JEREMY LLORENCE
Check out a staged reading for my newest play:
The Great Influencer!
When: April 20th at 7:30pm and April 21st at 8:00pm
Where: Otterbein's Campus Center Theater,
100 W Home St, Westerville, OH 43081
No tickets necessary. Talkback to follow the 4/21 reading.
Premise:
The Great influencer follows five strangers as they meet for an exclusive retreat/business opportunity hosted by their favorite social media superstar: Chantel Chrysanthemum. However, when Chantel fails to arrive on time, the experience quickly sours. As Chantel continues to promise her appearance, she begins to make legally dubious requests of her fans who must then decide what they're willing to risk for their chance at money, fame, and social media stardom.
Jeremy's note:
I like to think as what might happen if Waiting for Godot or The Iceman Cometh was written as tragicomedy in the wake of the Fyre Festival and that whole Caroline Calloway thing.
This play and reading were both made possible thanks to a commission from the Theatre Department at Otterbein University, TJ Gerckens, Chair.
Come see the second annual Otterbein Playwrights Collective!
Dates:
July 15 & 16 at 7pm
July 17 at 2pm
The second annual Otterbein Playwrights Collective will be held at the Abbey Theater of Dublin and tickets can be ordered here. For more info, visit our website here.
This year’s plays are:
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A Queen’s Goodbye by Ashleigh Miller - A princess attempts to escape a forced marriage arranged by her sister, the queen.
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An Absence of Closure by Katie Frame - A college student confronts his former friend at the grave of the young woman who sexually assaulted him.
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The Second Week of December by Abby Giardina - A pre-Christmas get-together turns sour when a young gay couple must confront a traumatic past.
I am beyond proud of these students and their plays, which address LGBTQ+ themes, sexual assault, suicide, trauma, and addiction. These plays handle their subject matter with nuance and artistry.
Big thanks to Joe Bishara for partnering with me on this, the staff at the Abbey for their support, the cast for their energy and dedication, and our local directors, Emma Winder, Nat Harper, Ben Hartwig, and Jarrod Turnbull, for bringing these scripts to life.
But wait, there’s more! Also be sure to check out the Young Writers Festival at MadLab!
Dates:
July 15-30
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Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm
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Sundays at 2pm
This is another annual festival. Hosted by MadLab, an awesome theatre company/venue based in Columbus. It features plays written by Central Ohio high school students. Tickets can be bought here.
This is my third year serving as a reader and local mentor. MadLab has been great at keeping this thing alive even through the pandemic. Show them (and these young writers) some love!