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Cultural Conversations Second Annual New Works Festival Accepting Play Submissions for Spring 2008

October 3, 2007

Cultural Conversations is accepting new works for its second season February 15 thru March 5, 2008. Already on the slate is Heather Raffo, playwright and actress, who will return to perform two performances of 9 Parts of Desire on February 15 and 16, 2008, 8 p.m., in the Pavilion Theatre, on the University Park campus.

Cultural Conversations was created in March of 2007 in order to foster and promote new works dealing with themes of local and global diversity. For playwrights, this festival is an opportunity to workshop new works. For Penn State students and faculty, this festival is an opportunity to work with professional playwrights >outside of our program. For the community surrounding Penn State, this festival affords the opportunity of witnessing conversations that define specific cultures.

Cultural Conversations is the only university play festival in the United States devoted to issues of local and global diversity. Beyond new plays, Cultural Conversations is also the home of new dance pieces, both professional and student generated, as well as student generated one-acts on themes of diversity.

During the festival, the Pavilion Theatre, the 125-seat home of Cultural Conversations, becomes an art gallery presenting new works from the Penn State Visual Arts Department, and these works visually unify a theatrical space devoted to alternative dialogues.

Following the two-week festival, one of the new plays is taken to The York Theatre, New York City's premiere Off-Broadway theatre, where it is presented alongside one selection from Penn State's New Musicals Festival.

This relationship with The York Theatre, yet again, sets the Penn State School of Theatre apart from any other theatre program in the United States. The benefits of this relationship afford a unique visibility for both playwright and Penn State actor alike.

For more information, visit the Cultural Conversations web site at www.culturalconversations.org.