Kane Repertory Theatre of St. Charles to present final new play reading

ST. CHARLES – You can tune in to the live reading of playwright Ken Urban's "Danger and Opportunity," directed by Broadway director Mark Brokaw, launching a five-day run at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, the final offering of The New Play Lab presented by Kane Repertory Theatre of St. Charles​.

Described as a hilarious and hard-hitting story, it will be available to stream until 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1.

"It has been an amazing run, pulling together 15 casts for 15 wonderful stories," a Kane Repertory news release stated. "We are humbled by the support from our audience and friends, and we are inspired by the months of collaboration with our colleagues. Here is a thank you to all of the playwrights who joined us. Here is a thank you to the actors and directors who filled our virtual stage. And, most importantly, here is a thank you to our audience for joining us on this ride."

"Danger and Opportunity" stars Kyle Beltran ("In the Heights"), Emily Bergl ("Shameless," "Desperate Housewives"), and Ken Barnett ("Mozart in the Jungle"). They are members of the Actors' Equity Association. Stage direction will be read by Matthew Petrucelli.

Plot points

Together for a decade, Christian and Edwin are a married gay couple in a rut, when suddenly Christian’s unconventional ex-girlfriend reappears. This unlikely trio finds themselves embarking on an unexpected journey together in a comedy about throuples and life under Trump.

For its series, Kane Repertory Theatre received submissions from hundreds of playwrights across the nation looking to develop their scripts. From these submissions, the Kane Rep artistic team selected a group of scripts, pairing the playwrights with casts of actors. In the public livestream, the script is read from beginning to end – allowing the playwright to experience the play in its full progression.

Finally, the audience is invited to be among the first people to hear the new works. In the post-show discussion, they have the opportunity to join in on the process by sharing their questions, thoughts, and feelings with the playwright and actors.

About playwright Ken Urban

His plays include "A Guide for the Homesick," "The Remains," "Sense of an Ending," "The Correspondent," "A Future Perfect," "The Awake" and "The Happy Sad." His plays have been produced off-Broadway; in London, his work was staged at Trafalgar Studios in the West End and on the fringe at Theatre503. Awards include the EST/Alfred P. Sloan Science & Technology Project Commission, Weissberger Playwriting Award, New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, the Independent Reviewers of New England’s Award for Best New Script, Huntington Theater Playwriting Fellowship, Headlands Artist Residency, Djerassi Artist Residency, Dramatist Guild Fellowship, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Fellowship, MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology (CAST) Grant, and MacDowell Colony Fellowships.

He is a resident playwright at New Dramatists and an affiliated writer at the Playwrights’ Center. For the screen, Urban wrote the screenplay for the feature-film adaptation of "The Happy Sad." His plays are published by Dramatists Play Service. He leads the band Occurrence and lives in New York City.

To watch the show

"Our livestreams are free of charge; we ask you to consider donating $25, or whatever makes sense to you, to help us support these artists," the release stated.

For more information, visit www.KaneRepertoryTheatre.com and click on The New Play Lab or email info@kanerepertorytheatre.com.