First Look Buffalo Theatre Company 2024-25 Season

First Look Buffalo Theatre Company, Western New York's home for new play development, is thrilled to announce our 2024-25 season.

TEA PARTY, a New Play by Sean Abley. Directed by Lara D. Haberberger.

Frank, a married heterosexual crossdresser in his late 30s living in Montana, discovers Miss Olivia's Finishing School for Girls, a club for fellow recreational crossdressers. Finally able to share his secret with another like-minded man, Frank's newfound freedom threatens his marriage and his relationship with his best friend.

September 13th-October 5th, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 7pm Allendale Theatre (Home of Theatre of Youth) 203 Allen St, Buffalo, NY 14201

2024 New Play Reading Festival December 6th-15th. Show titles and times will be announced at a later date.

Ten full-length new plays will be performed as staged readings. Each play will be developed and rehearsed by members of our director's wing and acting ensemble. From these readings, First Look Buffalo Theatre Company will choose its 2025-26 main stage season.

Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center 705 Renaissance Dr., Williamsville, NY 14221

THE DAY I LEARNED TO FLY, a New Play by Wendy-Marie Martin. Directed by Jason Francey.

One day, while walking her dog, Daisy, fifteen-year-old Hattie was struck by a direct hit from 100 million of volts lightning-tastic electricity and Super Hattie was born. Super Hattie instantly became fluent in a language of flashes and sparks and zzzzts and screams and learned to use them to her advantage. Five years later, Super Hattie has honed her ability to read minds and withstand unbelievable amounts of pain, but she still hasn't learned to fly. Will she finally find the courage to let go of her fears and soar?

January 17th-February 8th, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 7pm Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center 705 Renaissance Dr., Williamsville, NY 14221

RIDESHARE by members of the FLB Playwrights Wing. Directed by Camilla Maxwell and Reu.

Short one acts all taking place in the same location, in or around a rideshare car.

March 21st-April 6th, Fridays and Saturdays 7pm. Sundays 2pm. Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center 705 Renaissance Dr., Williamsville, NY 14221

All tickets and info will be available at www.FirstLookBuffalo.com 4-6 weeks before each show. For more info, please call 716-771-6358 or email FirstLookBuffalo@gmail.com.

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TEA PARTY
a new play by Sean Abley
directed by Lara D. Haberberger
September 13th to October 5th, 2024

ONLINE WRITING WORKSHOPS
feat. Dr. Bella Poynton, Deborah Yarchun, Donna Hoke & Jeff Goode
November 4th to 23rd, 2024

2024 NEW PLAY READING FESTIVAL
December 6th to 15th, 2024

THE DAY I LEARNED TO FLY
by a new play by Wendy-Marie Martin
directed by Jason Francey
January 17th to February 8th, 2025

BUFFALO RIDE!
10 short plays, one wild ride share
World Premieres!
March 21st to April 6th, 2025

November 4th, 2024. 7 p.m. EST
Playwriting with Robots: Using AI to boost Creativity
Taught by Dr. Bella Poynton

This innovative 3-hour workshop, you’ll explore how AI language models like ChatGPT can serve as a creative companion to enhance your playwriting. While AI may not be able to craft engaging, original theatrical scenes on its own, it’s a powerful brainstorming tool that can spark new ideas and offer fresh perspectives. Through a series of prompts and interactive writing exercises, you’ll use AI to generate responses that can act as springboards for your own creative work. This workshop will help you tap into AI's potential to inspire character development, dialogue, and plot twists, giving you new ways to approach the writing process. Ideal for playwrights looking to break through creative blocks and find new sources of inspiration

November 6th, 2024. 7 p.m. EST
Objects and Imagery
Taught by Dr. Bella Poynton

In this dynamic 3-hour workshop, you will dive into the art of using vivid imagery to amplify the theatricality of your writing. Strong images have the power to foreshadow pivotal moments and evoke emotional depth in your scenes. Equally important, you’ll explore how to give objects on stage a commanding presence, using them to create tension, reveal character, and drive the story forward. By strategically using both imagery and objects, you can heighten moments of catharsis and deepen the audience's engagement. Through hands-on exercises, you'll discover techniques to make your writing more visually and emotionally striking, crafting plays that resonate long after the curtain falls. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced writer, this workshop will give you new tools to elevate your storytelling.

November 11th, 2024. 7 p.m. EST
Writing to Impact
Taught by Deborah Yarchun

This workshop explores an approach to writing or revising that takes your audience into account. Think of how we speak of plays: "That play moved me," "It was a touching story," a "hit play," even better, "a smash hit." In this workshop, we’ll explore how we, as dramatists, can physically impact our audiences. We’ll start with a map of the body and build an arsenal of dramatic strategies by looking at examples and discussing plays and theater experiences that we’ve found particularly impactful, and surveying our work. This workshop is part lecture, part discussion, part writing exercises. Come with an idea or a work in progress.

November 16, 2024. 2pm EST
The Hollywood Pitch
Taught by Jeff Goode

A workshop introduction to preparing your first pitch. Veteran screenwriter Jeff Goode discusses what to expect in a Hollywood pitch meeting, outlines the structure for a conventional television pitch, and workshops students' own ideas for selling TV, film and stage properties.

November 18, 2024. 7 p.m. EST
Marketing Your Plays Post-Pandemic
Taught by Donna Hoke

An overview of submitting, building local relationships, and understanding NPX as a marketing tool. Bring your questions!

November 23, 2024. 2pm EST
Breaking Writer's Block
Taught by Jeff Goode

A crash course in causes & cures for writer's block. Prolific playwright and screenwriter Jeff Goode guides you through a series of exercises and techniques for overcoming the dreaded writer's block. Goode offers an approach to tackling this age-old affliction that will help you conquer creative blocks in both the short- and long-term.

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presents

The 3rd Annual
New Plays Reading Festival

featuring

Dec 6 at 7pm - LONG LAYOVER by Michelle Tyrene Johnson
directed by Davida Evette Tolbert

Dec 7 at 2pm - THE BLUE PARROT by Jeff Goode
directed by Drew Fornarola

Dec 7 at 7pm - TROLL by Drew Fornarola & Scott Elmegreen

Dec 8 at 2pm - CHRISTMAS 2.0 by Donna Hoke
directed by Franklin Corey Aquilina

Dec 8 at 7pm - A VISIT FROM THE HOMETOWN by Mark Humphrey
directed by Jeff Coyle

Dec 13 at 7pm - TRAINING SET by Adam Hahn
directed by Lara D. Haberberger

Dec 14 at 2pm - AND SO...SHE DID by Wendy-Marie Martin
directed by Jason Francey

Dec 14 at 7pm - THE GIRL IN THE WASHROOM by Bella Poynton
directed by Mike Doben

Dec 15 at 2pm - PRESERVATION by Deborah Yarchun
directed by Lara D. Haberberger

THE BLUE PARROT
by Jeff Goode

December 7th
2:00 p.m.

presents

The 3rd Annual
One-Act/One-Location Festival

BUFFALO RIDE!

TEN SHORT PLAYS. ONE RIOTOUS RIDESHARE
World Premieres!
March 2025