JAW Play Reading: In the Basement
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In the Basement
Written by Bailey Williams
Directed by Josiah Davis
12 year old Dingus is disgusting — especially compared to her big sister, Teenie, who is perfect, Teenie’s boyfriend, Jard, who is a Christian and her best friend, Sal, who is developing way faster than Dingus can keep track of. As for Mom and Dad? Well. They said don’t go into the basement. In the Basement is a dark coming-of-age comedy that celebrates the joy and messiness of how our identities are formed, gender is performed and how adulthood might just be a figment of our imaginations.
CAST
Amy Driesler Mom
Bets Swadis Dad/Jard
Alanna Fagan Dingus
Treasure Lunan Teenie
Rebby Yuer Foster Little/Big/Old/Dead/Sal
Leif Norby Stage Directions
Stage Manager: Dana Petersen
Production Assistant: Taz Coffey
JAW New Play Festival FREE! July 28-30
A week-long assembling of artists and audiences to create new plays! Artistic teams, including playwrights, directors and actors, come together to rehearse — and a lot of times rewrite! — a play. The final piece of the process happens during the weekend, when we share “music stands readings” with audiences so the playwrights can hear their work, often for the very first time!
Bailey is a writer of plays and fiction. In the Basement was written with Clubbed Thumb's Early Career Writers Group (2021-2022) and received additional development at Macdowell and through Ars Nova's Play Group. It was featured at the Great Plains Theatre Conference 2023. Other plays include Events (The Hearth/The Brick, Dec. 2022), Coach Coach (Clubbed Thumb/Winterworks, Jan. 2023), I thought I would die but I didn’t (The Tank, May 2019) and Buffalo Bailey’s Ranch for Gay Horses Troubled Teen Girls and Other: a 90 Minute Timeshare Presentation (Exponential Festival, Jan. 2018). MFA: Brooklyn College. baileywilliams.live
Current & Upcoming
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Winter Teen Academy: Scene Work
Calling all teens! Are you looking to expand your acting skills and be the best scene partner you can be for your fellow actors? In this class, we will dig deep into scene study, character motivation, and active listening, while learning the necessary questions to ask in every rehearsal situation. You'll develop fuller characters and deeper relationships on stage by partnering in scene work — and have lots of fun too!
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying & interrupting instances of racism & all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA).
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