2015 Emerging Playwrights Readings @ Gibney Dance

"The Third Rail" by Jacob Perkins had its developmental readings on December 13th and 14th in Studio 4 at the Gibney Dance Center. The spacious venue, with its exposed brick and eccentric detailing, set a unique tone for what is often a no-frills event in the theater world. 

Douglas Ross (DVRF) and Oliver Roth (O-Henry Productions) opened the readings with remarks on the contest's goal of bringing the exceptional work of a playwright such as Mr. Perkins to broader public attention, reminding the audience that "The Third Rail" was selected from a pool of nearly 600 scripts. 

Director Mark Schneider introduced the play and gave an outline of the developmental process over the previous week. The time spent in rehearsal, where he and Mr. Perkins worked in close collaboration with a dedicated cast, allowed for a major overhaul of the script's structure and insights into its poetic, dream-like story of loss and growth in the lives of four young people in Brooklyn. He invited the audience to savor the excitement of seeing a play at this stage of its life, and to stay afterwards to share their impressions with the creative team and cast.

DVRF would like to thank all involved for a successful first year. We would also like to acknowledge the runner-up play, The Woodpusher by Sean Pomposello.