BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//ChamberMaster//Event Calendar 2.0//EN METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:P3D REFRESH-INTERVAL:P3D CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20210806T160000Z DTEND:20210808T160000Z X-MICROSOFT-CDO-ALLDAYEVENT:FALSE SUMMARY:2nd NEW WORKS FESTIVAL DESCRIPTION:Press Release New Works Festival 2021\n\n \n\n After more than a year-long hiatus due to the COVID pandemic\, Ragged Edge Community Theatre is kicking off the 2021/2022 season with its second New Works Festival August 6th\, 7th\, and 8th. Presented as "staged readings" each piece will be followed by a talkback session with the cast\, director\, and author. This year's plays deal with a wide variety of subjects and differ greatly in tone as well.\n\n \n\nFriday August 6th at 7 PM\n\nDear Elsie: Kafka's Letters from a Lost Doll by Kimberly Shimer\n\n Most folks remember having to read Franz Kafka's intense\, groundbreaking short story The Metamorphosis in school. It would probably surprise them to learn that in the year before he died Kafka took it upon himself to write a series of letters to a broken hearted little girl from her doll\, Lotti\, who was not actually lost\, but "out in the world\, having adventures." Written with humor and heart\, this is a play about how even the most hardened and cynical among us can confound expectations with unexpected outbursts of compassion and humanity.\n\n \n\n \n\nSaturday August 7th at 7 PM\n\nBoats Against the Current by Bill McCann\n\n Using clever theatrical devices to convey his inner battle\, "Boats" tells the story of Harrisson\, a man in the early stages of Alzheimer's. He fights to maintain his memory and literally his sense of "self" while concealing his condition from his family. Told with humor and pathos\, this play will resonate with anyone who has had to say "the long goodbye". The author is the founder and current president of the Kentucky Playwright's Workshop.\n\n \n\nSunday August 8th at 3 PM\n\nSeeking Henry Gambrell By Father Al DeGiacomo\n\n.. The enigmatic portrait of Henry Gambrell\, a young man raised in an orphanage and who lived among the Shakers for years but who never "signed the covenant"\, is the object that sets this play in motion. Set in Harrodsburg and the Shaker community at Pleasant Hill\, this is the story of two men\; separated in time\, but each with a desire to find something. One is seeking family and a place to call home. The other is looking for the right and true path forward in his life.\n\n \n\nAdmission is $12 The theatre is located at 111 South Main Street in Harrodsburg.\n\nTickets are available by visiting www.raggededgetheatre.org or can be purchased at the door.\n\nOne admission is good for all three festival performances\n\n ------------------------------------------\n\nBios\n\nPlaywright Bio\n\nBill McCann\n\n \n\n \n\n William H. McCann\, Jr. is a playwright\, poet\, writer of flash fiction\, publisher\, editor\, and arts columnist for the Winchester (KY) Sun. His other plays include Monkey King: Havoc in Heaven (co-written with Dr. Jennifer Goodlander) which was produced at the University of Kentucky in October 2011 as part of the Department of Theatre's Main Stage Season. His 10-minute plays include Strained Pears\, which won second place in the Kentucky Theatre Association's 2020 Roots of the Bluegrass 10-Minute Play Contest\; and There is No Wrigley Field\, which was produced at both the Mid-America Theatre Conference and at Spotlight Playhouse\, Berea. Finally\, his play Three O'clock was produced as part of the first-ever Kentucky New Play Series at the Kentucky State Fair. He is a co-founder of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop and\, until September 1\, 2021\, its president.\n\n Mr. McCann holds a BA from Transylvania University\, a MEd from University of Virginia's Curry School of Education and an MA in Theatre from University of Kentucky. In the fall of 2021 Mr. McCann will begin work on an MA in English at Eastern Kentucky University. Since the spring of 2019 Mr. McCann has served as arts columnist for his hometown newspaper\, The Sun. He and his wife\, Jeanine Grant Lister\, live with three cats and Halligan the Wonder Dog.\n\n\n\nRev. Albert J. DeGiacomo holds a Ph.D. in drama from Tufts University. He has taught drama and theatre in Pennsylvania (Mount Aloysius College) and Kentucky (Berea College) where he also directed many productions. A theatre historian\, his area of interest is musical theatre\, Irish drama and theatre history. In 2003\, his book TC Murray\, Dramatist: Voice of Rural Ireland\, was published by Syracuse University Press. Former pastor at Saint Andrew Church\, Harrodsburg and now a retired priest\, he holds a position on the spiritual formation staff of Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology\, Saint Meinrad\, Indiana. His play about priest-poet Gerard Manley Hopkins\, Kingfisher\, Catch Fire received a staged reading in February at the seminary. He is now completing a play for the seminary about theologian John Henry Cardinal Newman. He maintains his interest in theatre by writing plays and is a member of The Dramatists Guild. His play about Southern writer Flannery O'Connor\, No Surer Sign of Grace\, was presented at the first RECT New Works Festival in 2019.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nOne should never show up late to the theatre\, but Kimberly Shimer turned 50 before she began pursuing a newly discovered passion for playwriting. Employed as the director of communications for Villanova University's College of Engineering\, to fill the void of an empty nest Kimberly enrolled in a graduate program in Villanova's theatre department. There\, she fell in love with playwriting having learned from professor and accomplished playwright Michael Hollinger. \n\n"A Ghost of a Chance\," Kimberly's first play\, received a July 2020 Zoom production as a finalist in FutureFest at Dayton Playhouse and was selected for Rising Stars 2020 at Southwest Theatre Productions. In July 2021\, it will receive a staged reading as one of three selections for Cincinnati LAB Theatre's New Works Festival. In the past year\, Kimberly has written two more full-length plays: "Dear Elsie: Kafka's Letters from a Lost Doll" and "Eden 2.0." "Talking Over Tea\," her first 10-minute play\, was selected for Arts After Hours and will be virtually produced in June 2021. \n\nThe mother of two young adults\, Kimberly lives with her husband Rob and two dogs in Media\, PA. \n\nBrief version: \n\nKimberly Shimer is an emerging playwright from Media\, PA. Her first play\, "A Ghost of a Chance" was a 2020 finalist in FutureFest at Dayton Playhouse and was selected for Rising Stars 2020 at Southwest Theatre Productions. In July 2021\, it will receive a staged reading as one of three selections for Cincinnati LAB Theatre's New Works Festival. Her 10-minute play "Talking Over Tea\," was selected for Arts After Hours in Lynn\, MA\, and will be virtually produced in June 2021. When not writing plays\, Kimberly is the director of communications for Villanova University's College of Engineering. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Press Release New Works Festival 2021
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\n \; After more than a year-long hiatus due to the COVID pandemic\, Ragged Edge Community Theatre is kicking off the 2021/2022 season with its second New Works Festival August 6th\, 7th\, and 8th. Presented as &ldquo\;staged readings&rdquo\; each piece will be followed by a talkback session with the cast\, director\, and author. This year&rsquo\;s plays deal with a wide variety of subjects and differ greatly in tone as well.
\n \;
\nFriday August 6th at 7 PM
\nDear Elsie: Kafka&rsquo\;s Letters from a Lost Doll by Kimberly Shimer
\n \; \; \; Most folks remember having to read Franz Kafka&rsquo\;s intense\, groundbreaking short story The Metamorphosis in school. It would probably surprise them to learn that in the year before he died Kafka took it upon himself to write a series of letters to a broken hearted little girl from her doll\, Lotti\, who was not actually lost\, but &ldquo\;out in the world\, having adventures.&rdquo\;  \;Written with humor and heart\, this is a play about how even the most hardened and cynical among us can confound expectations with unexpected outbursts of compassion and humanity.
\n \;
\n \;
\nSaturday August 7th at 7 PM
\nBoats Against the Current by Bill McCann
\n \; \; \; Using clever theatrical devices to convey his inner battle\, &ldquo\;Boats&rdquo\;  \;tells the story of Harrisson\, a man in the early stages of Alzheimer&rsquo\;s. He fights to maintain his memory and literally his sense of &ldquo\;self&rdquo\; while concealing his condition from his family. Told with humor and pathos\, this play will resonate with anyone who has had to say &ldquo\;the long goodbye&rdquo\;. The author is the founder and current president of the Kentucky Playwright&rsquo\;s Workshop.
\n \;
\nSunday August 8th at 3 PM
\nSeeking Henry Gambrell  \;By Father Al DeGiacomo
\n.. The enigmatic portrait of Henry Gambrell\, a young man raised in an orphanage and who lived among the Shakers for years but who never &ldquo\;signed the covenant&rdquo\;\, is the object that sets this play in motion.  \;Set in Harrodsburg and the Shaker community at Pleasant Hill\, this is the story of two men\; separated in time\, but each with a desire to find something. \; One is seeking family and a place to call home. \; The other is looking for the right and true path forward in his life.
\n \;
\nAdmission is $12 The theatre is located at 111 South Main Street in Harrodsburg.
\nTickets are available by visiting www.raggededgetheatre.org or can be purchased at the door.
\nOne admission is good for all three festival performances
\n \;------------------------------------------
\nBios
\nPlaywright Bio
\nBill McCann
\n \;
\n \;
\n \; \; William H. McCann\, Jr. is a playwright\, poet\, writer of flash fiction\, publisher\, editor\, and arts columnist for the Winchester (KY) Sun. His other plays include Monkey King: Havoc in Heaven (co-written with Dr. Jennifer Goodlander) which was produced at the University of Kentucky in October 2011 as part of the Department of Theatre'\;s Main Stage Season. His 10-minute plays include Strained Pears\, which won second place in the Kentucky Theatre Association'\;s 2020 Roots of the Bluegrass 10-Minute Play Contest\; and There is No Wrigley Field\, which was produced at both the Mid-America Theatre Conference and at Spotlight Playhouse\, Berea. Finally\, his play Three O'\;clock was produced as part of the first-ever Kentucky New Play Series at the Kentucky State Fair. He is a co-founder of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop and\, until September 1\, 2021\, its president.
\n \; \; Mr. McCann holds a BA from Transylvania University\, a MEd from University of Virginia'\;s Curry School of Education and an MA in Theatre from University of Kentucky. In the fall of 2021 Mr. McCann will begin work on an MA in English at Eastern Kentucky University. Since the spring of 2019 Mr. McCann has served as arts columnist for his hometown newspaper\, The Sun. He and his wife\, Jeanine Grant Lister\, live with three cats and Halligan the Wonder Dog.
\n
\nRev. Albert J. DeGiacomo \;holds a Ph.D. in drama from Tufts University. He has taught drama and theatre in Pennsylvania (Mount Aloysius College) and Kentucky (Berea College) where he also directed many productions. A theatre historian\, his area of interest is musical theatre\, Irish drama and theatre history. In 2003\, his book \;TC Murray\, Dramatist: Voice of Rural Ireland\, \;was published by Syracuse University Press. Former pastor at Saint Andrew Church\, Harrodsburg and now a retired priest\, he holds a position on the spiritual formation staff of Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology\, Saint Meinrad\, Indiana. His play about priest-poet Gerard Manley Hopkins\, Kingfisher\, Catch Fire received a staged reading in February at the seminary. He is now completing a play for the seminary about theologian John Henry Cardinal Newman. He maintains his interest in theatre by writing plays and \;is a member of The Dramatists Guild. His play about Southern writer Flannery O&rsquo\;Connor\, No Surer Sign of Grace\, was presented at the first RECT New Works Festival in 2019.
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One should never show up late to the theatre\, but Kimberly Shimer turned 50 before she began pursuing a newly discovered passion for playwriting. Employed as the director of communications for Villanova University&rsquo\;s College of Engineering\, to fill the void of an empty nest Kimberly enrolled in a graduate program in Villanova&rsquo\;s theatre department. There\, she fell in love with playwriting having learned from professor and accomplished playwright Michael Hollinger.

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&ldquo\;A Ghost of a Chance\,&rdquo\; Kimberly&rsquo\;s first play\, received a July 2020 Zoom production as a finalist in FutureFest at Dayton Playhouse and was selected for Rising Stars 2020 at Southwest Theatre Productions. In July 2021\, it will receive a staged reading as one of three selections for Cincinnati LAB Theatre&rsquo\;s New Works Festival. In the past year\, Kimberly has written two more full-length plays: &ldquo\;Dear Elsie: Kafka&rsquo\;s Letters from a Lost Doll&rdquo\; and &ldquo\;Eden 2.0.&rdquo\; &ldquo\;Talking Over Tea\,&rdquo\; her first 10-minute play\, was selected for Arts After Hours and will be virtually produced in June 2021.

\n\n

The mother of two young adults\, Kimberly lives with her husband Rob and two dogs in Media\, PA.

\n\n

Brief version:

\n\n

Kimberly Shimer is an emerging playwright from Media\, PA. Her first play\, &ldquo\;A Ghost of a Chance&rdquo\; was a 2020 finalist in FutureFest at Dayton Playhouse and was selected for Rising Stars 2020 at Southwest Theatre Productions. In July 2021\, it will receive a staged reading as one of three selections for Cincinnati LAB Theatre&rsquo\;s New Works Festival. Her 10-minute play &ldquo\;Talking Over Tea\,&rdquo\; was selected for Arts After Hours in Lynn\, MA\, and will be virtually produced in June 2021. When not writing plays\, Kimberly is the director of communications for Villanova University&rsquo\;s College of Engineering.

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\n \; LOCATION:Ragged Edge Community Theatre 111 S. Main Street Harrodsburg\, KY 40330 (859) 734-2389 UID:e.1251.32267 SEQUENCE:3 DTSTAMP:20260504T043832Z URL:https://www.mercerchamber.com/events/details/2nd-new-works-festival-32267 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR