THE LOCAL. Is a collaborative theatre project made of short pieces by different Atlanta artists. All the pieces are set in different Atlanta locations. There are also pieces based on real stories collected from local people. The stage is set f or the many locations through the use of projected photographs.

THE LOCAL is being produced by The Essential Theatre in July, 2012, as part of a three play festival performing in the King Plow Arts Center in Atlanta. The Essential has got the bare bones covered but this project wants to fly. There are playwrights, poets,

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Three of the finalists being considered for the Eugene O’Neill Center’s National Playwrights Conference this year are Georgia writers who’ve had World Premieres produced by the Essential Theatre: Karla Jennings, Gabriel Jason Dean and Lauren Gunderson! Congrats to all three of them (and also to Adam Szymkowicz, whose “Food For Fish” we produced in 2009). The Essential Theatre helps send Georgia playwrights out into the world!  https://sites.google.com/a/theoneill.org/npc-2012-finalists/full-finalist-list

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The Essential Theatre is proud to announce that Gabriel Jason Dean’s QUALITIES OF STARLIGHT, the winner of the 2010 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award, will be produced this summer as part of Washington D.C.’s Source Festival. (http://www.sourcedc.org/sourcefestival/full_length/full_length.html) The Essential Theatre presented an earlier version of the play as part of the 2010 Essential Theatre Play Festival, and we’re happy that it’s moving on out into the world. Congratulations to Gabriel!

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If you keep meaning to come see “Next Fall” at Actor’s Express, but have been putting it off, keep in mind that this time next week, THEY WILL HAVE CLOSED.  

Twentysomething Luke, who believes in God, is deeply in love with the slightly older Adam, who believes in everything but. When a tragic accident interrupts their perfect New York life, Adam must turn to Luke’s friends and deeply religious family for support – and answers. This runaway New York hit began off-Broadway in 2009 and transferred by popular demand to Broadway in 2010. The New York Times called Next Fall “smart,

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The Essential Theatre congratulates James Beck on the World Premiere of his dark comedy BLEACH at the Lionheart Theatre in Norcross, running Feb. 10 – 19.  (Visit http://www.lionhearttheatre.org for details.)  Essential did some development work with James on this play, part of our ongoing mission of supporting new work by Georgia playwrights.  Here’s what James had to say about working with us:  “Peter led the group in a constructive feedback session that allowed me as the playwright to experience my play, to question it and to gather new creative energy to apply in crafting the work. Peter did a great job of understanding that the playwright has to solve the riddle of the play but offered,

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