We are currently recovering from a great 2003-2004 season!!

We began with our annual Script Teasers Festival held once again at the New York Friars Club on September 30th. As usual we really packed ‘em in and everyone left full of praise for the evening.

On January 29th we held a Backers Audition at Davide Fur Salon on Seventh Avenue for our collaborative musical about the Fashion industry called RUNWAY. It was a fabulous event as well with a lot of theatre and fashion industry on hand. We learned a lot about what was needed to make this product a hit.

In February, we held another Backers Audition, once again at the Friars Club, for MPI friend Bonnie Lee Sanders’ COME UP N SEE ME musical about Mae West. It too was extremely well attended and a lot of interest was garnered for this show.
Later in February a new arm of MPI was created in the form of MPI Musical Productions as we were hired to perform at the Valentine’s event for the National Arts Club. They loved us and we began to spread the word that our band and our singing troupe would be available for all events of this nature.

A few weeks later several MPI stalwarts performed for the seniors at the Hamilton Center. It was like performing in a bus station, but they blessed us as we left.
In May we presented our Second Annual Spring Showcase once again in the Vital Theatre space on 42nd street. The first show was Phil Reissman’s SHAKESPEARE’S REVENGE, and the second was Jack Kelly’s TIT FOR TAT. Both were well received by the small audiences that attended.

Finally, on June 14th MPI presented an Evening of SHORT CUTS at the new Jewish Community Center of Manhattan on the West Side’s Amsterdam Avenue. This event was our best to date!! Eight pieces, one starring Broadway legends Donna McKechnie and Mark Jacoby, one piece by the one and only Stephen Schwartz, one from a submission by a man in Belgium, three from our own Sunday group, and one recommended. The crowd was the largest ever gathered for this new facility’s fabulous space and everyone cheered our event!! We went out with a bang!! The JCC wants to make it an annual happening!

Now we can really see how much MPI has evolved and what it has evolved into.

For the coming season we will once again present our Festival of Script Teasers most likely at the Friars Club at the end of October. These pieces will be selected from our group of playwrights who continue to meet here on Sundays—we have some wonderful new members—and from the numerous submissions we receive virtually from all over the world.

Finally, next June we will once again present SHORT CUTS at the JCC while throughout the year we will be having Backers Auditions beginning with one in and around November that we are really excited about called POUND which was submitted to us. We are right now seeking a Broadway director who will, we expect, lead us to a ‘name’ for the leading role. Several Backers Auditions will now be happening throughout the year, and may very well be taking the place of the Spring Showcase…we will see.

Stay tuned for announcements regarding auditions, event dates, etc. and keep sending us your recommendations of talent (writing acting, and directing) and submissions for our consideration.

Love to you all…

Mimi Scott, Ph.D
Producing Artistic Director
Manhattan Playwrights, Inc.