2024 Alliance/Kendeda Week
February 5 – 9, 2024
The Alliance Theatre is pleased to present the four finalists of the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition in free, staged readings, as part of the 2024 Alliance/Kendeda Week celebrating new works. RSVPs are requested.
THE RESERVOIR
Monday, FEB 5 // 6:00 PM
Rehearsal Hall A at Alliance Theatre
Memorial Arts Building, 3rd Floor
By Jake Brasch, The Juilliard School
Directed by Matt Torney
Josh is on medical leave from NYU. He’s come home to Denver to get his life together, but can’t manage to stay sober. Struggling with fogginess, memory loss, shame, and regret, he finds unlikely allies in his four hilarious grandparents. Desperate for camaraderie, Josh resolves to bring his grandparents along with him on the road to recovery. He overwhelms them with crossword puzzles. He drags them to Jazzercise class. He forces them to eat spinach by the handful. Eventually, he slams up against the limits of his conquest. When he can no longer help his grandparents, they begin to help him.
littleboy/littleman
Tuesday, FEB 6 // 6:00 PM
Rehearsal Hall A at Alliance Theatre
Memorial Arts Building, 3rd Floor
By Rudi Goblen, Yale School of Drama
Director Addae Moon
Fíto and Bastian, Two Nicaraguan brothers, find themselves at odds when their views and dreams collide. At the expense of their relationship, both make life-changing decisions that put the pursuit of their American Dream and their future in peril. Alongside poetry and a rhythmic drive, we are invited into a space where live music, ritual, and reality intertwine in this fable about the bond between brothers.
Sävë thë Whälës, etc.
Thursday, FEB 8 // 6:00 PM
Rehearsal Hall A at Alliance Theatre
Memorial Arts Building, 3rd Floor
By David L. Caruso, Boston University
Directed by Amber McGinnis
When the United States officially declares the climate apocalypse, an American mother and daughter travel to Canada to see the last glacier on Earth before it's too late. A comedy.
The Agency
Friday, FEB 9 // 3:00 PM
Rehearsal Hall A at Alliance Theatre
Memorial Arts Building, 3rd Floor
By Lia Romeo, The Juilliard School
Directed by Lauren Morris
Ani has always wanted to be an actress, and she's finally managed to save up and move to New York City. But now she's not getting cast, and she's almost out of money. So, she takes a job at a "rental agency," where lonely clients can hire actors to serve as surrogate friends and loved ones. It seems like the perfect job - it pays well, and she's good at the work. But what will it do to her real-life relationships? A play for a world where we can buy whatever we want... if we're willing to pay the price.
