NMAL Presents Staged Readings of Two New Plays: DIZZY AND LOVE by Rosemary Zibart and THE TRIAL OF MOTHER JONES by Roger Holzberg.
From Friday, June 21 through Sunday, June 23, New Mexico Actors Lab will present staged readings of two exciting new plays: DIZZY AND LOVE by Rosemary Zibart and THE TRIAL OF MOTHER JONES by Roger Holzberg.
One of the most influential and fascinating prime ministers to ever lead British politics was the Earl of Beaconsfield aka Benjamin Disraeli aka “Dizzy”. His career began dismally when he wrote a novel about an ambitious young social climber (somewhat like himself) and dressed as a dandy – some never forgot or forgave – yet Disraeli gradually altered his appearance and his politics becoming one of the great men of Europe who’s still referred to in English politics as the founder of the modern Conservative Party. What he knew of life and love can hardly be summed up in a witty one-person play, but that’s the aim of Rosemary Zibart’s DIZZY AND LOVE, which will be directed by Emily Rankin with veteran actor Nicholas Ballas portraying Dizzy. Rosemary Zibart is an award-winning Santa Fe author, playwright and screenplay writer.
THE TRIAL OF MOTHER JONES is inspired by real events. It’s 1914 and the Colorado Coalfield War, the bloodiest labor dispute in U.S. history, is raging. A 77-year-old Irish hellraiser named “Mother” Mary Harris Jones has issued a call to arms, summoning 500,000 union minors to rise up and fight against a renegade National Guard unit run by Lt. “Jesus Christ” Linderfelt. Her battle cry, “Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living!” A few nights later she’s ambushed in a union meeting hall by Clarence Darrow, John Mitchell (U.M.W. President), and John D. Rockefeller Jr., in a desperate attempt to stop her. Robert Benedetti will direct a cast that includes Suzanne Lederer as Mother Jones, Brent Black as John Mitchell, Danielle Reddick as Zoe Tikas, Benedetti as Clarence Darrow, and Jennifer Graves as Narrator. Playwright Holzberg is an American health innovator, creative director, teacher, writer, and inventor.
Schedule of readings:
Friday, June 21 at 7:30pm: DIZZY IN LOVE followed by a talkback with the audience
Saturday, June 22 at 7:30pm: THE TRIAL OF MOTHER JONES followed by a talkback with the audience
Sunday, Jun 23 at 2pm: DIZZY IN LOVE followed by TRIAL OF MOTHER JONES, which will then be followed by a talkback with the audience
All readings will staged at the LAB theater, 1213 Parkway – one block from Meow Wolf, and will be on the Pay What You Will plan.
For more information email: Nicholas Ballas, Artistic Director, nicob@nmactorslab.com; Robert Benedetti, Associate Artistic Director, benedettir@comcast.net (Director of THE TRIAL OF MOTHER JONES), or Katie Olivant, Managing Director, kfolivant@nmactorslab.com.