What Is a Stage Reading? HMTC Invites the Community to Watch Plays Take Their First Steps
A stage reading is more than simply actors reading words from a script. It is an opportunity for a playwright to hear a play come alive, discover what works, and learn what may need to be developed before the work becomes a fully produced play.
Hanford Multicultural Theater Company (HMTC) understands the importance of giving playwrights a place to develop their work. In 2022, HMTC presented its first staged reading, a play written by HMTC Executive Artistic Director Silvia Gonzalez S. commemorating the 142nd anniversary of the historic 1880 Mussel Slough Tragedy.
The staged reading had originally been planned for the 140th anniversary in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced HMTC to put the project on a two-year pause. When it finally reached the stage in 2022, the reading brought local history and the perspectives of Central Valley settlers to audiences through a dramatic exploration of the deadly land dispute between settlers and the Southern Pacific Railroad.
Now HMTC is bringing the staged-reading process back—this time to the Lil' Brick Theater in downtown Hanford.
A New Playwright Gets a Chance to Be Heard
The upcoming readings will be the second staged-reading project presented by HMTC and the first to take place at the Lil' Brick Theater.
HMTC's commitment to nurturing artists is at the heart of the project. New playwright Soyo Marta will have the opportunity to hear two of her short plays read by area actors as part of the Hanford Theater Festival.
The readings will take place on September 11 and September 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lil' Brick Theater.
For Marta, the experience is an important step in the creative process. Hearing actors speak the words aloud can reveal things that are difficult to discover simply by reading a script on the page. The playwright can hear the rhythm of the dialogue, see how scenes flow, and learn how an audience responds.
The audience is also an important part of the process.
Following the readings, the public will have an opportunity to comment on the work and participate in a moderated discussion. Rather than seeing a finished production, audience members are being invited to witness a creative process in the making.
From the Page to the Stage
A staged reading is intentionally different from a fully produced play.
Actors generally perform with scripts in hand. There may be limited movement, scenery, costumes, props and technical elements. The focus is on the words, characters, story and ideas of the playwright.
That simplicity allows everyone involved to concentrate on the most important question:
Does the play work?
The playwright can listen. The actors can explore the characters. The director can experiment with pacing and interpretation. And the audience can respond to the story while there is still time to shape and improve the work.
For a community theater company like HMTC, staged readings also provide a valuable opportunity to introduce audiences to local writers and give emerging playwrights a professional experience that might otherwise be difficult to find in a smaller community.
The Creative Process Continues
HMTC believes theater should be a place where people can experiment, learn and find their voices. The staged readings are one more way the company fulfills its commitment to nurturing artists and inspiring a diverse community through the arts.
The Hanford Theater Festival will continue beyond the two staged readings.
On September 12, 13, 19 and 20, HMTC will present award-winning plays performed by area actors who have trained through HMTC programs.
Together, the readings and performances offer audiences two different sides of theater: the finished product and the creative process that comes before it.
Come see a play after it has been polished and prepared for an audience. Or come hear a new playwright's work while it is still developing.
Either way, HMTC invites the community to step inside the theater and experience how stories move from the page to the stage
