RED BANK – Two River Theater will launch a series of benefit play readings. The selected readings reflect the past, present and future of the theater’s diverse range of programming including reimagined classics and world premieres by the industry’s most adventurous theater artists.
Playwright and director Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s “Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine” will kick off the Two River Theater’s online reading benefit series “Two River Rising” July 26.
“Among the many things theater does for us is to keep us honest about our desire and obligation to show up for each other and stay engaged in the present moment,” said John Dias, Two River Theater’s artistic director. “Two River’s family of artists are as eager to find ways to ‘show up’ as our audiences are. We’re launching this series — and partnering with other social justice/social service non-profits as a way to respond to our present, celebrate our past and hope for our future.”
Online benefit event tickets are $25 per reading or $100 for the series of five readings and include access to live post-reading Q&As with the artists involved, hosted on Zoom. Sponsorships start at $1,000, and include additional benefits such as an invitation to a private virtual event with reading artists.
All donations made to Two River Theater in support of the series will be matched by a generous donor, to benefit five organizations with a pressing need due to the impact of systemic racism and COVID-19. Benefitting organizations are identified by the playwrights and directors involved in each reading and include The Actors Fund, The Audre Lorde Project, The New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice and The Ruben Santiago-Hudson Fine Arts Learning Center. All artists will be paid for their involvement in the series. For more information visit: tworivertheater.org/tworiverrising.
Reading Series
“Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine,” written and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Live Event: One Act Play with Q&A at 7 p.m. Sun, July 26 .
For this first reading, Two River Theater will also stream the reading on YouTube from 10 a.m. Monday, July 27 through 7 p.m. Thursday July 30. Streaming is free and donations of any amount from viewers will be greatly appreciated.
“On Borrowed Time” by Paul Osborn and directed by Joel Grey. Live Event: Act 1 at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5 and Act 2 with Q&A at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6.
“The Hombres,” by Tony Meneses and directed by Annie Tippe. Live Event: One Act Play with Q&A at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19.
“Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England” by Madeleine George and directed by Leigh Silverman. Live Event: Act 1 on Wednesday, Sept. 9 and Act 2 with Q&A at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10.
“Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, modern verse translation by Hansol Jung and directed by Chay Yew. Live Event: Act 1 on Wednesday, Sept. 30 and Act 2 with Q&A on at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1.
The article originally appeared in the July 9 – 15, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
