Staged Play Reading:
Ladies at the Spa
Join us on Tuesday, December 20 at 7:30pm an up-close look at a new play written by Rob Urbinati.
This is a great opportunity to participate in the development of the show, as you'll be asked to provide input after the performance.
Three troubled female characters from the late 19th century step off the page and converge in a park in Europe in 1925. Fraulein Else's father is in debt, and her mother asks a dangerous favor of her. A friend of the family, who's staying at the same hotel spa as Else, has the money to help. But it doesn't not come without a condition. The young girl is traumatized. She is visited by Hedda Gabler and Miss Julie, who offer wildly contrasting opinions about how to get through her predicament.
Content advisory: Strong caution recommended for ages under 14 for mature themes.
2022-2023 Season Subscribers may request one complimentary seat per subscription. Non-subscribers and additional seats may be reserved for any size donation at the door, but reservations are required.
About Rob Urbinati
Rob Urbinati is a freelance writer and director based in New York City. He has directed at The Public Theater, Culture Project, Abingdon Theatre, Classic Stage Company, Pearl Theatre, New York University and theatres and universities across the country. He is Director of New Play Development at Queens Theatre, where he curates New American Voices, a new play development program.
Rob’s plays as a writer include Mama’s Boy, Hazelwood Jr. High, Murder On West Moon Street, Death by Design, and Death By Design: A Comedy With Songs and Murder, all published by Samuel French. Stage Rights has published The Queen Bees, Cole Porter’s Nymph Errant and UMW:University of Mostly Whites. New work includes Miss Julie En Hollywood, a bilingual adaptation of Strindberg's play co-written with Mario Garza; Our Boy, which premiered at Minneapolis Fringe in 2017; As a Mighty Stream co-written with Melissa Maxwell, which explores the false accusation of Tom Robinson in “To Kill A Mockingbird” from the perspective of the black characters, and Jane Austen’s Lady Susan, based on her early novella. His book, Play Readings: A Complete Guide for Theatre Practitioners is published by Focal Press/Routledge. Rob has been contracted to write a mini-series for cable television based on his screenplay, Hazelwood Jr. High. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, and his plays have received nearly 200 productions world-wide.
What is a Staged Play Reading?
A staged reading is a form of theatre without sets or full costumes. The actors, who read from scripts, may be seated, stand in fixed positions, or incorporate minimal stage movement. A narrator may read stage directions aloud. The purpose is to gauge the effectiveness of the dialogue, pacing and flow, and other dramatic elements that the playwright or director may wish to adjust. Audience feedback contributes to the process.
As long as available, seats are available at no charge to our 2022-2023 season subscribers. For non-subscribers, seats are available for any size donation at the door. Reservations are required.