Award-winning TV writer (CW’s Stargirl), producer and playwright Steve Harper and Laughing Panda Press are launching an anthology of short plays called "A Few Short Plays to Save the World" that will coincide with the world premiere of his play Urban Rabbit Chronicles at Georgia Southern.
The play premieres April 20-24 at the Statesboro Campus Theatre under the direction of Nicholas Newell.
Harper writes about what he calls the “invisible things” that people don’t normally talk about such as race, politics, sexuality, and religion. He was inspired to organize his short plays into an anthology during the early days of the pandemic with the ensuing economic, social, and racial upheaval that many communities were facing.
Believing that theaters act as an artistic “town hall” where communities can come together to engage with the issues of the day in a way that is conducive to reflection, connection, and empowerment, the pre-launch of the book was scheduled to coincide with his world premiere at GS.
Described as “an anthology of hope” by The Classical Theatre of Harlem, "A Few Short Plays to Save the World" was written in the tradition that “art is born out of necessity.
Harper, who is also an actor, wrote these plays after experiencing a lack of roles for Black actors in the theater and elsewhere.
With a focus on inclusivity, humor, and insight, Harper brings current subjects to light in an enduring and entertaining way, much in the same way that his work does writing and producing for TV shows such as the CW’s "Stargirl", "God Friended Me" and ABC’s "American Crime".
The plays were originally performed at theaters such as The American Airlines Theater on Broadway, The John Houseman Studio (NYC), New Jersey’s Vivid Stage, The American Theater Company (Chicago), Baltimore Playwrights Festival, Northwestern University’s Wirtz Center and The Falcon Theater in L.A. (NBC Universal) to name a few.
"A Few Short Plays to Save the World" will be available May 1 on Amazon and elsewhere. Preorders are available now.
