CWP Launchpad Reading Series
The CWP Launchpad Reading Series is a new initiative produced as part of The Center at West Park's Center for New Work Development. The series provides a platform for emerging theatre companies and early-career producers to curate a weekend of pay-what-you-can developmental readings of new work, with rehearsal and presentation space, marketing & promotional support, technical & administrative assistance, and a curatorial stipend provided by CWP. Through the Launchpad Reading Series, CWP uplifts artists at the start of their careers by creating accessible and inclusive presentation opportunities showcasing diverse talents, and provides the next generation of arts leaders with the support to put their ideas and communities on the stage.
About the featured curators
CWP is celebrating Women’s History month with readings by three different companies that promote women's stories and gender parity in the arts.
Et Alia Theatre
Space Cowgirl Productions
Saturday, March 28 @ 6pm
A B Story
by Anel Carmona
Curated by Et Alia Theatre
Two scientists and long-time friends have created a mode of AI drone bees to help with pollination. A company has hired them to develop the project and holds the rights to their creation. One night, one of them accidentally lets 20 bees out of the colony. The scientists must find them before anyone returns to work the morning after. To do that, they will need the help of Emilia, the night security guard, who has her own aspiration of becoming a scientist.
This play features performances by three international actresses and deals with themes around immigration, women in tech, the rise of AI and climate change.
Sunday, March 29th @ 7:30pm
Moonbodies
by Halley Platz
Curated by Space Cowgirl Productions
Parlor at St. Paul & St. Andrew
In a nightmarish future New York City, Shelley, a vibrant, sharp-witted karaoke emcee battling lifelong body dysmorphia and eating disorders, enrolls in an experimental drug trial that will transform her into a werewolf. The only catch: she must eat while on the drug. She reconnects with Rumi, a chef and former flame now heavier and haunted post-breakup, and they take each other roles’ as feeder and feedee as they navigate bodies that no longer obey human rules, as if they ever did. Their volatile romance erupts into a collision of desire, monstrosity, and self-realization.
Tuesday, March 31th @ 7pm
My Mother the Sun
by Paloma Monfiletto
Curated by Parity Productions
Parlor at St. Paul & St. Andrew
When her mother goes missing in the desert between the US/Mexico border, Solana journeys out with a group of activists to bring her back. As her past begins to haunt her, Solana must overcome a lifetime of hurt and suspicion to undertake an extraordinary transformation in the hopes of keeping her family together. My Mother the Sun is a meditation on the way borders arrest grief, the transformative power of empathy, and the need for unconditional hospitality in the face of institutional cruelty.
The runtime for this play will be 2 hours with a 10 minute intermission.