Two New Works by University Playwriting Students to Premier This Week

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Empty chairs ready for a staged reading

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – V is for Violin by Brittany Taylor and Refuge by Rachel Washington are the first of the summer's Month of New Works presented by University Theatre and Theatre Squared. Readings of these new plays will be held Friday, June 7, and Saturday, June 8, respectively. The performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Walton Arts Center's Nadine Baum Studio.

Taylor and Washington are both pursuing a master of fine arts in playwriting in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences department of drama. The staged readings of these new works are a critical step in the development of these plays and their writers.

Taylor found inspiration in a 1994 Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph by Kevin Carter. V is for Violin explores the nature of personal responsibility in a decaying world. When a photographer captures a still image that will shake the world, he must find a way to keep his life and his home together in the aftershock. A brief talk back with the author will follow the staged reading.

In Refuge, Julia (Laura Shatkus) and Derek (John T. Smith) attempt to fix their broken relationship by creating a triad with Summer (Emily Tomlinson), a free-spirited twenty-something. As they experience a series of obstacles, including Julia's brother, Noah (Thomas Hunter), all four characters begin to discover what it really means to love. Refuge contains strong language and adult situations that may not be suitable for all audiences.

The Nadine Baum Studios are located at 505 W. Spring Street in downtown Fayetteville. Tickets may be purchased through the Walton Arts Center's website or by calling 479-443-5600. For more information on the Month of New Works, please email drama@uark.edu.