Who is behind Play Cafe?

Play Cafe was founded by playwright Steve Lyons. In the summer of 2011, a Steering Committee consisting of Steve Lyons, Ron Weaver, Jamie Greenblatt, Sandy Kasten, Lisa Gentile, Patrick Brennan, and Tracy Held Potter was formed to determine the direction that Play Cafe would take as Steve prepared for a cross-state move to Bellingham, WA. Tracy Held Potter accepted the position of Executive Director, Sandy Kasten accepted the role of Treasurer, and the Steering Committee continues to develop a strategy for moving Play Cafe forward. Part of this strategy includes registering for nonprofit 501(c)3 status.

How many people go to these meetings?

We typically have about a dozen or more people per meeting. We always welcome new faces.

What happens at a Play Cafe meeting?

The three hour meeting is largely dedicated to presenting work by local playwrights. Writers are encouraged to bring in up to 10-pages of a script in progress to be read by two to three professional actors and attending playwrights. At the end of the cold-read, playwrights have the option of asking questions about the play or accepting comments. We strive to create a welcome space for playwrights to share their work and receive positive support. Occasionally, we will dedicate the final 15 minutes of the meeting to discussing the "Play of the Month," which is a full-length play that playwrights would have read before attending the meeting. In the past, we regularly invited special guests to discuss a variety of topics addressing the needs of playwrights. As the number of attendees wishing to have their plays read increased, we began to dedicate more time to reading plays and created separate panel workshops and discussions to present guest speakers.

How do I join?

Well, there's really not anything to join. If you would like to attend, send an email to Tracy. Then show up and pay $10!

So what does this $10 go toward?

The ten dollars is used to pay for the rental of the space, pay an honorarium to our guests, provide light refreshments, and pay actors that we bring in to help with our scene reading. As we incur increasing rental fees and as we strive to offer greater compensation to our actors, we gratefully appreciate additional donations to support this work. Please contact Tracy for more information or make a secure online gift right now:

It's not really a cafe is it?

No, but it has the energy of a cafe, where ideas are explored and expanded in a friendly and supportive environment.

Who are these special guests?

To see who we've had, and who is planned for the future, click here.

How do I get my play selected for the "play of the month?"

During some months, we select a play as the "play of the month." The playwright then brings in typed, bound copies of the play to the following meeting and has the option of posting an electronic version of the script to this website. We then read the play during the month, and discuss it at the next meeting. So the cycle is: meeting 1: select play; meeting 2, playwright distributes bound copies to members; meeting 3: discuss play.

How do I get a scene read?

Bring enough copies for all the characters plus a copy for someone to read stage directions. Limit scene length to ten pages or fewer. We will read and discuss as many scenes as possible.

I've never taken a class or read a book on play writing. Is that okay?

Yes.

I can't attend the meetings. Can I still somehow participate?

YES! You can join and participate in our Yahoo! Group. Search for "Play Cafe."