Tampa's Stageworks presents play by Manatee writer

   Acclaimed Manatee County playwright Philip Hall's recent work "Garageworks" is being staged in Tampa this weekend.
   It's part of "Tampaworks 2014," this year's edition of Stageworks showcase of short plays by local playwrights.
   Hall has built a national reputation for his short plays, and he's created some full-length musicals as well. His show "Children of the Day" (which he co-wrte with Tampa's Lee Ahlin) has been staged all over the country, and Hall's "Life on the Mississippi" got some great reviews in its New York City run last year.
 

Philip Hall

    Hall's piece in this weekend's show has a man trying to pay his fee at a parking garage, but encountering automated and very judgmental female voice. The Stageworks people say it's "funny, wise, with a charming, unexpected ending." Slake Counts, whose work is always impressive, plays the man.
   If you follow area theater you'll probably know a lot of the other playwrights who have plays in the show too, including longtime area playwright, actor and educator James Rayfield. Here's the lineup: “Duck” by Sheila Cowley; “Another Day in Paradise” by Matt Cowley; “Sinking” by Lil Barcaski; “The Manatees’ Tale of Extinction” by Dewey Davis-Thompson; “Tampa Love Bugs” by Mike Matteo; “A Dale Mabry Romance” by Rayfield; “Tampa: Built on Pennies” by Jaime O’Brien; and “Fireball” by Jeanne Adams.
   There are only three performance of "Tampaworks 2014," at 8 p.m Thursday, Friday and Saturday (July 10-12). Tickets are $20. 

    Stageworks is at 1120 E. Kennedy Blvd. in downtown Tampa. Call 813-374-2416 or go to stageworkstheatre.org.

Longboat Key writer's musical hits the road

   A few weeks back, Longboat Key playwright Philip Hall learned that, for the first time, one of his musicals would be getting a full-fledged New York City production.
   Now he's found out that, once that production winds up its New York run, it'll go on the road.

Hall

   Hall's musical "Life on The Mississippi" is based on Mark Twain's memoir, and it's set to open at the WorkShop Theater in Manhattan on Nov. 1. (You can read more about Hall and his work here: www.bradenton.com/2013/09/29/4742638/longboat-key-playwright-gains.html.)
  WorkShop Theater had been developing Hall's musical for three years, and it turns out that people who run the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Conn., (where Twain lived from 1874 until 1891) saw one of the preliminary productions and loved it. 
   So after the musical finishes its three-week New York run, it's moving to the Mark Twain House, where it will open Dec. 14.