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Articles created by Essential staff and friends

THE OLD SHIP OF ZION, written by Natalia Naman: PROFESSIONAL WORLD PREMIERE

OLD SHIP OF ZION play opening press release

Atlanta, July 2015 – Join us for the professional world premiere of The Old Ship of Zion, by Columbus, GA playwright Natalia Naman, opening July 24.

A warm, touching play about the members of a small African-American church, struggling to keep its doors open and adapt to changing times. Mama Gwen is a beloved elder who feels the burden of others who depend on the strength of her faith, and Quincy is a young man who loves his church but is beginning to realize that he’s gay.

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Meet the Playwright: Natalia Naman

Natalia Naman is a playwright writing and teaching in her hometown of Columbus, GA. Her plays include The Old Ship of Zion, Lawnpeople, and Crossing Over. Her work has been produced at Princeton University, The Cherry Lane Theatre, HERE Arts Center, and Boston Playwrights’ Theatre. She is a Cherry Lane Mentor Project Finalist, a three time nominee for the Wendy Wasserstein Prize, and a Lark Play Development Center alumna. She graduated from Princeton University with a BA in English and NYU Tisch with an MFA in Dramatic Writing.

Earlier this year we spoke with Natalia and got to learn a little bit more about her and The Old Ship of Zion, 

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Multiple premieres for Daryl Fazio

We’ve been updating you for months now on the world premiere production of Daryl’s Split in Three, which closed last weekend at Florida Rep, but now Daryl is going international! Actors Repertory Theatre Luxembourg is producing the European Premiere of her play, Greyhounds, June 2-7.

This is tremendously exciting news, and we’re not the only ones who think so. Here is just some of what Actors Rep has to say about Daryl and their upcoming production:

So who is Daryl Fazio?
She is an amazing playwright, the author of the wonderful play ‘Greyhounds’,

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We’ve been nominated for the Suzis!

We’re proud to announce that, in our first year of participating in the Suzi Bass Awards, Essential Theatre has its first nomination: Karla Jennings’ Ravens & Seagulls for Best World Premiere Production! Congrats and thanks to director David Crowe, dramaturg Michael Evenden, and our incredible cast: Sam Traquina, Gina Rickicki, Teresa DeBerry, Jill Perry, Suzanne Roush, Patti French and Sarah Wallis!

And here’s something else that’s cool: Of the eleven plays up for the Suzi’s Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award, three of them were produced by the Essential Theatre — more than any other company! To wit: That Uganda Play by Theroun Patterson,

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2014 Festival Highlights

by Jennifer Kimball

What a summer it has been! This was our sixteenth Festival, and our third all-Georgia Festival. A revamped Festival layout featuring two world premieres and six readings. All Georgia writers, all Georgia artists. Our first year in West End, our first year in the Suzi Bass competition. Two Suzi recommendations and one nomination. New community partnerships with the West End Performing Arts Center and Eyedrum Art & Music Gallery. Continued relationships with VSA Arts of Georgia and Stagehands sign language interpreters through them, record levels of Festival sponsorships and community support. It has truly been an exciting and inspiring experience!

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Meet the Playwright: Gerardo Bartholomai

Gerry Bartholomai, of Chamblee, GA, is the author of tonight’s Bare Essentials offering, Miss Adelia’s Garden. Miss Adelia’s Garden is a poignant drama about the friendship between a young gay man and two elderly southern women.

Tell us a little bit about your play.
Miss Adelia’s Garden is the story of Adelia and Martha – two lifelong friends who live a rather secluded life in a small town in Georgia.

What inspired you to write this play?
It started with a dream I had. In it, I was back in my grandmother’s house in the mountains of Cordoba.

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