Meridith Friedman's THE FIRESTORM Wraps It's NNPN Rolling World Premiere at Local Theater Company
Washington, D.C. - The National New Play Network, the country's alliance of nonprofit theaters that champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays, celebrates the success of the NNPN Rolling World Premiere (RWP) of The Firestorm by Meridith Friedman. NNPN Associate Member Local Theater Company (Boulder, CO) will offer its production, directed by Pesha Rudnick, at Dairy Arts Center’s Carsen Theater from October 13 – November 13. Core Member Kitchen Dog Theater (Dallas, TX) and Associate Member Stage Left Theatre (Chicago, IL) received acclaim from both critics and audiences for their first two productions of The Firestorm’s Roll.
“Friedman has written a shrewd exploration of politics, privacy, relationships and truth.”
Lindsey Wilson, CultureMap Dallas“Many points do resonate… in a brave play that dares to talk about issues we too often avoid. Kudos to Friedman and Kitchen Dog for getting this new conversation about race started.”
Nancy Churnin, The Dallas Morning News“…the real strength in Friedman's play, nimbly directed by Drew Martin for Stage Left Theatre, is that she's more interested in exploring why people form alliances — political and personal — and how they do or do not withstand the inevitable realization that loyalty has its limits.”
Kerry Reid, The Chicago Tribune“In a time where racial tensions continue to grow with each viral clip or photo that appears, Friedman’s script not only provides an open conversation, but in the final scene as experiences are told and choices are made, she might very well have the answer of how healing can begin for us all.”
Loy Webb, New City Stage"... a world-premiere play from the always excellent Stage Left Theatre Company, is thrilling in ways that the very best Chicago theater provides – intimate, thought provoking, and above all else, honest."
Peter Thomas Ricci, Chicago Theatre Review
ABOUT THE FIRESTORM
Gaby and Patrick are married. A hot political couple on the verge of moving into the governor’s mansion. But when the campaign is hit with an impending political scandal, the race—and Gaby and Patrick’s marriage—begins to fracture. Tensions rise. The personal becomes explosively political. And a husband and wife must confront just how strong their alliance really is.
ABOUT MERIDITH FRIEDMAN
Meridith's work has been developed, workshopped, and produced at theatres and festivals across the country, including Kitchen Dog Theater, Stage Left Theatre, Chicago's Theatre on the Lake, Local Theatre Company, Curious Theatre Company, Actor's Theater of Charlotte, The Kennedy Center, Chicago Dramatists, The Greenhouse Theatre Center, the NNPN National New Play Showcase, New Repertory Theatre, The Lark, Actor's Express, The Samuel French OOB Short Play Festival, The American Southwest Theatre Company at NMSU, The Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals, Florida Repertory Theatre, The Ashland New Play Festival, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Florida Studio Theatre, and the Abbey Theatre in Orlando.
Her next play, The Luckiest People, a commission from Curious Theatre Company in Denver and funded by the National New Play Network, will premiere at Curious in May 2017 followed by a production at Actor's Theater of Charlotte. The Luckiest People is the first play in a new trilogy commissioned by Curious. Meridith was the NNPN Playwright-in-Residence at Curious for their 2010-2011 season, a 2012-2013 Dramatist Guild Fellow, and the recipient of a 2013-2014 Downstage Left Playwriting Residency at Stage Left Theatre. She recently completed the book for a new musical, The 30th Year, which was part of the inaugural New Musical Discovery Series in Orlando. She is currently working on a new musical, Masterpiece, and developing an original television pilot.
ABOUT LOCAL THEATER COMPANY
Based in Boulder, Colorado, Local Theater Company is a not-for-profit theater company specializing in original works of exceptional quality. Local Theater Company engages audiences through innovative performances that spark camaraderie, learning, and contemplation, and provide a resourceful environment for theater artists to take creative risks, and develop their work. Their new play development pipeline includes the annual Local Lab New Play Festival, followed by a fully-mounted world premiere production from the festival. The company also offers a series of literary and educational outreach initiatives, including Living Language, which adapts novels for the stage and presents them to school groups at Boulder Public Library.