NAKED STAGES is proud to present NAKED PLAYS, our inaugural new play festival at Bongo After Hours Theater, February 21, 22, and 23. We’ve chosen three fantastic plays for you, written by three fantastic females: Anne Nelson, Lauren Gunderson, and Arlene Hutton. These ladies have impressive credentials, and we are so honored that they are sharing their work with us in Nashville.

Nelson,Anne

Anne Nelson is the acclaimed playwright and screenwriter of THE GUYS, one of the first major dramas to address the September 11th attacks. Her latest play, DEPENDENCE DAY, is about four generations of spirited women — and the quiet man who connects them to each other — as they work through the challenges of parenting, marriage, divorce, and sweet life itself. Anne is the recipient of numerous awards and grants, including a 2005-06 Guggenheim Fellowship and a New Harmony Dramatists Fellowship.

110 lauren

Lauren Gunderson is a New York City-by-way-of-Atlanta playwright, screenwriter, short story author, and actor. In her new play, THE HALF-LIFE OF JOY, the modern themes of science, body image, teendom, well-matched love and the fate of mankind come together in a sarcastic, playfully absurdist coming of age story. Lauren’s work has received national praise and awards including the Berrilla Kerr Award for American Theatre, Young Playwright’s Award, Eric Bentley New Play Award, Essential Theatre Prize, Virtual Theatre Prizes and many others.

Arlene-Hutton

Arlene Hutton is the current Tennessee Williams Fellow at Sewanee University. Based on a true story, Arlene’s play is a Holocaust tale about sixteen-year-old Sala Garncarz, who volunteered to go to a Nazi labor camp in her sister’s place. In the coming years, she saved over 350 pieces of mail sent to her by friends and family on the outside or fellow prisoners, and LETTERS FOR SALA is that inspiring story. A four-time Heideman Award finalist and a three-time Samuel French Short Play Festival winner, Arlene’s three play cycle, THE NIBROC TRILOGY (LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC, SEE ROCK CITY, and GULF POINT VIEW), premiered in New York at the 78th Street Theatre Lab this past spring to rave reviews.

As you can see, Lauren, Anne, and Arlene are exemplary writers and we’re filling these wonderful stories with the talents of our exceptional Ensemble as well as some of Nashville’s most gifted actors and directors. Ginger Newman, Denice Hicks, Brian Russell, Jenny Littleton, John Mauldin, Holly Allen, Phil Perry, Jessejames Locorriere, Nan Gurley, Rona Carter, Robert Marigza, Richard Northcutt, Peg Allen, Misty Lewis, Buddy Raper, Dorothy Robinson, and Mark Cabus are among the local theater artists participating.

But it doesn’t stop there. We’re offering you the opportunity to vote online for the play you’d most like to see developed by Naked Stages in the future. You need to see all three plays to vote so reserve your tickets now.

The shows and their performance dates are DEPENDENCE DAY by Anne Nelson on Feb. 21, THE HALF-LIFE OF JOY by Lauren Gunderson on Feb. 22, and LETTERS FOR SALA by Arlene Hutton on Feb. 23. All shows start at 7:30 PM at Bongo After Hours Theater, 2007 Belmont Boulevard. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students. There will be a brief talk-back after each play.