Announcing our Launch Pad Reading: THE HYDRA
Mission to (dit)Mars, a theatre arts collective serving Queens artists is thrilled to continue our popular Launch Pad Reading Series with The Hydra, a new play by Tyler Rivenbark.
An amalgamation of Greek and American folk tales, The Hydra finds Stephen Ajax – an Iraq war veteran – in a netherworld inhabited by Gods, Goddesses, and puppets. In this new and strange environment, Ajax is forced to face the aftermath of his former life.
Describing the play, Mission to (dit)Mars co-founder Kari Bentley-Quinn says “The Hydra is a play of great vision, boldness, and imagination. It is very exciting to see another full length play that was developed in the Propulsion Lab make it all the way to Launch Pad, and hopefully will have a bigger life beyond that.”
Meredith Packer (co-founder) adds “I am really excited to be putting this piece up on it’s feet. It is by far the most challenging play we have done for our reading series. Tyler paints a beautiful and terrifying world in The Hydra.”
“The Hydra is sheer poetry and color and emotion, it is at once the nakedness of life and a loud carnival of music and blinding light” adds co-founder Laura Pestronk. “Even Tyler’s stage directions buzz with tension and the poetry of loneliness.”
Tyler Rivenbark is a current member of the Propulsion Lab, Mission to (dit)Mars’ bi-monthly writers group and currently resides in Sunnyside.
The cast includes Temesgen Tocruray, David Shih, Sarah Burkhalter, Elizabeth Seldin, Ashley Awusie, Megan Lee, and Mark Drum. The reading is directed by Aimee Todoroff (All Systems Go: 2)
This free play reading will be held at The Secret Theatre located at 4402 23rd Street in Long Island City on Monday, March 30th at 8pm.
To attend the free reading, please make a reservation.
The Secret Theatre
4402 23rd St, Long Island City
E, M, G to Court Sq.
7 to Vernon Blvd/Jackson Ave or Court Sq.
N, Q to Queensboro Plaza
About the Launch Pad Reading Series
The Launch Pad is a free reading series of new plays by Queens playwrights. The mission objective of The Launch Pad is to serve as a testing ground for Queens based playwrights who need to hear their plays out loud. Because Mission to (dit)Mars was co-founded by playwrights and directors, we understand implicitly how to answer those needs. Through this program, the utmost care is taken to foster a safe and productive environment in order to propel the play forward.
