The Forge Theater Lab is a theater company devoted to developing new plays that ignite passionate conversations.
Our first season wraps up with a staged reading of THE LOWELL OFFERING on June 14 and 15. Our second season lineup and new staff will be announced soon!
The Forge is proud to be in residence at Fitchburg State University.
Our first season wraps up with a staged reading of THE LOWELL OFFERING on June 14 and 15. Our second season lineup and new staff will be announced soon!
The Forge is proud to be in residence at Fitchburg State University.
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Coming up next: THE LOWELL OFFERING by Andy Bayiates and Genevra Gallo-Bayiates A Staged Reading Directed by Kelly Stowell June 14 and 15 at 7:30 PM Kent Recital Hall in Conlon Fine Arts Building Fitchburg State University Free with suggested donation of $3-$10 |
Graphic designed by Monique Guthrie
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In 1840 in Lowell, MA, a group of factory workers published the world’s first magazine written solely by women. This is the story of the magazine’s editor, Harriet Farley, labor activist Sarah Bagley, and the rise and fall of their friendship, the magazine, and Lowell’s “Mill Girl” culture. Chicago-based writers Andy Bayiates and Genevra Gallo-Bayiates will welcome feedback as they prepare THE LOWELL OFFERING for its premiere at Merrimack Repertory Theatre in March 2020.
Featuring Denise Alexander, Charles Amaral, Sharon Bernard, Jack Crory, Samantha deManbey, Nina DiRusso, Joanna Karamanou, and Jennifer Knight. Directed by Kelly Stowell. Dramaturgy by Samantha deManbey.
Featuring Denise Alexander, Charles Amaral, Sharon Bernard, Jack Crory, Samantha deManbey, Nina DiRusso, Joanna Karamanou, and Jennifer Knight. Directed by Kelly Stowell. Dramaturgy by Samantha deManbey.
Playwright Andy Bayiates. Photo by Joe Mazza.
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ANDY BAYIATES is a Chicago-based playwright, Neo-Futurist alumnus and creator/co-writer of 45 Plays for 45 Presidents. His work has been produced by The Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Geva Theatre, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Forward Theater Company, The NOLA Project, The Neo-Futurists, and Dad’s Garage Theatre Company. Bayiates founded and directed the Plays for Presidents Festival in 2012, which inspired 44+ separate productions of the then-titled 44 Plays for 44 Presidents across the country. He wrote and performed in Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind in Chicago from 1999-2004. Bayiates’ work is published by Playscripts, Inc., and in Humana Festival 2001: The Complete Plays, 200 More Neo-Futurist Plays and The Absolutely Worst Places to Live in America. He was the astrology columnist for Time Out Chicago Magazine (2005-2007) and wrote non-astrological content for Time Out Chicago and the Southern Illinoisian newspaper. Recent plays include The Lowell Offering with Genera Gallo-Bayiates, which premieres at Merrimack Rep in 2020, and Lost Laughs: The Slapstick Tragedy of Fatty Arbuckle, which was nominated for five IRNE awards, including Best Play and Best New Play. Currently, Bayiates is developing 45 Plays for America’s First Ladies with his team of co-writers, and The Peculiar Distraction. First Ladies was selected by Berkeley Rep for development at its residency lab, The Ground Floor, in 2018. A workshop production of Peculiar Distraction at Fitchburg State University was honored with a Kennedy Center award in 2017, and the script was selected for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s Montgomery Davis Play Development Series in 2018. Andy graduated from FSU in 1997 and is a founding member of The Forge Theater Lab.
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Playwright Genevra Gallo-Bayiates.
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GENEVRA GALLO-BAYIATES is an Evanston- and Wisconsin-based writer and performer who focuses on personal narrative and history. She was a Neo-Futurist ensemble member from 2000-2005 and 2009-2010, as well as the company’s first female Artistic Director. With The Neo-Futurists, she wrote and performed in Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, collaborated on multiple full-length productions, and co-wrote three plays: 43 Plays for 43 Presidents, Game/Place/Show, and Inside My Mouth. Her plays have been published in Neo-Solo: 131 Neo-Futurist Solo Plays and 200 More Neo-Futurist Plays (Hope and Nonthings Publishing), and What It Means to Be a Grown-Up (Commonplace Books). Additionally, her storytelling work has also been published in This Day: Diaries from American Women (Beyond Words Publishing, Inc.) and Say It Forward (Haymarket Press). Genevra is currently working on updating 45 Plays for 45 Presidents with the original writers, as well as the new plays The Lowell Offering (in development with Andy Bayiates for Merrimack Repertory Theatre) and 45 Plays for America’s First Ladies, which was selected by Berkeley Rep for development at its residency lab, The Ground Floor, in 2018.
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The Forge Theater Lab is excited to announce our new logo designed by Monique Guthrie, a recent graduate of Fitchburg State University! This new logo reflects our mission to create new plays that ignite ideas and passionate conversations. The pen-and-flame image expresses the artistry and craft of new play creation.
Monique Guthrie is completing her undergraduate career at Fitchburg State University this summer with a bachelor’s in Communications Media. After winning The Forge’s logo design contest, she has become the company’s Marketing and Design Intern. At FSU she studied graphic design and professional communication. Monique has created designs for the Fitchburg Art Museum, FSU Mainstage, and Strong Style Coffee. She specializes in designing logos, t-shirts, tattoos, posters, and brand identity. Check out her digital portfolio at moniqueguthrie.com. |
Monique Guthrie
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