La Jolla Playhouse will bring back its new play development initiative, the DNA New Work Series, a two-week run of workshops and readings of new works, taking place Feb 17 – Mar 2, 2014. The DNA New Work Series offers playwrights and directors the opportunity to develop a script by providing rehearsal time, space and resources, culminating in a workshop presentation or public reading. This process simultaneously gives audiences a closer look at the play development process, while allowing the Playhouse to foster relationships with established and up-and-coming playwrights.

This year’s DNA New Work Series features a workshop production of Blueprints to Freedom: An Ode to Bayard Rustin, by Michael Benjamin Washington, directed by Phylicia Rashad. The series will also feature six 1-day readings, including: The Brothers Paranormal, by Prince Gomolvilas, directed by Jeff Liu (presented in partnership with EastWest Players); The Smartest Girl in the World, a new play for young audiences by Miriam Gonzales, directed by José Cruz González; The Envelope, by Alex Lewin, directed by Tom Dugdale; Higher, by Carey Perloff, directed by Christopher Ashley; Tranquil, by Andrew Rosendorf, directed by Lucie Tiberghien; and Let Me Count the Ways, by Martín Zimmerman, directed by Christopher Ashley. All projects in the DNA New Work Series take place with little or no scenic, costume or staging elements, and actors may have scripts in hand. For more information, please visit LaJollaPlayhouse.org. Press contact: Becky Biegelsen (858/550-1070)...