Acute Exposure
by August Hakvaag
Thursday, February 13th
Reading begins 7:30 PM
Tickets $10
Location: Media Fellowship House
About the Play
In the small town of Loving, New Mexico, Dell has a mission: to tell the people of the far-flung future that there is a dangerous store of nuclear waste hidden below the ground. Her neighbor and morbidly curious classmate, Mara, comes along for the ride after they're assigned to work on a project together for English class. As they grow closer, and the enormity of what's buried in their backyard sinks in, they find that their relationship is changing them: for better, for worse, forever. When Dell's path out of town becomes uncertain, the two will have to choose what they bring with them into their futures, and what they leave behind.
Director: Esther Cohen
Cast
Dell: Mersha Wambua
Mara: Jia Weingard
Mrs. Gastrock / Stage Directions: Colleen Lester
About the Playwright
August Hakvaag (they/them) is a butch theatre artist currently based in Philadelphia. They received a BA in Theatre, Concentration in Acting, and are currently pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies from Temple University. They are a Princess Grace Fellowship Award semi-finalist, a Susan Smith Blackburn Prize nominee, and a proud member of the Ring of Keys Collective. They have worked internationally as an actor, director, and playwright. Highlights include working with Moxie Arts NY, 90mil, Philadelphia Young Playwrights, The Twenty Sided Tavern, Impulse Control Freaks, Richmond Triangle Players, Tokyo International Players, and Aporia Artists Collective, of which they are a founding member. Currently, they are part of the PlayPenn Foundry program where they are working on a play about superconductive electricity, and can be heard on the award-winning podcast Wing Women as Nino.
About the Series
The Media Arts Council (MAC) Play Reading Series was created by playwrights Julie Zaffarano, Dave Ebersole, and Keenya Jackson, in partnership with the MAC to create a space for local playwrights to hear their work read by talented actors and receive feedback from a public audience. The only regular new play reading series in in the area, it brings exciting new stories to Delaware County.
Playwrights, actors, and directors who are interested in being involved in the series should contact Julie Zaffarano, juliezaffarano@gmail.com. Due to the limited budget for this project, we are unable to offer actors or directors a stipend through the MAC.