The Essential Theatre says BREAK A LEG! to the cast, crew (and author!) of Synchronicity Performance Group’s World Premiere of Lauren Gunderson’s revenge comedy, “Exit, Pursued By A Bear”. Opening this Friday (March 4) in the Backstage Theatre at 7 Stages.

Lauren was the first-ever winner of the Essential Theatre Playwriting Award, back in 2001, for “Parts They Call Deep”, a play that she wrote when she was just 17. She later went on to win another award from us, for her science-drama “Background”, and she’s been having a wonderful career ever since, getting commissions and productions all around the country.

Lauren says:

”The Essential Theatre has been fundamentally important for my career. When I was very young and unsure of how to sustain my work in theatre, they gave me strength. I speak from experience when I say that I will always credit them with my early success and confidence.”

And a reminder — the submission deadline for the 2012 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award is coming up soon, on April 23. Visit www.EssentialTheatre.com for submission guidelines.

Coming up this summer: The 2011 Essential Theatre Play Festival, featuring the Regional Premieres of Lee Blessing’s “Great Falls,” Melanie Marnich’s “A Sleeping Country”, and the World Premiere of our 2011 Award winner, Theroun D’Arcy Patterson’s “A Thousand Circlets”. The Festival will be running June 30 – July 31, at Actor’s Express!