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March 2018
Heal the Divide on Campus – A ReACT Reading
The ReACT Gallery is hosting a performance in the Anderson Sculpture Garden in partnership with Focal Theatre Lab and ISU's MFA Program in Creative Writing and the Environment - a new initiative by @ProtestPlays titled Heal the Divide On Campus: An Opportunity for Inter-Collegiate Conversation Through Theatre. In their words, "Our hope is that by introducing short, brand new plays inspired by each playwright’s community, we can cultivate empathy and engage in inter-community conversations about social issues currently at play in our…
Find out more »April 2018
New Script Series – April 2018
Focal Theatre Lab is back for April's New Script Series! This month features SMOKE BREAK by Sarah Etheridge. In a small town, a group of rebellious, broken, and deeply connected young friends struggle with growing up, healing, and addiction. Join us for a reading of this new play and a talkback with Sarah afterwards. The event is free and open to the public. Find us in the PEO Room of Ames Public Library (up the stairs and to the left)…
Find out more »July 2018
New Script Series – July 2018
Readings of brand new plays by local playwrights. Focal Theatre Lab is back after a short summer hiatus for the July 2018 New Script Series! This month features A Chrysalis for Your Chaos Theory by Josh Oren. Warrant officers Daniel and Emily are tasked with visiting a government black site to check on an artifact that the United Nations has stored away for a decade. They soon find out it's not an object, but a person, Zacharius. And the more they…
Find out more »August 2018
Smoke Break & Fission
Join Focal Theatre Lab for a night of brand new theatre (a double-feature with a one act performance and a staged reading of scripts by two local playwrights!) at Reliable Street, a warehouse in Ames that has been transformed into an arts center by Ames community members. Smoke Break A play in one act, written by Sarah Etheridge, and directed by Mat Wymore. Sarah Etheridge's Smoke Break follows a group of high schoolers attempting to navigate the joys and fears…
Find out more »Smoke Break & Fission
Join Focal Theatre Lab for a night of brand new theatre (a double-feature with a one act performance and a staged reading of scripts by two local playwrights!) at Reliable Street, a warehouse in Ames that has been transformed into an arts center by Ames community members. Smoke Break A play in one act, written by Sarah Etheridge, and directed by Mat Wymore. Sarah Etheridge's Smoke Break follows a group of high schoolers attempting to navigate the joys and fears…
Find out more »April 2019
New Script Series Musical Edition – MIRRORS
Focal Theatre Lab is featuring Olivia Griffith's brand new musical, MIRRORS, for our April 2019 New Script Series! In this new play, two sisters struggle with self-worth, ultimately succeeding or failing in learning to love themselves. Performances by Olivia Griffith, Sara Kottra, Jonah Miller, Keaton Lane, Joi Wright, and Jim Tener. Join us for a reading of this new musical and a talkback with Olivia to follow. The event is free and open to the public. Find us in 308…
Find out more »June 2019
Code Red: Faith – May/June New Script Series
Focal Theatre Lab and The Eco Theatre Lab are partnering to produce FTL's May/June New Script Series. This edition will feature Code Red: Faith, a staged reading of plays in response to gun violence in places of worship. Join us in the Farwell T. Brown Auditorium on the first level of Ames Public Library. Doors open at 1:45 p.m. The readings are free and open to the public. About Code Red: Faith In February 2018, in the wake of our…
Find out more »July 2019
New Script Series – July 2019
Focal Theatre Lab is featuring THREE brand new plays by local playwrights for our March 2019 New Script Series! Olivia Ann Griffith's SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS is a lighthearted take on grief, highlighting a mother and son's struggle to deal with the misguided sympathies of outlandish funeral guests. Sam Rude's DREAM OR ILLUSION? is an introspective look at high school and relationships in the technological age, starring a generation thrust into a spiraling pool that “it’s complicated” can’t even start…
Find out more »June 2021
Submission Period: Beyond Hope
After taking a break during the pandemic, Focal Theatre Lab will be returning this fall with an exciting new project called Beyond Hope. This event, produced in conjunction with International Overdose Awareness Day, will feature a collection of short performance pieces designed to bring awareness regarding overdose, remember those who have died, and acknowledge the grief of friends and family left behind. The pieces will be performed in Des Moines and Ames during the last week of August. We are currently seeking submissions…
Find out more »August 2021
Beyond Hope
In conjunction with International Overdose Awareness Day, Beyond Hope is a one night theater event surrounding the themes of addiction, loss, overdose, grief, and hope.
Find out more »