New Play Project show, I got all giddy inside. I love New Play Project. I started out as an audience member but pretty quickly got involved with writing plays (I’ve had six produced through NPP), directing them, and putting on shows (running auditions, making posters, typesetting scripts, running box office, etc.). I haven’t done anything with NPP in over a year now, but man, I look back on those days with fondness. Those were good times. Incidentally, my experience with New Play Project was a strong impetus behind my starting Mormon Artist.

We just got back from tonight’s performance and mmm, it was good. Yes, I’m biased — I was there when all of these were first produced by NPP, and all of the playwrights are my friends — but really, these are some great short religious plays. If you’re in the Provo area, go see the show. And if you want to know more about New Play Project, we featured them in Issue 1 of Mormon Artist.

The plays

Adam & Eve, by Davey Morrison Dillard. Funny and touching. And now that I’m married, it makes even more sense. We awarded it first place in our Mormon Artist Young Writers Contest last year.

Foxgloves, by Matthew Greene. Honest opinion: it’s not my favorite, but now that I’ve seen it six or seven times, it’s opening up to me and I’m starting to like it more. I don’t think it’s a bad play — I think it’s just not one of those kinds of plays that I immediately like.

Gaia, by Eric Samuelsen. I like this one more every time I see it. Lots of thought-provoking material along with a disturbingly convincing Lucifer, which is exactly how it should be. (For the people who might get uncomfortable with parts of the play: it’s a story, not a statement on doctrine. Nor is it trying to be.) (Is that controversial enough to get you to go see it? I hope so.)

A Burning in the Bosom, by Melissa Leilani Larson. Like Gaia, it grows on me every time I see it. It’s an honest and compelling and real portrayal of seeking after confirmations from the Spirit. And did I mention that it’s funny?

Prodigal Son, by James Goldberg. Love love love it. I’m even more biased with this one, since I assistant directed it the first time we produced it and sort of became the Thailand consultant for the mission parts, but bias aside, it’s a very, very good play. It won a well-deserved AML award back in 2008. And I wish I’d written it. (Which holds true for most of these other plays, actually.)