NEW FEATHERS PLAYWRIGHT GETS PUBLISHED INTERNATIONALLY

Above: A mix of original launch photos of the 2017 New Feathers Productions Premiere Season - including rehearsals, playwrights, directors, producers and cast members with fans. New Feathers found its first home at the famed Raven Resort in New Hope, PA. Barry M. Putt Jr. was New Feather’s first full-length production. New Feathers grew and moved to the James A. Michener Museum in 2018 and will be announcing a newly secured and larger venue upon the lift of Covid-19 restrictions.

New Feathers Playwright Gets Published Internationally

October 1st, coincidentally, is an extraordinary day of celebration for playwright Barry M. Putt, Jr.  The date represents the anniversary of the premiere of his original, full-length play Inside Out in 2017 at the famed Raven in New Hope, PA, produced by New Feathers Productions.  It’s also the same date this year when Inside Out was published by Next Stage Press.  A serendipitous fact for a feat that most presented playwrights naturally aim to achieve, yet seldom accomplish when having their work professionally produced in a new-works reading format.  

When asking Barry about the exciting details and process regarding having this huge “added notch” in his career, he stated: “Now that Inside Out has been published, Next Stage Press will sell acting editions of the script and manage productions from a royalty standpoint. The play can have public readings and productions through them anywhere in the world and in any size venue from a classroom to a large stage.  In general, my involvement in productions will be minimal. With that said, I would be glad to meet with producers and directors who produce the play to discuss the story and answer any questions they may have about it. For playwrights, publication exposes their work broadly to the theatre world so the industry knows it has been vetted and is available for production.”

When the initial producers, Mandee K. Hammerstein and Greg T. Nanni, selected Barry’s work for their reading series, several main factors were considered, aside from talent.  Leading questions were:  Did the show have relatability for diverse New Feathers audiences; did it truly provoke thought that additionally has relevancy in society; was the work efficient, such as casting options and portability for a NFP reading format and lastly, did the show “have the legs” to become a hopeful and fully-produced production in the future.  The Playwright’s involvement in the rehearsal process is also important as it optimizes the chance for a successful public reading.  Prior to the COVID-19 restrictions, New Feathers Productions was scheduled to offer live, theatrical programming during the Fall of 2020 at a new and much larger stage to accommodate growing audiences.  Currently, NFP is planning a rescheduled production season in 2021, TBA.

For insight from a playwright’s perspective related to the New Feathers Productions experience, producer, Mandee K. Hammerstein, had the following Q&A with playwright, Barry M. Putt, Jr. 

Q. What was it like being a part of New Feathers?

A. Working with New Feathers was a fun and rewarding experience. It gave me the opportunity to work with talented theater professionals and introduce new plays to an audience. 

Q. What value, as a playwright, did being part of New Feathers provide to you and your work during the production and beyond? 

A. New Feathers highlights emerging playwrights and their work. Working with them enabled me to get an audience's reaction to my new plays, which helped me to continue to hone the scripts.

Q. How does New Feathers, in your professional opinion as a playwright, stand out from other produced reading series?  (continued below)

Above: New Feathers Productions at their “other nest” - the James A. Michener Art Museum - images feature promotional photos, theater-goers on site, rehearsals at Hammerstein’s Highland Farm, production nights with various cast members AND an exciting Feature Cover Story in Princeton’s Time Out by Ken Downey Jr. A new theater home and production season secured for Fall 2020, has been rescheduled to Spring 2021 - TBA.

A. New Feathers offers high quality readings with strong directing and acting talent that enables new work to shine at its best as it debuts.

Q. What type of audience does New Feathers attract? 

A. New Feathers attracts a diverse audience of theater lovers, theater professionals, and people looking for a fun, thought-provoking night out.

Q. What was it like working with the producers and other talent involved?

A. The producers are talented and innovative. The director for Inside Out was insightful, understood my play, and helped the actors bring it to life. Live theatre creates a special bond in a short amount of time. I experienced this in the rehearsals and presentation process.

 

Q. Before New Feathers, were you involved in any other ticketed-reading productions?

A. Over a dozen of my plays have had productions or received readings in the U.S. and abroad. Readings are an essential component of the development process. They enable the playwright to see their play on its feet so they can continue to develop the script before seeking production.

Q. Regarding Inside Out, what did you change, modify or enhance after premiering at New Feathers?  If so, why and is there anything specific you’d like to share with readers? 

A. The reading enabled me to see what parts of the script were working well and what needed a little more tinkering. Several minor changes were made for clarity to Inside Out after the reading with New Feathers. These include clarifying the relationship between the two main characters, tightening stage directions, and defining why one character was drunk at an informal band party. These changes were incorporated into the version of the play that Next Stage Press published on 10/1/2020.

Q. Have you had any other plays published and if so, how does this one stand out?

A. Several of my one-act plays have been published including All is Fair in Show Business and A Nutty Tale with Drama Notebook and The Gold Dubloon in a collection published by Routledge. Inside Out stands out because it is my first full-length play to be published. Recent staged readings include my historic play Edmonia in Ohio. Edmonia tracks the early life of the first Black-American female sculptor in the mid-1800s. Beacon Theatre Productions will be producing a live Zoom presentation of the play in February 2021.

Q. Curious, I’m sure there are many, but what’s your proudest moment as a professional playwright? 

A. One of the proudest moments so far was an audio-drama production of my play The Porch, produced by WMNF’s Radio Theater Project, which was recorded before a live studio-audience. It included a surprise introduction of me to a packed house prior to the recording. To be recognized for my work on this production meant a lot. The play centers around the need to step out of your comfort zone and live life, which is something I feel is important to do. It was a wonderfully nuanced production of the piece, which connected with the audience. 

Q. Lastly, what are you working on next?

A. I am currently completing a new draft of my comedy A Different Blend of Friendship that deals with the need to reinvent yourself in order to stay relevant. I am also developing a full-length comedy entitled The Misadventures of Maddie McDugal that centers around two outsiders who set out on a wild, cross-country treasure hunt and discover their self-worth and value to the world in the process.

See the original casting announcement on Broadway World from Barry M. Putt, Jr.’s 2017 premiere here:  

https://www.broadwayworld.com/philadelphia/article/Tyler-Elliott-Matthew-Robertson-Cheryl-Williams-and-More-Star-in-New-Feathers-INSIDE-OUT-20170927

See Inside Out on Next Stage Press Here:

https://nextstagepress.net/inside-out/