Since writing MISS SMALL TOWN U.S.A. and submitting it to the Essential Theatre Playwriting Competition, Gerry Bartholomei has fulfilled a long-time dream of moving to New York. Weather permitting, he’ll be joining us on Tuesday night for our Bare Essentials reading, however.
Read on to learn about the play we’ll be hearing Tuesday night and what Gerry has been up to since our last interview with him in 2014:
Tell us a little bit about your play.
MISS SMALL TOWN U.S.A. is the story of two old friends who reconnect after the husband of one them is arrested for his involvement in a sex traffic affair.
What inspired you to write this play?
I’ve always been fascinated by life in lowns – most specifically what is hidden behind the quaintness and the manicured lawns. Around that time I had encountered an article which talked about how Georgia had become a hub for sex traffic.After reading a play by Lee Blessing called A WALK IN THE WOODS all these elements started coming together and that was the genesis of MISS SMALL TOWN U.S.A.
What have you been up to since the reading of MISS ADELIA’S GARDEN?
I’ve continued writing plays. The support by everyone who worked on and saw the reading of ADELIA was quite the encouragement. Another major event since that night has been that back in July, I left Georgia and made New York City my new hometown. Living in New York had always been a dream of mine since before moving to the U.S. from Argentina, and things came together in July for the move.
As much as I love NYC, I’ll always be thankful to Georgia for what it provided me during my first years in the U.S. I believe MISS SMALL TOWN was the last play I completed while living in Atlanta, so I feel very fortunate that – weather permitting – I’ll be able to fly there to be present when the piece is presented. I’m really hoping it’ll receive the same support that ADELIA did back in 2014.
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Join Essential Theatre as we do our part to support the arts in Georgia at our next Bare Essentials reading THIS TUESDAY, Georgians for the Arts Day, January 26: Miss Small Town USA by Gerry Bartholomai.
Bare Essential readings are free and open to the public.
The reading will begin at 7:30pm.
