MFA Alum To Be Produced at Major Regional Theater:

2001 Alum Chantal Bilodeau's play, Pleasure & Pain, soon debuts at Magic Theatre in California. From the Magic press release: "December 2006 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA: – Magic Theatre continues its 40th Anniversary Season with HOT HOUSE ’07 featuring the best of the new – three world premiere plays by playwrights from a new generation shaping the future of American Theatre. In its fourth year, HOT HOUSE presents full productions of new plays in rotating repertory by Chantal Bilodeau, Kirsten Greenidge and C. Michèle Kaplan and runs Saturday, February 3 through Sunday, April 1... Our 40th Anniversary Season has been about celebrating Magic’s amazing legacy. HOT HOUSE is where we look to Magic’s future. These bold, new plays by exciting new writers keep us on the leading edge,” says Artistic Director Chris Smith... HOT HOUSE ’07 opens with Pleasure & Pain by Chantal Bilodeau, directed by Associate Artistic Director Jessica Heidt. In this sexy, suspenseful thriller, a Midwestern woman finds herself drawn into impulsive and erotic daydreams. When her fantasies spill over onto the page and into the hands of her boss, Peggy realizes she can't have pleasure without pain. Pleasure & Pain previews Saturday, February 3 through Friday, February 9; Opening Night is Saturday, February 10, with performances in the Sam Shepard Theatre." Visit www.magictheatre.org for more details.

3rd-year MFA Wins Aurora Theatre Company Global Age Project:

3rd-year MFA Laura Jacqmin's play HAPPYSLAP is a winner of Aurora Theatre Company's Global Age Project, a "program to nurture and explore forward-looking visions of global import." The play will be presented as a staged reading in April 2007; Jacqmin will be flown to Berkeley, California for the reading and awarded $1,000. To see more about the Global Age Project: click here

Ramsey Nominated for Vice Chair of the Kennedy Center ACTF III NPP:

Pending formal approval by the national executive committee, Erik Ramsey, playwriting professor in the OU MFA program, will assume duties as the Vice Chair of the New Play Programs for the Kennedy Center ACTF III. In addition, and separately from the nomination to Vice Chair, Ramsey was also awarded the Kennedy Center Faculty Fellowship.

2nd-year MFA takes 2nd Place in Kennedy Center ACTF III:

2nd-year MFA playwright Joseph Gallo's short play "Star Song" took second place in the Kennedy Center ACTF III festival's short play program this past weekend. Gallo, and playwriting professor Erik Ramsey were in Milwaukee to attend the ACTF III Festival.

2005 Alum Produced in New YorK

From Melissa Gawlowski, MFA 2005: "A short play of mine called The Cellar has been selected for performance as part of The Strawberry One-Act Festival in NY. It's going to be performed on February 16th at 7:30 p.m. at the American Theatre of Actors, at 314 West 54th Street, between 8th and 9th Ave. (second floor). It's a competition where the audience votes for their favorite play; the winning plays receive prizes and possible publication. Tickets are on sale now, for those in the area, at www.therianttheatre.com. You can also watch the show online, which is pretty fun. My show will be screened all day (I think) Feb. 17th. People's online votes count, as well, towards advancing the play."

Recent Alum and a 3rd-year MFA to Read at Chicago Dramatists

On Saturday, January 6 at 2 PM, Alum Aaron Carter (MFA '05) and 3rd-year MFA Laura Jacqmin will be featured in the 5th Annual Showcase of the New Resident Playwrights at Chicago Dramatists. The showcase will feature a scene from Jacqmin's BUTT NEKKID (dir. Ann Filmer) and Carter's SWAMP BABY (dir. Ilesa Duncan), along with scenes by the other 4 new residents. For more information, see: http://www.chicagodramatists.org/events.