2024 Read and Rant

Athena Project’s Read & Rant program seeks to combine the sharing of theatrical work with the wider public and the new play development aspects of our former Plays In Progress Series while also fostering collaboration between playwrights and dramaturgs. Think book club for plays! Learn what makes a good script, discuss how it affects us, and explore the ways it links to the larger world. This monthly free offering to the community aims to raise awareness of the under-representation of women’s stories on stage.

Each month, we read two new and unproduced scripts selected from a nationwide call for submissions and typically meet every third Monday online via Zoom to discuss the works. Join us to converse with invited playwrights who bring an in-depth knowledge of the works and theatrical writing at large. Guided by a dramaturg, we also invite you to share your constructive comments, thoughts, and affirmations in order to aid in the development process of the pieces.

This month we will be featuring two playwrights selected from our Read & Rant lottery:

Karen Fix Curry’ s Crazy Quilts

A young woman goes to interview a quilting group and finds herself being interviewed for inclusion in their exclusive secret club. Will she join their pay it forward group and help solve her problem? She joins their quilting group, after learning that they are a pay it forward murder club of women supporting other women in abusive relationships, in order to stop the terrible abuse.They know firsthand that the police don’t stop the abuser, the courts don’t stop them, so they will stop them. They plan the murder, deal with helping her when her abusive husband puts her in the hospital, and then commit the murder to prevent him from killing her the next time. She rebuilds her life, and the club moves on, finding another woman who needs their help. And the quilts? Those are the only good thing those abusive spouses do; provide fabric for quilts. Nothing gets wasted, except them.

Jennifer Maisel’s The Permutations

Bec, Morgan, Lola, and Cam are parent friends – you know, the friends you make because your children hang out together. Tonight’s challenge – a long overdue dinner where they can’t talk about the kids that turns into a sequence of interactions they never could have predicted at all. How can one moment cause a whole world of possibilities to unfold? Who knew life in the empty nest could be so… empty.

After you register for a session, you will receive a confirmation email that includes information on how to access our featured scripts. You must click the link in this email, and it will take you to the scripts. We want everyone to participate who would like to learn more about these talented playwrights and their plays.