Telluride Playwrights Festival sends "Out of Askja" to New York for June show

16 Apr Telluride Playwrights Festival sends "Out of Askja" to New York for June show

[click "Play" for Susan's interview with playwright Drew Larimore]

Here's another fine example of what happens in Telluride does not stay in Telluride. Which is a good thing.

"Askja" is the name of a volcano in east central Iceland, active in 1961. "Out of Askja" is the name of play which remains very active, thanks to Telluride.

Playwright Drew Larimore workshopped "Out of Askja," in Telluride in 2008 at Jennie Franks' 2nd annual Telluride Playwright Festival. Three years later, "Out of Askja" opens the first week in June at the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, New York City's premiere eco-friendly theatre festival. According to Planet Connections' mission statement:

"At the heart of the festivity are like-minded individuals striving to create professional, meaningful theatre, while supporting organizations, which give back to the community at large."

The Telluride Playwright Festival operates like grow dome for fruits and veggies: brand new plays are watered and tended in a safe environment. After they grow and flourish, they are sent out into the world to be enjoyed. Larimore's "Out of Askja" is one of a number of  fine plays that were transplanted from Telluride to fertile soil around the country. Tracy Shaffer's (W)Hole, also a Playwright Festival alum from 2008, received raves from The Denver Post critic  and other rags when it was produced this past fall at Denver's Paragon Theatre. Next spring, James Still’s play "Love Me Some Amnesia," one of Playwright Festival's picks for a 2010 staged reading is scheduled to be produced in Chicago at the American Blues Theatre. And so on.

Larimore wrote "Out of Askja? after returning from a trip to Iceland. His theme is misplacement and escape and the idea of “going to the middle.” The story is set on the edge of a volcano.

To learn more, click the "play" button and listen to Drew talk about the evolution of "Askja" and his Big Apple debut.