Working In The Theatre: Colossal – Olney, MD

Colossal, a new play written by Andrew Hinderaker tells the story of a star football player at the U of Texas, son of a modern dancer. Described as the Anti-Billy Elliott, Colossal expresses masculinity through emotional and physical journeys of the performers by integrating the languages of football, disabilities, and dance.

The National New Play Network, through its flagship initiative, the Continued Life of New Plays Fund (CLNPF), supports three or more theaters that choose to mount the same new play within a 12-month period. The result is a Rolling World Premiere, in which a playwright develops a new work with multiple creative teams in different communities. The playwright is part of the process, working on the script and making adjustments based on what is learned from each production. Colossal will premiere in 5 theatres across the country in 2014-2015—journeying to Maryland, Minnesota, Texas, Massachusetts, and Louisiana.

The Olney Theatre Center for the Arts of Olney, MD produced the first iteration of Colossal. Watch as the creative team describes this epic piece and how they intend to transform the experience in other venues.

Stay tuned as we uncover future productions of Colossal this year.

To find out more about the National New Play Network and where you can find the next Colossal please visit nnpn.org/programs/rolling-world-premieres.

To find out more about the Olney Theatre Center for the Arts, please visit: olneytheatre.org/.

American Theatre Wing’s Working in the Theatre documentary series features the most fascinating people on the stage, behind the scenes, and in the audience. From Tony Awards® and Obie Awards® winning artists to the next generation of theatre makers, we capture theatre’s inner-workings, industry luminaries, and unique stories that surround important work.

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