Three incredible new works that challenge the world we live in today will be presented at Local Lab 2017, Boulder's nationally-respected new play festival. Presented over 3 days at Dairy Arts Center, the weekend also includes 2 parties, a panel with the 3 playwrights presenting new work, and the world premiere of a new devised piece of theater called, "Pain Management."
Friday, March 17 | 7pm
“People are uncomfortable when women are powerful.”
Wisdom From Everything
By Mia McCullough
19-year-old Syrian refugee Farsana is stuck. Once the top student in her school, she’s now educating girls while they wait for the war to end. But when an older Jordanian doctor offers Farsana an education in exchange for marriage, she takes the chance—and finds herself embroiled in her new husband’s bizarre plot to redeem himself. Wisdom From Everything is the story of one young woman trying to better herself in a world where she has very little agency, few rights, no country, and very little support. Is there hope?
Saturday, March 18 | 6pm
“I am a worse monster than any of them. All artists are.”
Shostakovich, or Silence
By Jason Grote
Directed by Pesha Rudnick
Sometimes the things an artist must do to keep creating aren’t pretty, even if the art sometimes is. In Jason Grote’s riveting biographical play with music about the prolific Soviet-era composer Dmitri Shostakovich, the Great Terror is imprisoning and murdering writers and artists—and unfortunately for him, Shostakovich is out of favor with Stalin. But the human spirit is more powerful than any kind of artillery. And a composer must contemplate whether to use the power of art to change things, or remain silent.
Sunday, March 19 | 2pm
“He has disgraced me, and hindered me a half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked my gains, scorned my Nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated my enemies, and what’s the reason? I am…”
The Merchant of Venice
By William Shakespeare
Translated by Elise Thoron
Directed by Rachel Fowler
What happens when you take a controversial Shakespearean masterpiece and update the language in modern contemporary English? Something totally new (and equally controversial). In Elise Thoron’s translation of The Merchant of Venice, a loan granted by Shylock turns the town a frenzy, thrusting it into a debate about intolerance and justice. Presented in partnership with Oregon Shakespeare Festival, this will be the first public reading of the new work that begs to ask the question: Why translate Shakespeare’s work now?
Special thank you to Boedecker Foundation, Boulder Arts Commission, and The Community Foundation Boulder County for their support of Local Lab 2017.
