PlayLab Readings  2000-2001

SKY WATCHING

By John Lordan
Directed by April-Dawn Gladu

CAST
Jason Flora, Allison Taylor, Tom Taylor

December 11, 2000

• Jason Flora
  Jason is a graduating senior from UCF, and he will be completing his senior year as an independent study student here at the Festival.  Jason appeared in Theatre UCF's GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST, and LEND ME A TENOR. He also appeared on the Festival stage as Eric Hissom's understudy in COMPLETE HISTORY OF AMERICA, (abridged), for two performances.  Jason would like to thank Tracy for lots of love.
  
• Allison Taylor
  Allison is making her return to acting after a 5-year hiatus to stay home with her children, Forrest and Jack. Before her recurring role as Mommy, Allison performed in TONY AND TINA'S WEDDING and SHEAR MADNESS in Missouri.

  Locally she performed at the Civic Theatre and The Acting Studio Co.  Allison majored in acting at Boston University.
  

• Tom Taylor
  Tom has appeared in both versions of THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF AMERICA (abridged). Locally he has appeared as Biff Loman in DEATH OF A SALESMAN at Theatre Downtown and in all the roles in SEX, DRUGS, ROCK & ROLL at Club Cairo. He has also appeared with his wife Allison in an 18-month run of SHEAR MADNESS in Kansas City. Tom teaches for the Festival and supervises the Intern Training Program. He is the proud father of two boys: Forrest and Jack.
  
• John Lordan, Playwright
  John Lordan lives near Chicago where he makes his living as an actor.  Previously having been awarded several national playwriting awards, this year he received a Full Fellowship in Playwriting from the Illinois Arts Council. He is a proud member of SAG/AFTRA/AEA, The Dramatists Guild as well as the venerable actors club, The Players, in New York City. His literary agent is the Robert A. Freedman Agency in NYC.
  
• April-Dawn Gladu, Director
  April-Dawn is the education co-director of the Festival, and her recent directing credits include The Millennium Dreamers Recognition Ceremony with Christopher Reeves at Walt Disney World and the NABJ Gala Finale in Phoenix, Arizona. She has also recently filmed a documentary in Hawaii.

 Director’s Notes

Oh, Brian, look at the stars! Don't you just wish you could reach up and touch them? Don't you wish you could grab the point of a star and ride it halfway across the sky? A shooting star? WHOOSH! Just think what you could see with a telescope! What you could see! My god, what you could see!

SKY WATCHING is the next event in the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival's PlayLab series, scheduled for Monday December 11 at 7 PM at the Goldman Theatre in the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Loch Haven Park.

John Lordan's comic drama is a tenderly-remembered family portrait. While growing up in a small Midwestern town surrounded by cornfields, factories and Little League, a boy aims his telescope to explore the magic of star-filled skies, yet unexpectedly sharpens the focus on the mysteries of his parents' lives.

Chicago area playwright John Lordan has been awarded several national playwrighting prizes, and this year he received a Full Fellowship in Playwrighting from the Illinois Arts Council.

SKY WATCHING will be directed by April Dawn Gladu, education co-director of the Festival, whose recent directing credits include The Millennium Dreamers Recognition Ceremony with Christopher Reeves at Walt Disney World and the NABJ Gala Finale in Phoenix, Arizona. Jason Flora, Allison Taylor, and Tom Taylor will read the play.

SKY WATCHING will be read on December 11 at 7:00 PM. Admission is free, and the audience is encouraged to stay for a post-show discussion. The John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center is located at 812 E. Rollins St., in Orlando-Loch Haven Park. There is free parking, and the theatre is handicapped-accessible. Reservations are not necessary. The PlayLab series continues next month with a reading of Michael Carleton's THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL & MR HYDE on January 8. For a detailed calendar listing all PlayLab events, please here or call (407) 893-4600 extension 1. PlayLab is supported by a grant from the Paul Green Foundation, Inc.

                                                                 Last Updated: 05/06/2007                    Copyright Orlando Shakespeare Theater