Summer updates and another podcast

It was a busy few months!

THE WORST MOTHER IN THE WORLD closed at Halcyon Theatre in early May. The production went really well and we got a great review and audience feedback. So proud! I recently recorded a podcast interview with Play4Keeps about the play and the production, if you are interested.

https://play4keeps.org/play4keeps-podcast-reflecting-experience-through-theatre-kari-bentley-quinn-and-marie-claire-erdynast/

My play HYANNIS was a semi-finalist for Seven Devils Playwriting Conference, as well as a semi-finalist for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival.

I was also in the final round of consideration for New Dramatists, which was such a wonderful surprise.

I’m taking a bit of a break over the summer but have plenty of things in the works!

HYANNIS at Premiere Stages Play Festival

So excited that my play HYANNIS will be one of four plays offered at Premiere Stages Play Festival at Kean University in Union, NJ! The reading is on March 15th at 7 pm. More information at the link below. Congratulations to my fellow Finalists!

http://www.premierestagesatkean.com/current-shows

We also made it into American Theatre Magazine, what a thrill.

https://www.americantheatre.org/2019/03/05/premiere-stages-announces-2019-play-festival-finalists/

THE WORST MOTHER IN THE WORLD - World Premiere at Halcyon Theatre in Chicago this Spring

So excited to formally announce that my play THE WORST MOTHER IN THE WORLD is having its World Premiere with Halcyon Theatre in Chicago! Previews start March 24 and it runs through early May. Seems right that my first show in a few years would be in a city I love so much. The crew at Halcyon has been a joy to work with so far. I think it’s gonna be great!

All the information can be found on Halcyon’s website

Play4Keeps - listen to new plays on demand!

So excited to announce that I am a part of this exciting new initiative started by the folks from Ashland New Plays Festival! Play4Keeps is a new way for people to hear new plays - in podcast form. The plays are performed by a group of talented actors and recorded for your listening pleasure. The site is still in beta, and they have a discounted subscription model. You have to subscribe to listen to the full play, but you can listen to an excerpt of my play THE WORST MOTHER IN THE WORLD for free.

Such an exciting way to hear new plays!

Semi-Finalist for the Playwrights Realm and more!

So proud that my play THE DIVER was a semi-finalist for the Playwrights Realm Writing Fellows Program this year. You can read about the other semi-finalists, finalists and new Fellows here.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadway/article/The-Playwrights-Realm-Announces-2018-19-Writing-Fellows-20181001

My play WENDY AND THE NECKBEARDS was an Honorable Mention for the Jane Chambers Playwriting Award this year. I was among such esteemed company as Caridad Svitch and Eleanor Burgess. Congrats to Martyna Majok who took home the prize, and rockstar Gina Femia who was the runner up!

http://www.womenandtheatreprogram.com/contact.html

There is more exciting stuff I can’t talk about yet, but watch this space!

KBQ on This is Your Mixtape Podcast

I was so honored to be asked my dear friend Michael to be on his podcast THIS IS YOUR MIXTAPE. I was asked to choose five songs to represent different stages of my life and talk about them. We cover a wide range of topics here, and he made me feel very comfortable! I've known Michael for years and it was a real treat. Also, this podcast is FANTASTIC and I encourage everyone to listen to the 8 great other interviews he has available, and the rest of the podcasts in the Megaphonic family. I have grown to really love podcasts and I'm hoping to figure out how to do one someday.

Check it out here, if you are so inclined!

https://www.megaphonic.fm/mixtape/9

Workshop of The Ocean Thought Nothing

Hi friends! So excited to announce that this weekend is the workshop of my play, THE OCEAN THOUGHT NOTHING. I am thrilled to be working on this play again, directed by the talented Lana Russell, and with an amazing cast. This is a barebones work-in-progress workshop, but we have all been working so hard over the past few weeks and I think the script is looking really strong.

Here are the deets:

THE OCEAN THOUGHT NOTHING
A workshop in-progress (supported by Goldfish Memory Productions)
By Kari Bentley-Quinn
Directed by Lana Russell

When seventeen year old aspiring marine biologist Colleen goes missing, all eyes are on her boyfriend Robbie, a sensitive young man with a violent past. When Robbie heads out on his boat to look for Colleen off the coast of southwest Connecticut, he encounters a lost humpback whale in Long Island Sound. Robbie’s search for Colleen and his desperate attempt to help the lost whale collide in unexpected and mysterious ways. 

Featuring: Charly Bivona, Oscar Cabrera, Kristin Granade, Billy Higgins and Trevor McGhie

Friday, 2/9 at 7 pm
Sunday, 2/11 at 7 pm
RSVP - limited seating!

Primary Stages
Studio B
307 West 38th Street
New York, NY 10018

Honorable Mention for the Relentless Award!

So excited to announce that my play WENDY AND THE NECKBEARDS was named as an Honorable Mention for the Relentless Award! This play was in a pool of the top 20 or so plays out of nearly 1000 submissions, and I am so grateful and proud. My fellow Honorable Mentions include such rockstar writers as Ming Peiffer, Aurin Squire, and Laura Jacqmin. For anyone interested in reading, the play is available for download on New Play Exchange, or you can contact my agents.

You can see the full list here, along with the finalists, semifinalists (such as my girl Gina Femia!) and about-to-be-super-famous winner Gracie Gardner and her fantastic play PUSSY SLUDGE. 

Special shout out to all my colleagues at Mission to (dit)Mars who told me to keep going with this play when I was like "what the eff am I writing you guys?". 

Finalist for The Playwrights Realm

Thrilled to announce that my play WENDY AND THE NECKBEARDS and I were finalists for The Playwrights Realm Writing Fellows program this year. Congrats to the new Fellows and all the finalists and semi finalists, with a special shout out to my Mission to (dit)Mars writer in residence Tyler Rivenbark. His beautiful play BY THE GRACE OF FIREFLIES - which was developed in the Propulsion Lab - was a semifinalist this year!

https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadway/article/The-Playwrights-Realm-Fetes-All-Female-2017-18-Writing-Fellows-20170918

Leah Ryan FEWW and Bay Area Playwrights Festival

My play THE WORST MOTHER IN THE WORLD was a Finalist for the Leah Ryan FEWW Prize - given to one emerging female playwright a year. Was so honored to be among the 8 finalists.

THE WORST MOTHER IN THE WORLD was also a Finalist for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival. The list of my fellow finalists is here, and there is a link to download the play on New Play Exchange, if you are so inclined.

Feeling proud and grateful!